MLB:  “at the Beginning;” 2011 comparsions; 2012 & The Colorado Rockies.       

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MLB:       NO-one is absolutely certain who invented the game as we know it today, or when it showed up as America’s gift to itself, but there’s evidence that it started long before the Civil War, sometime in the mid-1820’s, and that it evolved from a game played other side of the Atlantic by Brits who wanted something other than kicking a leather ball up, down and sideways across a muddy field. There’s a letter from famous American writer, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written to his father, that underscores the early existence of the game, and there’s later evidence of early baseball from a rule book established by “The New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club,” published in 1848. By the time baseball greats Ty Cobb (Detroit), Babe Ruth (NYY), Lou Gehrig (NYY), Rogers Hornsby (STL), Honus Wagner (Pitts), Christy Mathewson (NYG) and Grover Alexander (Phila) were playing the game in the first half of the 20^th Century, it had been around as a professional activity for more than twice the age of the oldest among them.

More than a dozen players inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame began their careers in the 1800’s, and more than a dozen no-hit games were recorded by 1900 (one of the earlier official statistics). Another early-on statistic is this: the longest hitting streak that Joe DiMaggio (NYY) surpassed with his 56 straight hits in 1941 belonged to Willie Keeler (Baltimore), who punched out 44 in 1897. Too, unassisted triple plays have been 100 years apart, the first in 1909, the last in 2009 by Philadelphia against a New York Mets batter.

In the National League, no hitter has achieved an annual batting average higher than Hornsby’s .424, as far back as 1924, with the highest in the American League belonging to Nap Lajoie (Phila), 422, achieved in 1901, with Cobb being close with .420, earned in 1911 (Cobb is the only batter in MLB history to lead his league in batting average for 11 years, five of them straight, 1911-1915.)

In 1931, Gehrig produced the most RBI’s ever for a given year, 184. Discounting what batters have accomplished while using performance enhancement drugs, the most home runs in a single year were delivered by Roger Maris (NYY), 61, in 1961, surpassing Ruth’s 1921 achievement---59, the longest held home run record. To date, less than 20 hitters have provided more than 50 home runs per year.  .  .  And, the most games won by a pitcher during a single season were by Washington D.C.’s Walter Johnson, 36, in 1913, and the best ERA achieved by a NL pitcher for a given year belongs to Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown (he had missing fingers from an accident), 1.04, in 1906. Mathewson followed with a 1.14 ERA, in 1909. The best ERA by an AL hurler belongs to Boston’s Dutch Leonard, 1.01, in 1914. The most strikeouts achieved in a year by any pitcher in either league were by Philadelphia’s Rube Waddell, 349, in 1904.

Fast forward now to 2011, the year that the Cardinals took the 100+ year-old World Series away from the Texas Rangers, in seven games. It was a year proving, like most years in baseball since the late 1800’s, how difficult it is to surpass records established by the great players of an earlier era, for instance, the highest NL batting average achieved in 2011 was .337, developed by Jose Reyes, N.Y. Mets, and the most 2011 home runs from a NL batter came from Matt Kemp of the L.A. Dodgers, 39, then by Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder and STL’s Albert Pujols being close with 38 and 37 respectively.

The highest 2011 AL batting average belonged to Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, .344, and the best number of AL home runs evolved from Toronto’s Jose Bautista, 43. Kemp also produced the most RBI’s in 2011, 126. And, the most hits achieved in 2011 were by the Texas Rangers Mike Young and by Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez, each with 213. Indicative of who may be the better hitters in 2012, and best contributors for runs for their teams, are the On Base Percentages achieved by Cincinnati’s Joey Votto, .416, Fielder, .415, STL’s Lance Berkman, .412, and Kemp’s .399 .  .  .  2011’s best pitcher-ERA’s belonged to the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw, 2.28, and to Detroit’s Justin Verlander, 2.40. Kershaw won the most games in 2011---21, as did Arizona’s Ian Kennedy. Verlander led the AL in games won during 2011---24.

Look now, if you will, to a ball club reflective of most MLB teams above the margin and that is a possible playoff contender for 2012---the Colorado Rockies, which, in 2011, finished poorly, yet when it comes to team batting average, to hits, to RBI’s, home runs, OBP and slugging percentage, the Rockies are definitely in the top half of the NL’s 16 teams, in fact, they are, “across all categories,” in fourth place within the NL, and in first place within their division, the NL-West. Too, the Rockies team batting average, .258, is fourth highest in the NL. While the 2011 WS and NL championship team produced 765 runs, the Rockies provided 735, along with the Cincinnati Reds the most of any NL team back of the WS Cards.

The Rockies were also number two in the NL regarding number of hits provided in 2011, 1,477, behind STL’s 1,513. And, the Rockies had one more home run than the Cards produced in 2011---163. But, the irony of baseball is that which belongs to most team sports: the number of games won remains that which keeps a franchise out front, no matter what else has happened or will happen. In baseball, wins come from avoiding “outs” and having the time, the power and skills to put “runs” on the board, which needs players with high OBP’s and lots of RBI’s, and pitchers who can maintain low ERA’s, hold hits to a minimum and develop the strikeouts that keep the opposition from scoring (number of strikeouts isn’t as important as when they happen, e.g., a strikeout when the other team has loaded the bases and it’s a three-and-two count).

Well, the 2011 figures imply that the Rockies can reconfigure for more wins, as do the roster changes, and that playoff contention is possible. Here’s what the lineup could look like for the Rockies as the new season commences: Lead-off batter, CF Dexter Fowler, followed by 2B Marco Scutaro (newcomer), then by LF Carlos Gonzalez; SS Troy Tulowitzki; 1B Todd Helton; RF Michael Cuddyer (new); C Ramon Hernandez (newcomer); 3B Casey Blake (new). Is there power here? Gonzalez hit 26 home runs in 2011, plus 54 RBI’s. Tulowitzki delivered 30 home runs and 105 RBI’s, Cuddyer, 20 home runs and 70 RBI’s, Helton 14 home runs and 69 RBI’s, and then there’s the still powerful Jason Giambi, 13 home runs and 32 RBI’s as a DH in 2011.

As for the Rockies pitching staff, last year’s best ERA belonged to right hand starter, Jhoulys Chacin---3.62, and to a right hand reliever who in 2012 will be the Rockies primary closer, Rafael Betancourt---2.89. The left hand starter to be counted on will be rookie, Drew Pomeranz. Neither of these pitchers need to be a Kershaw or Verlander, but they’ll have to uptick their skills in order to keep the Rockies from giving back runs that the team can accrue in their half-innings.

     

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