The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Somewhere around 1988 or 1990, I started collecting that Topps card, as well as the Fleer and Donruss rookie cards. I was an Orioles fan, and knew about Ripken's streak already. I started collecting those cards. I thought this was going to be my ticket for paying a future son/daughter's college education. I probably have 30 or 40 of those cards. They didn't turn out to be the golden ticket I had envisioned. They are in my attic somewhere.

 

The pandemic was the time to unload those things. Once-in-a-lifetime second chance to get something out of valueless assets.

I got spending cash for some Kobe rookie cards I’d given up on ever getting anything for.

 

Joey Votto and Tim Anderson set afloat.

 

I'm mildly surprised the Ripkens aren't worth a little more. Those early '80s cards had shorter print runs than the late '80s cards pre-Upper Decks, right? Not short enough to put kids thru college but short enough to get something for them, The whole world thought we'd be putting our kids thru college with 1987 cards but those were so overproduced I couldn't even buy my daughter lunch with one of those sets. Thanks Biden!

 

Saw this today on one of the baseball threads that pops up on my social: Nellie Fox struck out 216 times in 10,351 plate appearances in his 19-year MLB career.

Kyle Schwarber struck out 215 times this season.

Yes, the game has changed, not making any judgements at all. Just thought it was an interesting factiod.

 

Fox played in massive Comiskey most of his career, so he hit just 35 homers. He never hit more than six in any season, and in his 1959 MVP season, he hit two with a slugging percentage of .389. That's not much different than Luis Arraez's 2022 season, and he got traded to Miami for his trouble.

Yes, the game has definitely changed.

 

Kyle Schwarber had 502 plate appearances--exactly the minimum needed to qualify for a batting title--out of the leadoff spot this season, when, in 720 plate appearances overall, he hit .197 with 47 homers, zero stolen bases and 215 strikeouts. (He also had 126 walks, which is why he led off most of the year) There is no shortage of mind-blowing stats for this guy.

 

My two players with the best warning-track power were Wade Boggs and Tommy Herr. The latter hit just 8 homers and still had 110 RBI in 1985.

 

Schwarber is the apotheosis of what have become the "Three True Outcomes" in baseball: A home run, a strikeout or a walk.

I struggle with this if the slugger in question singles or doubles in a run or multiple runs, which changes the game significantly, but baseball wankers gonna wank, right?

 

Herr had the great benefit of batting third behind Vince Coleman and Willie McGee. Tons of RBI chances with just a single after either (or both) of those two got a hit/walk and a stolen base. Aah, Whitey Ball...

 

Not sure I follow. The "true outcomes" thing is not, as I understand it, prescriptive.

 

Not that many care about gold gloves anymore, but 13 of 20 first-timers:

AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Position
Player
Team
Awards Won
P
José Berríos
Toronto Blue Jays
1 (2023)
C
Jonah Heim
Texas Rangers
1 (2023)
1B
Nathaniel Lowe
Texas Rangers
1 (2023)
2B
Andrés Giménez
Cleveland Guardians
2 (2023, 2022)
3B
Matt Chapman
Toronto Blue Jays
4 (2023, 2021, 2019, 2018)
SS
Anthony Volpe
New York Yankees
1 (2023)
LF
Steven Kwan
Cleveland Guardians
2 (2023, 2022)
CF
Kevin Kiermaier
Toronto Blue Jays
4 (2023, 2019, 2016, 2015)
RF
Adolis García
Texas Rangers
1 (2023)
UT
Mauricio Dubón
Houston Astros
1 (2023)
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Position
Player
Team
Awards Won
P
Zack Wheeler
Philadelphia Phillies
1 (2023)
C
Gabriel Moreno
Arizona Diamondbacks
1 (2023)
1B
Christian Walker
Arizona Diamondbacks
2 (2023, 2022)
2B
Nico Hoerner
Chicago Cubs
1 (2023)
3B
Ke'Bryan Hayes
Pittsburgh Pirates
1 (2023)
SS
Dansby Swanson
Chicago Cubs
2 (2023, 2022)
LF
Ian Happ
Chicago Cubs
2 (2023, 2022)
CF
Brenton Doyle
Colorado Rockies
1 (2023)
RF
Fernando Tatis Jr.
San Diego Padres
1 (2023)
UT
Ha-Seong Kim
San Diego Padres
1 (2023)