Sports

Baseball

Baseball 101

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Baseball 101: Noteworthy debuts

Baseball 101: Debuts

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Baseball 101: Comebacks

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Baseball 101: New York, New York (and New York, New York)

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All through the first week of this past December, New York was consumed with baseball. It was the talk of the town, dominating social media, newspaper back pages and talk shows on TV and radio. The Mets had made the kind of major trade that has been baseball’s lifeblood, in season and out, for a century. 
How fitting that the big splash was made by Brodie Van Wagenen, who had just traded his status as agent for that of general manager, in a deal with Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, a former player who was traded both to and from the Mets. The acquisition of Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz for former first-round picks Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn and other players reflected and continued one of the sport’s great traditions. 
Baseball deal-making has long fueled the Hot Stove and enlivened late July. It captures interest year-round, eclipsing sports that are active during late fall and early winter. It is essential in improving a team and, during this era of tanking, in deliberately making a roster worse. 
Even when the free agent market moves slowly, as it did this offseason, the trades made, anticipated and dissected all keep the sport moving. That rings true in 2019, which is the 100th anniversary of the most influential baseball deal of all time: the Yankees acquiring Babe Ruth from the Red Sox for cash. 
The Ruth sale made baseball history and elevated transactions forever. It gave rise to players being moved here and there in exchange for other players, money or various and sundries (such as an announcer or a hearty dinner). 
With that in mind, school again is in session and “Deals” represents the topic for this year’s <a href="https://newsday.com/baseball101">Baseball 101</a>. That is Newsday’s annual seminar on baseball, looking at the sport through one particular lens and using 101 examples. This spring, we present <a href="http://https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/101-baseball-trades-and-deals-to-remember-1.28947870">101 memorable (or forgettable) transactions over the years</a>. 
Other sports do have trades, of course, but not with the same volume and impact that baseball does. Author Shawn Krest writes in his 2017 book, “Baseball Meat Market: The Stories Behind the Best and Worst Trades in History,” that in the four seasons leading up to publication, the major leagues witnessed an average of 88 trades a year, involving 247 players. 
In baseball trades, it is not just the marginal player who goes. It is not surprising that a prospective Hall of Famer such as Cano would be dealt. Krest pointed out that, as of 2015 there had been 205 trades involving players who wound up in Cooperstown. 
Trading has become increasingly pricey, nuanced and statistically analytical over the decades. But in many ways, it has stayed the same. Executives still try to put spin on a deal, as Red Sox owner Harry Frazee did on Jan. 5, 1920, when he formally announced the Ruth sale. Although history has shown it was thoroughly driven by Frazee’s financial situation, he insisted at the time, “I should have preferred to have taken players in exchange for Ruth, but no club could have given me the equivalent in men without wrecking itself, and so the deal had to be made on a cash basis.” 
And now, just like then, observers assert that some teams take advantage. The New York Times weighed in on the Ruth deal with an editorial on Jan. 7, 1920, saying: “It marks another long step toward the concentration of baseball playing talent in the largest cities, which can afford to pay the highest prices for it. This is a bad thing for the game.” 
Yet the game has survived. The only thing more exciting than a deal is the promise of another one. As Van Wagenen said back in December: “I will state it very clearly. We did not make this move to have this be our last move.”

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Baseball 101: Tricks of the trade

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Baseball 101: Wheeling and dealing

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It takes two. That is at the heart of everything that happens in baseball. Every pitch begins with some interaction between two players, a pitcher and a catcher, and involves a matchup between a pitcher and a batter. All sorts of twosomes spring from there.
A pitch is a ball or a strike, a play is either safe or out. There are only two options for a ball in play: fair or foul. A play is scored either a hit or an error. In any given game, a pitcher is either a starter or a reliever. There are only two major leagues. Every player in an organization falls into one of two categories: major-leaguer or minor-leaguer.
Each inning has two halves. Every contest falls into one of only two categories, day game or night game. There are two clear-cut sides in every baseball labor negotiation: players and owners. There are two types of retired players, those who are in the Hall of Fame and those who are not.
Of course, we all know that baseball is a team game composed of individuals performing one by one, but the sport’s dramas are reminiscent of the manifest of Noah’s Ark: They come two by two. Even at a time when an ocean of numbers is available to baseball aficionados, “2” still stands out. Other sports have their share of rivalries and combinations, but none has as many pairings as baseball does.
All of this comes to mind at the start of 2018, as the Yankees became the first team since 1962 to open spring training with a roster that includes two reigning 50-plus home run hitters. National League Most Valuable Player Giancarlo Stanton, who hit 59 homers for the Marlins, and American League MVP runner-up and Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge, who hit 52 for the Yankees, are the first such tandem since Yankees teammates Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle returned after a season in which they hit 61 and 54, respectively.
“You see two twin towers, man, getting off the bus, it’s something to look at,” Reggie Jackson said early in Yankees camp last month. “We’ll sell out some batting practices and we’ll run out of balls once in a while.”
The sight of the 6-7 Judge and the 6-6 Stanton in the same lineup inspires a look at many other notable baseball twosomes, past and present. So “Dynamic Duos” is the topic of our annual Baseball 101 feature.
<a href="https://www.newsday.com/baseball101">Baseball 101</a> is our annual spring seminar on the game, looking into the soul of the sport from a particular lens by listing 101 prime examples. Last year, we explored 101 “firsts,” and in previous years, we have looked at 101 great nicknames, 101 noteworthy replacements, 101 memorable numbers and 101 games.
This time it is <a href=" https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/dynamic-duos-baseball-101-1.17630141 ">101 duos</a>. Those include twosomes who did amazing things, such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig or Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. It also takes in opponents who will go through history together for having been on opposite sides of the same event, i.e. Ralph Branca and Bobby Thomson. There also are classic pairs that are intrinsic to the baseball vocabulary: peanuts and Cracker Jack.
In the case of teammates such as Maris and Mantle, each one’s skills seemed to amplify the other’s. In what might be an omen for Judge and Stanton, neither of the M &amp; M Boys came close to repeating his 1961 feat the following season. Maris hit 33 homers in 1962, Mantle had 30. But their team did win the World Series, and Yankees fans would be just fine with that result this year.
For now, as the season opens, we invoke the spirit of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks, famous for his slogan “Let’s play two!” In this case, <a href=" https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/dynamic-duos-baseball-101-1.17630141 "> let’s celebrate two 101 times</a>.

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Baseball 101: In this game, it’s two for the show

In this game, it’s two for the show

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Baseball 101: Dynamic duos

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Baseball 101: First things first

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Baseball 101: The gems of pitching

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Baseball 101: As the game evolves, replacing past is price of progress

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On a winter afternoon in early March, with another foot of snow on the way, it is baseball season here at 25 Main Street. It always is. 
Defiant toward the looming storm, one family is commenting on Buster Posey's shoes in a San Francisco Giants exhibit. Other people are perusing the Japanese language broadsheet newspaper page with a color photo of Ichiro Suzuki in his Yankees uniform. A couple is taking photos of Jackie Robinson's bronze plaque. 
This is a typical day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which has had nothing but days like this since it opened its doors on June 12, 1939. Back then, 15,000 people crowded the street for a look inside after having seen Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Walter Johnson and others in person at the opening ceremony. 
Seventy-five years later, the building in this little upstate town is as relevant as ever. The words "Hall of Fame'' and "Cooperstown'' hit home and go deep, as evidenced by the impassioned national debate about which players from the performance-enhancing-drugs era should or should not be inducted. 
"To sift through the conversation, it is all because people care,'' said Jeff Idelson, the Hall of Fame president. "It's evident that the honor and prestige of becoming a Hall of Famer still matters to people. Very much.'' 
So in its Diamond Anniversary year, the Hall of Fame is the topic of our annual Baseball 101 seminar. It happens every spring: We view the sport as a whole through 101 details, like getting to know the forest by studying the many trees. 
Our lineup this year is entitled The 101 Best Things in the Hall of Fame. In this case, "best'' is not meant as the most famous or dramatic, but the most effective in revealing the sport's essence. Like Baseball 101, the Hall of Fame tells the game's story through details: a ball representing each no-hitter in the major leagues since 1939, a scorecard from 1880, a 1964 "Welcome Yogi Day'' button marking Berra's first game at Yankee Stadium as a manager. 
This will be a standout year for the Hall of Fame. Along with the 75th anniversary, staffers are expecting a lavish celebration during induction weekend in late July. By early March, hotels in a 25-mile radius already were booked. Fans seem eager to toast Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox. 
It will be vibrantly different from last year, when no modern player was inducted. That reflected the Baseball Writers' Association of America's ambivalence about the PED era. The writers, who do the voting, lately have rejected anyone identified (or even suspected) as a steroid user. 
That has detonated an annual frenzy of criticism. Debate has focused on various players' candidacies and on the process itself (which the Hall has no plans or desire to change). Controversy only confirms how important the institution is. 
"Listen, earning election to the Hall of Fame is the greatest honor for an athlete, in any sport,'' said Idelson, a former public relations director for the Yankees. "The fact that only one percent of baseball players have bronze plaques underscores rigorous standards the writers have always enforced.'' 
But the Hall of Fame is more than plaques. It is a living, growing collection. Whenever a pitcher is through seven innings of a no-hitter, someone from the Hall of Fame is on the phone with the player's ballclub, saying that some memento would be appreciated. 
"Young kids might think of history as when George Washington was running the country, but history happens every day,'' Idelson said. 
Glass display cases here contain many artifacts from players who are either ineligible or unelected to the Hall. "That's the difference between the Hall of Fame and the museum,'' said Erik M. Strohl, vice president of exhibitions and collections. "How can you tell the history of baseball without Pete Rose?'' 
Nor can you tell the story of baseball without the Hall. Staffers here point out that you can't listen to a major league broadcast for long without hearing a mention of Cooperstown. 
Ballplayers pay the highest tribute by the way they talk and think about the Hall. Henry Aaron has donated more than 50 items from his legendary career, Strohl said. This reporter's ears once heard Rickey Henderson give a mock preview of his induction speech in the Mets' clubhouse in 1999 (and it wasn't nearly as good as the one he actually gave in 2010). Duffy Dyer, the third-string catcher on the 1969 Mets who played seven years with other clubs, once deadpanned to this writer: "Don't worry, when I go into the Hall of Fame, I'm going as a Met.'' 
Current and former players occasionally stop in here. Dick Green and Bob Horner have been in this year. Suzuki has visited six times. 
The thing about that is that Cooperstown -- a tiny burg in the hills, more than an hour west of Albany -- is not on the way to anywhere. You have to make a special effort. 
So it's not easy to get to the Hall of Fame, in more ways than one. 
That is one reason it is such a special place. <a href="http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/101-things-to-look-for-at-the-baseball-hall-of-fame-1.7533520">Here are 101 others</a>.

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Every item in the Hall of Fame has a history unique to baseball's story

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This installment of <a href="/sports/baseball/baseball-101-1.4833949">Baseball 101</a> is a seminar in baseball past, present and future, told through a series of numbers that, for 101 reasons, matter more than most. Numbers tell the story of baseball. In fact, they are the story of baseball. 
 Whether they represent statistics, records, dates, years, positions, players or dollars, you can count on numbers to tell you something. 
 Baseball's best number? It's '4' 
 Of all the magic numbers in baseball, "4" ranks as No. 1. It is the ultimate number, the one that represents completeness and achievement. A player needs to touch four bases to score a run. A team needs to win four games to win the World Series, after having had to win four in the league championship series to get there. 
 Four balls gets a runner to first base . . . A manager generally signals for an intentional walk by holding up four fingers. 
 A grand slam counts for four runs, the most that can score on any one play . . . Hitting for the cycle, one of the rarest batting accomplishments, requires four distinct hits: single, double, triple and home run . . . The record for one batter's home runs in a game is four . . . The No. 4 position in any team's batting order is considered an honored and responsible spot, There are four umpires on the field in regular season games. 
 An unusual and notable performance by a pitcher is to strike out four batters in an inning (after one of them reaches first on a dropped third strike). The website baseball-almanac.com says it's only happened 65 times in history, but eight times last season, including once by the Yankees' Phil Hughes . . . And these days, starting pitchers usually rest four days between assignments. 
 No. 4 was the first number ever retired, beginning a popular and wide ranging tradition. It was done in honor of Lou Gehrig, who knew the fate his disease had in store for him and still said, on the field at Yankee Stadium, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." It was on July 4, 1939. 
 And the other 100 . . . 
 .400: The Holy grail for a season batting average, which no one has accomplished since Ted Williams' .406 in 1941. 
 511: <a href="/sports/baseball/mlb-s-300-game-winners-1.3664658">Career wins by Cy Young</a> (if anybody matches it, they'll name an award after him, too). 
 56: Games in <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/70-years-later-joe-d-s-streak-stands-out-1.2876634">Joe DiMaggio's epic hitting streak</a>, which ended July 17, 1941 and was followed by a 16-game streak. 
 4,256: Hits by all-time leader Pete Rose, who, like all-time HR leader Barry Bonds, is not in Hall of Fame. 
 1: <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/johan-santana-throws-first-mets-no-hitter-1.3757284">No-hitters pitched by a Met</a>. Johan Santana needed 134 pitches for his gem last season against the Cardinals. 
 262: Most hits in a season, by Ichiro Suzuki with the Mariners in 2004. 
 369: Home runs in 10 seasons by Ralph Kiner, a Hall of Famer who has been on Mets telecasts since 1962 
 3,304: <a href="http://sports.newsday.com/data/baseball/yankees/derek-jeter-hits">Hits for Derek Jeter</a>, a Yankees record. 
 1/8: Uniform number worn by 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel as a stunt pinch-hitter for the 1951 Browns. 
 3: Babe Ruth's uniform number, which some people believe should be retired throughout baseball. 
 3,000: <a href="/sports/baseball/the-3-000-hits-club-1.2710655">Gold standard for hits</a>. Roberto Clemente finished with exactly 3,000, having reached it with a double on Sept. 30, 1972, three months before he died in a plane crash on a humanitarian mission. 
 42: <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/mariano-rivera">Mariano Rivera</a> is the last major leaguer to ever will wear this number, which was retired throughout baseball "in perpetuity" by Commissioner Bud Selig on the 50th anniversary of the day <a href="/sports/baseball/the-first-black-players-in-mlb-1.3497024">Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line</a>. 
 12: Record for RBIs in a game, Jim Bottomley (1924) and Mark Whiten (1993), both with the Cardinals. Also, RBIs in the 1960 World Series by Bobby Richardson (the only MVP from the losing team); one-hitters each by Nolan Ryan and Bob Feller; years after Jackie Robinson's debut that Pumpsie Green became the first African-American on the Red Sox. He wore No. 12. 
 1919: Year of the most notorious scandal in baseball history, with eight members of the Chicago White Sox banned for life for intentionally throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. 
 75: Years the Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud has been used to take the glare off new baseballs. Blackburne, a former big leaguer, was coaching third for the Philadelphia A's in 1938 when he first offered use of mud from a swimming hole near Palmyra, in southern New Jersey. 
 7.6: Wins Above Replacement rating in 2012 for Justin Verlander, tops among pitchers. WAR represents wins a player brought to his team above what a replacement would have produced. 
 57: Extra-base hits in 2012 by Bryce Harper, the most ever by a teenager 
 9: Players on the field (not counting DH), innings in a game, strikes in a perfect inning. World Series used to be best of 9. Joe DiMaggio wore 9 as a rookie. 
 40: Years since Cleveland shipbuilding heir <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/george-steinbrenner/george-steinbrenner-1.208201">George Steinbrenner III</a> said at his first New York news conference: "We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees." 
 2: <a href="http://sports.newsday.com/data/baseball/no-hitters/">No-hitters</a> in a row by the Reds' Johnny Vander Meer in 1938, the second was in the first night game at Ebbets Field. 
 17: Inches, the width of home plate, every speck of which was used precisely by Greg Maddux, <a href="/sports/baseball/previewing-the-2014-hall-of-fame-candidates-1.4426582">a likely 2014 Hall of Famer</a>. 
 60-6: Feet and inches, respectively, from the "pitching plate" to home plate, a distance unchanged since 1893. 
 90: Feet between bases. It is said Mickey Mantle could get from home to first in 2.9 seconds. 
 65: Years the Cubs have been on TV station WGN, but Chicago Tribune reports the club won't renew when the contract expires next year. 
 66: Years ago, Bill Veeck moved Indians training camp to Arizona because he believed it would be more tolerant of the African American players he was about to sign. 
 85: Age of Vin Scully, Bronx native, Dodgers announcer since 1950. 
 2,632: Cal Ripken's record for consecutive games played. 
 68.2: Percent of votes received this year by Craig Biggio, the top vote-getter -- 6.8 percent short of the threshold for the Hall of Fame. 
 6: Retired in 1963 by the Cardinals for Stan Musial, who once noted that he faced opponents who played in the 1930s and in the 1970s. 
 24: Willie Mays' number. Mets have issued it sparingly (Kelvin Torve, Rickey Henderson) since he wore it for them in 1972-73. 
 31: Wins by Tigers pitcher Denny McLain in 1968, an almost inconceivable total now, in an era of innings limits. 
 21: Losses by Tigers pitcher Mike Maroth in 2003, also unlikely to be duplicated. 
 .366: Ty Cobb's career batting average -- best of all-time. He won 11 batting titles and hit .400 three times. 
 1,426: Hits for <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/the-ups-and-downs-of-david-wright-1.3795308">David Wright</a>, Mets all-time leader. 
 106: Miles per hour fastball recorded in 2012 by Aroldis Chapman, who has been moved back to the closer for the Reds after a spring experiment as a starter. 
 1.4217: Season record OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), by Barry Bonds in 2004. 
 159 1/3: Innings pitched last season by Stephen Strasburg, shut down Sept. 7 by the Nationals to protect his arm after Tommy John surgery. 
 .424: Rogers Hornsby's batting average with the Cardinals in 1924 -- the highest mark since 1900. He hit .403 the next season. 
 .417: Miguel Cabrera's majors-leading weighted On-Base Average in 2012. The wOBA is based on the principle that some hits are more valuable than others. 
 15: Strikeouts by Sandy Koufax at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 of the World Series 50 years ago. 
 73: The single season home run record held by Barry Bonds, set in 2001. 
 232: Record number of walks Barry Bonds received in 2004 . . . 120 of them intentional -- another record. 
 $165: Price for a Green Monster seat, above the famous wall. 
 7: Mickey Mantle's number (after having originally worn 6). Also, Barry Bonds' MVP awards and <a href="http://sports.newsday.com/long-island/data/baseball/no-hitters/?fieldSelect-pitchername=Nolan+Ryan">Nolan Ryan no-hitters</a>. 
 8: Date in Oct. 1956 of Don Larsen's perfect game. Final strike caught by Yogi Berra, No. 8. 
 309: Sam Crawford's record for most career triples, he had four seasons of 20 or more. 
 2,597: Reggie Jackson's record for most strikeouts in a career -- he had a record 18 seasons of 100 or more. 
 50: Games, the suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug test -- baseball's new tragic number. 
 79: Years it took to tie Babe Ruth's AL record of 32 road homers in 1927 (David Ortiz, 2006). 
 608: <a href="http://sports.newsday.com/data/baseball/yankees/mariano-rivera-saves/">Career saves for Mariano Rivera</a>, who will add to the total in 2013 -- what he says will be his last season with the Yankees. 
 70: Most career wins against one team, Grover Cleveland Alexander vs. Cincinnati (1911-30). 
 11/1/01: Date on which Yankees-Diamondbacks World Series Game 4 ended. Derek Jeter's 10th inning homer earned the nickname "Mr. November." 
 44: Retired by the Braves and Brewers for Hank Aaron, the Giants for Willie McCovey and the Yankees for Reggie Jackson. 
 755: Hank Aaron's home run total, which some still consider the true record, given allegations that Barry Bonds used PEDs to reach 762. 
 2,297: Hank Aaron's undisputed record for career RBIs. 
 11: Major League Baseball cities in 1953, before the Browns moved from St. Louis to Baltimore in 1954. New York had three teams, Philadelphia and Chicago two each. 
 13: The unlucky inning for Pirates' Harvey Haddix who threw 12 perfect innings against Braves in 1959 before losing gem on a throwing error by Don Hoak. 
 13.5: Lead, in games, for the Dodgers over the Giants on Aug. 11, 1951, making the eventual Giants pennant seem incredible. 
 98.84: Percentage of votes (425 of 430) that Tom Seaver received on his first ballot entry into the Hall of Fame in 1992, still the highest mark. 
 1913: The New York Highlanders were renamed the New York Yankees. 
 5: Most home runs in a doubleheader, by Stan Musial of the Cardinals in 1954 and Nate Colbert of the Padres in 1972. 
 53: Years Connie Mack spent as manager, the last 50 with the Philadelphia Athletics. He won a record 3,731 games. 
 22: Years between <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/mets-20-game-winners-1.4000722">Mets 20-game winners</a> (Frank Viola 1990, R.A. Dickey 2012). 
 1,406: Stolen bases for all-time leader Rickey Henderson. There were 18 years (1980-1998) between his first and last AL stolen base titles. 
 155: Stolen bases last season by Reds prospect Billy Hamilton, a minor-league record. 
 .146: Orioles batting average during 1969 World Series vs. the Mets (in its 109-win regular season, Baltimore hit .265) 
 23: Most career grand slams, by Lou Gehrig and Alex Rodriguez. 
 3-4: Career major league record as a White Sox pitcher by Basketball Hall of Famer Dave DeBusschere. 
 .202: Batting average for Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan as White Sox minor-league outfielder. 
 409: Pages in <a href="/sports/baseball/tainted-mlb-players-1.118495">the Mitchell Report</a> on illegal performance-enhancing drugs. 
 0: Al Oliver's number. Also, salary arbitration hearings this year and weeks in 2013 without an interleague series. 
 3-2: The full count on a batter -- three balls, two strikes -- and the payoff pitch brings us to the edge of our seats. 
 41: Most games won by a pitcher in a single season since 1900, by Jack Chesbro of the New York Highlanders (41-12 in 1904). 
 490: Feet from home plate to the centerfield wall when Yankee Stadium opened in 1923. 
 27: Outs to finish a game, championships for the Yankees. 
 34: Retired by Rangers and Astros for Nolan Ryan. 
 30: Retired by the Angels for Ryan (he also wore this for the Mets). 
 18: Mickey Mantle's record for most career home runs in World Series play. 
 105: Years since the Cubs won the World Series. 
 74: Career innings pitched so far by Alex Hinshaw, the only big leaguer whose grandfather lived and worked in the palace of Afghanistan's King Zahir. 
 9-6-2: Official scoring of Derek Jeter's "flip play" in 2001 AL Division Series. 
 26: Most innings played in a single game . . . Brooklyn and Boston played to 1-1 tie on May 1, 1920. 
 61: There never really was an asterisk after <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/roger-maris-1.2825163">Roger Maris'</a> then-record season home run mark in 1961. 
 108: Double stitches on a major-league baseball. 
 1.12: Bob Gibson's earned run average in 1968, the year before the mound was lowered. 
 5.08: Earned run average in 1938 for Bobo Newsom, the highest ever by a 20-game winner. 
 46: <a href="http://sports.newsday.com/data/baseball/mets/citi-field-home-runs/">Home runs at Citi Field</a> last year that would not have cleared the more distant fences in 2011; 21 of them by the Mets. 
 462: Estimated distance, in feet, of Opening Day home run last year by Athletics rookie Yoenis Cespedes. 
 86: Years between titles for Red Sox, with frustration cresting against the Mets in '86. 
 99: Worn by Turk Wendell, who worked a career-high 80 games for the Mets in '99. 
 191: Hack Wilson's mark for most RBIs in a single season, with the Cubs in 1930. 
 396: Home runs as a catcher by Mike Piazza, a record. He also has most home runs as a designated hitter from a National League team, 10. 
 116: <a href="/sports/baseball/mlb-s-winningest-seasons-1.3077797">Most games won in a single season</a>, by the Cubs in 1906 and the Mariners in 2001. 
 20,000: Games, according to baseball-reference.com, the Cardinals will have played as of Opening Day, dating back to 1882. So far, they have 10,283 wins. 
 19: Home runs by Chipper Jones at Shea Stadium, the most for him at any ballpark outside Atlanta. 
 .215: Career batting average of Mario Mendoza, inspiration for the infamous "Mendoza Line," which refers to players batting at or below .200. 
 120: Losses for the <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/the-1962-mets-1.3634585">1962 Mets</a>. 
 100: Wins for the 1969 Mets, and seven more in the postseason. 
 37: Feet, the height of the Green Monster in Boston's Fenway Park. 
 101: Years since Fenway Park opened.

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Baseball 101: The best 101 numbers in baseball history

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This is not a test, it is a course. Welcome to Baseball 101, which this season consists entirely of unanswered questions. They are offered to provoke thought, debate, understanding and amusement -- just as baseball itself does. Socrates taught using questions. 
 In that vein, consider this a takeoff on one of baseball’s philosophers, Yogi Berra, who once reportedly said, “You can observe a lot by watching.” 
 In this case, you can tell a lot by asking. Here are the questions: 
 1. Will Barry Bonds ever get into the Hall of Fame? 
 2. The same for <a href="/sports/baseball/roger-clemens-perjury-trial-1.2998185">Roger Clemens</a>: Will he get in someday? And for both of them, should they get in? 
 3. How about Pete Rose? Does he remain barred from the Hall because he bet on baseball? 
 4. Will the expanded playoff format mean we never again will see <a href="/sports/baseball/timeline-wild-night-decides-al-wild-card-1.3209623">an immensely exciting final day</a>, as we had at the end of the 2011 season, or will it finally restore a true pennant race feeling? 
 5. <a href="http://newsday.com/rivera">Mariano Rivera</a> is generally considered the best relief pitcher of all time. So who is second? 
 6. Considering that players are bigger, stronger and faster than ever, and that equipment has grown much more advanced, why is it that 90 feet is still just the right distance from home to first to ensure lots of close plays? 
 7. Which is harder to do: win 20 games or hit 50 home runs? 
 8. When is it safe to allow a young person to start throwing a curveball? 
 9. What is the precise difference between "command" and "control?" 
 10. Who is the best all-around player (non-pitcher) in the history of the game? 
 11. And the best pitcher ever? 
 12. Is the sacrifice fly really a legitimate statistic? (The batter wasn't intentionally trying to give himself up.) 
 13. How should <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/jose-reyes-timeline-1.2976706">Jose Reyes</a> have handled the final game of the 2011 regular season when he was trying to win the National League batting title? 
 14. How many games will <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/the-career-of-andy-pettitte-1.2659184">Andy Pettitte</a> start for the Yankees this season? 
 15. Which is better, "Baseball Tonight" on ESPN or "MLB Tonight Live" on the MLB Network? 
 16. Does team chemistry promote success, or does success translate into team chemistry? 
 17. Did <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/babe-ruth-1.2860787">Babe Ruth</a> really "call his shot" in the 1932 World Series against the Cubs? 
 18. What would baseball look like today if the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York City agreed on either the Dodgers' plan to build a stadium at Atlantic Yards (site of the new Barclays Center) or Robert Moses' plan to build the team a home in Flushing (site of Shea Stadium/Citi Field)? 
 19. What is the best way to break in a new glove? 
 20. Why didn't the Giants ever win when they played at Candlestick Park, and was it smart for them to have moved there from New York? 
 21. Which is the better way to determine home-field advantage in the World Series: by whichever league wins the All-Star Game, or by the previous method of having the National League host in even-numbered years and the American League host in odd-numbered years? 
 22. What is the best baseball town in America? 
 23. Have the Cubs been held back and worn out all these years by playing so many day games at home? 
 24. Will there always be a designated hitter rule and will it ever be universal, throughout both leagues? 
 25. Which is better, Stickball or Wiffle ball? 
 26. As much as <a href="http://newsday.com/citifield">Citi Field</a> is an upgrade, in what ways was Shea Stadium better? 
 27. Same thing with the new Yankee Stadium: As nice and spacious as it is, what do you miss about the old place? 
 28. Babe Ruth shaped modern baseball, so should his No. 3 be retired by all teams? 
 29. What was the most important postseason hit of all time? (Remember, Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" was technically a regular-season home run.) 
 30. "<a href="/sports/baseball/trailer-moneyball-1.2973661">Moneyball</a>" was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, so is it the best baseball movie ever? And if not, what was? 
 31. Which is the better performance: Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series or Harvey Haddix's 12 innings of perfection in 1959? 
 32. Pete Rose taking out Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star Game, and ruining Fosse's career: Good hustle or unnecessary excess? 
 33. Should a pitcher ever win an Most Valuable Player award or should that be reserved for an everyday player because pitchers have the Cy Young Award? 
 34. Who was the best hitter: Felipe, Matty or Jesus Alou? 
 35. Who is the best catcher: Bengie, Jose or Yadier Molina? 
 36. Should baseball expand the use of instant replay to review close plays on the bases? 
 37. The knuckleball has historically proven to be an effective pitch. So why is <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/get-to-know-r-a-dickey-1.3023290">R.A. Dickey of the Mets</a> the only starter in the major leagues now using it? 
 38. Why does spring training have so much more allure than training camp in the other sports? 
 39. Which was <a href="/sports/baseball/baseball-s-historic-september-collapses-1.3210197">the greatest collapse</a>, the 1964 Phillies, 2007 and/or 2008 Mets, 2011 Braves or 2011 Red Sox? 
 40. Where is the best place for youngsters to get autographs? 
 41. Will baseball ever go the way of the NBA and allow loud music during the actual playing of the game, rather than just during breaks? 
 42. Which is the better fantasy baseball format: Head-to-head or roto? 
 43. With the hundreds of Tommy John surgeries having been performed since the first one in 1974, why has no pitcher, according to ESPN The Magazine, won more games after the operation than Tommy John himself (164)? 
 44. What is the best baseball novel ever written? 
 45. What is the best baseball biography ever written? 
 46. Given that starting pitchers do not go as deep into games as they did 40 years ago, why is it unthinkable that they work on three days of rest, as they did back then? 
 47. Which is the better mascot, Mr. Met or the onetime Mets dog Homer? 
 48. Who was the best-fielding first baseman: Vic Power, Wes Parker, <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/the-home-of-keith-hernandez-1.1442754">Keith Hernandez</a>, <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/don-mattingly-1.2298722">Don Mattingly</a> or someone else? 
 49. How would it have worked out for each side, and for each player's legacy, if the Yankees and Red Sox really had pulled off that fabled trade of <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/70-years-later-joe-d-s-streak-stands-out-1.2876634">Joe DiMaggio</a> for Ted Williams? 
 50. Who was the fastest player you've ever seen, going from first to third? 
 51. It's been 43 years since the last 30-game winner (Denny McLain, 31-6 in 1968). Will anyone win 30 again? 
 52. Is Ryan Braun truly "innocent" or simply "not guilty" because of a technicality? 
 53. Why is Opening Day in baseball such a special occasion? (Cincinnati has scheduled a pregame downtown parade for the 93rd year.) 
 54. What will the next wave of new stadiums look like? Specifically, a half-century from now, will there be a retro movement to replicate Shea, Veterans, Three Rivers and Riverfront Stadiums? 
 55. How should baseball honor Roberto Clemente for having opened so many doors for Latin American players? 
 56. Who would you want in Game 7: Bob Gibson or Sandy Koufax? 
 57. What actually makes a curveball curve, and how much of it is an optical illusion? 
 58. Now that Banner Day is back, which, if any, of these baseball artifacts is worth reviving: doubleheaders, Astroturf, organ music, Bat Day? 
 59. How many current big-leaguers know what "playing pepper" means, and how much are they missing by not playing that old hand-eye coordination game? 
 60. If baseball is ever forced to adopt a contraction plan and fold two franchises, which teams should go? 
 61. With <a href="/sports/baseball/mets/the-mets-under-fred-wilpon-1.2903913">the Wilpons</a> having received good news in the Madoff settlement, when can Mets fans look forward to good news about the ballclub? 
 62. How would <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/george-steinbrenner/george-steinbrenner-1.208201">The Boss</a> have responded to having spent nearly $2 billion on payroll during the past 11 years and winning only half as many titles as the Red Sox and Cardinals? 
 63. Why do players sometimes dive into first base when studies show it is quicker to run? 
 64. Is the total of on-base percentage and slugging percentage the best measure of a hitter's value? 
 65. Can a team possibly get anything close to an equal return if it trades Babe Ruth, Tom Seaver or any other icon at his peak? 
 66. Will <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/derek-jeter">Derek Jeter</a> eventually move to another position or will he just retire when he can't play shortstop anymore? 
 67. Is it a good idea to expand rosters to 40 on Sept. 1 or is it unfair to have minor-leaguers in big games? 
 68. In the draft, should you go with the most talented player no matter what his age is, or play it safe and take a college guy? 
 69. Why is there caterwauling every year about which players aren't chosen for the All-Star Game, followed by complaining that the game is meaningless? 
 70. Billy Martin or Joe Torre? Gil Hodges or Davey Johnson? 
 71. In 1972, there were nine African-American starters in the All-Star Game. In 2011, there were four. In 1964, the Cardinals had four African-American players in the lineup for Game 7 of the World Series. In Game 7 of 2011, the Cardinals had none. <a href="/sports/baseball/the-first-black-players-in-mlb-1.3497024">Sixty-five years after Jackie Robinson's breakthrough</a>, how can baseball again attract top black athletes? 
 72. Has a player ever presented a more honest question to a sitting President than when Babe Ruth, upon being introduced to Calvin Coolidge on a sultry Washington day, said: "Hot as hell, ain't it, Prez?" 
 73. Where does Citi Field's Shake Shack rate among the best ballpark concessions, and what else is on the short list? 
 74. Should you sell your Honus Wagner baseball card now or hold on to it? 
 75. Who has the best starting rotation in baseball? (Fangraphs.com lists the Angels first). 
 76. What <a href="/sports/baseball/baseball-s-most-amazing-records-1.1817682">record is least likely ever to be broken</a>? 
 77. Given that Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp had the highest WAR rating (a statistic measuring how much more he meant to his team than a hypothetical Triple-A replacement), shouldn't he have been the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player? 
 78. Why is stealing signs from the bases or dugout considered part of the game, while peeking from the batter's box to see the catcher's signal is considered cheating? 
 79. Is it fair game to call for a squeeze play in the ninth inning of an exhibition game? 
 80. What is the bigger obstacle to the Orioles snapping their 14-year streak of losing records: their ownership or their brutal division competition? 
 81. Are six Mets-Yankees games every season three too many? 
 82. How would you rank <a href="/sports/baseball/dodgers-great-duke-snider-dies-at-84-1.2717491">Duke Snider</a>, <a href="/sports/baseball/willie-mays-1.2860818">Willie Mays</a> and <a href="/sports/baseball/yankees/mickey-mantle-1.2860774">Mickey Mantle</a> during their heyday as New York's superstar centerfielders in the 1950s? 
 83. When the Astros move to the American League next season and there is an interleague game every day, will interleague play cease to have whatever special appeal it does have? 
 84. How often will Nationals manager Davey Johnson be asked to compare Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper to Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry? 
 85. Why do they rubmud on every major-league baseball? (Hint: check out <a href="http://baseballrubbingmud.com" target="_blank">baseballrubbingmud.com</a>). 
 86. Should Major League Baseball shut down for a couple weeks at midseason to allow for the World Baseball Classic, as the NHL does for the Olympics? 
 87. Does Marvin Miller belong in the Hall of Fame for the way he revolutionized baseball through collective bargaining? 
 88. With statistical and video analysis having become so sophisticated, what does the future hold for bird-dog scouts? 
 89. Fenway Park is celebrating its centennial season this year, but is it time for a new park in Boston? (A plan in 1999 that proposed a new stadium was scrapped.) 
 90. Who has more influence in baseball than agent Scott Boras? 
 91. Is it fair that teams compete for the same wild-card spots when they play considerably different schedules? 
 92. Why, 51 years after Hal Richman introduced the Strat-O-Matic baseball board game, do middle-aged men still drive to Long Island from as far as Ohio and Ontario to buy the new season's cards? 
 93. Who was the best athlete ever to play professional baseball: Jim Thorpe, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan or someone else? 
 94. What sort of mentor will the new, outgoing Manny Ramirez be to A's teammate Yoenis Cespedes, the heralded free agent from Cuba? 
 95. If you didn't know Dodger Stadium will turn 50 on April 10, how old would you say the sparkling place looks? 
 96. What makes Vin Scully standout among announcers, even now, in his 63rd season? 
 97. Can any full-time, big-salaried player do worse than Adam Dunn's .159 batting average in 2011? 
 98. Other than your favorite team, who has the best uniforms? 
 99. What chance does Kansas City have of ending a 26-year playoff drought (the longest of any city in the bigs, considering the Expos/Nationals have split their 30-year hiatus between two hometowns)? 
 100. Which team was the greatest in baseball history? 
 101. Who's on first?

SPBQUEST05

101 baseball questions to debate

Mays and Mantle

100 baseball games you should have seen, sorted in groups of 10 using these categories: Opening Day, Mets, Yankees, Subway Series, Memorable, Surprises, Historical, Pitching Gems, Playoffs, World Series.

100baseballgames

mlb 100 games - opening day - buckner

mlb 100 games - opening day - first pitch

mlb 100 games - opening day - tuffy rhodes

MLB 100 games - opening day - mets 14 innings

MLB 100 games - opening day - pete gray

MLB 100 games - opening day - green monster

MLB 100 games - opening day - bonaficio

MLB 100 games - opening day - bob feller

mlb 100 games - opening day - tigers comeback

mlb 100 games - opening day - yanke uniform numbers

mlb 100 games - mets - shea goodbye

mlb 100 games - mets - 2000 pennant

mlb 100 games - mets - first win

mlb 100 games - mets - fireworks in atl

MLB 100 games - mets - 69 world series

mlb 100 games - mets - harrelson fights rose

mlb 100 games - mets - bob murphy

mlb 100 games - mets - ventura

mlb 100 games - mets - seaver imperfect

mlb 100 games - mets - piazza HR 9/11

MLB 100 games - yankees - dimaggio 44

mlb 100 games - yankees - 1st title

MLB 100 games - yankees - ron guidry

MLB 100 games - yankees - wells perfect game

MLB 100 games - yankees - righetti no hitter

MLB 100 games - Yankees - bobby murcer

MLB 100 games - yankees - maris 61

MLB 100 games - yankees - reggie jackson 3 HRs

MLB 100 games - yankees - jeter dive

MLB 100 games - yankees - cone perfect

mlb 100 games - subway - dodgers win

mlb 100 games - subway - mlicki

mlb 100 games - subway - owens drop

mlb 100 games - subway - mantle

mlb 100 games - subway - bill bevens

mlb 100 games - subway - billy martin

mlb 100 games - subway - matt franco

MLB 100 games - subway - clemens beans piazza

MLB 100 games - subway - yanks in 12

mlb 100 games - subway - luis castillo

mlb 100 games - moments - mays catch

MLB 100 games - memorable - clemente 3000

MLB 100 games - memorable - ruth calls shot

MLB 100 games - memorable moments - gehrig speech

MLB 100 games - memorable - Hank Aaron 715

MLB 100 games - memorable - ted williams last HR

MLB 100 games - memorable moments - rickey henderson steals

MLB 100 games - memorable - ripken record

MLB 100 games - memorable moments - carl hubbell Ks

MLB 100 games - memorable - bonds hr king

MLB 100 games - surprise - merkle

MLB 100 games - surprise - winfield

MLB 100 games - surprise - senators forfeit

MLB 100 games - surprise - music night

MLB 100 games - surprise - pine tar bat

MLB 100 games - surprise - eddie gaedel

MLB 100 games - surprise - 10-cent beer

mlb 100 games - surprise - tigers pickup

mlb 100 games - surprise - fans manage

mlb 100 - surprise - DISCO DEMOLITION

MLB 100 games - historical - Yankee Stadium opens

MLB 100 games - historical importance - jackie robinson

MLB 100 Games - historical - first night game

MLB 100 games - historical importance - First indoor game

mlb 100 games - historical - frank robinson

mlb 100 games - historical - first DH

MLB 100 games - historical - 1st all star game

MLB games - historical - 1st WS game

MLB 100 games - historical importance - first west coast game

mlb 100 games - historical - first night WS

MLB 100 games - pitching - vander meer

mlb 100 games - pitching gems - double no-hitter

mlb 100 games - gems - hard luck harvey

mlb 100 games - gem - shore

mlb 100 games - gems - koufax perfecto

MLB 100 games - pitching - clemens 20 Ks

mlb 100 games - gems - spahn-marichal double shutout

MLB 100 games - pitching - kerry wood's 20 Ks

MLB 100 games - pitching - galarraga's perfect game

mlb 100 games - pitching - 21 innings

MLB 100 games - playoffs - bobby thomson

MLB 100 games - playoffs - bucky dent

mlb 100 games - playoffs - sid bream

mlb 100 games - playoffs - bartman

mlb 100 games - playoffs - aaron boone

mlb 100 games - playoffs - schilling sock

mlb 100 games - playoffs - rockies padres

mlb 100 games - playoffs - al central twins

mlb 100 games - playoffs - 1986 nlcs game 6

mlb 100 games - playoffs - halladay

mlb 100 games - world series - don larsen

mlb 100 games - world series - enos slaughter

mlb 100 games - world series - mazeroski

mlb 100 games - world series - bobby richardson

MLB 100 games -  world series - Buckner

mlb 100 games - world series - carlton fisk

mlb 100 games - world series - kirk gibson

MLB 100 games - world series - joe carter

MLB 100 games - world series - marlins game 7

MLB 100 games - world series - derek mr november

100 baseball games you should have seen

There was a time, as the baseball balladeer Cashman sings, that if you didn’t have a nickname, you didn’t have a name at all. 
 These days, with agents and nightly highlights around to mightily promote players, monikers have gone the way of the complete game or hidden ball trick (perfected by Gene “Stick” Michael, to be a nickname dropper). 
 So “Baseball 101’’ offers this nostalgic toast, in no particular order, to classic nicknames: &nbsp; 
 1. "BABE" . . . "THE SULTAN OF SWAT" . . . "THE BAMBINO," George Herman Ruth 
 Team owner/guardian Jack Dunn's "babe" was prolific in sobriquets as well as home runs. 
 2. Lawrence Peter "YOGI" Berra 
 Teenage friend thought he looked like a movie's Hindu yogi character. 
 3. "MR. OCTOBER," Reggie Jackson 
 Inspired several famous spinoffs: the derisive "Mr. May" for Dave Winfield and the deferential "Mr. November" for Derek Jeter. 
 4. "JOLTIN' JOE" DiMaggio 
 "Our kids will tell their kids his name, Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" - from 1941 hit by the Les Brown Orchestra ("The Yankee Clipper" brought no snappy song). 
 5. Stan "THE MAN" Musial 
 When they gave him the honorific, Brooklyn Dodgers fans never envisioned that someday he'd be selling merchandise at <a href="http://stan-the-man.com" target="_blank">stan-the-man.com</a>. 
 6. "THE COMMERCE COMET,'' Mickey Mantle 
 People back home in Commerce, Okla., never did get around to calling him "The Mick.'' 
 7. James Thomas "COOL PAPA" Bell 
 Cool for his composure as a young pitcher, Papa for his maturity as an all-time outfielder. 
 8. "SHOELESS JOE" Jackson 
 Spikes gave him blisters one day, so he played the next game in stocking feet. 
 9."THE SPLENDID SPLINTER," Ted Williams 
 Was a tall, gangly Red Sox rookie with an explosive bat, historian James T. Skipper Jr. says of the man later known as "Teddy Ballgame." 
 10. "SCOOTER," Phil Rizzuto 
 Minor-league teammate Billy Hitchcock told him, "You're not running, you're scootin.' " 
 11. "THE IRON HORSE," Lou Gehrig 
 Cal Ripken broke his consecutive-games streak but couldn't touch him nickname-wise. 
 12. Dennis "OIL CAN" Boyd 
 In Mississippi, where he's from, "oil" is slang for beer. 
 13. "CHARLIE HUSTLE,'' Pete Rose 
 Whitey Ford meant it sarcastically when the rookie seemed too rambunctious in an exhibition game. 
 14. Harry "SUITCASE'' Simpson 
 layed for 17 teams in 11 years, including the Yankees. 
 15. Edward "WHITEY" Ford, "THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD," and "SLICK" 
 Elston Howard coined "The Chairman" title, of which Ford once said, "He must think I'm Frank Sinatra." 
 16. Bill "SPACEMAN" Lee 
 Teammate John Kennedy pinned it and Lee loved it, reasoning, "Everybody thinks they're earthlings, but in actuality, we're here only for a brief moment." 
 17. Harold Joseph "PIE" Traynor 
 As a boy, chased balls for his church team and was paid in baked goods. 
 18. Honus Wagner, "THE FLYING DUTCHMAN" 
 His heritage was German, so it started out as "Deutschman." 
 19. Jim "MUDCAT" Grant 
 His idol and Indians roommate Larry Doby kiddingly deemed him "as ugly as a Mississippi mudcat." 
 20. Jim "CATFISH" Hunter 
 Nickname (along with a story about going fishing as a kid) created by A's owner Charlie Finley to generate interest. 
 21. Johnny Lee "BLUE MOON" Odom 
 Childhood friend Joe Morris thought he had a lunar-shaped face. 
 22. "THE SAY HEY KID," Willie Mays 
 He had a few lines in the 1954 song "Say Hey" by the Treniers. Recording session was supervised by a young Quincy Jones. 
 23. Johnny "HIPPITY" Hopp 
 Bounced around with six teams, made five World Series. 
 24. Mark "THE BIRD" Fidrych 
 A minor-league manager thought he galloped like Sesame Street's "Big Bird," with whom Fidrych appeared on Sports Illustrated's cover. 
 25. Denton True "CY" Young 
 Called "Cyclone" in his early years for his fastball, the nickname grew shorter as his repertoire grew larger. 
 26. Albert Walter "SPARKY" Lyle 
 Graig "Puff'' Nettles said Sparky "went from Cy Young to Sayonara" when the Yankees brought in Rich "Goose'' Gossage. 
 27. George "SPARKY" Anderson 
 A radio announcer noticed his feisty play as a minor-leaguer. As a manager, he was "Captain Hook.'' 
 28. Walter "BIG TRAIN" Johnson 
 His size and fastball reminded sportswriter Grantland Rice of an express. 
 29. Ted "DOUBLE DUTY" Radcliffe 
 During a Negro Leagues doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, he caught the first game, with a homer and four RBIs, and pitched a shutout in the second. 
 30. "THE MEAL TICKET," Carl Hubbell 
 Main course of the Giants pitching staff, had consecutive strikeouts of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin in 1934 All-Star game. 
 31. "THE GEORGIA PEACH," Ty Cobb 
 Cobb County, Ga. was named for his ancestor, Thomas, a U.S. Senator. 
 32. Lewis "HACK" Wilson 
 Some said he resembled 1930s wrestler George Hackenschmidt. 
 33. Clarence Arthur "DAZZY" Vance 
 Liked the Midwest expression "Ain't that a daisy?" but it came out "dazzy." 
 34. &amp; 35.-43."THE GASHOUSE GANG" 
 The collective nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the 1934 World Series with a lineup of all-star nicknames: Leo "The Lip'' Durocher, brothers "Dizzy'' and "Daffy'' Dean, Pepper Martin ("The Wild Horse of the Osage"), "Spud'' Davis, "Ducky'' Medwick, "Ripper'' Collins, "Wild Bill'' Hallahan and playing manager Frankie Frisch ("the Fordham Flash''). 
 44."HAMMERIN' HANK," Henry Aaron 
 Considered by some the natural all-time home run king, his autobiography is "I Had a Hammer." 
 45. "SKOONJ," Carl Furillo 
 The Dodgers rightfielder, also "The Reading Rifle," loved scungilli. 
 46. "PISTOL PETE" Reiser 
 More than 20 years before Pete Maravich, fearless concussion-prone outfielder was carried off fields 11 times. 
 47. "BULLET BOB" Turley 
 Yanks 1958 Cy Young winner could fire using no-windup delivery. 
 48. George "SHOTGUN" Shuba 
 Sprayed line drives, better known for being photographed shaking Jackie Robinson's hand after a homer. 
 49. "THE SPRINGFIELD RIFLE," Vic Raschi 
 Pitcher from West Springfield, Mass. 
 50. "THE TOY CANNON," Jimmy Wynn 
 Compact frame produced 37 homers in 1967. 
 51. "THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT" 
 Old Yankee Stadium. Best ballpark nickname. 
 52. "BIG POISON" and "LITTLE POISON," Brothers Paul and Lloyd Waner 
 No venom in the nicknames. Biographer Clifton Blue Parker wrote that "poison" was Brooklynese for "person." 
 53. Elwin Charles "PREACHER" Roe 
 Nicknamed himself at 3, his mother said, because he liked the local reverend. 
 54. Charlie "KING KONG" Keller 
 190 pounds of muscle in the pre-steroids era. 
 55. "EYE CHART," Doug Gwosdz 
 Top line is G - W - O - S 
 56. Leroy "SATCHEL" Paige 
 One version of the origin: As a childhood porter at the Mobile train station, devised a contraption that could carry three or four bags at once. 
 57. Arlie Latham, "THE FRESHEST MAN ON EARTH" 
 Identified with popular tune in the 1880s ("fresh" as in "sharp-tongued"). 
 58. "POOSH 'EM UP" Tony Lazzeri 
 In the minors, a friend and restaurateur spoke better Italian than English and exhorted him to drive in runners, yelling, "Poosh 'Em Up Tone!" 
 59. George "SNUFFY" Stirnweiss 
 Named either for hay fever sniffling, or treating it with snuff. 
 60. Charles Leo "GABBY" Hartnett 
 Didn't say a word during his first trip as a Cubs rookie. 
 61. Frank "HOME RUN" Baker 
 Led AL with 11 homers for 1911 Athletics, homered to win World Series Game 2 and tie Game 3 in the ninth. 
 62. Bill "MOOSE" Skowron 
 Always could assume fans weren't booing, just going "Moooooose." 
 63. "DONNIE BASEBALL," Don Mattingly 
 Friend Kirby Puckett came up with it at a banquet, eventually calling him just "Baseball." 
 64. Jack "LUCKY" Lohrke 
 Calling from a coffee shop during a 1936 minor-league bus trip, learned he had been promoted to Triple-A. Team left him behind, then suffered a crash that killed nine. 
 65. Harry "THE HAT" Walker 
 Kept taking his cap on and off in batter's box. 
 66. Mordecai "THREE FINGER" Brown 
 Lost parts of two fingers in childhood farm accident. 
 67. Johnny "UGLY" Dickshot 
 1930s outfielder proclaimed himself "the ugliest man in baseball." 
 68. "THE BABY BULL,'' Orlando Cepeda 
 Also known as "Cha-Cha.'' Son of Puerto Rican baseball legend Pedro Perucho "The Bull" Cepeda. 
 69. "EL DUQUE,'' Orlando Hernandez 
 Arnaldo Hernandez Montero, his father, was original El Duque and Arnaldo, his brother, was the second. 
 70. Edwin "DUKE" Snider 
 Long before he had the heady company of Willie and Mickey, his parents thought he walked around like royalty. 
 71. Buck "LEAKY" Fausett 
 Made a name for himself in only two games during World War II. 
 72. Moses "THE RABBI OF SWAT" Solomon 
 Giants hyped him to counter Babe Ruth publicity, dumped him after two games. 
 73. Harold Henry "PEE WEE" Reese 
 Marbles champion did his best shooting with a pee wee. 
 74. Sal "THE BARBER" Maglie 
 Reputation for pitching high and tight. 
 75. Ed "THE GLIDER" Charles 
 As Bob Murphy would say, "Never throw a slider to The Glider." 
 76. Archibald "MOONLIGHT" Graham 
 His part in "Field of Dreams" was longer than his one-inning major-league career. 
 77. Harry Lee "PEANUTS" Lowery 
 A little guy, yet grown up from when he appeared in "Our Gang" movies. 
 78. "THE BOSS,'' George Steinbrenner 
 Perfect for back pages. 
 79. "LOUISIANA LIGHTNING," Ron Guidry 
 To his teammates, he was "Gator." 
 80. Russell Earl "BUCKY" Dent 
 In Boston, they add a couple extra syllables. 
 81. "THE HUMAN RAIN DELAY," Mike Hargrove 
 You could read a novel by the time he adjusted his batting gloves. 
 82. Walt "NO NECK" Williams 
 Had a good head (directly) on his shoulders. 
 83. Harry Arthur "COOKIE" Lavagetto, Octavio Victor "COOKIE" Rojas 
 Forerunners of Candido "Candy" Maldonado. 
 84. Clarence "CHOO CHOO" Coleman 
 Asked once how he got his nickname, Mets catcher reportedly said, "I don't know." 
 85. Ron "TOPPER" Davis 
 Former Yankee pitcher and dad of Mets prospect Ike would always try to one-up you. 
 86. "DIRT,'' Dick Tidrow 
 Counterpoint to Steve Garvey, "Mr. Clean." 
 87. "SAD SAM" Jones 
 Counterpoint to Oscar "Happy" Felsch. 
 88. William Hayward "MOOKIE" Wilson 
 It's said that as a toddler, he tried to say "milk" and it sounded like "mookie." 
 89."LE GRANDE ORANGE," Rusty Staub 
 In Montreal, they loved him as if he were Georges Vezina (hockey's "Chicoutimi Cucumber"). 
 90. "THE ASTORIA EAGLE," Hugh McQuillan 
 Native New Yorker helped Giants beat Yanks in 1922 World Series. 
 91. "THE ARKANSAS HUMMINGBIRD," Lon Warneke 
 The only one to both play and umpire in All-Star Games. 
 92. "ROCKET,'' Roger Clemens 
 In happier times at Yankee Stadium, they played Elton John's "Rocket Man" for him. 
 93. "OLD ACHES AND PAINS" Luke Appling 
 Skeptical White Sox teammates kept hearing of his minor ailments. 
 94. "OLD RELIABLE," Tommy Henrich 
 Mel Allen used the phrase when a game-winning hit allowed the Yankees to catch a train. 
 95. James Francis "PUD" Galvin 
 Compliment for pitchers such as Galvin in 1800s was, "He made the batter look like pudding." 
 96. Al "THE CURVELESS WONDER" Orth 
 Won 204 games without a breaking ball (he did throw the spitter). 
 97. "THE MAD HUNGARIAN" Al Hrabosky 
 Remember the way he would get worked up before a pitch? 
 98. George "TWINKLETOES" Selkirk 
 Babe Ruth's successor as Yankees rightfielder ran on the balls of his feet. 
 99. Dick "DR. STRANGEGLOVE" Stuart 
 Played first base for Mets the way Todd "Hot Rod" Hundley played leftfield. 
 100. "THE HONDO HURRICANE," Clint Hartung 
 Phenom from Hondo, Texas is immortalized in a photo, leading off third base as Bobby Thomson (below) hits his magical homer. 
 101. "THE STATEN ISLAND SCOT," Bobby Thomson 
 Native of Glasgow, his "Shot Heard 'Round the World'' in 1951 is arguably the most famous home run in baseball history. Afterwards, Thomson (below, right) embraced manager Leo "The Lip'' Durocher.

SPBBNICKS04

101 fun nicknames in baseball history

Phil "The Scooter" Rizzuto

There are thousands of things to love about baseball, but who's counting? 
Compiling them all would take more than the 9 hours, 52 minutes it took to complete a <a href="/topics//New_York_Giants">Giants</a>- <a href="/topics/New_York_Mets">Mets</a> doubleheader in 1964, the first year of dear departed Shea Stadium. It would take more than the three days it took to finish the last game of the 2008 <a href="/topics/World_Series">World Series</a>. 
What you would need is a whole course, call it Baseball Appreciation 101. 
In lieu of that, here's a quick primer, a list of some of our favorite things. One-hundred one of them, in no particular order: 
1. New stadiums. This phenomenon of fresh architecture and nostalgic feel has swept the country and carried the sport for the better part of two decades. Now it finally has reached <a href="/topics/New_York">New York</a> with a double blast. Let's face it, this is the last time most of us around here are going to experience it. 
2. Baseball caps. They have become part of the national fashion, worn by everyone from <a href="/topics/50_Cent">50 Cent</a> to <a href="/topics/Bernard_Madoff">Bernard Madoff</a>. If only someone could convince the Angels to wear hats with halos again. 
3. <a href="/topics/Roberto_Clemente">Roberto Clemente</a> throwing from rightfield to home. Or <a href="/topics/Ichiro_Suzuki">Ichiro Suzuki</a> doing the same thing. 
4. The 1920s romance of games being recreated on radio off the teletype, with the thwack of a pencil made to sound like a bat on ball. 
5. Following every pitch of any big-league game on various Web sites or watching the games streaming live online at mlb.com. 
6. A 3-2 game. Just enough pitching, just enough offense, just enough tension to make it fun. 
7. Baseball cards. A " <a href="/topics//Mickey_Mantle">Mickey Mantle</a>" is still a treasure. 
8. Letters. The interlocking "NY" on <a href="/topics/New_York_Yankees">Yankees</a> uniforms and caps, the gothic "NY" on <a href="/topics//New_York_Mets">Mets</a> caps that goes back to the Giants in the early 20th century, the Olde English "D" on the <a href="/topics/Detroit_Tigers">Detroit Tigers</a>' home jerseys, the neat little "S-O-X" diagonally across White Sox caps. 
9. <a href="/topics/Vin_Scully">Vin Scully</a>. Who else on <a href="/topics//Earth_(planet)">Earth</a> holds the same job they did 59 years ago and is as good or better at it today? Hearing him work the Dodgers telecasts solo is worth the price of the Extra Innings TV package. 
10. <a href="http://newsday.com/nohitters">Perfect games</a>. Aside from a 300 in bowling (more common now because of technology), what other sport has anything like it? Nobody shoots an 18 for a round of golf. 
11. The Hall of Fame. Spawned all other Halls of Fame and it's still the best one. 
12. <a href="/topics/Rickey_Henderson">Rickey Henderson</a>, Hall of Famer. What will the all-time steals king's acceptance speech be like? If an ad lib preview for <a href="/topics/Bobby_Bonilla">Bobby Bonilla</a> in the Mets clubhouse 10 years ago is any indicator, it will be something to behold. 
13. Wrigley Field. Category No. 1 above notwithstanding, they should never tear down those ivy covered walls. 
14. Baseball under the sun. When the Cardinals opened one postseason with a matinee (actually it was the <a href="/topics/Rick_Ankiel">Rick Ankiel</a> game), the next day's St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a story headlined, "Day Baseball: What'll They Think of Next?" 
15. Bunting. Both varieties: The type used in a suicide squeeze and the decorative red, white and blue semicircles unfurled at ballparks on special occasions. 
16: Opening Day. Even Montreal used to get a full house. In <a href="/topics/Cincinnati">Cincinnati</a>, they have a parade. (A smile in memory of <a href="/topics/Jack_Lang">Jack Lang</a>, Hall of Fame writer who attended 60 consecutive Opening Days.) 
17. <a href="/topics//New_York_Yankees">Pinstripes</a>. 
18. Bleachers. The language can get pretty rough, but the view is great and the passion is high. 
19. "Meet the Mets." Still a classic. Also, a nod to the lesser heralded yet bouncy "Let's Go Mets," played years ago by Jane Jarvis. 
20. Numbers. 300 wins, 3,000 hits, 500 home runs all are magic. 56-game hitting streak, a .406 average, 30 wins are just about mythical. 
21. Boxscores. They tell everything. 
22. Miracles. From the 1969 Mets to the 2008 Rays. 
23. The way <a href="/topics/Hank_Aaron">Hank Aaron</a> would wait until the very last second, on his final step toward the batters box, before putting on his helmet. Still the all-natural home run king. 
24. Willie Mays. The greatest living player, also all-natural. 
25. Monument Park. Safe at home, transplanted across the street. 
26. Baseball video games. Entrée for a new generation. Outstanding commercials, too, what with <a href="/topics/Tim_Lincecum">Tim Lincecum</a> schooling his animated digital likeness and Dustin Pedroia polishing his MVP plaque while arguing with the head of the game company. 
27. Fenway Park's leftfield scoreboard. Even in the wireless age, guys are inside that thing, changing numbers by hand. 
28. <a href="/topics/Joe_Torre">Joe Torre</a> telling stories. He's better in person on the dugout bench than in book form, but the latter was good in its own right. 
29. Batting practice. The best warmups in sports. 
30. Hot dogs. In Milwaukee, it's bratwurst, in San Diego, fish tacos. 
31. Watching a child get an autograph. 
32. Watching someone catch a foul ball and give it to a child. 
33. <a href="/topics/Babe_Ruth">Babe Ruth</a>. Still larger than life, 61 years after his death. He really was a six-tool player, counting dominant pitching as a category different from throwing. 
34. "Enter Sandman." 
35. "WHAT FOOLS WE <a href="/topics/New_York_Mets">METS</a> FANS BE," and the many other placards created and raised at Shea by the late legendary Sign Man, Karl Ehrhardt. 
36. Dana Brand's Mets Fans Blog, set up by the Hofstra professor/author, is where fans can express themselves every day as if it were Banner Day. 
37. Oldtimers Day. Where Yankee eras cross paths, from <a href="/topics/Don_Larsen">Don Larsen</a> to <a href="/topics/Horace_Clarke">Horace Clarke</a> to <a href="/topics/Reggie_Jackson">Reggie Jackson</a> to <a href="/topics/Scott_Brosius">Scott Brosius</a>. 
38. Catching a fly. A Little League manager will tell you the thrill in seeing a youngster's face when this happens the first time -- and dreaming it could lead to a catch like Endy Chavez' or Ron Swoboda's. 
39. Retirement-bound <a href="/topics//Ken_Griffey,_Jr.">Ken Griffey Jr.</a> going back for a curtain call in Seattle, where he once played alongside <a href="/topics//Ken_Griffey,_Jr.">Ken Griffey</a> Sr. 
40. Tommy John, the pitcher and the surgery. An engaging guy about whom it was said, "Ask him what time it is and he'll tell you how to make a watch," he had courage to undergo an unproven operation that has since saved many careers. He's still in the game, managing the Bridgeport Bluefish. 
41. Tom Seaver, the most amazin' Met. 
42. Jackie <a href="/topics//Jackie_Robinson">Robinson</a>. Number retired throughout baseball, a tribute to the athlete who has had lasting impact, from Flatbush Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue. 
43. Clips from "Home Run Derby." The old black-and-white series from Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, not the tedious spectacle at the All-Star Game (although it sure was fun, watching Josh Hamilton pound the distant walls last July). 
44. McCovey Cove. Kayakers carry gloves to catch home runs. 
45. The pace. Author <a href="/topics//George_Will">George Will</a> was in the midst of a conversation with <a href="/topics//Earl_Weaver">Earl Weaver</a> and was surprised to look up and find the game had started. The Orioles manager said, "This ain't a football game. We do this every day." 
46. Derek Jeter. Someday, he will be the last one introduced at Oldtimers Day. 
47. Jose Reyes hitting a triple. Or anyone else hitting a triple. 
48. Bench jockeying. To a pitching staff: "I've seen better arms on a clock." To a struggling righthander, "Maybe you're a lefty." 
49. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Written on a subway 101 years ago by Jack Norworth, who never had attended a major league game. 
50. Charlie <a href="/topics//Jerry_Manuel">Manuel</a> telling stories, such as playing for manager Billy Martin and being ordered to stay out late with Mickey Mantle. Manuel can now tell of managing a world champion. 
51. "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" 
52. More bench jockeying. To a catcher: "You couldn't throw out the garbage." 
53. Baseball is the best of sport on radio. Especially in spring training, after you've missed it for five months. 
54. Baseball on satellite radio, where you can hear the local broadcasters call their team's games no matter where you are. 
55. Esoteric statistics. Kevin Cash and David Ross, backup catchers on the Red Sox, last year were exactly the same in at-bats (142), batting average (.225) and home runs (three). Cash played in 61 games, Ross (who also played for the Reds) in 60. 
56. Grounds crews meticulously draw the foul lines and creatively mow the grass into cool designs. 
57. Keeping score in a scorecard with a pencil bought at the game. Such a rare art now that Dodgers personnel interviewed fans whom they witnessed doing it last season. 
58. Stealing home. B.J. Upton of the Rays has done it in each of the past two seasons. Aaron Hill's steal off Andy Pettitte in 2007 still gets traffic on YouTube. 
59. Aaron Boone's home run. Handled with class, the same way he announced he needed open heart surgery. 
60. The Wild Card. Instead of ruining late-season races, it has increased them. And without it, we wouldn't have had those <a href="/topics//New_York_Yankees">Yankees</a>-Red Sox playoffs or a Mets-Yankees <a href="/topics//World_Series">World Series</a>. 
61. One more try for John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, while Greg Maddux is on the clock toward Cooperstown. 
62. Bobby Murcer's family never will forget all those prayers. 
63. Pete Flynn worked on the field when the Mets opened at the Polo Grounds and when they closed Shea. 
64. The World Baseball Classic. Needs more tweaking of rules, less tweaking of obliques, but Netherlands over the Dominican Republic proved that this is a keeper. 
65. "I consider myself... the luckiest man on the face of the <a href="/topics//Earth_(planet)">earth</a>." 
66. Watching games in high definition. 
67. Bob Sheppard. Although he had wanted to come back for Opening Day, the Yankees said his health just won't allow him yet. 
68. The Seventh-Inning Stretch. In Houston, they play "Deep in the Heart of Texas." 
69. "It is high, it is far, it is gone" and other signature calls. 
70. Dave Mlicki scooping dirt from the Yankee Stadium mound after the game of his life. Every year we hear Mets-Yankees has lost its glow, and every year the stadiums are full, the coverage is intense, the city is abuzz. 
71. Hot Stove League. Baseball's December is more interesting than some leagues' regular seasons. 
72. Minor leagues. Players are fighting for their careers, but the atmosphere is hardly life-or-death, i.e. the Dirtiest Car in the Parking Lot contest. 
73. Al Leiter, pitcher turned broadcaster, acknowledges he was a Yankee when New <a href="/topics//York,_PA">York</a> was a Mets town and a Met when it was a Yankees town. 
74. Filmography: Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, The Natural, Fear Strikes Out, The Stratton Story, It Happens Every Spring, the original Angels in the Outfield, Pride of the Yankees, Fever Pitch. 
75. Sandy Koufax still has mystique, Bob Gibson still has a fire inside. 
76. The All-Star Game. 
77. <a href="/topics//Jerry_Manuel">Jerry Manuel</a> telling stories, using "gangsta" references, although you know he is spiritual and humorous, more Gandhi than "gangsta." 
78. Baseball's higher standard. Steroids are a major scandal in baseball, not worth just a shrug and a four-game suspension that a positive test brought an NFL star three years ago. 
79. Twenty-three years after Game 6, Davey Johnson managed Team USA to a last-gasp comeback over Puerto Rico. Gary Carter, no Kid anymore, is managing the Long Island Ducks. 
80. "Talkin' Baseball" has one of music's great refrains: "Willie, Mickey and the Duke." 
81. Brooklyn gave Stan (The Man) Musial his nickname. 
82. Some of us are lucky enough to have known Eddie Layton, and to own a CD of his Stadium organ music. 
83. Quickest hands in baseball belong to whoever punches up "<a href="/topics//New_York_(state)">New York</a>, New York" the instant the final out is made at the Stadium. 
84. "You don't look so hot yourself," Yogi Berra's reported reply to a woman who admired his cool. Yogi-isms might or might not be true, but they shouldn't obscure the fact he was an all-time great player. 
85. Casey Stengel, although dead at the present time (to quote the man himself), never will be forgotten. As he said on the future of the expansion Mets, who ended the epic 1962 season on a triple play, "We've got to learn to stay out of triple plays." 
86. Gold Glove. The most prestigious honor for playing defense in any sport. 
87. Walk-off home runs. Bill Mazeroski, Joe Carter, Kirk Gibson (a limp-off, which made it great). 
88. Rollie Fingers' handlebar mustache, Goose Gossage's bushy fu Manchu mustache, Bobby Valentine's fake mustache. 
89. Pitcher Jamie Moyer, 46, still wears old fashioned sanitary hose and stirrups. 
90. Ninety feet between bases. Even with dramatic advances in athleticism and technology, the geometry is still perfect to balance a slow roller and a fast runner. 
91. Strat-O-Matic. Grown men drive from the Midwest to the game company's Long Island headquarters every winter to get the new player cards. Doug Glanville, a devotee and nine-season big leaguer, used to chide staffers for not giving him the best fielding rating. 
92. Gashouse Gang, Murderer's Row, Whiz Kids, Harvey's Wallbangers. 
93. Target Field, the Twins' new stadium, will have natural grass, bringing us one step closer to seeing artificial turf become obsolete. 
94. Bench jockeying, Part III: To a club with fielding woes: "Put a tent over that circus." To a skinny batter, "Who's swinging who?" 
95. MLB Network. Baseball highlights and scuttlebutt on New Year's Day. Also, they were immediately all over the A-Rod story on a winter Saturday. 
96. "Squibb," a poor player, as opposed to "squib," a bloop. Both on page 818 of "The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, Third Edition" by Paul Dickson. 
97. The Splendid Splinter, The Georgia Peach, The Chairman of the Board, The Big Unit, Lloyd "Little Poison" Waner, Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown, Oil Can Boyd, Catfish Hunter, El Duque, Shane "the Flyin' Hawaiian" Victorino. 
98. If baseball is back, spring must be here. 
99. It's a hit: "Centerfield," "Glory Days," "Mrs. Robinson" ("Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?") 
100. "Holy cow!" Here's to you, Phil Rizzuto. 
101. "The happy recap." And you, too, Bob Murphy.

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101 things to love about baseball

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