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Showing posts with label fergie jenkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fergie jenkins. Show all posts

January 9, 2013

Fergie Jenkins: "Rumors" of PED User in Hall Already

The Hall of Fame and the use of performance enhancing drugs ruled the day once the Class(less) of 2013 was announced on Wednesday.

As a surprise to few, no one was elected, but as a surprise to many...current Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins suggested that Cooperstown might already have a user in its midst.

"I've heard rumors about four years ago that someone who has been in the Hall of Fame now for a couple years was in that particular situation," the 1991 inductee said during an interview on MLB Network. "There haven’t been any names put to the rumors. I’m not going to be the one who spreads it around but it’s rumors that you hear."

Bob Costas asked Jenkins to clarify his statement.

"There have been some rumors," Jenkins said. “No names involved, just some rumors. He played in the ’80s and ’90s and now is in the Hall of Fame, but that’s just a rumor.”

So, who does that single out?  Your guess is as good as mine...but there aren't too many guys that fit the description.

Jenkins was also asked if he would attend the induction ceremony if someone who knowingly took PEDs was elected.

His answer...it was pretty much the same as it was when he and I spoke about it nearly four years ago.

“I’d have to think long and hard about it,” he said. “There have been a few players who have voiced their opinions, and it’s been publicized. I think they’d be embarrassed to show because they played the game honest and now they have someone in the game who possibly cheated.”


January 22, 2010

Fergie Jenkins...not a fan of Mark McGwire

When Mark McGwire made an appearance earlier this week in St. Louis, he was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation.

In an
"open letter" to the Associated Press just a few days later, Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins had some harsh words for the slugger.

Jenkins suggests that "Big Mac" may have shortened some pitchers careers because of his steroid use, claims that he would have "knocked him on his butt" and demands more apologies.

"You have not even begun to apologize to those you have harmed," Jenkins told the former home run king McGwire. "You need to apologize to your family for depriving them of your presence as time goes on because you are likely going to die earlier than if you had never relied on andro to carry you to all your successes."

Yikes. Something tells me that the two won't be exchanging any Christmas cards anytime soon.

This past May, I had a chance to talk to Jenkins and his fellow Hall member Rollie Fingers and the subject of steroids came up. Suffice it to say...they had some choice words for those Major Leaguers who took (and are suspected of taking) performance enhancing drugs.

HOVG: With the talk of steroids all over the sports channels and what not…what are your feelings going to be when a player who has admitted use, and it’s bound to happen, gets elected to join you in Cooperstown?

FERGIE: I don’t think (it’s bound to happen). Whoever has the vote, the Hall of Fame committee…the 500 plus reporters, they’re not going to vote for them. Guys like (Sammy) Sosa might not make it. Neither will (Barry) Bonds or (Mark) McGwire. A-Rod might not make it.

ROLLIE: I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. The sportswriters are pretty sticky about that. It’s pretty obvious with the numbers that Mark McGwire has gotten. If you’re known to use or if they figure you’ve been using, I don’t see that person getting voted in.

FERGIE: Once you get that particular black mark on your record, they are not going to give you the required amount of votes. You have to get 75 percent. McGwire only got 22 percent (in 2009). He’s not even close.

HOVG: If someone that is suspected of steroids makes it in, like Roger Clemens, are you on that stage when they're inducted?

FERGIE: I don't know, I'd have to wait and see. I know Bob Feller voiced his opinion already. There's a few guys who voiced their opinion and said they wouldn't go. (Al) Kaline probably wouldn't go. Some of the guys who are staunch advocates of playing the game clean...they probably wouldn't show.

ROLLIE: Yes…simply because the sportswriters voted him in. If they felt as though he warranted going into the Hall of Fame, I am not going to shun him. I would stay on the stage. But like I said before, I don’t think that it’s going to happen. Roger Clemens says he doesn’t care, but I guarantee you…Roger Clemens cares.

HOVG: We can all blame Jose Canseco.

ROLLIE: (Laughs) I tell you what…everyone gets on Jose Canseco, but you don’t see too many people suing him. If he hadn’t have written the book, who knows where we’d be at today with steroids and the number of guys using them. It would probably be out of hand. At least right now, they’re taking care of the problem. The worst thing you can do is to let kids see that it is okay to use this stuff and get by. You have to show kids that this is not the right way to go and clean it up.

Feel free to check out my full interview with Fergie Jenkins
HERE and Rollie Fingers HERE.


BallHype: hype it up!

October 20, 2009

The season that was...May

If you read nothing more, leave now knowing that May brought with it two things…mustaches and Ron Villone.

I can explain.

The third annual
Mustache May celebration kicked off on the first day of May (imagine that!) and with it came your “’stache of the Day”, an endorsement from The American Mustache Institute, an appearance on WGN Radio and interviews with Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins and the king of all lip sweaters…Rollie Fingers.

Villone lived up to his moniker “Suitcase” early in the month, when he suited up for the Nationals, his Major League record-tying twelfth team. After the call up from Syracuse, he tied fellow journeyman, pitcher Mike Morgan.

Close on their heels is Matt Stairs.

Stairs is currently enjoying another playoff run with Philadelphia, his eleventh team.

And while not exactly a “milestone”, the Cubs did something pretty cool and pretty monumental on May 3. Before the “North Siders” took the field against the Marlins, they retired number 31 for both Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

Each hurler won a Cy Young Award and combined for 300 victories while wearing the pinstriped 31. Maddux would have his 31 retired by the Braves in July.

On May 17, future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez became another in a seemingly long line of players that would circle the bases for the 300th time.

For his career, “Pudge” Rodriguez has hit 298 of his 305 homers as a catcher, good for seventh among backstops on the all-time list.

About a week later, Jason Giambi came out of hibernation to finally hit his 400th career home run.

When The Hall initially previewed
American League West milestones, thought was that “the Giambino” would have surpassed 400 sometime in Mid-April. Unfortunately, a terrible slump pushed back the milestone to May 23.

Giambi finished up his season with 409 home runs and found himself with the Rockies. All-time, he is sitting at 43 on the career homers list, having passed up Hall of Famers Al Kaline (399) and Duke Snider (407) in 2009.

After six attempt to achieve the milestone, Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer locked down win Number 250 on May 31 against the Nationals.

Granted, Moyer finished up the year coming out of the bullpen and facing down the first surgery of his long career, could we be looking at a guy who, with 258 wins, could take up residency in Cooperstown?

Consider this, Moyer has fifteen seasons with double-digit wins and all but one was achieved after the age of 30. And of the 40 pitchers with more victories, only Phil Niekro (17) had more double-digit wins seasons after they turned 30.

What about the 10 other lefties with more than 250 wins?

All but four (Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, Tommy John and Jim Kaat) are in the Hall of Fame. Glavine (with 305 wins) and Johnson (303) will get there and you certainly can make a case for John and Kaat making it in someday courtesy of Veterans Committee.

So let me know…does Moyer have what it takes to get enshrined?

I’m on the fence (hedging toward “no”) when you look at the big picture, but when you consider those he pitched against…you could do much, much worse.

Yesterday...we broke down
April. Join me tomorrow when we look at, naturally, June.


BallHype: hype it up!

July 26, 2009

Steroids and the Hall of Fame

As fans await the Hall of Fame speeches by Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson, the big topic all weekend in Cooperstown is the same as it has been since, unfortunately, Mark McGwire hit the ballot for the 2007 ceremony…steroids.

As part of the HOVG “Mustache May” celebration, I had the opportunity to talk with Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Rollie Fingers and, wouldn’t you know it, the talk of steroids and the Hall of Fame did indeed come up.

Here is what they had to say.

HOVG: With the talk of steroids all over the sports channels and what not…what are your feelings going to be when a player who has admitted use, and it’s bound to happen, gets elected to join you in Cooperstown?

FERGIE: I don’t think (it’s bound to happen). Whoever has the vote, the Hall of Fame committee…the 500 plus reporters, they’re not going to vote for them. Guys like (Sammy) Sosa might not make it. Neither will (Barry) Bonds or (Mark) McGwire. A-Rod might not make it.

ROLLIE: I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. The sportswriters are pretty sticky about that. It’s pretty obvious with the numbers that Mark McGwire has gotten. If you’re known to use or if they figure you’ve been using, I don’t see that person getting voted in.

FERGIE: Once you get that particular black mark on your record, they are not going to give you the required amount of votes. You have to get 75 percent. McGwire only got 22 percent. He’s not even close.

HOVG: If someone that is suspected of steroids makes it in, like Roger Clemens, are you on that stage when they're inducted?

FERGIE: I don't know, I'd have to wait and see. I know Bob Feller voiced his opinion already. There's a few guys who voiced their opinion and said they wouldn't go. (Al) Kaline probably wouldn't go. Some of the guys who are staunch advocates of playing the game clean...they probably wouldn't show.

ROLLIE: Yes…simply because the sportswriters voted him in. If they felt as though he warranted going into the Hall of Fame, I am not going to shun him. I would stay on the stage. But like I said before, I don’t think that it’s going to happen. Roger Clemens says he doesn’t care, but I guarantee you…Roger Clemens cares.

HOVG: We can all blame Jose Canseco.

ROLLIE: (Laughs) I tell you what…everyone gets on Jose Canseco, but you don’t see too many people suing him. If he hadn’t have written the book, who knows where we’d be at today with steroids and the number of guys using them. It would probably be out of hand. At least right now, they’re taking care of the problem. The worst thing you can do is to let kids see that it is okay to use this stuff and get by. You have to show kids that this is not the right way to go and clean it up.

If you’ve been following the HOVG Hall of Fame previews this past week, you know that the Class of
2010 looks relatively clean. The same can’t be said of 2011 however, as Rafael Palmeiro hits the ballot for the first time. Of course, the biggest test of all will come in 2013. Feel free to check out 2012 and 2014 and leave your comments!

If you are unable to catch any of the Hall Induction Ceremonies, Steve Light, the Hall of Fame's manager of museum programs, is blogging
HERE.


BallHype: hype it up!

May 17, 2009

MM09...We're past the midway point! Win a free shirt!

We're half way through Mustache May, gang. I hope that those of you that are growin' are proudly showin'. And to the rest of you...thank you for your support of this month long celebration!

TONIGHT (Sunday, May 17)...I'll be representing the cause (and The Hall of Very Good) on WGN 720 Radio sometime after Midnight CST.

If you can tune it in on the old transitor...go nuts. If not, listen live online HERE.


And when you done listening, podcasting, iTuning or what have you...drop The Hall an email. Put "Digilio" in the subject line and you'll be entered to win a t-shirt. Sometime during the week...I'll hit you back and get your details, etc.

Join in on the madness, gang! Hit up the facebook group and chime in on your thoughts. Be part of the trend that is surely going to sweep some portion of the nation. Keep up to date on the time and place for the proposed "Mustache May 'stache Bash Bar Crawl", email The Hall with 'stache of the Day suggestions, photos, contributions, etc.

And lastly, you can still read the interview Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins gave us HERE.

MM09...God 'stache America!

May 12, 2009

Talkin' baseball with Fergie Jenkins

It’s rare that a Major League Baseball player (past or present) will say “sure, I’ll talk with you” via email or any other medium.

But when a Hall of Famer will actually devote some time to do a one on one sit down interview with you four days after
having his number retired…you do what you can to make it happen.

Such was the case last Thursday, when The Hall had the unique opportunity to talk baseball, steroids, mustaches and hockey with 284 game winner Ferguson Jenkins.

Here’s how it went down.

HOVG: Let’s talk about your career on the North side since that is how you are most commonly remembered. On your plaque in Cooperstown, you’re immortalized as a Cub. Chicago is a town where if the fans love you, they LOVE you. What’s it like playing for the Wrigley crowd?

FERGIE: The first time I came here (as a Phillie) I didn’t think it was all that great. It became interesting because Cub fans are different from others…knowledgeable, smart and loyal. They come out regardless…win or lose. There have been a lot of nicknames for the Cub fans that I think are not good. But Cub fans take it. They’d like to see their team win, so when they do win...I think the city will go crazy.

HOVG: After your first stint in Texas, you went to a similar atmosphere in Boston. You know, that’s quite the debate on a number of message boards, chatrooms, etc…Wrigley vs. Fenway. How do the Fenway fans stack up to those at Wrigley?

FERGIE: The Fenway crowds are very good. If you’re playing against the Yankees, there is always that love-hate relationship in the stands. They always want you to perform well because you’re the home team…they want you to beat the nemesis. Fundamentally, when you go out there, you already know in the back of your mind that you’ve got to perform well. You’ve got to put your A game together and win and the fans respect you for that. If you don’t win on that particular night, (the fans) are honest enough to know that you gave what you could to win. Giving up is not in my vocabulary…I love to win.

HOVG: You came to the mound to “Canadian Sunset” in Chicago…did that follow you to Texas and Boston?

FERGIE: No. The only place that they ever played it was Chicago. It was nice to hear that. They recognized you as a certain individual and I was a Canadian.

HOVG: Alright, so let’s get back to that…you’re from Ontario. And, subsequently, you’re the only Canadian Hall of Famer. What I want to know is…who was a better hockey player, you or Tom Glavine? Glavine, of course, having been drafted by the LA Kings in 1984.

FERGIE: Structure wise I am a little bigger than Glavine and that’s the way the game is now. In his era, maybe he was a decent player...but I didn’t get to see him skate. I was a decent hockey player.

HOVG: Outside of hockey, you also played basketball. In 1967 and 1968, you actually played with the Harlem Globetrotters. How did that come about?

FERGIE: (The marketing guru for the Globetrotters) came to see me one afternoon at Wrigley Field and he wanted to know if I was going to go (back to Canada) in the off season. He said that they were going to start their tour in Sherbrooke, Quebec and asked if I would like to join their team and be part of their skit as the pitcher. I went over and worked out with them a couple of times…we got our routine together and after a while, they found out I was a decent player. I used to play every third quarter. But my fundamental opportunity for playing was to give up a home run every night to Meadowlark Lemon.

HOVG: Was it your two years on the hardwood, traveling the globe that encouraged you to grow out the mustache and afro?

FERGIE: (Laughs) A lot of times guys would come to spring training with a mustache or beard but would take it off. I just think that when you got to a team…some guys had a little bit that they wanted to do. When the afro started to become a trend, I started growing mine a little bigger.

HOVG: Some people, myself included, believe the mustache to be the ultimate performance enhancer. Do you believe that your mustache was the catalyst to seven 20 win seasons in eight years?

FERGIE:
No, not really. (Laughs) The way you get driven to win games, is to try and be consistent. You try to prove to yourself and your teammates that you’re as good a player as anybody else in the league. Gibson, Drysdale, Koufax, Bunning…or any of the other pitchers in the league. They’re the number one pitchers on their staff and you’re the same on yours. That makes you drive yourself a little harder to try and win more games.

HOVG: In all seriousness, with the talk of steroids all over the sports channels and what not…what are your feelings going to be when a player who has admitted use, and it’s bound to happen, gets elected to join you in Cooperstown?

FERGIE: I don’t think (it’s bound to happen). Whoever has the vote, the Hall of Fame committee…the 500 plus reporters, they’re not going to vote for them. Guys like Sosa might not make it. Neither will Bonds or McGwire. A-Rod might not make it. Once you get that particular black mark on your record, they are not going to give you the required amount of votes. You have to get 75 percent. McGwire only got 22 percent. He’s not even close.

HOVG: If someone that is suspected of steroids makes it in, like Clemens, are you on that stage when they're inducted?


FERGIE: I don't know, I'd have to wait and see. I know Bob Feller voiced his opinion already. There's a few guys who voiced their opinion and said they wouldn't go. (Al) Kaline probably wouldn't go. Some of the guys who are staunch advocates of playing the game clean...they probably wouldn't show.

HOVG: Tell me about that sweltering day in 1991, when you Rod Carew and Gaylord Perry were welcomed into the Hall.

FERGIE: Gaylord Perry won 314 games. Rod Carew had eight batting titles. I had some consistency in my career too. Three pretty good athletes went in in 1991, so I was pretty happy with the circumstances. My mother always said I had a gift for gab, and, you know, I very seldom get nervous.

HOVG: What’s hotter…the heat on that podium, or getting called into Billy Martin’s office, who incidentally, managed you, Carew and Perry at different times in your careers.

FERGIE: Getting called into Billy Martin’s office. Two managers of mine, Leo Durocher and Billy Martin had an open door policy. You could go in and talk if you had a beef with something. But I watched too many reporters get thrown out that I wasn’t going in. If I had to talk to Billy, it was probably on the bench.

HOVG: I’ve got a friend in Toronto, David Allan, who is obsessed with Canadian baseball. He’s been over at my site, The Hall of Very Good, touting the efforts of Larry Walker. Who in your estimation has the best chance of being the NEXT Canadian in the Hall?

FERGIE: I think as a hitter (Walker) has the numbers. An MVP, some batting titles, a lot of home runs…he supported his team very well. I think he’s got a great opportunity. I’d like to have some company.

Ferguson "Fergie" Jenkins is a native of Chatham, Ontario, Canada. He was a three time All-Star and the winner of the 1971 National League Cy Young Award. While most of his career was spent playing for the Chicago Cubs, he also had stints with the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.

You can learn about his foundation
HERE.


BallHype: hype it up!

Mustache May 'stache of the Day: Fergie Jenkins

Thanks to the continued support of the American Mustache Institute, it is with great pleasure that I continue our month long celebration of the 'stache with Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins.

Recently, Jenkins had his jersey retired by the Cubs, but his well 'stached career made its way through Texas and Boston as well.

AMI Style: Fergie's Canadian passport defies definition. It can either be classified as a thicker pencil or the popular chevron

Grade: A
Fergie's lip sweater can be traced back to his post-Globetrotters career. That alone, makes it Grade A.


Check out Fergie's exclusive interview with The Hall HERE.



A special thanks to checkoutmycards.com for the use of their images.


May 4, 2009

Just how good was Jenkins?

***If I asked you "who is the Canadian that contributes to the Hall of Very Good?" you'd answer David Allan, right? WRONG! Please welcome the latest contributor (and Canuck) to join the hallowed halls of The Hall...Joel Kirstein.***

When the Chicago Cubs announced in March that on May 3, they would retire Ferguson Jenkins' Number 31, it made my day.

Adding Greg Maddux to share the honor embodies the legendary words of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, "it's a great day for baseball...let's play two."

Ferguson Jenkins, the pride of Chatham, Ontario and the only Canadian member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, is finally getting a long overdue honor of being immortalized in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, home of some of his greatest accomplishments.


I got to see Jenkins pitch in his prime, 1969 to 1973, as the Cubs' ace and stud of pitching staff whenever Chicago came into Montreal to play the Expos. Back in the day, he was an "standing room only" ticket as he was the premier Canadian Major Leaguer at the time.

Jenkins won only one Cy Young Award (in 1971), which shows how under appreciated he was as a pitcher at a time when there were so many great pitchers.

Pitching in an era when Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer, Bob Gibson, Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal, Denny McClain, Jim McNally, Mike Cuellar, Steve Carlton, Catfish Hunter and Vida Blue were all winning 20 games and Cy Young Awards, few remember that Jenkins won 20 six seasons in a row, from 1967 to 1972.

Jenkins won 20 games seven times and missed winning 20 another three times playing with terrible teams in Chicago and Texas in the 1970s. Jenkins had a career best 25 game win season in 1974 with Texas...his seventh 20 win season.

Jenkins' career ended in 1983 with 284 wins and without a single trip to the postseason.

Had Jenkins played with a winner, his numbers might have rivaled Warren Spahn, because he was just as durable and as dominant. And because Jenkins was so consistent and efficient and played for a perennially under-achieving Cubs team, he never got the recognition he so richly deserved.

Jenkins had a surreal year in 1971 and he finally did ge some recognition from baseball by winning the Cy Young Award. That year, he went 24-13 for a barely .500 Cubs team.

And to put his stellar season in perspective, his ERA was 2.77 pitching at Wrigley Field. Anywhere else? Jenkins' ERA might have been 2.00 or lower.

He started 39 games and completed 30 of them. The entire pitching staff of the 2009 Chicago Cubs had only two. Jenkins further impressed by striking out 263 batters and issuing only a meager 37 walks.

Kick in the six home runs he hit and 20 RBI in 1971 and he should have been the talk of baseball that season. Instead, the overnight success of Vida Blue captured the imagination of baseball fans.

In his 25 game win season, Jenkins lost out to Jim "Catfish" Hunter for the 1974 Cy Young Award. He finished second and third twice in the Cy Young award balloting. He was a three-time All Star and received MVP votes six times.

In 1991, he was voted into Cooperstown.

Earlier today, Jenkins and fellow hurler Geg Maddux joined Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg as Chicago Cub immortals.


Add in Hack Wilson one day and maybe this will be the good karma that takes the Cubs to their first World Series title in over 100 years.

Check out some of Joel's other writings over at Bleacher Report.

BallHype: hype it up!

April 30, 2009

The Legacy of Number 31

Take a look around the major leagues, team by team, and there are numbers that define the franchise.

In Boston, it is Ted Williams’ familiar Number 9.

Number 44 in Atlanta is synonymous with Hank Aaron.

And in New York, well…in New York, the Yankees have too many to mention.

On May 3, the Chicago Cubs will be adding a new number to their team’s historic legacy.


Joining Numbers 10 (Ron Santo), 14 (Ernie Banks), 23 (Ryne Sandberg), 26 (Billy Williams) and 42 (Jackie Robinson) will be Number 31.


However, the Cubs aren’t just retiring Number 31 for one player…they’re doing it one better and retiring it for two.

Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

And the case for both is pretty easy to make.

Jenkins made his way to the Cubs on April 21, 1966 (a week after Maddux was born coincidentally), along with John Herrnstein and Adolfo Phillips. In return, the Phillies received Bob Buhl and Larry Jackson.

Now, I’m not entirely sure how Buhl and Jackson panned out for the Phillies, but considering they were out of baseball shortly after Richard Nixon was elected suggests that the Cubs MIGHT have made out like bandits.

But what exactly did Jenkins accomplish while wearing Number 31 on his back for the Loveable Losers?

Well…

Jenkins was 167-132 with a 3.20 ERA in two stints (ten seasons) with the Cubs. In 1971, he brought home the National League Cy Young Award, while three other times, he was either the runner up (1967) or finished third (1970 and 1972).

All in all, Jenkins threw six straight 20 win seasons between 1967 and 1972 (the longest streak in the Majors since Warren Spahn did the same between 1986 and 1961), during his first stint with the Cubs.


In 1982, after eight seasons away from Chicago and stops in Texas and Boston, Jenkins returned to the North Side to push his career wins total to 284, which, at the time, ranked him 19th all-time. Twenty-five full seasons after his retirement, he is sitting at 29th all-time.

Prior to the 1984 season, Jenkins was released and left the Cubs as their all-time leader in games started and strikeouts. His 167 victories as a member of the Cubs is the most for the team since 1941.

What’s interesting about Jenkins is that he didn’t want Number 31 when he first joined the Cubs. Originally, he requested Number 30, but Cubs clubhouse man Yosh Kawano informed Jenkins that young lefty Kenny Holtzman already wore that number.“My birthday is December 13, so I reversed the numbers to make it 31,” Jenkins once told a reporter.

Given the crazy reasons that other people have had (Omar Olivares wore Number 00 to display his initials, Bill Lee wanted 337 so people could read his name while he stood on his head), reversing your birthdate makes perfect sense to me.

Maddux, on the other hand, had no such reasons.

When he made the big leagues late in the 1986 season, he stepped into the Cubs clubhouse and without asking…was given Number 31.

“I remember walking down the stairs into the clubhouse. (The Number 31 jersey) was there in my locker. Being 20-years-old at the time, the last thing I was going to do was complain about my number. I was just happy to be there,” Maddux told the Chicago Tribune last month. “I thought that was pretty cool that they gave me (Jenkins’) number.”

And like Jenkins, Maddux made the most out of his career with the pinstriped Number 31 on his back.

In his ten seasons with the Cubs, he was 133-112 with a 3.61 ERA. He also cemented himself as one of the top fielding pitchers of all-time by winning six of his 18 Gold Gloves on the North Side.

In 1992, Maddux’s best season as a Cub, he won his first Cy Young Awards. Of course, it was following that season when Chicago ceremoniously allowed him to flee to Atlanta and capture three more Cy Youngs.

All in a row.

In between his two stints with Chicago (the second coming from 2004 to 2006), Maddux finished just shy of 200 wins with the Braves and for his career, he ended with a staggering 355-227 record. He is the only pitcher in Major League history to win at least 15 games in 17 consecutive seasons and only Spahn and his 363 wins has more career wins in the post-1920 live-ball era.

Jenkins was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991, his third try, with 75.4% of the vote. Maddux looks to be virtually unanimous when Cooperstown comes a calling in 2014.

Separately they are sure-bet Hall of Famers. But let me ask you this…did anyone else of worth ever don Number 31 for the Cubs?

The short answer is “no”, but most perplexing is how and why did ANYONE get to wear the number once Jenkins left the first time? Why wasn’t Jenkins’ number, at the least, the second number retired by the Cubs (Banks’ being the first in 1982) instead of the sixth?

I mean, here was a guy who, from 1967 to 1972 led the Majors with 127 victories, averaged 248 Ks (compared to 63 walks) and a 3.00 ERA. How did the Cubs dare relinquish his jersey to the likes of Tom Dettore (1975-76), Joe Coleman (1976), Jim Todd (1977) and Davey Johnson(1978).

The first three were, like Jenkins, pitchers, but their time with Chicago didn’t quite add up to Fergie’s. Mostly used in relief, the three pitchers were a combined 15-21 with a 4.92 ERA over three seasons.

Between the time Jenkins came back to the Cubs to finish up his Hall of Fame career and Maddux started his, another reliever, Ray Fontenot donned Number 31.

Fontenot continued the legacy of the afore mentioned three-headed monster by going 9-15 in 80 games.

Ugh.

So, Maddux inherits the number and holds on to it while he secures his spot as one of the greatest righties of the live-ball era. Surely, the Cubs learned their lesson and packed up Number 31 for good, right?

Nope.

Half a dozen players came and went through the clubhouse on the corner of Clark and Addison.


And again, much like Dettore, Coleman, Todd, Johnson and Fontenot…Kevin Foster (1994, 1997-98), Bobby Ayala (1999), Brad Woodall (1999), Mike Fyhrie (2001), Donovan Osborne (2002) and Mark Guthrie (2003) failed to re-capture the glory of Jenkins and Maddux.

And since I know you’re curious (and I did the math)…Foster, Ayala, Woodall, Fyhrie, Osborne and Guthrie were a less than stellar 36-41 with a 4.51 ERA.

With the Braves, Maddux was 194 and 88 with a 2.63 ERA. Add to that those three Cy Young awards and four other seasons where he finished in the top five and, well, there is no need to continue with the comparisons.

Suffice it to say, it is nice to see the Cubs FINALLY wise up and put Number 31 to bed. I know I’ll be watching on May 3 as they retire the number for good.

Will they send two flags up the foul pole or just one?

I guess we’ll find out.
***On May7, Jenkins will be making what is surely one of his first public appearances following the retirement ceremony when he visits Rockford, IL. For information on the benefit, please check out MELD's website.***


BallHype: hype it up!

April 6, 2009

Ten Milestones to Watch for This Season

Welcome to Opening Day!

Every season begins with a number of milestones on the horizon (and if you followed the divisional breakdown the last few weeks...you know them), and 2009 is no different. Gone are history-makers like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Greg Maddux.

So, before the Bronx Bombers open the doors to their newest version of Yankee Stadium, let's look at ten milestones to watch for during the upcoming baseball season.

And because of injury, you'll notice that I conveniently ignored Alex Rodriguez. I harbor no ill will toward the man.

Maybe.

Ron Villone, TBD

Ron Villone, who changes uniforms so fast, team photographers can't keep up with him, will inevitably suit up for his major league record-tying twelfth team. When he takes the bump next, he'll tie pitcher Mike Morgan on the all-time list. Close on their heels? Matt Stairs. Stairs is currently with Philadelphia, his eleventh team.


Adam Dunn, Washington Nationals

The Nationals enter their fifth season since re-locating from Montreal with little to no fanfare. For the four Adam Dunn fans out there, you’ll be glad to know that he’s 22 homers away from 300 for his career, and if he gets to 40 this season, he’ll have done so for six straight seasons. Only Babe Ruth did it more consistently when he hit 40 out in a record seven straight seasons.

Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers

Aside from Manny Ramirez (more on him later), the Dodgers do have some milestones to watch out for. Off the field...or more specifically, in the dugout, manager Joe Torre is 44 wins away from leap-frogging Sparky Anderson (2194) and Bucky Harris (2157) and moving into fifth place on the all-time list.


Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals

When 2008 came to a close, Albert Pujols became the only player in major league history to hit at least .300, with 30 or more home runs and at least 100 RBI in each of his first eight seasons. The only other players to accomplish the 100 RBI feat were Al Simmons, who did it in eleven straight, and Ted Williams, who stalled after eight. All in all, “Prince Albert” is 31 home runs away from 350, 23 RBI from 1000 and 53 runs from 1000.

And oh yeah, he just turned 29.


Greg Maddux/Fergie Jenkins, Chicago Cubs

While not exactly a milestone, the Cubs are doing something pretty cool and pretty monumental on May 3. Before the “North Siders” take the field against the Florida Marlins, they’ll retire number 31 for Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux. Each hurler won a Cy Young Award and combined for 300 victories while wearing the pinstriped 31.


Carlos Delgado, New York Mets

Raise your hand if you ever thought Carlos Delgado was going to be a member of the 500 home run club. No one? After Gary Sheffield hits number 500, which should have come in the first week of the season...Delgado is up next. The slugger has 469 home runs and should, barring injury, close out the Mets’ first season at Citi Field with a milestone.


Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles Dodgers

Last year, Ramirez came into the season needing 10 home runs to get to 500. This season, Manny comes in with 527 and looks to pass up Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, and Reggie Jackson on the all-time list. Factor in his 2,392 hits and, by season’s end, you’ll be looking at just the sixth player to have more than 2,500 hits, 500 doubles, 550 home runs and 1800 RBI. The others: Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Robinson, and Babe Ruth.


Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees

Mariano Rivera is 18 saves away from joining Trevor Hoffman as the only two closers with 500 saves. Next on the active list is Billy Wagner with 385. Savor save number 500, baseball fans. It’ll be awhile until we see it again. Saves are tricky to predict because it’s all dependent on how the Yankees fair this season. If you’re curious, Rivera has claimed his 18th save as early as May 29 (in 2004) and as late as August 6 (in 2007).


Gary Sheffield, New York Mets

A major leaguer at 18, Sheffield got off to a quick start by getting his first hit and first home run in the same swing. Now, 498 home runs later, Sheffield is on the cusp of becoming the 25th player to hit 500 long balls. Also worth mentioning, Sheffield comes into 2009 with 1633 RBI. Everyone who is Hall eligible and has more RBI than “Sheff” is enshrined in Cooperstown.

Randy Johnson, San Francisco Giants

Not since Bonds was knocking on the door of every home run milestone have the Giants had a milestone (or two) to watch for. Randy Johnson brought with him to the Bay a number of things worth noting. First and foremost, “The Big Unit” is five victories away from 300 wins. Only 24 pitchers have accomplished the feat. The closest active pitchers include Jamie Moyer (246), Kenny Rogers (219) and Andy Pettite (215).

And while he hasn’t hit 200 or more strikeouts since 2005, it’s worth mentioning that Johnson is 211 Ks away from becoming the second player to strike out 5000 batters. He won’t touch Nolan Ryan’s record at 5714, but burying his closest active competition in Pedro Martinez (3117) and John Smoltz (3011) has to be a little gratifying.

Also within reach for “Unit,” he is 15 hit-batsmen away from surpassing all-time leader Walter Johnson. He probably won’t get there (he has only 10 in the last two seasons), but passing up Eddie Plank (196) is a possibility. Something tells me that, deep down, Johnson wishes that hit-by-pitch magnet and former teammate Craig Biggio (who, ironically, “Unit” NEVER hit in 16 plate appearances) was still out there swinging a bat.

BallHype: hype it up!