Post-Winter Meetings MLB Power Rankings

1. Detroit Tigers
2. Boston Red Sox
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Oakland Athletics
5. Colorado Rockies
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
7. Atlanta Braves
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
9. Texas Rangers
10. Washington Nationals
11. Tampa Bay Rays
12. Kansas City Royals
13. Cleveland Indians
14. Cincinnati Reds
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
16. Seattle Mariners
17. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
18. Toronto Blue Jays
19. Baltimore Orioles
20. San Francisco Giants
21. Milwaukee Brewers
22. New York Yankees
23. Philadelphia Phillies
24. San Diego Padres
25. New York Mets
26. Miami Marlins
27. Minnesota Twins
28. Chicago Cubs
29. Chicago White Sox
30. Houston Astros

My (Hypothetical) 2014 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot

Barry Bonds - Yes, he used steroids. But if we assume he was clean through 1998, he would still have over 400 HRs and 400 SBs just through age 33, along with a 164 OPS+ and 99.6 WAR. In other words, Bonds was already an inner-circle Hall of Famer even before he (likely) began using steroids.

Roger Clemens - Essentially the same argument as Bonds. He had already reached 60+ WAR through age 29, at which point he had 3 Cy Young awards.

Greg Maddux - 355 wins. 3371 strikeouts. 104.6 WAR. 4 Cy Youngs. Enough said.

Mike Mussina - While he doesn't have the glitz and glamour of some of the other candidates, no pitcher with 250+ wins and 2500+ strikeouts has ever been left out of the Hall. 270 wins, 2813 strikeouts and 82.7 WAR easily makes the cut.

Tom Glavine - Perhaps a bit overrated, but nonetheless a tremendous pitcher. 305 wins, 2607 strikeouts, 74.0 WAR and 2 Cy Young awards is more than enough.

Frank Thomas - Stands as probably the greatest "clean" hitter of the Steroid Era. 521 home runs matches McCovey and Teddy Ballgame. A 156 OPS+ and 73.6 WAR place him in elite company. The 2 MVPs are just icing on the cake.

Curt Schilling - Tremendous postseason resume (11-2, 2.23 with 3 rings) backed up by a great regular season career. Win total is a bit low, but 3116 strikeouts and 80.7 WAR is fine by me.

Jeff Bagwell - Suspicion is the only reason he's not already in. 449 home runs and 1529 RBI are elite in any era. 79.5 WAR places him just outside the top-5 among first basemen.

Mike Piazza - Likely suffers from same problem as Bagwell. 427 home runs and a 143 OPS+ leaves him as unquestionably the greatest hitting catcher ever. Even with horrendous baserunning and porous defense, he still comes in with 59.2 WAR, a fantastic number for a catcher.

Alan Trammell - Should have gotten in a long time ago (see comps to Barry Larkin). 70.3 WAR and a 110 OPS+ are Hall of Fame level for a shortstop. Beats out Tim Raines for final spot due to fewer years of eligibility left. Would also put in (given larger ballot): Larry Walker, Edgar Martinez, Craig Biggio, Rafael Palmeiro.

My 2014 Expansion Era Committee Ballot

Even though I don't have an official vote, here's who I would vote for if I did:

Bobby Cox - 4th all-time in wins, 5 pennants, 1 World Series title, more playoff appearances as a manager than anyone else

Tommy John - 288 wins, 2245 strikeouts, 62.3 WAR, revolutionized the ability to repair pitching injuries

Tony LaRussa - 3rd all-time in wins, 6 pennants, 3 World Series titles

Marvin Miller - a true baseball pioneer, transformed the MLBPA into a powerhouse

Joe Torre - 5th all-time in wins, 6 pennants, 4 World Series titles; as a player: 57.4 WAR, 129 OPS+

2013 End-of-Season Awards

National League

MVP: Andrew McCutchen, PIT

Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, LAD

Rookie of the Year: Jose Fernandez, MIA

Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle, PIT

Reliever of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, ATL

Comeback Player of the Year: Hanley Ramirez, LAD

Hank Aaron Award: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

American League

MVP: Mike Trout, LAA

Cy Young: Max Scherzer, DET

Rookie of the Year: Chris Archer, TBR

Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, CLE

Reliever of the Year: Greg Holland, KCR

Comeback Player of the Year: Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS

Hank Aaron Award: Miguel Cabrera, DET

2013 MLB All-Rookie Team

C: Josmil Pinto, MIN
1B: Matt Adams, STL
2B: Jedd Gyorko, SDP
SS: Jose Iglesias, BOS
3B: Nolan Arenado, COL
OF: Yasiel Puig, LAD
OF: Juan Lagares, NYM
OF: A.J. Pollock, ARI
RHP: Jose Fernandez, MIA
LHP: Hyun-Jin Ryu, LAD
RP: Alex Torres, TBR

2013 Gold Glove Awards

National League

C: Yadier Molina, STL
1B: Anthony Rizzo, CHC
2B: Darwin Barney, CHC
SS: Andrelton Simmons, ATL
3B: Nolan Arenado, COL
OF: Carlos Gomez, MIL
OF: Juan Lagares, NYM
OF: Gerardo Parra, ARI
P: Zack Greinke, LAD

American League

C: Salvador Perez, KCR
1B: Mike Napoli, BOS
2B: Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS: Alcides Escobar, KCR
3B: Manny Machado, BAL
OF: Lorenzo Cain, KCR
OF: Shane Victorino, BOS
OF: Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS
P: R.A. Dickey, TOR

2013 Silver Slugger Awards

National League

C: Buster Posey, SFG
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: Matt Carpenter, STL
SS: Hanley Ramirez, LAD
3B: David Wright, NYM
OF: Andrew McCutchen, PIT
OF: Shin-Soo Choo, CIN
OF: Jayson Werth, WSN
P: Zack Greinke, LAD

American League

C: Carlos Santana, CLE
1B: Chris Davis, BAL
2B: Robinson Cano, NYY
SS: Jed Lowrie, OAK
3B: Miguel Cabrera, DET
OF: Mike Trout, LAA
OF: Adam Jones, BAL
OF: Jose Bautista, TOR
DH: David Ortiz, BOS

2013 Final AL WAR-Stars

C: Joe Mauer, MIN; Jason Castro, HOU
1B: Chris Davis, BAL; Edwin Encarnacion, TOR
2B: Robinson Cano, NYY; Dustin Pedroia, BOS; Jason Kipnis, CLE;
      Ben Zobrist, TBR; Ian Kinsler, TEX
SS: Elvis Andrus, TEX; J.J. Hardy, BAL
3B: Josh Donaldson, OAK; Miguel Cabrera, DET; Evan Longoria, TBR;
      Manny Machado, BAL; Adrian Beltre, TEX
OF: Mike Trout, LAA; Shane Victorino, BOS; Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS;
      Colby Rasmus, TOR; Adam Jones, BAL; Coco Crisp, OAK
DH: David Ortiz, BOS
SP: Hisashi Iwakuma, SEA; Chris Sale, CHW; Max Scherzer, DET;
      Anibal Sanchez, DET; Yu Darvish, TEX; Jose Quintana, CHW;
      Felix Hernandez, SEA; Bartolo Colon, OAK
RP: Koji Uehara, BOS; Joe Nathan, TEX; Greg Holland, KCR

2013 Final NL WAR-Stars

C: Yadier Molina, STL; Buster Posey, SFG
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI; Joey Votto, CIN; Freddie Freeman, ATL;
      Brandon Belt, SFG
2B: Matt Carpenter, STL; Neil Walker, PIT
SS: Andrelton Simmons, ATL; Hanley Ramirez, LAD; Troy Tulowitzki, COL
3B: David Wright, NYM; Juan Uribe, LAD
OF: Carlos Gomez, MIL; Andrew McCutchen, PIT; Gerardo Parra, ARI;
       Starling Marte, PIT; Jay Bruce, CIN; Marlon Byrd, NYM/PIT;
       Jayson Werth, WSN; Chris Denorfia, SDP; Carlos Gonzalez, COL;
       Yasiel Puig, LAD
SP: Clayton Kershaw, LAD; Cliff Lee, PHI; Adam Wainwright, STL;
      Jose Fernandez, MIA; Jhoulys Chacin, COL; Travis Wood, CHC;
      Matt Harvey, NYM; Cole Hamels, PHI
RP: Craig Kimbrel, ATL; Rex Brothers, COL; Kenley Jansen, LAD

Week 1 NFL Power Rankings and Game Picks

1.) Denver Broncos
2.) Houston Texans
3.) San Francisco 49ers
4.) Atlanta Falcons
5.) Green Bay Packers
6.) Seattle Seahawks
7.) Cincinnati Bengals
8.) Dallas Cowboys
9.) New Orleans Saints
10.) Pittsburgh Steelers

Wilbur Wood: A Hall of Fame Case

Wilbur Wood had a brilliant though relatively brief career as a pitcher during the 1960s and 1970s. Utilizing the knuckleball, Wood was able to reach starts and innings totals not seen in decades. However, his career was derailed early in 1976, when a ball off the bat of Ron LeFlore shattered his kneecap. Wood was unable to pitch the remainder of the year, and he pitched just two more ineffective seasons before being forced to retire. He was just 36 in his final season, practically youthful for a knuckleballer. Despite this sudden end to his career, Wood was still able to post some remarkable numbers. In 17 seasons, he posted a win-loss record of 164-156, with 57 saves. He made 651 appearances, 297 of them starts and the other 354 in relief. He posted a 3.24 ERA and a 114 ERA+ in 2684 innings pitched, totaling 52.1 Wins Above Replacement as a pitcher. Read on to see why Wilbur Wood should be enshrined in Cooperstown:

Updated 2013-14 NBA Standings Projections

Atlantic			Central			Southeast
Brooklyn	61-21		Indiana	53-29		Miami	61-21
New York	45-37		Chicago	43-39		Atlanta	42-40
Toronto	41-41		Milwaukee	39-43		Washington	30-52
Boston	29-53		Cleveland	36-46		Charlotte	27-55
Philadelphia	21-61		Detroit	31-51		Orlando	19-63
Southwest			Northwest			Pacific
Memphis	59-23		Oklahoma City	60-22		LA Clippers	65-17
San Antonio	57-25		Denver	56-26		Golden State	44-38
Houston	50-32		Portland	36-46		Sacramento	35-47
Dallas	45-37		Minnesota	33-49		LA Lakers	30-52
New Orleans	31-51		Utah	19-63		Phoenix	23-59

MLB Blackout Restrictions

I am PISSED!!! I am supposed to be getting the Met game on FOX 23 Albany, but for God knows what reason they're not airing it. I live in the friekin' market and it's being blacked out: 

If that isn't bad enough, I missed last night's broadcast because it was on the CBS 6 digital channel 6.2, which isn't carried by DirecTV!

Darrell Evans was a Better Hitter than Wade Boggs

The title of this post seems pretty ridiculous, doesn't it? How in the world could Evans even be close to Boggs offensively? Just look at their triple slash lines:

Best Trades in Mets History

In honor of the trade deadline today, here are the best trades in the history of the New York Mets:

Post-Free Agency NBA Projections

Atlantic			Central			Southeast
Brooklyn	62-20		Indiana	52-30		Miami	64-18
New York	45-37		Chicago	46-36		Atlanta	44-38
Toronto	42-40		Cleveland	39-43		Washington	32-50
Boston	32-50		Milwaukee	34-48		Charlotte	25-57
Philadelphia	23-59		Detroit	30-52		Orlando	22-60
Southwest			Northwest			Pacific
Memphis	63-39		Oklahoma City	63-39		LA Clippers	63-39
San Antonio	59-23		Denver	58-24		Golden State	46-36
Houston	51-31		Portland	37-45		Sacramento	37-45
Dallas	42-40		Minnesota	29-53		LA Lakers	33-49
New Orleans	32-50		Utah	21-61		Phoenix	33-49

The Future of the Mets (Or, Why they Need to Trade Marlon Byrd)

The New York Mets have a very bright future, one built around their starting pitching. Matt Harvey has already established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball. Zack Wheeler, although wild at times, has shown the potential to be a solid number two starter behind Harvey. Jon Niese is locked up for the next five years, and once Santana is officially off the books will be by far the best lefty in the organization. Noah Syndergaard, acquired in the R.A. Dickey trade, is only 20 and already pitching well in AA. Hypothetically, these four could make up the rotation for years to come. The fifth rotation spot could then be filled by any one of a number of pitchers. Dillon Gee and Jeremy Hefner have shown flashes of brilliance this season, and both are only 27. Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia, while both on the DL, are each 23 and have some major league experience in recent years. In essence, the Mets have eight starters to turn to, and, with the exception of Gee, all are under team control through 2018.

Bret Saberhagen: Greg Maddux with Injuries

To most, Bret Saberhagen was a "very good" pitcher. He had a lifetime record of 167-117, and struck out 1715 batters in 2562 2/3 innings. He won Cy Young Awards in both 1985 and 1989, a World Series MVP with the Royals in 1985, the SN Comeback Player of the Year in 1987 and 1998, and pitched a no-hitter in 1991. He is arguably the greatest pitcher in the history of the Kansas City Royals, and also had good seasons with the Mets in 1994 and with Boston in the late '90s. Despite these accomplishments, however, most people would not consider him to be close to the Hall of Fame, mostly due to his relatively low career totals. The BBWAA voters agreed, as he received just 1.3% of the vote in 2007, and as a result dropped off the ballot in his first year. Read on to learn more about Saberhagen's career.

First-Half Silver Slugger Awards

American League

C: Joe Mauer, MIN
1B: Chris Davis, BAL
2B: Robinson Cano, NYY
SS: Jed Lowrie, OAK
3B: Miguel Cabrera, DET
OF: Mike Trout, LAA
OF: Jose Bautista, TOR
OF: Adam Jones, BAL
DH: David Ortiz, BOS

National League

C: Buster Posey, SFG
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: Matt Carpenter, STL
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, COL
3B: David Wright, NYM
OF: Carlos Gonzalez, COL
OF: Shin-Soo Choo, CIN
OF: Michael Cuddyer, COL
P: Zack Greinke, LAD

First-Half Gold Glove Awards

American League

C: Joe Mauer, MIN
1B: Mike Napoli, BOS
2B: Dustin Pedroia, BOS
SS: Pedro Florimon, MIN
3B: Manny Machado, BAL
OF: Lorenzo Cain, KCR
OF: Josh Reddick, OAK
OF: Shane Victorino, BOS
P: R.A. Dickey, TOR

National League

C: Russell Martin, PIT
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
2B: Darwin Barney, CHC
SS: Andrelton Simmons, ATL
3B: Nolan Arenado, COL
OF: Gerardo Parra, ARI
OF: Carlos Gomez, MIL
OF: Starling Marte, PIT
P: Kyle Kendrick, PHI

First-Half MLB Awards

American League

MVP: Miguel Cabrera, DET
Cy Young: Felix Hernandez, SEA
Rookie of the Year: Jose Iglesias, BOS
Manager of the Year: John Farrell, BOS
Comeback Player of the Year: John Lackey, BOS
Hank Aaron Award: Chris Davis, BAL

National League

MVP: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, LAD
Rookie of the Year: Yasiel Puig, LAD
Manager of the Year: Clint Hurdle, PIT
Comeback Player of the Year: Adam Wainwright, STL
Hank Aaron Award: Carlos Gonzalez, COL

2013 National League WAR-Stars

C: Yadier Molina, STL; Buster Posey, SFG; Russell Martin, PIT
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, ARI; Joey Votto, CIN
2B: Matt Carpenter, STL; Chase Utley, PHI
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, COL; Jean Segura, MIL; Everth Cabrera, SDP;
       Andrelton Simmons, ATL; Ian Desmond, WSN
3B: David Wright, NYM; Nolan Arenado, COL
OF: Carlos Gomez, MIL; Andrew McCutchen, PIT; Carlos Gonzalez, COL;
      Starling Marte, PIT; Gerardo Parra, ARI; Domonic Brown, PHI
SP: Clayton Kershaw, LAD: Adam Wainwright, STL; Cliff Lee, PHI;
      Matt Harvey, NYM; Jorge De La Rosa, COL; Jordan Zimmermann, WSN;
      Travis Wood, CHC; Jose Fernandez, MIA; Jhoulys Chacin, COL;
      Patrick Corbin, ARI; Jeff Locke, PIT
RP: Rex Brothers, COL; Mark Melancon, PIT; Craig Kimbrel, ATL

2013 American League WAR-Stars

C: Joe Mauer, MIN; Jason Castro, HOU
1B: Chris Davis, BAL; Eric Hosmer, KCR
2B: Dustin Pedroia, BOS; Robinson Cano, NYY;
      Jason Kipnis, CLE; Howie Kendrick, LAA
SS: Jhonny Peralta, DET; J.J. Hardy, BAL
3B: Manny Machado, BAL; Miguel Cabrera, DET; Josh Donaldson, OAK;
      Evan Longoria, TBR; Kyle Seager, SEA
OF: Mike Trout, LAA; Jose Bautista, TOR; Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS;
      Brett Gardner, NYY; Leonys Martin, TEX; Shane Victorino, BOS
DH: David Ortiz, BOS
SP: Chris Sale, CHW; Clay Buchholz, BOS; Hisashi Iwakuma, SEA;
      Felix Hernandez, SEA; Max Scherzer, DET; Yu Darvish, TEX;
      Bartolo Colon, OAK; Bud Norris, HOU; Derek Holland, TEX
RP: Jesse Crain, CHW; Joe Nathan, TEX; Tanner Scheppers, TEX

My 2013 MLB All-Star Ballot

American League

C: Joe Mauer - .316/.399/.474 (Still the class of the American League)
1B: Chris Davis - .331/.406/.731 (If he passes 61, will he be considered the legitimate HR king?)
2B: Jason Kipnis - .301/.386/.539 (Quietly has numbers as good as Cano and Pedroia)
SS: Jhonny Peralta - .308/.368/.451 (Returning to form after a down 2012)
3B: Miguel Cabrera - .364/.454/.670 (Unquestionably the best hitter in the game)
OF: Mike Trout - .315/.390/.540 (No sophomore slump for this 21-year old)
OF: Jose Bautista - .264/.364/.512 (Starting to heat up, as he is 10 for his last 17)
OF: Coco Crisp - .273/.361/.449 (Looking to make his first ASG appearance)
DH: David Ortiz - .317/.407/.602 (Is continuing an incredible run despite age and injuries)

National League

C: Buster Posey - .312/.360/.526 (Is leading the NL in OPS+ for the second straight year)
1B: Joey Votto - .323/.432/.511 (Fourth straight year leading NL in OBP)
2B: Matt Carpenter - .324/.397/.495 (Basically has come out of nowhere this year)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki - .347/.413/.635 (Yes he's injured, but is anyone really better?)
3B: David Wright - .308/.393/.530 (The Captain of everything: the Mets, the Derby team, and America!)
OF: Carlos Gomez - .308/.348/.553 (Has done pretty much everything for the Brewers this year)
OF: Carlos Gonzalez - .294/.363/.604 (The other CarGo leads the NL in runs, HR, and total bases)
OF: Andrew McCutchen - .300/.371/.472 (Started slow but, like the Pirates, has really gotten hot)

The Best Met Since ... Alex Ochoa?

David Wright has had a fantastic game today against the Phillies, going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and a home run. He becomes just the 40th known player to have such a game, as seen after the jump:

Perfect Video for Today's Belmont

The Impending Offensive Crisis

Recent trends and past history regarding offensive numbers indicate that runs per game will likely fall below 4.00 within the next five years, perhaps to levels not seen since 1972 or even 1968. Remarkable declines in hits, walks, and runs per game have created a dire situation for offenses in baseball. In addition, strikeouts continue to rise beyond record levels, and have done so for the first time in history without an accompanying rise in home runs. Singles and triples per game are at record lows, as lineups are dangerously relying on the long-ball. Non-home run base hits are at their lowest level since 1972, along with batting average and hits per game. Ratios of strikeouts to hits, walks, and runs are at all-time highs. Finally, the use of small-ball to create runs has been curtailed as well, allowing for fewer ways to score runs. Sacrifice hits per game are at an all-time low, and stolen base attempts per game are at a 42-year low. As a result of these factors, any significant one-year drop in home runs will prove disastrous for offenses.

(Click through to see the data.)

Mike Trout's Cycle

As most everyone knows by now, Mike Trout hit for the cycle last night, in the process becoming the youngest AL player ever to accomplish the feat. However, Trout also holds a dubious (if trivial) distinction: the lowest known WPA for a player achieving a cycle. As a matter of fact, Trout's is the first cycle to produce a negative WPA:

Player	Date	Tm	Opp	Rslt	1B	2B	3B	HR	WPA
Mike Trout	2013-05-21	LAA	SEA	W 12-0	1	1	1	1	-0.012
Rich Gedman	1985-09-18	BOS	TOR	W 13-1	1	1	1	1	0.047
John Mayberry	1977-08-05	KCR	CHW	W 12-2	1	1	1	1	0.068
Candy Maldonado	1987-05-04	SFG	STL	W 10-7	1	1	1	1	0.071
Gil Hodges	1949-06-25	BRO	PIT	W 17-10	1	1	1	2	0.079
Don Mueller	1954-07-11 (1)	NYG	PIT	W 13-7	1	1	1	1	0.083
Bob Elliott	1945-07-15 (2)	PIT	BRO	W 15-3	1	1	1	1	0.087
Eric Valent	2004-07-29	NYM	MON	W 10-1	1	1	1	1	0.089
Cristian Guzman	2008-08-28	WSN	LAD	W 11-2	1	1	1	1	0.091
Greg Colbrunn	2002-09-18	ARI	SDP	W 10-3	1	1	1	2	0.095
Alex Rodriguez	1997-06-05	SEA	DET	W 14-6	1	1	1	1	0.095
Scott Cooper	1994-04-12	BOS	KCR	W 22-11	1	2	1	1	0.096
Jeff DaVanon	2004-08-25	ANA	KCR	W 21-6	1	1	1	1	0.098
Kirby Puckett	1986-08-01	MIN	OAK	W 10-1	1	1	1	1	0.099
Bill White	1960-08-14 (1)	STL	PIT	L 4-9	1	1	1	1	0.102
John Olerud	2001-06-16	SEA	SDP	W 9-2	1	1	1	1	0.107
Stan Musial	1949-07-24	STL	BRO	W 14-1	1	1	1	1	0.113
Mark Grace	1993-05-09	CHC	SDP	L 4-5	1	1	1	1	0.114
Aaron Hill	2012-06-18	ARI	SEA	W 7-1	1	1	1	1	0.116
Todd Helton	1999-06-19	COL	FLA	W 10-2	1	1	1	1	0.121

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 5/22/2013.

The reason for this odd occurrence can be found below the fold:

AL Teams Partying Like It's 1999?

Just a quick observation about the standings at the moment:

The teams with the top four records in the AL: Texas, New York, Cleveland, Boston

In 1999: New York, Cleveland, Texas, Boston

Sand-tana?

Johan Santana's recent career-threatening shoulder surgery brings up a very valid question: if indeed his career is over, how will he be remembered? At his best he was the most dominating pitcher in the game, winning two of three Cy Youngs while being robbed of a third. In more recent years, he has been one of the biggest question marks in baseball, averaging just 161 innings between '09, '10, and '12, and missing all of '11 and '13. This paradox brings to mind the abrupt ending to another lefty's career, Sandy Koufax.

Best Pitchers' Duels of the 1980s, Part 1

Here is a list of the best pitchers' duels of the early 1980s, one for each year:

April 10th, 1980: The aces of their respective teams, former Cy Young winner Ron Guidry of the Yankees and Jon Matlack of the Rangers hooked up for a great early-season match-up. Both pitched 9 shutout innings, with Guidry giving up just 2 hits to Matlack's 3. Neither allowed a walk, although neither struck out a lot of batters either (Guidry - 5, Matlack - 4). The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 12th, when closer Goose Gossage of New York uncorked a wild pitch to score ex-Yankee Mickey Rivers from third base.

September 21, 1981: In a game I've already chronicled, Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies failed to pick up a victory despite 10 shutout innings against Ray Burris and the Expos. The game ended on a 17th inning walk-off single by Andre Dawson.

October 1, 1982: Both John Denny of the Phillies and Terry Leach of the Mets allowed just 1 hit, but Leach went 10 to pick up a shutout victory. Leach did walk 6, although the only hit was a Luis Aguayo triple in the 5th inning. Hubie Brooks's sac fly off reliever Porfi Altamirano in the 10th would be all the Mets would need in this one.

July 31, 1983: Both Mike Torrez of the Mets and Jose DeLeon of the Pirates pitched the games of their lives in this one, but ultimately it would be decided by the bullpens. DeLeon allowed just 1 hit and 3 walks against 11 strikeouts, pitching 9 innings of shutout ball. He carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the 9th before it was broken up by Hubie Brooks. Torrez, on the other hand, kept bending but did not break, allowing 8 hits, and getting out of jams in the 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th. He went 11 shutout innings. The turning point of the game may have come in the 7th, when Tony Pena of the Pirates was caught stealing home with two outs. George Foster drove home the winning run from second in the 12th inning off of Manny Sarmiento.

What's Up Doc?

Earlier today, Roy Halladay made his season debut against the Braves. Halladay struggled last year, posting an ERA of 4.49 in just 25 starts, missing several due to injury. Tonight, he went just 3.1 innings, allowing 5 earned runs but striking out 9. This made Halladay just the 3rd known pitcher to strike out 9 in less than 4 innings while allowing 5 or more earned runs. Here are the other two:

Rk	Player	Date	Tm	Opp	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	GSc
1	David Cone	1990-04-25	NYM	ATL	W 8-5	GS-4	3.2	8	5	5	3	9	1	31
2	Jim Beattie	1982-08-09	SEA	OAK	L 4-9	GS-4 ,L	3.2	7	6	6	3	9	2	29

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

Generated 4/4/2013.

This also marks the third game in the last two seasons in which Halladay failed to make it out of the fourth inning; he had done so just once in the previous four seasons:

Rk	Date ▾	Tm	Opp	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	Pit	Str	GSc
2	2012-09-22	PHI	ATL	L 2-8	GS-2 ,L	1.2	5	7	7	3	3	1	51	33	17
3	2012-05-27	PHI	STL	L 3-8	GS-2 ,L	2.0	4	4	4	1	0	1	36	23	31
4	2009-06-12	TOR	FLA	L 3-7	GS-3	3.0	5	1	1	0	0	0	41	29	45
5	2007-06-05	TOR	TBD	W 12-11	GS-4	3.1	12	8	7	1	1	2	77	48	6
6	2006-09-20	TOR	NYY	W 3-2	GS-4	3.1	3	1	1	1	1	0	42	28	50
7	2006-09-10	TOR	LAA	L 3-4	GS-1	0.2	2	0	0	0	0	0	16	10	48
8	2005-07-08	TOR	TEX	L 6-7	GS-3	2.2	6	3	2	0	4	2	48	36	40
9	2004-09-27	TOR	BAL	W 4-1	GS-3	3.0	4	1	1	2	2	1	70	44	47
10	2003-08-17	TOR	OAK	L 3-7	GS-3 ,L	3.0	10	7	5	1	3	0	72	47	17
11	2000-09-23	TOR	TBD	W 7-6	GS-3	3.0	6	6	6	1	3	2	65	38	25
12	2000-07-21	TOR	BAL	L 5-9	GS-4 ,L	3.1	8	5	5	1	2	2	73	47	25
13	2000-06-30	TOR	BAL	L 3-8	GS-3 ,L	2.2	4	7	7	4	1	1	79	41	19
14	2000-05-05	TOR	CLE	W 11-10	GS-4	3.2	9	8	8	6	4	1	103	56	9
15	1999-05-09	TOR	TEX	L 6-11	GS-2	2.0	8	4	4	3	1	0	51	27	22
16	1999-04-29	TOR	ANA	L 1-17	GS-3 ,L	2.1	9	11	11	3	1	2	68	35	-7

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/4/2013.