Ugh, the Giants are home. Maybe now we can put the last week behind us.
Cubs (Chapman) and Mets (Reyes) have now each recently acquired one of MLB’s poster boys for domestic abuse. I know, I know, innocent till proven guilty, other players have done it too, players don’t have to be saints, etc, etc, etc. but I hope these two teams don’t get into the NLCS again this year. I would find it mighty hard to root for either.
Interesting trivia mentioned during the Cubs game tonight: No Chicago White Sox player has led the majors in home runs. Quite unusual for a franchise that has been around as long as the White Sox.
What about leading the American League? I’m not in a position to check at the moment
Dick Allen lead the AL in 1972 with 37 HR, Johnny Bench lead the majors with 40
Dick Allen actually won two AL home run titles with Chicago, in 1972 and in 1974. The year before he won his first, Bill Melton won the home run title for Chicago, with 33. Again, though, the NL leader hit more.
I dimly remember Melton hitting 33 in 1970. It was reported then that this was the most any Sox batter had ever had in a single season–possibly the first time anyone on the team had hit as many as 30. In '69 Killebrew, Howard, and Jackson had all hit in the high forties, and I remember as a young fan being kind of stunned by Melton’s achievement–seemed pretty astonishing that they’d never had anyone with more than that rather paltry-seeming figure.
Surprised the Big Hurt never led the league in homers. He had a few seasons with 40+.
So is it just me, or is the balk no longer a thing? Detroit’s Francisco Rodriguez entered the game last night with 2 outs in the 8th inning and bases loaded. He probably threw a half dozen pitches and not one time did he fully stop in the set position. Not once. This was only the most recent instance but I see it quite often that pitchers don’t really come set and it’s almost never called.
Actually, the one balk I did see called this MLB season, can’t remember who the pitcher was or even what team, but I had no idea why they called it. The announcing crew was equally baffled.
I think there have been multiple balk-offs (most exciting play in baseball?) this season, so it’s definitely still around.
A matter of perspective, clearly. 
But seriously, I saw that after it happened, and I think it’s silly for a rule to adversely impact a pitcher for tripping. And I give him credit for having the awareness to attempt a pitch because he knew he’d get called for the balk.
Well, of course the umpire with dinner reservations will call a balk to end the game. But seriously, that one, while unfortunate, is so obvious it couldn’t not be called. When a guy moves a shoulder or hesitates in motion or fails to throw the pitch, the obvious balk is usually called. But I know I’ve seen quite a few pitchers never come fully stopped in the set position with runners on and get away with it.
No sillier than being blown off the mound by the wind.
Marcel Marceau used to pitch??
Stu Miller, 1962 All Star Game, Candlestick Park.
If there was an exception for tripping, pitchers would abuse it. For example: pitcher fails to stop when coming to the set position, hears the umpires yell “BALK!” – but has the presence of mind to halt his delivery and pantomime someone tripping over his shoelaces.
Related trivia: if the ball slips out of the pitcher’s hand while delivering (with runners on base) and dribbles toward the plate – if it makes it across the foul lines, it’s a ball. If it doesn’t, it’s a balk (for dropping the ball).
Not only that, but for some time, Melton was the White Sox career leader in home rums, with 154. They seem to have had a difficult time coming up with and keeping power hitters.
Melton is now eighth, but only Thomas (448) and Konerko (432) have more than 221 homers with the White Sox.
The Blue Jays have acquired Melvin “B.J.” Upton for some reason. I guess they’re losing faith in Ezequiel Carrera as the fourth outfielder.
Upton is owed an enormous sum of money for a player of his modest contributions; apparently, San Diego has agreed to eat most of it.
What’s fun about this trade is Upton was acquired from San Diego, and the Jays and Padres are in the midst of a three-game series. I hope he wears the right uniform.
Bautista, unfortunately, has been losing his range. Defensively, he’s been a negative player this year. Saunders, meanwhile, has historically played right field and been a good defender there, but he hasn’t been very good defensively in left. The trade allows the team to play Upton in left, move Saunders to his preferred position in right. Finally, all three of Bautista, Saunders and Encarnacion have had their share of injury troubles over the past calendar year, so the trade gives the team more flexibility to give them a rest by rotating the DH spot (assuming that Bautista can handle first base, anyway).
It makes me a bit sad to lose Bautista’s cannon from right field. He’s made some great throws over the years.
The rumour that I heard is that Upton actually had to leave the country and re-enter in order to be eligible to play for the Blue Jays, as previously he’d entered Canada as the employee of a US company, and now he has to immigrate as the employee of a Canadian company.
Acquiring Upton makes sense only assuming you are giving up on Carrera, who plays left field just fine. They could have made that move some time ago. So I think we’re seeing a lot less of Ezequiel.
This is kind of a weird move inasmuch as Carrera has had a good year. He hasn’t hit well the last month, but he’s a decent player.