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You already got a look at my American League Fantasy Sleepers with my last blog, now it’s time to move onto the National League Sleepers.
Nation League
Catcher – Chris Iannetta: Iannetta should easily win the starting catcher job in Colorado this spring. His best competition is aging veteran Javy Lopez. Iannetta has the ability to hit for a good average (.303 career in the minors) and produce double digit homers. He is well worth a late round pick and should be a top 10 overall catcher very soon. Plus he hits in humidor-less Colorado this year.
First Base – Conor Jackson: With the perfect combination of discipline and strike-zone judgment Conor Jackson could put up huge numbers in the middle of Arizona’s lineup. He makes consistent, hard contact. His gap power could produce 25 homers and he could easily drive in 100 runs while batting over .310. Jackson goes in the last 3 rounds and sometimes undrafted. Grab him, especially if your league has CIF in addition to 1B and UTIL.
Second Base – Chris Burke, Kaz Matsui: While Burke is currently blocked at 2B by future Hall-of-Famer Craig Biggio the Astros are going to find him playing time in CF. He could bat at the top of this order and produce 100 runs and 12-15 homers with 20+ steals. Kaz Matsui is more of a longshot. He has to first win the 2B job in Colorado. Then he has to hold onto it if he wins it. In 113 at-bats in Coloroado, Matsui hit .345 with 2 homers, 22 runs, 19 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. Incredible numbers! Monitor him closely and if he wins the job grab him out of the free agent pool.
Shortstop –Stephen Drew, Felipe Lopez: Stephen Drew came out of the gates swinging last year. He hit .316 in 209 at-bats with 5 homers, 13 doubles, and 7 triples. Drew is going to be the Diamondbacks’ starting SS this year and should get 550+ at-bats. He could provide great punch with a stat line around .285-15-80-10-90. Felipe Lopez is playing on a team that is going to try and get wins by using grit and letting players use their God-given talent. This is good news for Felipe Lopez. Lopez stole 44 bases last year. More importantly he learned how to take walks, 81 of them to be exact. He will be on 1B a lot this season and the Nats will need to find any way they can to score. Lopez is a sleeper to get 50 steals. He should also improve on his .274 AVG a bit. Don’t expect him to top 20 homers again though, look for 15-17 tops.
Third Base – Morgan Ensberg, Wes Helms: Get past Ensberg’s .235 AVG and 387 at-bats from last year. Look at his other numbers: 23 homers in 387 at-bats and 101 walks. Ensberg has improved his eye and has the protection of Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman in front of him now. Ensberg could put up huge numbers this year. Wait and grab him late. You’re probably thinking to yourself right now “Wes Helms? Why in the world would I want this guy?†I’ll tell you why. He’s the starting 3B for the Phillies (meaning he gets to hit in one of the 5 best hitters parks in the league, not to mention in a lineup with Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins), he hits lefties with the best of ‘em (.336 in 107 at-bats), and has hit .316 over the last two years. Put him on your watch list because he most likely won’t go in any draft. Grab him out off of the free agent bin once you get a roster spot open. Oh yeah, he’s eligible at 3B and 1B too.
Outfield – Brad Hawpe, Luke Scott, Chris B. Young, Barry Bonds: Brad Hawpe put up good numbers last year (.293-22-84) and was available in the free agent pool. He won’t be available via free agency this year. He is going somewhere in the 14-18 round range and I’ve even gotten him in the last round in one draft. He is quite the uncommon by posting better numbers away (.303-16-48) than at Coors (.282-6-36). Don’t look for that to happen again. The humidor is gone and Hawpe proved that he can hit away from Coors. He could easily approach .310-30-100 this season. Luke Scott put up huge numbers in his major league stinit last season (.336-10-37 in 214 at-bats). He should win the starting job but will sit against lefties. If you are a competitive fantasy leaguer I would grab him in the last two rounds and sit him when the Astros face lefties. He’ll produce against righties. Chris B. Young is gonna be in the rookie of the year running all season long. He has 20-20, even 25-25 potential right away. Be careful though, his average will be in the .260-.270 range but if you can make up for it then grab young in the last 2 rounds, he seems to be going undrafted in almost every mixed-league. Bonds is Bonds. You know he can hit if healthy. Grab him, but don’t reach for him.
Starting Pitchers – Dave Bush, John Patterson, Tim Hudson: Dave Bush, if you haven’t read any other fantasy blogs, is the talk of the fantasy sleeper world. Everyone, including me, expect him to break out in a big way this year. Sure his ERA was 4.41 last year and he went 12-11. He’s 27 now and his secondary numbers suggest he is ready to bust out. He only gave up 18 homers and more importantly posted a WHIP of 1.13. His “converted†ERA, according to Bill James Handbook, was 3.47. The youngsters in that Brewers team are going to hit and they are going to field. Bush should put up 14-16 wins, an ERA below 4.00, and 160+ strikeouts. John Patterson has ace stuff. John Patterson also needs ace bandages everywhere. Grab him in the mid-late teen rounds and watch his progress. If healthy he can be amongst the league leaders in ERA, SO, and WHIP. Tim Hudson has worked out like a horse this offseason. He said he is putting his “horrible season†of last year behind him and working hard to get back to where he was when he was in Oakland. Look for Hudson to be somewhere in the middle of where he was in Oakland and where he was last year in Atlanta, which means great numbers! Grab him in the mid teen rounds.
Relief Pitchers – Jonathan Broxton, Tony Pena, Bill Bray: I don’t care if Saito is the closer in Los Angeles, Jonathan Broxton will likely get double digit saves and record over 100 strikeouts while posting an ERA below 3.00. Grab him late and laugh at everybody who missed out on him. For keeper leagues this guy is the closer of the future for the Dodgers. Tony Pena is someone to simply keep an eye on. Watch Arizona closer Jose Valverde and see if he struggles. If Valverde struggles and so does the team look for Arizona to trade Jorge Julio and put Tony Pena in at closer for good. Same can be said for Bill Bray in Cincinnati. Mike Stanton and Dave Weathers are supposed to split all the saves but young Bill Bray is the future closer. Watch the closer situation in Cincinnati and grab Bray if he gets the job midseason.
That’s all for now (fantasy-wise), I hope you enjoy the Fantasy Sleepers and good luck in your leagues!
On Valentine’s Day, the love comes out for the greatest game in the world -
Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter: “I think because everybody can relate. You don’t have to be seven feet tall; you don’t have to be a certain size to play. Baseball is up and down. I think life’s like that sometimes, you know. Back and forth, up and down, you’re going through this grind. I think people like watching it. Baseball’s like a soap opera every day.”
Ernie Banks, Cubs legend and Hall of Famer: “It’s just life. When I think about baseball, it’s just life. It’s really the way life is. It requires a lot of mental capacity to be involved in it. It creates a lot of joy for people and memories for people who follow it. It’s a family. You like it because it’s a family. You started with it and know all these people — it’s family, it’s friends, it’s fun, it’s a beautiful game. All in all, baseball is amazing.
Joel Kweskin, 56, White Sox fan based in Charlotte, N.C.: “It’s unique unto itself. Football, basketball and hockey are variations of the same concept — back and forth in a linear progression to score a goal. Baseball, however, is mapped out on the field unlike any other sport. A running back or return specialist can run 100 yards, tops; a baserunner legging out an inside-the-park homer runs 20 yards farther. Baseball is the most democratic of sports — any size can play, and because the ball is not controlled by the offense but rather the defense, every player at any given time is involved in a play. Along with the anecdotally accepted premise that hitting a pitched baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in sports, so might be fielding a 175-mph line drive or grounder down the line. I love baseball because it is the greatest game ever invented.”
Former Royals star Willie Wilson: “The first thing is, I don’t think there’s any criteria for size, so anybody can play. I think people can relate. A lot of people never played football; basketball, you’ve gotta be tall and be able to jump. But baseball is a game where you pick up a bat and a ball, and you catch it, you swing the bat and you hit the ball. Most people have played softball or some kind of baseball, so they can relate to the sport. For me, that’s why I think America just embraces baseball, man.”
Baseball Blogger Travis G.: Where to start? I think better when I make a list.
1. Players. The requirements to be a good baseball player are very undefined. You can be short, tall, thin, chunky, anything really. You name the greats and you get tall and chunky (Ruth, Ortiz), short and chunky (Yogi, Gwynn), tall and thin (Sizemore, Jeter), short and thin (Reyes, Ichiro). They may not be the best athletes (e.g. David Wells), but when they’re playing the best game in the world, who cares?
2. The Mentality. Baseball requires more intelligence than any other sport (save for NFL QB). Simply put, every hitter that steps to the plate is trying to out-think the pitcher, and vice versa. 4-5 times a game, focus has to be completely on the man in front of him. Will he throw a fastball, curve, change? If you take an at-bat (or even a pitch) off, you’re toast. Same thing with the pitcher. The only other sport that comes close is football, but mainly just for the QB. Baseball requires every single player to have good mental capacity.
3. The Field. Football, hockey, basketball and soccer all use essentially the same type of field/playing surface: a rectangle. Baseball uses a diamond. It’s not only unique in that aspect, but every single ballpark is unique amongst the sport. Each park has its own quirks and intricacies that make it special. Not a single other sport can say that. Yankee Stadium has Death Valley, the short RF porch, and the facade. Fenway has the Monster. Shea has the apple. Wrigley has the ivy-covered brick. Pac Bell (or whatever it’s called now) has the bay in RF. Houston has the hill in center. Imagine if the RCA Dome’s field was only 95 yards; that’s the equivalent of Death Valley or the Green Monster.
4. One on One. Basically the speech DeNiro makes in The Untouchables. Baseball is a team game: 25 men. But each of them takes one turn – by themself – to help the whole team. Then the next batter gets a chance. Because of the batting order, a team can’t simply send its best hitter up every at-bat. You can’t just give the ball to Jordan or Shaq (Pujols or Ortiz) every time. A team’s best hitter will get 4-5 chances a game to help his team. That’s it. You need a complete team to win.
5. Substitutions. Once a player is removed, he’s done. You can’t just sub in the best defenders when you have a lead. You can’t take out Santana for an inning because he’s tired, then re-insert him. Could you imagine the way baseball would be played if there were no substitution restrictions? It would be bedlam. Players don’t get any breaks (outside of the DH) during the game. Even late inning defensive replacements are a gamble if the trailing team comes back. And substitutions play an ever bigger role in the NL.
6. No Clock. No running out the clock. It doesn’t matter what inning and what score it is, you still need 27 outs to complete the game. There’s no easy way to ‘seal’ a win. You still have to face every batter, and record every out.
7. History. When Japanese kamikaze pilots flew their planes into American ships, they would often yell ‘Fuck Babe Ruth!’ No other American sport has the history baseball does. Some of the most iconic figures in our culture are Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Ripken, McGwire, Bonds, Aaron, Clemens, Jeter. It’s goes all the way back to the 1830′s. The ‘Junior Circuit’ (AL) had been going strong for over 45 years before the NBA ever started. The Yankees had already won 20 World Series before the first Super Bowl was ever played. I just love that feeling of history when I watch a game.
8. Summer. What better sport to exemplify the feeling of summer than baseball. The only summer sport we have. Warm weather, kids are out of school; remember the day games with your dad, drinking a soda, eating a hot dog? No other sport lets you enjoy the weather. Hockey and basketball are indoors. And the football season lasts from September to February, nuff said.
9. Connection. This ain’t football where the most ardent fans get to see a maximum of just 24 games (including the pre and post-season). Baseball is 3 hours a day, 6 days a week for 6 months. You get a minimum of 162 games. That’s double basketball and hockey, and 10 times that of football. Not only do you get to see your ‘guys’ 162 times a season, but you actually feel close to them. They’re not wearing masks to cover their faces (football, hockey), so you see (and often share) their reactions and emotions. You don’t get that feeling of ‘closeness’ from other sports. And then when you add the fact that baseball plays 162 games, it’s easy to understand where the connection comes from. When the season is over, it’s like you not seeing your family for 5 months.
10. Home-field Advantage. Having the home team hit in the bottom of each inning assures that every team, every season (even Kansas City) will have its share of thrilling, bottom of the whatever, walk-off wins. It’s nothing like football where you squib kick it or have the QB kneel down, or in basketball where you dribble out the clock or foul the opponent 10 times.
Your thoughts?
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| Monday, February 12, 2007 |
It’s chump change, really. Even to the tight-fisted Florida Marlins. The unbreachable chasm is a mere $700,000. But the stepping on dollars to pick up pennies is bound to haunt the fish down the road. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Deatils
In front of hundreds of fans and season-ticket holders during the weekend, Marlins President David Samson and General Manager Larry Beinfest made a point to voice their disappointment that Cabrera blew off the team’s pre-season promotional events.
“(Owner) Jeffrey (Loria) and the rest of us are extremely disappointed that he’s not here with every one of his teammates. All the players are here except Miguel,” Samson said Saturday at FanFest at Dolphin Stadium.
Samson made similar remarks from the podium Friday night at a $200-a-plate awards dinner. Beinfest publicly noted Cabrera’s absence from the podium at a Town Hall meeting on Saturday.
Pitcher Reynel Pinto and infielder Alfredo Amezaga also didn’t attend, but they had excused absences because they were completing winter ball activities. Samson said members of the front office were told by Cabrera’s agents that “he was unable to make it for personal reasons.”
“We’re disappointed, that’s the bottom line. Our organization is disappointed that he wasn’t there with his teammates.
[...]
But a source who has spoken with the Cabrera camp said part of the reason he didn’t show up is that he is not happy that the team is taking him to arbitration on Friday over a $700,000 difference.
Cabrera, who made $472,000 last year, wants $7.4 million. The team has offered him $6.7 million.
“If he wins, he’ll be a very rich man and if he loses he’ll be a very rich man. And we’ll all fly back to start spring training,” Samson said.
Samson’s attitude typifies this dispute. To Cabrera, this is about the hassle of arbitration and the confirmation that this team, rather than locking him up with long term security is going to fight their biggest on-field asset over less than five percent of the club’s payroll last year. This kind of attitude leads to resentment, alienation and a departure as soon as is possible for both parties.
Last week, on his Internet radio show, David Pinto speculated that the Marlins and Cabrera were cruising for a showdown. Whether this is due to Cabrera fleeing for more welcoming pastures after the 2009 season, or the Marlins dealing him for young talent before then, the cracks in the foundation of the club’s relationship to their star player began now.
Another player who is wearing out his welcome, may find one of his suitors backing away. While the Astros have not echoed this fan’s sentiment, the potential is there for a club ready to move ahead.
Unfortunately, that arrogance has slithered closer to home. Yep, the new contender for the all-time narcissist crown: Roger Clemens. At least Bonds is somewhat open with his self-importance, but Clemens is more like an extortionist, making middle-of-the-night phone calls to his victim, then not saying anything. Just letting his quarry know that he’s there and in control.
Clemens will be welcome in the Houston clubhouse, but a few more offseasons like the last several will wear out that welcome in short order.
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| Thursday, February 1, 2007 |
Should he play or should he go. That’s what the Rocket wants to know. Cause if he quits there will be trouble, but if he plays he’ll bring double, so what he really wants to know, is should he play or should he go. The AP is reporting
Roger Clemens talked about his plight and laughed.
“I’m failing at retirement,” he said. “Let’s just face it. I’m failing miserably at it.”
The 44-year-old right-hander, unsure whether to retire or return for a 24th major league season, was the keynote speaker for the St. John’s winter baseball banquet on Wednesday night.
If he does pitch – and it sounds as if he will – Clemens will choose among his hometown Houston Astros, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.
“I think if it wasn’t for more than a handful of phone calls from my teammates, not only my teammates here, but in Houston and the guys in Boston, I don’t think I’d take it to heart as much,” he said. “It would be real easy to step away and be done with it.”
Clemens’ words to the contrary (If it were easy to walk away he wouldn’t play this game year after year) the desire is clearly still there to pitch at the major league level. He may not make an announcement until May, he may not decide until then, but he will take the hill wearing one of three uniforms this June. He can come full circle and wrap it up in Boston. He can go back to the city of his greatest success in New York. Or he can stay with the Astros.
Brian Cashman seems to be taking the Yankees into a smarter direction. Less overpriced and elderly veteran players. More younger and flexible talent. Is there a place for a very expensive 44 year old starting pitcher. To keep him out of Boston, they’d make room. And the Red Sox with their six starters on the roster seem to have no room for Clemens, either, but surely they would make room. Houston must be tired of this game, but the hometown fans would not be happy if Clemens walked the way that Nolan Ryan did. It is a nearly perfect situation for a pitcher of Clemens’ talents. He has three franchises interested, two of which will fight to the death for him.
But which team will be best served by the presence of Roger Clemens in their rotation?
| Houston |
New York |
Boston |
Roy Oswalt
Jason Jennings
Woody Williams
Wandy Rodriguez
Fernando Nieve |
Mike Mussina
Andy Pettitte
Chien-Ming Wang
Kei Igawa
Carl Pavano |
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield
Jonathan Papelbon |
Houston: Oswalt is a staff ace and Jennings is solid. Williams pitched effectively last season in the pitcher’s paradise of San Diego, but with his declining strikeout rates, he will be lucky to keep his ERA under 4.50 in more hitter friendly Houston. Wandy Rodriguez got his eighth win on June sixth and then only got one more the rest of the season, with a demotion to AAA thrown in. Nieve pitched well, but mostly in relief last season. Houston has the most holes in their rotation and therefore the biggest need for Roger Clemens.
New York: The front three are as strong as any trio. Mussina and Pettitte can be counted on for 200 innings of above league average work. Wang is using his extreme groundball tendencies to blossom into a very effective inning eater. And with a better fielding first baseman taking more of the throws at first in Doug Mientkiewicz, he could win 20 games this year. Kei Igawa will need to transition to the US major leagues. How he handles big league hitters in a rough and tumble division is a big question mark. As is Carl Pavano, who might be healthy, might be injured and if he’s healthy there is no guarantee he will be effective. The Yankees will be evaluating their need based largely on Pavano. If Crapshoot Carl is healthy and effective, their need for Clemens is mitigated. Of course Andy Pettitte wants his fellow Texan back in the Bronx, and the Yankees will open the checkbook to bring Clemens back if for no other reason to keep him out of Boston. But their need is less than Houston’s.
Boston: The Red Sox have the deepest rotation of the three. If healthy, Schilling, Wakefield, Beckett and Matsuzaka could combine for 850 innings among them. Jonathan Papelbon is transitioning back to starting and should be stretched out to throw six innings a start. Papelbon has been immensely effective, primarily out of the pen, for the Red Sox in his young career, which makes it hard to figure how he will be as a starter. But there is little statistical evidence to suggest he will fail. In addition, Boston has Jon Lester ticketed for Pawtucket, and Joel Pinheiro, Julian Tavarez and Kyle Snyder in the pen, who can each provide league average innings as starters. The need is the least in Boston, but again, they will woo and wow Clemens to ensure he doesn’t go to the Bronx.
The inescapable conclusion is that he winds up back in Houston. The Red Sox and Yankees would prefer that he doesn’t play for the other. Houston has the greatest need. And Koby Clemens may be up with the big club for a September call up to play a few games with dad on the team. Neither Boston nor New York can offer that. His failure at retirment means the Astros get another shot at success and the elusive World Championship.
ESPN
The Rocket is leaning toward pitching in 2007, but he’s in no rush to make a decision.
“I think it is more than 50/50 that Roger will play in 2007, but for a shortened season,” Randy Hendricks, one of Clemens’ agents, told the Houston Chronicle. “As I said, it will be for the Astros, Red Sox or Yankees. I don’t think any team is really ahead. Obviously, Houston has the home-field advantage.”
Looks like Roger Clemens is leaning towards one more season, or two more, or three more…
Anyway, The Rocket is either going to play for one of three teams: Astros, Yankees, or Red Sox. Clemens will probably make his decision later rather than sooner. I don’t believe any of these three teams is going to stress over his decision. They will allow Clemens the time he needs and then try to win him over. There really is no favorite. I believe Clemens will decide in June and either decide to stay close to home in Houston or play for the team that he believes will give him the best chance to win a World Series.
I personally hope this is the last season he pulls this waiting game off. I’m just glad none of the teams are waiting on him this time around.
After being speculated and reported for weeks now, Keith Foulke has signed with the Cleveland Indians
The free agent reliever finalized a $5 million, one-year contract with the club Thursday, a deal both sides hope turns into a longer partnership. Foulke’s deal includes about $2 million in performance bonuses and a mutual option for 2008.
Back in 2004 I loved the toughness that Foulke brought to the mound. He obviously does not have overpowering stuff, but he just found a way to get people out, and sometimes in a dominating fashion.
Since that magical run in October of 2004, his performance has been just awful and his attitude has been worse. I will agree that Boston is a tough place to play, but his action and comments did not make it easier to accept his poor performance.
The Indians (Borowskie, Hernandez, Foulke) like the Red Sox (Donnelly, Romero, Hernadez, Pineiro) are signing a lot of cast off pichers and hoping enough are able to regain their past form or become a hidden gem.
In other news Mark Loretta will reportedly sign with the Houston Astros
Loretta, who played briefly with Houston in 2002, signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, but the contract could be worth as much as $3.5 million if incentives are met.
According to Loretta’s agent, Bob Garber, Loretta had an offer from the Rangers worth $1 million more. The Reds also made an offer, but Loretta picked Houston, partly because of an aggressive recruiting job by Roy Oswalt and Brad Ausmus. Oswalt put the bug in club owner Drayton McLane’s ear, and Ausmus gave his best pitch while working out with Loretta in San Diego, where both reside during the offseason.
I had only seen Loretta play here and there prior to last season since he played in a time zone that is does coorperate with my east-coast bed time. From my limited exposure he seemed like the prototypical #2 hitter and a consummate professional. After watching him for a full season my feels were confirmed. I think the Astros are getting a true “baseball player”. His efforts and contributions will be missed by me, but I do think it is time for Dustin Pedroia to get a chance.
By Amy K. Nelson
ESPN The Magazine
Mark Loretta will sign with the Houston Astros on Thursday, his agent said. Financial terms were not immediately available.
The free-agent second baseman had multiple offers, including ones from the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds. But he will sign with the Astros, his agent Bob Garber said.
Loretta, a 12-year veteran, played for the Boston Red Sox last season, hitting .285 in 155 games. He has previously played for the Brewers, Astros and Padres and has a career .299 average and .987 career fielding percentage.
I personally don’t understand this. The Astros already have future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio and Chris Burke, who should be playing 2B but Biggio has blocked him for what seems like 10 years. Burke is going to play CF.
The only way this move makes sense is if Loretta splits time at 2B, 3B, and 1B, and if Biggio is given 2 days off a week. The team still has Morgan Ensberg, although he is being used as trade bait, at 3B and the OF is full and that rules out Biggio or Berkman moving back there.
Loretta is a fantastic player, a clubhouse leader and a player who plays like every play could be the last one in the 7th game of the World Series. I still don’t understand Houston’s plan with this signing but all-in-all Loretta is a good fit for just about any club, even if he doesn’t have a position to call his own.
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| Friday, December 15, 2006 |
Jeff Bagwell has officially retired.
Jeff Bagwell retired Friday after 15 years with the Houston Astros, ending a career in which he hit 449 home runs but was forced from the field after the 2005 season because of a shoulder injury. Along with Craig Biggio, Bagwell led the Astros to four division titles and the team’s first NL pennant in 2005. The 38-year-old Bagwell retires as Houston’s leader in homers, RBI (1,529), walks (1,401) and extra-base hits (969). He finished with a .297 career average.
 The four-time All Star and winner of the 1994 NL MVP award will remain with the Astros as part of a personal-services agreement struck with the team this week. Bagwell is expected to work with Astros hitters, assist in the front office and make appearances for the team.
“I had a tough time in those last four or five years in my shoulder. It took a lot out of me both on the field and off the field,” he said. “This is a day that I knew was coming. I’m OK with it. I feel blessed to have known all of you.”
[...]
Despite his unique and highly unorthodox batting stance, Bagwell displayed remarkable power at the plate, ranking among the top 15 players in home runs and RBI throughout the 1990s. His final tally of 449 home runs leaves him three behind his childhood idol, Carl Yastrzemski.
He was a great player and it’s sad to see injuries force him out of the game.
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| Saturday, October 28, 2006 |
Joe Niekro has died.
Former major league pitcher Joe Niekro, Houston’s career victory leader, died Friday, Astros president Tal Smith said. He was 61.
The two-time 20-game winner suffered a brain aneurysm Thursday and was taken to South Florida Baptist Hospital in nearby Plant City, where he lived. He later was transferred to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he died.
“It came as a real shock to us,” Smith said. “He was a great guy. He had a real spark and a great sense of humor.” Smith said Niekro did not have an active role with the Astros but kept in contact with many of his former Houston teammates.
Niekro, father of San Francisco Giants first baseman Lance Niekro, won 221 games in his career but never became as well known as his Hall of Fame brother, Phil.
Like his older brother, who won 318 games, Joe Niekro found success after developing the knuckleball and pitched into his 40s. They had a combined 539 major league victories, a record for brothers.
[...]
Niekro won a franchise-best 144 games in 11 seasons with the Astros from 1975 to 1985, when he was traded to the New York Yankees. He was an All-Star in 1979, when he went 21-11 with a 3.00 ERA and followed up with a 20-12 record in 1980. He beat the Dodgers in a one-game playoff that clinched Houston’s first postseason berth in 1980. Seven years later, in his 21st season, he finally appeared in the World Series with the Minnesota Twins.
“You are always in shock when you hear something like that, mainly when it hits close to home, a teammate who you have spent a lot of years with,” Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, a former teammate of Niekro’s, told Houston’s KRIV-TV. “It certainly surprises you when it happens to somebody who has kept themselves in shape and lives a very active life. The last time I saw Joe he looked like he was a picture of health,” Ryan said.
Niekro was born Nov. 7, 1944 in Martins Ferry, Ohio. A third-round draft pick of the Cubs in 1966, he broke into the majors in 1967 and appeared in 702 games, including 500 starts, in 22 years with the Cubs, Padres, Tigers, Braves, Astros, Yankees and Twins. Niekro, who once was suspended for getting caught on the mound with a nail file in his back pocket, pitched his final game in April 1988 — at age 43. He finished 221-204 with a 3.59 ERA, including 144-116 with a 3.22 ERA for the Astros.
Truly a shame.
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| Friday, September 29, 2006 |
Houston sweeps the Pirates to take 9th. straight game. Cardinals drop 8th out of last 9 to Brewers, allowing Houston to climb within a half game of the lead in the NL Central.
Now the Cardinals’ NL Central lead is down to a half-game.
Jason Marquis got just six outs and St. Louis fell behind by eight runs in the third inning, losing to the Milwaukee Brewers 9-4 Thursday night.
In a swoon that could become one of baseball’s historic collapses, St. Louis (81-77) has lost eight of nine and wasted nearly all of what was a seven-game lead with 13 to play.
Incredible. The 1964 Phillies are being brought up, who choked with a six game lead late in their season. No one else has collapsed in this way since. In addition, the loser of the NL Central is likely not in the wild card race, so if they lose, they go home.
The suddeness of this collapse has taken the baseball world by surprise because of how improbable it really is. The Astros had been counted out since the beginning of the month – mathmatically alive, but pretty much discounted as a force at all at the end of the season. Roger Clemens must have thought that chances weren’t good, because he asked for a special exception to pitch one last time in front of his home fans (although I suspect he’ll be back next season). Again, because no one expected the Cardinals to collapse quite like this, I can understand Clemens thoughts. Now, he may just get another chance to pitch in the post-season.
There are three games remaining in the season for both teams: the Astros play at the Braves, and the Cardinals continue their four game series at home against Milwaukee. These circumstances seem to favor St. Louis, but that’s what I would have said yesterday (both Milwaukee and Pittsburgh are fairly bad teams, and the Cardinals are playing at home). The Astros seem to be red hot, and the Cardinals ice cold. These are going to be an interesting next few days for both Houston and St. Louis fans, and if the Cardinals do finish this collapse out, it will be a blemish on their organization for years – much like the 1964 Phillies.
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