Almost Cooperstown

Send us Fan Mail Remember there used to be a MLB statistic for GWRBI - Game Winning RBI's?  The one that gives your team a lead it never relinquishes.  Because players could get the GWRBI conceivably (and in reality) in the first inning @MLB junked it after 1988 which was about  8 years too long.  One of our 'Almost' guys Keith Hernandez has been in no way helped by the stat that he...

Send us Fan Mail Here at Almost Cooperstown we believe there's room for more at the Inn.  We're not talking about boxing BTW!  When it comes to Gold Gloves (only awarded since 1957), a player who is a borderline Hall of Famer (an 'Almost' guy we like to say), can be pushed over the top by superior fielding and a collection of Gold Gloves.  There have been 8 players to win GG&ap...

Send us Fan Mail The 2020 World Series ended up being a very exciting and interesting one. Seven game series have a way of being just that much more memorable.  An anti-climatic game 7 can take away from the overall greatness of a World Series.  We start with the 1960 World Series which was one of the greats and highlight the best 7 game World Series of the past 60 years.   Thanks to Bruce McClure...

Send us Fan Mail Every second people use expressions borne out of baseball lingo and lore. We know there are Yogi Berra-isms and Dizzy Dean's oddball expressions, but what about normal everyday conversational responses?  There are many of them that are used everyday and a surprising amount of food/dining references.  America's Pastime does intersect baseball with eating!  We can't w...

Send us Fan Mail No we don't actually HAVE a vote but if we did... On January 26 the votes for the 2021 Hall of Fame will be announced.  Hopefully the ceremony in Cooperstown, NY will take place this summer. Actual voters can vote for up to 10 players that have played 10 years in MLB and appear for the first time or remain on the ballot for a total of 10 years.  If a player does not receive 5...

Send us Fan Mail As fans know, there was no Minor League (or college) baseball this past season.  To make things more challenging MLB has made the biggest changes in MiLB in nearly 60 years.  The farm systems developed by Branch Rickey in the 1930's are nearly unrecognizable today.  There are many notable Minor League Baseball players like Michael Jordan and Tim Tebow (who will try again this...

Send us Fan Mail The last teams to come into MLB are now 23 seasons old (1998 the Rays and D'Backs).  For 60 years there were only 16 teams in MLB.  After the Dodgers and Giants moved in 1958, expansion really began to take off in 1961 with the Los Angeles Angels and another incarnation of the Washington Senators when the previous Senators team moved to Minnesota to become the Twins.  With fr...

Send us Fan Mail In the pre-1900's days of professional baseball teams did not travel all that far to play games which often were played on Sunday afternoon.  By 1901 with the birth of the American League, teams traveled by train and even by boat. No other sport to this day has scheduled road trips like baseball.  With a 162 game schedule, players still leave home and go on the road for as lo...

Send us Fan Mail A baseball game can be started with a few players,  ball and a bat.  Organized baseball started in the 1850s and there were no baseball gloves.  We don't talk much about gloves and catcher's equipment but we do talk about how far technology in baseball has come and how it impacts the game.  Technology is not always about gadgets.  Think of 'Tommy John' surgery...

Send us Fan Mail Just like the MLB season, we made it through this our last episode of Season 1.  We talk a bit about the excellent Dodgers-Rays World Series and reminisce over the short 60 game season.    If you have an idea for an episode you can email us at almostcooperstown@gmail.com or our Twitter feed @AlmostCoop  Corrections: Bill Madlock won 4 batting titles in the NL only.  Brad Hand had...

Send us Fan Mail There was even a movie about it - Mr. 3000 with Bernie Mac.  Yes he actually swung a bat.  3,000  career base hits has been am almost guaranteed ticket to Cooperstown.  The only players that have 3,000 hits and are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame are either active, too recently retired or they have been associated with gambling or performance enhancing substances.  We talk about...

Send us Fan Mail Future Hall of Famers as you'd expect are not normally traded at the height of their careers.  But it does happen for a variety of reasons.  Being a future HOF'er, being traded and then winning a World Series with the new team has to be a very special feeling for both the player and the team.  It's actually surprising to consider how many HOF players have been trade...

Send us Fan Mail We talked about the National League teams best player ever in the franchise in Ep. 20.  Since franchises can move around there are questions about teams like the A's (Philly, KC, and Oakland) and the 'new' Washington Senators (1961-71) who moved to Texas and the 'old' Washington Senators who moved to Minnesota in 1961 to become the Twins. Great players wil...

Send us Fan Mail Having the designation of being a MLB 'best player in the history of the franchise' is both a fun and dicey topic. Some of them are true no-brainers but others are not as crystal clear. Franchise length has something to do with as well since how to compare the Cubs (pre-dating 1900) franchise with the Marlins (1993)? To be a best player in franchise history means the pla...

Send us Fan Mail Great stretch runs like the ones we talked about in Episode 118 often have a corresponding team collapse that impacts the playoff race. There have been collapses over the years including our favorite team the #Mets in both 2007 & 2008. The Yankees-Red Sox race of 1978 - a great stretch run and a team collapse at the same time?   Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestio...

Send us Fan Mail For baseball fans their favorite team's stretch run is something that lives on and on even through generations.  Starting with the Miracle Braves of 1914 (they were in Boston at the time), we talk about some of the most memorable stretch runs over the past 120 years.  A great stretch run should be combined with a World Series victory.  We did not adequately mention the 2008 P...

Send us Fan Mail Sitting in the dugout for two hours, waiting for that tap on the shoulder, pinch hitters have always lacked job security. Now with the Universal DH it's a fair bet that there will be fewer pinch hitting appearances per game than any season in recent memory. We talk about the best PH's of all-time which isn't necessarily a list of players everyone will know.   Thanks...

Send us Fan Mail Since 1900 there have been hundreds of no-hitters thrown in MLB.  The most recent 2020 no-hitter from Lucas Giolito of the White Sox puts the ChiSox in 2nd place all time for no hitters by a team.  Who do you think is #1?  And can you name the one team that does not have a no-hitter?  As Met fans thank you Johan Santana!  Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion for an ep...

Send us Fan Mail There are 333 individuals in the Baseball Hall of Fame 235 players, 35 Negro Leaguers, 31 executives but only 22 managers. Too few? Too many? Are there any current managers that are likely to be enshrined? This is probably the only time we will ever talk about managers as we like talking about players much more.   Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion for an episode pl...

Send us Fan Mail In the modern era (1900) there have been 14 triple crowns won by 12 players. None in the National League since 1937.  It's surprising there have not been more but that's how difficult it is to achieve. There have been some near-misses as well as controversy since the RBI was not even an official statistic until 1920.   Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion fo...

Send us Fan Mail Over the years baseball has seen several significant rule changes that were instituted 'in the best interests of the game'.  MLB and the current commissioner Rob Manfred are concerned with all the strikeouts and have discussed the possibility of banning the infield shift.  Spoiler alert - We don't agree.   Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion for an epi...

Send us Fan Mail Every baseball generation has its all-time greats. Today's players are no exception.  We talk about 9 'no doubters' playing today who will have their plaque and be enshrined in Cooperstown.  There are also a host of players who either have not quite done enough yet or who will most likely fall short and truly be a part of 'Almost Cooperstown'.   Thanks for...

Send us Fan Mail Baseball has provided some of the most colorful nicknames of any professional sport.  We talk about the great nicknames, the not-so-great nicknames and the surprising fact that there are not many active players with nicknames - good or bad.   Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can al...

Send us Fan Mail What makes a top tier fan base?  How about showing up for your team both in the season as well as ALWAYS showing up for playoff games.  Baseball has some historically great fan bases you might expect to be near the top of any list. But there might be a few surprises as we discuss our top 10 and all the others.  Thanks for listening and if you have a suggestion for an episode pleas...

Send us Fan Mail We each pick three MLB division winners & two wild cards for both leagues. There will be no fans in the stands but photos of fans and piped in crowd noise. We do a quick analysis of all the divisions and teams.  Can't wait to watch them PLAY BALL!!  Correction Jordan Hicks is the Cardinal closer who has opted out for the season - not Jordan Lyles who plays for the Texas R...