Threeunassisted

Tommy Pham is Driving My Kids Crazy

I would jump for joy like Tommy Pham if he called New York home. Photo from the Post Register

I have been a big Tommy Pham guy over the last year or so. I wrote an article about him in March, lamenting the fact that he had not found a team so late in Spring Training. I wanted the New York Yankees to sign him and as I sit here it pains me to know that Brian Cashman and company decided on three separate occasions to not pursue the veteran outfielder with a .313 batting average in 120 playoff plate appearances. I’ve spent most of the Summer pleading with Cashman (at least privately) to go after Pham because of his proven clutch performance. I’m sure some of you are tired of my dissertations on this topic.

Oh wait, you don’t live with me.

But my kids do. And I’m pretty sure they have had it with me on this subject.

Pham clutch for the Royals. Photo from my TV

At least Ryan has gone back to school and has received some refuge. However, even he is not safe 140 miles away. See the picture directly above this paragraph? One morning while watching Quick Pitch, I snapped it as a reminder (and to possibly email Brian Cashman) what the Yankees are missing by not signing Tommy Pham. I happened to send this picture to a group chat with my kids and other members of my family. No sooner did I hit the green arrow to grace everyone with my genius, Matthew sent the following reply:

“The moment I saw you take that picture I immediately knew what was happening and my prediction was correct”.

So not only have I become insufferable but I’ve become predictable.

Here it goes, hopefully for the last time.

Pham has been picked up by the Kansas City Royals after starting 2024 with the Chicago White Sox and then dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cashman blew it by not grabbing him when he was available. The Yankees are a championship caliber team. However, they need someone that plays with an edge. This team gives off a no urgency vibe. Pham would change that………..hold on:

Tommy Pham just hit a home run against the Yankees.

I am a freaking genius.

Back to what I was saying. Pham would have been perfect in left field down the stretch. Alex Verdugo has been better lately but I’m sorry, Pham is a much better player with the money on the table. Verdugo would still be a valuable member of the team. He is a good defender with an excellent arm. He could play defense late. But the starter would be Pham.

Now I have to wait until next year to see if the folks running the Yankees smarten up and sign him. I’m not holding my breath. But next year, I won’t be as insistent on him landing in New York.

I promise.

My kids will make sure of that.

A Whole New World for ThreeUnassisted

For those of you who have been faithfully reading this blog, get ready for a slight change. OK, maybe it is more than a slight change. Since I have returned to the business of writing about baseball, I have had internal struggles about the direction of my writings. I would love to be able to comment eloquently on every single thing going on in the game. Majors and Minors. Past and Present. Free agents and Trades. But the truth is, there is so only much that this big brain can hold without getting fired from my day job. So I have decided that this blog should be more aligned with its name. Instead of being a crackpot analyst or a a keyboard operator without a clear direction, this change will have each of you seeing a little bit more of “me”. To wit, the name of this blog should reflect my actual experience.

Any ballpark is a happy place for my family. Photo from my collection.

Three Unassisted:

Three Kids.

Three Teams.

One blog.

Simple, right?

I’ll still be writing about teams, players and occasionally issues but it will be coming from a perspective of my family and me. It’s more conversation than profiles, focused than scattered. As the name states, we are dealing with three kids and their three teams along with my baseball (choose your adjective) knowledge, nerdom and memory. The introductions:

Tom (me)-Yankees

Beatrice (wife)-??????

Ryan (kid #1)-Yankees

Caitlyn (kid #2)-Phillies

Matthew (kid #3)-Mets

Much of the material written will be from the interaction among the five of us. With three teams and three different perspectives, there is so much material I can cover. I will write about our conversations, whether it’s providing historical depth or the concerns expressed by them about their respective teams. Even though most of you do not know me, I feel as though my writing will provide enough entertainment and information, as well as a personal connection. to say, “I should subscribe to this wonderful blog”.

Which is exactly what I think you will be doing.

Hall of Fame Cases for Joey Votto and Giancarlo Stanton?

Today turned out to have some unexpected baseball talk at work. Now, we talk sports alot so the topic of baseball is not unexpected. However, in the middle of a light schedule today, a couple of things happened over the last 24 hours that sparked some lively discussions. What happened? Longtime Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto announced his retirement and Giancarlo Stanton belted his 21st home run of the year. The topic? Does either player belong in the Hall of Fame?

Joey Votto

We like to think of first basemen as bruising power hitters that can hit the ball a mile. Not so with Votto. He hit “only” 356 home runs over 17 years, eclipsing 30 just three times. What Votto does posses is an obscene on base percentage. He finished with a career .409 mark, including seasons such as an absurd .474 mark in 2012 and .454 in 2017. All told, he led the National League in that category seven times. He has four seasons of over 1.000 OPS with a lifetime mark of .920. He owns an MVP. And if we need some genuinely good and funny people in the HOF, he checks that box. See the time he homered and made the day of a young cancer patient.

The Verdict: 100% yes

Giancarlo Stanton

The New York Yankees’ designated hitter is an elite power hitter. The issue with Stanton is health. He’s appeared in 120 games or more over the course of a season only four times in 15 years. For a fearsome power hitter, he has never walked 100 times in a season, hence the career on-base percentage of .346. There are some things that work in Stanton’s favor. He currently is the active leader in home runs with 423. He has an MVP to his name, winning the award in 2017 with the Miami Marlins. He has led the National League in slugging three times, twice exceeding .600. Big G has slugged at least 30 home runs in a campaign eight times. However, his OBP has not gotten above .300 since 2021 and for all of the home runs hit, he has gotten to 100 RBI’s only three times. I will say this for Stanton. He has one of the most beautiful, yet violent swings I’ve ever seen. Not many people change the channel during his at bats.

The Verdict: No for now, but if he gets to 500 home runs, then it’s a yes.

The Week Ahead in Major League Baseball August 19-August 25

I can’t believe we are this far into August. In two weeks, Ryan goes back to college and the other two start school shortly after that. Where has the Summer gone? Actually, where has the Major League Baseball season gone? It seems like two weeks ago that I was watching the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play each other in Japan prior to going to work. Here it is the third week of August and the Chicago White Sox have not been officially eliminated from the playoffs yet. That means we have plenty of baseball left to digest.

Jurickson Profar has been the Padres’ best player this season. Photo from Yahoo.

Series to Watch: Minnesota Twins at San Diego Padres

These two teams are in playoff position in their respective leagues. However, both still have designs on division titles with San Diego trailing the Dodgers by three games and the Twins are sitting behind the Cleveland Guardians by two games. The Padres have been arguably the hottest team in baseball with a 24-12 record since July 1. Minnesota has been sizzling, winning 11 of 16 games so far in August. Unfortunately, Twins’ center fielder Byron Buxton has found his way back to the injured list with hip inflammation. The Padres had their own injury setback when shortstop Ha-Seong Kim left Sunday’s game with a jammed shoulder. The schedule doesn’t let up for either team after this series as the Padres will next host the New York Mets and the Twins return home to face the St. Louis Cardinals.

Player to Watch: Ketel Marte

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ MVP candidate hasn’t been the same since Garrett Stubbs of the Philadelphia Phillies rolled into his ankle on August 10. He missed one game and then left the game after that in the first inning. He then missed the next three games before starting at designated hitter on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Marte pinch hit on Sunday but needed to be helped off the field after checking his swing. The second baseman cannot afford to miss any significant time as the D-backs are already dealing with the absence of first baseman Christian Walker and catcher Gabby Moreno. After a sizzling four week stretch, Arizona was swept over the weekend by the Rays. Losing Marte to an IL stint will compromise the D-back playoff push.

#1 struggles

Spencer Torkelson was the #1 overall pick of the 2020 Draft. The Detroit Tigers’ first baseman was expected to have a banner season in 2024. The Tigers were supposed to take the next step in their progression. However, Torkelson struggled mightily, barely hitting above .200 before being sent to Tripe A Toldeo. Torkelson returned over the weekend after playing 58 games for the Mud Hens. Detroit has faded from playoff contention and you can argue they and the Chicago Cubs are tied for the biggest disappointments in baseball. The soon to be 25-year old Torkelson still has two months to turn his season around or else become one step closer to acquiring the dreaded “bust” title.

The Week Ahead in Major League Baseball August 4-August 11

I sit here in the beginning of August, feeling really bad for the Chicago White Sox. They have now lost 20 consecutive games and their record is 60 games under .500 at 27-87. I know we really shouldn’t feel bad for guys that are playing a kids’ game and earn a lot of money doing so. However, this has been one miserable experience for everyone involved, from the players, the front office and most importantly, the fans. They have a chance to be worse than the 2003 Detroit Tigers who finished the season with a record of 43-119. I really hope this is a one time occurrence and their deadline deals can provide at least a little hope for 2025.

On to the present and more positive things in Major League Baseball.

Ketel Marte is a legit MVP candidate. Photo from azcentral.com

Series to watch: Philadelphia Phillies at Arizona Diamondbacks

The second rematch of the 2023 National League Championship Series takes place with a four game weekend series in the desert. In June, the Phils got the better of the Snakes with a 2-1 series victory. This set has personal implications for me with my daughter being a great Phillies fan and me once writing a blog about the D-backs. Philadelphia potentially righted the ship (and my daughter’s state of mind) with a 6-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Meanwhile, Arizona, though sitting in the last wild card spot is actually within striking distance of first place, only five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bryce Harper has been slumping lately but his two home runs in Sunday’s victory makes us recognize the Harper we know and love. Ketel Marte is a legitimate MVP candidate. Despite not having 40% of their starting rotation for most of the season and severe regression by Corbin Carroll, the D-backs are in a playoff spot thanks to the outstanding season put together by their All-Star second baseman.

Player to Watch: Aaron Judge

I mean, I could put him as the player to watch each week. There is no better player in Major League Baseball right now. The youngest Lynch asked if he would win the Triple Crown this year. The batting title is out of the question but Judge will easily win the home run and RBI titles. His 41 home runs put him around the pace of his 62 homer campaign in 2022. To me, his most remarkable attribute is his ability to play both center field and right field at a Gold Glove level. Of course, all of these good vibes will evaporate in October should he struggle during another playoff run. That’s two months from now. Let’s enjoy another historic season from #99. Judge is a joy to watch and I am fortunate to view his greatness on a daily basis.

He’s back

Jackson Holliday returned to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The highly touted prospect was called up for his Major League debut in April and struggled mightily. After going 2 for 34 in ten games, Holliday was sent back to Triple A Norfolk. In his first game back, Holliday smacked a grand slam (his first Major League home run), helping the Orioles to a 10-4 win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. On Sunday, he hit his second home run as the O’s won their second contest in a row against the first place Cleveland Guardians. He is 7 for 18 since his return from Norfolk as Baltimore seems to have put their month long slump behind them. I am fairly certain that barring an injury that requires a rehab assignment, Holiday’s Minor League days are over.

A bright spot in Colorado

Once again, the Colorado Rockies are having a tough season. However, even the bad teams have standout players. Once such guy is center fielder Brenton Doyle. He was named the National League Player of the Month for July. He clubbed 11 home runs during the month, more than any other NL player. With 19 home runs and 21 stolen bases, Doyle has a chance to be the fourth player in club history to achieve a 30-30 season. Hopefully Doyle and rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar are building blocks for the Rockies as they look forward to 2025.

My San Diego Padres Mea Culpa

Trade deadline, trade deadline went. Too much to analyze even for me. The results won’t be fully known for a couple of years, given the number of prospects that were moved and the final pitch of the 2024 season over three months away. One team that made a flurry of moves in an attempt to finally get to the World Series was the San Diego Padres. As I glanced at my phone to see the update that the Padres acquired Tanner Scott, I thought, “Wow, way to go for it”. And then, it hit me.

I have been so wrong about A.J. Preller. He’s done a good job. Photo from San Diego Magazine

I need to give A.J. Preller, the chief baseball guy in San Diego, a lot of credit.

My kids and friends will tell you that for years, I have always thought Preller’s decisions were overrated. Year after year, we would hear how the Padres won the offseason and that they were poised for bigger things. Year after year they would disappoint experts and more importantly, their fans. Then, in 2022, after acquiring Juan Soto and Josh Bell, they finally broke through and made the National League Championship Series. In the following offseason, they added Xander Bogarts and got Fernando Tatis, Jr back from suspension. Yet, the Padres flopped and missed the playoffs in 2023. Before the 2024 campaign started, they traded Soto and lost Cy Young winner Blake Snell to free agency. Despite the misfortune, San Diego has been in prime playoff position all season. I’ve come to the realization that Preller has done an excellent job keeping his team relevant and consistently drafting well, allowing him to make bold trades like the ones orchestrated at this year’s trading deadline. For a good portion of my baseball life the Padres have been a below average franchise. With Preller at the helm, San Diego (with ownership’s commitment to higher payrolls), is becoming a more desirable place to play.

It is not easy to admit you are wrong. Once in a while, I was guilty of rooting against the San Diego Padres just to show people I was right. That was foolish of me. I should have respected the work A.J. Preller put in to making the Padres a good baseball organization. I won’t let that happen again. Hats off to A.J. Preller and I hope he sticks around to lead San Diego for another ten years.

Don’t Look Now, But Here Comes Rich Hill?

If it’s the end of July, then it’s time for us to be bombarded with around the clock rumors regarding the trading deadline. Actual transactions will be plentiful, as some names (AJ Puk, Randy Arozarena and Zach Eflin) havw already been moved. It’s July 26 and we are just getting warmed up. Among all the names that have been tossed about, the most fascinating one is a guy that is pushing my age: Rich Hill.

Rich Hill is waiting for a call in 2024. Photo from the Boston Globe

According to the great site for all things news, mlbtradrumors.com, the 44-year old Hill is drawing interest from the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. In an interview conducted in August 2022, Hill had considered only playing in the second half of the 2023 season and try to hook on with a playoff contender. He ended pitched the entire season, first with the Pittsburgh Pirates and then the San Diego Padres. Hill is sticking with the plan this season, working out and waiting by the phone. This schedule allows him to spend quality time with his family and not have to endure the grind of a full season.

Pitching always sought after at this time of year. Given his tough 2023, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hill doesn’t get a call. However, if you are an American League team, why would you not reach out to him? After all, virtually any left hander will shut down the Yankees. Personally, I hope Rich Hill goes to the Atlanta Braves. Who doesn’t want to see a guy with 14 different organizations?

Immaculate Grid Superstar: Goose Gossage

Generally, when you think of a Hall of Fame player, you think of someone that spent his entire career with one or two teams, three at the most. However, that’s not really the case with pitchers, especially those hurlers who played in the 1970’s and later. Dennis Eckersley pitched for five teams, Fergie Jenkins, four. Gaylord Perry was a frequent traveler, as he was a member of eight teams. The King of the well traveled Hall of Famers is the subject of this week’s Immaculate Grid Superstar, Rich “Goose” Gossage”.

Goose Gossage, charter member of the Immaculate Grid Hall of Fame. Photo from CBS Sports.

Goose’s career spanned three decades for a total of 22 seasons. He started with the Chicago White Sox where in 1976, the year after he led the American League in saves with 26, he became a starter, going a less than stellar 9-17 with a 3.94 ERA. He did finish with 15 complete games. That was the last year the Goose started a game as he returned to his All Star reliver form in 1977 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He then became much more recognized nationally beginning in 1978 when he joined the New York Yankees. Gossage registered the final out of the one game playoff, the American League Championship Series and the World Series as the Yankees repeated as champions. He then flew to San Diego and helped the Padres to their first World Series appearance in 1984.

It was after his time with the Padres that Gossage really moved around. He went to five more organizations (including a second Yankee stint) before finally calling it a career after the 1994 season. He finished with 310 saves and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2008. If there was a Hall of Fame for Immaculate Grid, Rich Gossage would be a charter member.

The Week Ahead in Major League Baseball July 22-July 28

I’ve been behind on my writing but I’m right on schedule with the happenings in Major League Baseball. The Atlanta Braves, at one time the clear #1 Wild Card team in the National League, has seen their lead shrink a little bit. The Houston Astros, thought to be dead at the beginning of May, are back on top of the American League West. The All Star Game, while not a truly memorable contest, still reminded everyone why it is far and away the best All Star Game in professional sports. The trade deadline arrives next week so the games coming up represent the final evaluation of teams considering to buy a playoff push or sell for the future.

Bryce Harper and the Phillies host the Guardians this weekend. Photo from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Series to Watch: Cleveland Guardians at Philadelphia Phillies

It’s a tasty interleague matchup as the teams with the first (Phillies) and third (Guardians) best records in baseball meet for a weekend clash at the Bank. Both teams have lost two of their first three games coming out the break. Despite the stumbles early, each team enjoys a relatively comfortable lead at the tip of their respective divisions. The Phillies can actually do Cleveland a favor to start the week as they travel to Minnesota to take on the second place Twins. This is the Terry Francona mini classic as two of the legendary manager’s teams square off in a potential Fall Classic preview.

Player to Watch: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

The future Hall of Fame pitcher is set to make his season debut on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw isn’t the only Dodgers pitcher making a return this week as Tyler Glasnow will return on Wednesday against those same Giants. All eyes in baseball will be on Kershaw as the last time we saw him in a Major League game, he didn’t make it out of the first inning in Game One of the 2023 National League Division Series. His final rehab start was Friday night in Oklahoma City where he pitched four innings and gave up three runs on six hits. A patchwork LA rotation will certainly get a boost with both Kershaw and Glasnow coming back this week.

The White Sox are solid in the rotation.

The Chicago White Sox are heading for a historically bad season. They are 27-74 and are currently on a seven game losing streak. Their run differential is an unsightly 191. What is utterly confounding is that their starting rotation is actually pretty darn solid 1-3. Garrett Crochet was the Sox’s All Star representative and leads the American League in strikeouts with 150. Eric Fedde sports a 2.99 ERA in 19 starts. Rookie Drew Thorpe has a 3.02 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP through his first seven starts. Crochet is one of the hot names in trade talk and Fedde could be gone as well. It’s a shame that the efforts by these pitchers is being wasted by an offense that has scored 30 runs fewer than the next lowest team.

A star under the radar

Much has been made of Oakland A’s rookie closer Mason Miller. The big right-hander routinely hits 100 MPH and was the club’s lone All Star. However, the player you should watch is outfielder and designated hitter Brent Rooker. The 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Rooker is hitting .462 over his last 15 games. Oakland is his fourth stop in his career that started with the Minnesota Twins. He was given regular playing time last year and responded in a big way by clubbing 30 home runs and going to the All Star Game. Rooker has been even better this year, hitting .294 with 22 home runs and an OPS of .951. You don’t hear Rooker’s name much as a tradable part but any team looking for a right handed power bat should be looking in the A’s direction.

Life in the Citi

Man, it feels like forever since I last posted. That’s what happens when other things in life pull you in multiple directions. Work, Lake George, Saratoga and kids’ sports occupy much of my time. However, we did take time out to head to Citi Field for our (potential) last game of the year. On July 11th, the New York Mets went for the sweep against the division rival Washington Nationals. The Mets were rolling at this point, kick started by Grimace and Jose Iglesias’s, “OMG” becoming their vibe for 2024. Would the good times continue?

Section 109 is a great view at Citi Field. Photo from my collection.

The Mets’ David Peterson and the Nats’ MacKenzie Gore matched zeros for the first four innings. After Washington was held scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Mets erupted for five runs, highlighted by Brandon Nimo’s three run double. J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso produced RBI singles to give New York their fourth and fifth runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mark Vientos and Harrison Bader drove in Martinez and Alonso to give the Mets a 7-0 lead. Adam Ottavino came on to get the final three outs but this being Ottavino, it came with a lot of drama. He managed to load the bases but preserved the shutout by striking out James Wood and Jesse Winker to end the game. The Mets would then close out the schedule leading up the All Star Break by winning the first two games against the Colorado Rockies before losing the finale on Sunday.

It was a day that saw the excessive humidity finally break in the New York City area. However, we sat in the sun all day and by the end of the game, we were fried. Still, if you head to Citi Field one day, section 109, row 22 is a pretty good area to watch the game. After visiting Citi Field, Citizens Bank Park and Yankee Stadium, the kids still agree: the Bank is the best.