Almost Forty Years Later, The All-Star Game Returns To The Nation's Capitol

Bryce Harper has signified interest in participating in the Home Run Derby, but it would be under one condition. He must be selected to be on the team, which is quite likely for several reasons.

He is the best known player in the National League, having won both the award as the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. Fans will very likely elect him as a starter, in spite of somewhat of a down year so far.

On the rare chance that he does not get the fan vote, Harper will be certain to make the team as a reserve. Not only is he deserving talent-wise, but the game is being played in his home stadium in Washington.

Almost forty years earlier, the last time the nation's capitol hosted the Midsummer Classic, another popular outfielder was selected to start in front of the home team crowd. Had there been such a contest as the Home Run Derby back then, this guy would surely have been one of the contestants.

After all, Frank Howard of the Washington Senators had led the league with 44 home runs the year before, the first of three in which he would reach the forty homer plateau. Much to the delight of the home town fans, Howard hit one out in his first at bat.

Unfortunately, the stars from the Senior Circuit had already plated three runs before Howard went deep, highlighted by a two run homer from Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench in the top half of the second. An inning later another of the dozen future Hall of Famers who played in that game, San Francisco first baseman Wilie McCovey, had a two run blast.

Stretch McCovey was not finished yet, as he hit another blast in his next at bat. Not only was it impressive enough that it put the game basically out of reach, but even more so because McCovey hit it off of reigning Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers.C

After slamming those two home runs, the obvious choice for the game's M.V.P. was indeed McCovey. He and his fellow stars from the N.L. ended up with a nine to three victory, continuing a streak that saw the Senior Circuit win all but one Midsummer Classic over a span of seventeen years.

Fans in Washington who were disappointed that their team lost back then, are hoping now that the A.L. team loses this year. The new D.C. team is in the National League with a different name and a different stadium than the RFK park from 1969.

Two other aspects that are likely to differ in this contest are reflective of the way the sport has evolved over the past forty years. That last contest in Washington was played at two in the afternoon, and it took only two and a half hours to complete.over

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Twins' Lynn Is Likely Going Out Of Minnesota By Trade Deadline

Second place is not a bad spot to be in when July starts, for the season is just at its halfway point. Now that there are two Wild Card clubs to qualify for the post season, you would think that no team in that position would want to unload some of the players who helped them reach second place.

Well, this year there is at least one second place team which needs to wave the white flag, in spite of the fact that the calendar reads early July. Because they trail first place Cleveland by eleven games, the Twins have no chance of winning the American League Central division.

Optimistic fans at Target Field might refute the previous statement, recalling that just last year the Twins finished second to the Indians yet still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The difference, of course,is that Minnesota was playing .500 ball last July, a pace that was enough to qualify for the second Wild Card.

The 2018 Twins, in the other hand, are currently ten games under .500 and own the tenth worst record in the league. Three of the four teams that have played worse than Minnesota happen to be in the same division, which is the only reason the Twins are in second place.

Given the poor record and the huge gap between them and the Indians, the Twins need to make a trade that will benefit them in the future. Their best trade chip would be veteran starter Lance Lynn, who is signed for just this season.

His departure would not hurt Minnesota, since All Star ace Ervin Santana is expected to return from the disabled list this month. His presence will more than compensate for the loss of Lynn, who is being eyed by several contenders.

One of those potential trade partners, and the most practical, is the closest geographically to Minnesota, ln fact, the two teams actually share a broadcast network, cable station Fox Sports North.

Milwaukee is currently on top of the National League Central, but the defending champion Chicago Cubs are just a game back. To avoid a breakdown like last year the Brewers may be looking for a veteran starter like Lance Lynn, especially since Brent Suter had to be removed from his last start because of an injury.

Lynn could bring in exchange a Top Twenty prospect, perhaps even number seven Lucas Erceg. Drafted in the second round back in 2016, Erceg is a promising third baseman who is estimated to reach the Big Leagues as early as next year.

Folks in Minnesota might wonder why the Twins would go after a third baseman, considering the most feared slugger on their roster was an All-Star at that position last year. The answer of course is that Miguel Sano has no future at the hot corner, even if he overcomes his current offensive struggles while playing at Single A Fort Myers.

He will most likely take over at first in 2019, leaving the hot corner a question mark. Certainly utility infielder Eduardo Escobar has filled in nobly in Sano's absence this year, but the Twins need a long term solution for that position.

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Baseball Fans In Toronto Have Had Little To Celebrate On Canada Day Games

It should have come as no surprise that Toronto lost yesterday, in spite of the many things working in its favor. After all, the Blue Jays had won eleven of their last thirteen at home, there was a sell out crowd at the Rodgers Centre, and they were playing a Detroit Tigers club that had just suffered a thirteen game losing streak.

Unfortunately, the game happened to be on Canada Day, a National holiday for the Northern neighbors of the Untied States. It also happens to be, based on history, an unlucky day for Canada's baseball team.

The Blue Jays have played thirty games on Canada Day in their home park over the course of their forty year history, and all thirty have been celebrations of the National holiday. Overall, though, the baseball team has had little to celebrate on the field.

In those score and a half of contests since 1977, Toronto has won just nine while losing twenty one. There have been eleven occasions on which the Blue Jays played on the road on Canada Day, and they probably wish for an away game much more often than that after the calendar turns from June to July.

As one would have expected from looking back at past occasions, the Blue Jays appeared to be doomed to lose on Canada Day again in 2018. They trailed the Tigers heading into their last at bat, and they in fact were one strike away from another holiday loss.

At that point pinch hitter Justin Smoak drew a walk with the bases loaded, allowing Toronto to tie the score and send the game into extra innings. That free pass incited the crowd at the Rodgers Centre, who felt for sure that this Canada Day would break with history and see their team succeed.

That hope proved short-lived, as the Tigers struck back in their next at bat. Shortstop Joe Iglesias hit a sacrifice fly that gave Detroit a 3-2, which ended up being the final score.

Fans around Ontario can take some comfort in the thought that the one run loss was not nearly as bad as the one back in 2001, when the division rival Boston Red Sox drubbed the home team by a score of sixteen to four. A decade and a half before the Blue Jays suffered a Canada Day loss almost as bad, the Seattle Mariners laying an eleven to two loss on Toronto.

In spite of the poor record on Canada Day in the club's history, there is still reason to be happy when the Blue Jays play at home when July opens. Toronto's two World Series Championships came in 1992 and 1993, both seasons in which the Blue Jays happened to win on Canada Day.

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Twins' Lynn Is Likely Going Out Of Minnesota By Trade Deadline

Second place is not a bad spot to be in when July starts, for the season is just at its halfway point. Now that there are two Wild Card clubs to qualify for the post season, you would think that no team in that position would want to unload some of the players who helped them reach second place.

Well, this year there is at least one second place team which needs to wave the white flag, in spite of the fact that the calendar reads early July. Because they trail first place Cleveland by eleven games, the Twins have no chance of winning the American League Central division.

Optimistic fans at Target Field might refute the previous statement, recalling that just last year the Twins finished second to the Indians yet still made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The difference, of course,is that Minnesota was playing .500 ball last July, a pace that was enough to qualify for the second Wild Card.

The 2018 Twins, in the other hand, are currently ten games under .500 and own the tenth worst record in the league. Three of the four teams that have played worse than Minnesota happen to be in the same division, which is the only reason the Twins are in second place.

Given the poor record and the huge gap between them and the Indians, the Twins need to make a trade that will benefit them in the future. Their best trade chip would be veteran starter Lance Lynn, who is signed for just this season.

His departure would not hurt Minnesota, since All Star ace Ervin Santana is expected to return from the disabled list this month. His presence will more than compensate for the loss of Lynn, who is being eyed by several contenders.

One of those potential trade partners, and the most practical, is the closest geographically to Minnesota, ln fact, the two teams actually share a broadcast network, cable station Fox Sports North.

Milwaukee is currently on top of the National League Central, but the defending champion Chicago Cubs are just a game back. To avoid a breakdown like last year the Brewers may be looking for a veteran starter like Lance Lynn, especially since Brent Suter had to be removed from his last start because of an injury.

Lynn could bring in exchange a Top Twenty prospect, perhaps even number seven Lucas Erceg. Drafted in the second round back in 2016, Erceg is a promising third baseman who is estimated to reach the Big Leagues as early as next year.

Folks in Minnesota might wonder why the Twins would go after a third baseman, considering the most feared slugger on their roster was an All-Star at that position last year. The answer of course is that Miguel Sano has no future at the hot corner, even if he overcomes his current offensive struggles while playing at Single A Fort Myers.

He will most likely take over at first in 2019, leaving the hot corner a question mark. Certainly utility infielder Eduardo Escobar has filled in nobly in Sano's absence this year, but the Twins need a long term solution for that position.

Milwaukee is well set at third with Travis Shaw, a left handed hitter with plenty of power to solidify the middle of the batting order. Even if the Brewers refuse to deal Erceg, they have a couple of catchers and promising hurlers among their top two dozen prospects. The Twins could certainly use a young catcher or a young arm who is close to the Big Leagues.

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St Louis Could Have Learned The Value Of Patience By Looking At The Cubs

St. Louis felt that the decision had to be made. After all, the Cardinals had been expecting to reach the postseason, as here they were at only a game over .500 at the All-Star break. So manager Mike Matheny was fired after two straight losses to Cincinnati, giving way to interim skipper Mike Schildt.

Had the front office studied very recent history within its own division, St. Louis might have exhibited more patience. The team the Cardinals are chasing right now were in nearly the same situation just last season, but thankfully they did not fire their manager.

Actually, the situation of the 2017 Cubs was even a little worse than that of the current Cardinals, for Chicago was two games under .500 and had lost three of the last four heading into the Midsummer Classic. Those results were deemed unacceptable for the team that had seven months before brought home the organization's first World Series Championship in over a hundred years, and the overwhelming favorites to win it all again.

Many fans in the Windy City feared that Joe Madden has lost the managerial magic he had held the previous season, as his star studded Cubs had spent exactly zero days atop the National League Central division. Not only did the hope for a repeat of a World Series Championship appear bleak, but also even the likelihood of qualifying for the postseason.

General Manager Theo Epstein could have bade farewell to Madden at that point, just as St. Louis GM John Mozeliak just did to Matheny. Instead, Epstein chose to stick with his skipper, and that patience was clearly rewarded.

Madden had the Cubs playing much better after the All-Star break, and by September they had passed the Milwaukee Brewers to gain first place. They carried that momentum through the rest of the regular season, after which they disposed of the Washington Nationals in the National League Championship Series.

Even though they fell just a few outs short of winning their second consecutive pennant, the Cubs still had mounted a great comeback without taking the drastic step of replacing their manager. Certainly Chicago would have preferred another World Series Championship but, considering how far behind they were in July, it was quite a feat for Madden to get them to the playoffs at all.

There is no doubt that the Cardinals, who have not reached the postseason for two straight seasons now, would be thrilled to finish where the Cubs did last year. Had their front office exercised the same patience as Epstein and his staff, St. Louis would have a better chance to get there.

Instead, they chose the easy way, firing the manager. That tactic is usually one hopeless teams resort to, so what does that say about the current state of the St. Louis Cardinals?

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'68 All-Star Boasted Twelve Cy Young Winners, Nineteen Hall Of Famers, But Zero Runs Batted In

July inevitably leads to memories of All-Star games, whether they be of heroics on the field or the injustice of players who were snubbed by not getting selected. Since nearly the beginning of this century, all baseball fans look back on the 2002 contest with a sense of regret.

Because both managers ( Joe Torre of the New York Yankees and Bob Brenley of the Arizona Diamondbacks) ran out of players to use, the game was called off in the eleventh inning with the score tied at seven. Commissioner Bud Selig was especially upset since the game had been played at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers team that he had once owned.

He immediately undertook the task of making sure there would never be another Midsummer Classic without a winner, and fortunately that 2002 game remains the only one to end in a draw. Exactly thirty three years before then, however, a quick glance at the box score might lead one assume that the All-Star game must have ended in a tie.

Neither team managed to get an RBI in the contest, so in the last row in the box score the zeroes seem to indicate that the game ended in a scoreless tie. There were probably many of those in the regular season of 1968, when pitchers were so dominant that Major League Baseball decided to lower the mound beginning the following year.

The American League hitters, in spite of a lineup with the likes of Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastremski, did not record even one single. Their offense was limited to three doubles by Tony Oliva of the Minnesota Twins, Don Wert of the Detroit Tigers, and Jim Fregosi of the California Angels, none of which produced a single run.

When one considers who was on the mound facing them, the lack of offense seems less surprising. Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal and Tom Seaver were four of the mighty arms that combined to shut out the A. L. hitters.

Their opponents from the Senior Circuit proved nearly as unproductive on offense, even though the lineup featured more future Hall of Famers. Willie Mays was in the lead off spot, followed by legends such as Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Ron Santo and Tony Perez.

Even with that cadre of prominent sluggers, the National League hitters could not come up with a single run batted in. With all blanks in that column, it would be easy to assume that neither team scored.

Two spaces to the left in the box score, the run column shows the only difference in the two clubs that day. The N. L. managed to score a run, when Mays crossed the plate as his San Francisco Giants teammate Willie McCovey bounced into a double play off of Boston ace Luis Tiant in the bottom of the first.

After that meager run in the initial inning, the pitchers on both teams dominated the offenses. That minimal production accounted for the lowest scoring game in All Star history but, regardless what the RBI column indicates, it was not a tie.

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Regular Season Game Before The All-Star Break Points Out Current Problems Ignored By MLB Officials

In a very clear way, the 2018 All-Star game in Washington D.C. last week was representative of the current state of the sport of baseball. The ten home runs hit set an all-time record for the Midsummer Classic, nearly twice as many as the previous high of six.

That long ball production is indicative of the season, which is on pace to see more home runs than any other year in baseball 's long history. That statistic is not the only record that will be eclipsed in 2018, and the All-Star game reflected that as well.

Players are striking out twenty five percent of the time now, a frequency that will result in a record number of strikeouts in 2018. It came as no surprise then that the pitchers in the Midsummer Classic fanned twenty five batters in total.

Just as that highly promoted contest highlighted the sport's reliance on the homerun and the strike out, it was another game a week earlier that served as a microcosm of some of baseball's biggest problems. Commissioner Rob Manfred and the officials around the sport would rather ignore that game, which would be easy to do considering how few people actually saw it.

The Tampa Bay Rays played the Marlins in Miami on July Third, an intrastate battle that should have created all kinds of excitement in the home of Spring Training and three pennants. To underscore the serious attendance problem baseball has had there for over two decades, only six thousand people were in attendance.

The game itself went sixteen innings, dragged on almost six hours, and featured forty four different batters between the two clubs. Eighteen different pitchers took the mound, in addition to the three others who were called up on to pinch hit and or play a position at some point during the Sunshine State Bore-a-thon.

When it finally ended, an estimated two hundred fans remained in the seats. Miami's front office rewarded those few loyal souls by handing out two free tickets to each one.

A better gift for them, and most other baseball fans, would be for the sport to adapt the extra innings rule started in the Minors this year. If tied after nine innings, each team starts the extra frame with a runner on second. That situation would almost guarantee that a game would be decided long before the sixteen innings it took before Tampa Bay finally beat Miami.

Besides reinforcing the fact that games are too long, that night also exposed another issue that plagues the sport. It must force the National League to adopt the designated hitter rule.

Because they were playing at Miami, the Rays had to allow their pitchers to hit. This stipulation might not be a new problem for the starting pitchers, who have been used to getting at least one plate appearance in an inter league game on the road.

However, having to bat poses a real problem for the multitude of relievers on the staff, for most of them never swing a club all season. What can happen when they are forced into such a role, is exactly what happened to a Tampa reliever that night.

Left hander Vidal Nuna injured a hamstring while running to first base after hitting a grounder, causing him to be placed on the ten day disabled list. The injury would never have occurred had baseball enforced a universal DH rule, and it also might have been avoided had the extra innings rule been used at the Big League level instead of just the Minors.

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Big Trades Within The Division Have Always Been Part Of Baseball

As the trade deadline approaches, most broadcasters are naturally discussing completed as well as possible transactions in Major League Baseball. During a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins, the announcers had just received the news of a huge trade that had been completed.

The Orioles had traded Zack Britton to the New York Yankees, which prompted the TV analyst to criticize the deal. He complained that the Orioles, who are deeply buried in the East side of the American League, had violated some unwritten rule about never trading within your own division.

I was doubtful that such a rule existed, for any club planning to trade a player would make a deal yielding the best return. When you are wanting to do what is best for your organization, geography would not trump your own interests.

The very next day reinforced my doubts as to that so-called unwritten rule to which the announcer had alluded, for another huge inner division trade had been completed. The Tampa Bay Rays shipped starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi to the Boston Red Sox, who are currently on top in the A. L. East.

Giving the benefit of a doubt to the broadcaster, I wondered if the rule had once existed but had disappeared like complete games and sacrifice bunts from today's state of the game. Recalling some notable transactions over the last fifty years, however, I realized that there had not been an unwritten rule that suggested teams not trade within their own divisions.

Here are eight cases since the Seventies in which well-known players were traded from one team to a rival in its own division.

San Francisco traded future Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey to a team not only in the same row in the standings, but also in the same state. The San Diego Padres acquired Stretch from the Giants way back in 1973.

Early in the next decade the Houston Astros traded All-Star outfielder Cesar Cedeno to West rival Cincinnati, which in turn sent third baseman Ray Knight from the Reds.

The year immortalized by George Orwell's futuristic novel, 1984, saw a notable inner division trade. The Philadelphia Phillies shipped popular outfielder Garry Matthews to the Cubs, and he helped Chicago to the playoffs soon after that.

Two years later future Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was traded by the Montreal Expos to Eastern Division rival New York, where Carter helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series Championship against the Boston Red Sox. Apparently the Expos, like the Astros and Giants before them, had been oblivious to the rule not to trade to rival clubs.

All Star slugger Carlos Delgado, less than a year removed from winning a World Series Championship with the Marlins, was sent from Florida to the New York Mets back in 2005. Three years later on July 29, 2008 the Texas Rangers traded first baseman Mark Texiera to the Angels.

In 2010 the Milwaukee Brewers swapped All Star center fielder Jim Edmonds to N. L. Central rival Cincinnati, who felt Edmonds would help the Reds reach the postseason for the first time since the end of the twentieth century. Again, if such a rule existed, it continued to be ignored by most clubs.

In a more recent transaction the Minnesota Twins in 2011 agreed to send designated hitter Jim Thome to the Cleveland Indians, the club with which he started his illustrious baseball career. Thome was contemplating retirement, and he wanted to end his playing days as a member of the Tribe.

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Five Current Players Who Could Soon Join Trammell And Chipper As One Team Hall Of Famers

Because six new players were enshrined in Cooperstown over the weekend, many baseball broadcasts have included discussions about the current inductees as well as possible future inductees. During one particular game, an analyst praised the fact that two of the new Hall of Famers spent their entire careers with just one team.

He was referring of course to Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones and Detroit Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell. Jones received 410 of 422 votes during his first year of Hall eligibility, while Trammell was elected by the Veterans Committee.

The point was made that baseball fans may not for at least another decade see even a single one-year player reach Cooperstown, much less two of them. The announcer identified two certain future inductees, Albert Pujols and Adrian Beltre, who each have played for several different teams.

A cursory look at other stars nearing retirement, however, seems to indicate that we will indeed soon see another one-year player. Indeed, there could be two or more.

Here is a list of likely or highly possible one-team players who could be enshrined in Cooperstown after they leave the field.

Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals
This guy is a no-brainer for Hall of Fame induction in his first year of eligibility, no matter what his offensive statistics are. He has been the premier catcher for almost two decades, has led the Redbirds to multiple World Series appearances, been selected as a perennial All-Star,and remains one of the best clutch hitters in all of baseball.

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners
Closing in on his fourteenth season King Felix is likely to amass two hundred wins by the time he hangs it up, which is far short of the coveted three hundred mark that guarantees enshrinement. His era, however, makes it nearly impossible to get more than fifteen victories per year, so that fact in addition to a Cy Young Award and six All-Star games might land him a plaque.

Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds
His lengthy contract almost ensures that the Canadian will finish his playing days at Great American Ball Park, and his numbers are approaching HOF statistics.

Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins
The native Minnesotan has declined since winning the Most Valuable Player Award as Twins catcher, which could hurt his chances to get into the Hall. Plus, because he is at the end of his current contract with his home town team, Mauer could be dismissed from this list if he signs elsewhere next year.

Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants
Ten years into his career the catcher is a six time All-Star with both a Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Award, but it might be his three World Series Championships that eventually get him to Cooperstown.

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Need For LA:Middle Infielders More Need Than Half A Season To Work Together Into A Championship Team

All throughout the world of baseball, writers and pundits are applauding the acquisitions of the Dodgers. At the trade deadline Los Angeles landed two veteran All-Stars to improve their middle infield, hoping that this duo would lead last year's National League Champs to their first World Series title since 1986.

Brian Dozier, who recently set a record for home runs by a second baseman, came to the West Coast in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Just the day before, Los Angeles made a transaction to get slugging shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.

Most likely those acquisitions will help the offense of the Dodgers, but they could very well negatively affect what happens on the diamond. Both Machado and Dozier have more than proven their defensive skills, having won several Gold Gloves between them.

However, baseball history seems to indicate that middle infielders need a lot of time playing together before they can win it all. A look back at the most recent Novembers provides insight into just how important it is that the second baseman and shortstop spend more than simply a few months together.

Last year Houston had the phenomenal pair of Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, who have been playing side by side for an extended period. Twelve months before the Cubs had youngsters Javier Baez and Addison Russell, who had become acclimated to one another the previous season.

The year before veterans Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar looked after the middle of the diamond for a second straight season, helping the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series title in thirty years. The connected middle infield, combined with a superb and deep bullpen, took the Series from the New York Mets.

That tandem had come close in 2014, when the Royals won the pennant but lost to the Giants in the Fall Classic. San Francisco's middle infielders had only been together since just before the All Star break, rookie Joe Panik getting called up to the Big Leagues to take over second base in late June.

Fortunately for the Giants, they had a veteran Gold Glove winner at shortstop to help his young double play partner get acclimated. Brandon Crawford more than fulfilled that role, having already played on San Francisco championship teams in 2010 and 2012.

For additional evidence of the importance of a well -connected shortstop and second baseman, one can look back even further. In the Nineties the Yankees dominated the baseball postseason, anchored by shortstop Derek Jeter and his double play partner Chuck Knoblauch.

How about the decade before that? The Detroit Tigers teams of the Reagan Era enjoyed the luxury of having Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker playing side by side, highlighted by a World Series title in 1984. In the Seventies the Big Red Machine was driven by having shortstop Dave Concepcion and second baseman Joe Morgan for extended seasons, culminating in back to back championships in 1975 and 1976.

You can find many more examples in the annals of baseball, but do you know what is much harder to find? The answer is a single team that has gone on to win the World Series after having replaced both shortstop and second base in the middle of the season, which is what the Dodgers are hoping to accomplish this year.

Dozier did hit a home run in each of his first two games with Los Angeles, and Machado collected four hits. Baseball history, however, seems to suggest that the newcomers will need more than two months together to carry their team to the ultimate goal.

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Need For LA:Middle Infielders More Need Than Half A Season To Work Together Into A Championship Team

All throughout the world of baseball, writers and pundits are applauding the acquisitions of the Dodgers. At the trade deadline Los Angeles landed two veteran All-Stars to improve their middle infield, hoping that this duo would lead last year's National League Champs to their first World Series title since 1986.

Brian Dozier, who recently set a record for home runs by a second baseman, came to the West Coast in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Just the day before, Los Angeles made a transaction to get slugging shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.

Most likely those acquisitions will help the offense of the Dodgers, but they could very well negatively affect what happens on the diamond. Both Machado and Dozier have more than proven their defensive skills, having won several Gold Gloves between them.

However, baseball history seems to indicate that middle infielders need a lot of time playing together before they can win it all. A look back at the most recent Novembers provides insight into just how important it is that the second baseman and shortstop spend more than simply a few months together.

Last year Houston had the phenomenal pair of Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, who have been playing side by side for an extended period. Twelve months before the Cubs had youngsters Javier Baez and Addison Russell, who had become acclimated to one another the previous season.

The year before veterans Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar looked after the middle of the diamond for a second straight season, helping the Kansas City Royals to their first World Series title in thirty years. The connected middle infield, combined with a superb and deep bullpen, took the Series from the New York Mets.

That tandem had come close in 2014, when the Royals won the pennant but lost to the Giants in the Fall Classic. San Francisco's middle infielders had only been together since just before the All Star break, rookie Joe Panik getting called up to the Big Leagues to take over second base in late June.

Fortunately for the Giants, they had a veteran Gold Glove winner at shortstop to help his young double play partner get acclimated. Brandon Crawford more than fulfilled that role, having already played on San Francisco championship teams in 2010 and 2012.

For additional evidence of the importance of a well -connected shortstop and second baseman, one can look back even further. In the Nineties the Yankees dominated the baseball postseason, anchored by shortstop Derek Jeter and his double play partner Chuck Knoblauch.

How about the decade before that? The Detroit Tigers teams of the Reagan Era enjoyed the luxury of having Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker playing side by side, highlighted by a World Series title in 1984. In the Seventies the Big Red Machine was driven by having shortstop Dave Concepcion and second baseman Joe Morgan for extended seasons, culminating in back to back championships in 1975 and 1976.

You can find many more examples in the annals of baseball, but do you know what is much harder to find? The answer is a single team that has gone on to win the World Series after having replaced both shortstop and second base in the middle of the season, which is what the Dodgers are hoping to accomplish this year.

Dozier did hit a home run in each of his first two games with Los Angeles, and Machado collected four hits. Baseball history, however, seems to suggest that the newcomers will need more than two months together to carry their team to the ultimate goal.

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Tips to Repair Easton Stealth Bats

The repairs that can be performed on an Easton Stealth baseball bat are somewhat limited. If an aluminum bat has a crack or fissure anywhere from the handle to the barrel, it should be thrown away. Not only will the bat not be as effective when hitting, if it snaps in half, the pieces can be quite sharp and dangerous. However, you can make repairs to the grip of the Easton Stealth baseball bat, and repair the cap on the end of the barrel--if it has one.

Remove the loose cap from the end of the bat.

Apply Crazy Glue to the bat cap. Place a generous amount along the edge of the cap.

Insert the bat cap back into the end of the bat. Once inserted, lean the bat upright for about an hour so the glue dries before using to hit again.

Fixing the Grip
Remove the old grip on the baseball bat. If the grip becomes loose or worn, you can remove it by simply slicing the bat grip with a sharp knife.

Tape around the handle of the bat. Make one complete circle around the handle of the baseball bat just above the knob. Continue to tape the bat by rotating it as you tape, which will allow you to tape higher along the handle. You can use padded or flat tape; the preference is yours.

Make one final complete circle with the tape when you reached the other end of the grip in the same manner that you did at the knob of the bat.

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Basic NCAA College Baseball Rules

NCAA College Baseball has a set of rules that differs slightly from both high school and the professional leagues. While the overall tenets of how a baseball game is played are largely the same, there are specific rule changes that make both playing and coaching the game slightly different in terms of strategy.

Mercy Rule
Some leagues within college baseball employ a mercy rule. This means if a team is up by 10 runs after seven innings (or six-and-a-half if the home team is ahead), the game can be called. In a seven-inning game, the rule is employed after the fifth inning. This rule is not used in NCAA tournament games. Some conferences choose to institute the mercy rule after seven innings on Sundays or in the final game of a conference series. This allows the visiting team to get an early start on traveling.

Designated Hitter
In professional baseball, the designated hitter (DH) is used in all games played in American League ballparks. The NCAA uses a DH; however, in college baseball a player may serve as both the pitcher and the DH (i.e., the pitcher bats). Furthermore, if that player is replaced as either pitcher or DH, he could remain in the game in his other role.

Game Length
NCAA baseball games can be shortened to seven innings if two games are being played in one day. This can be in the case of a scheduled double-header, or if a make-up game is bring played on the same day as a regularly scheduled game. A seven-inning game may be played on the final day of a series conference. Tournament games are also nine innings. (The NCAA has encouraged schools and conferences to play as many full nine-inning games as possible throughout the season.)

Aggressive Base Running
In the NCAA, if a base runner collides "maliciously" with a defender who is trying to tag or force him out, the runner may be ejected at the umpire's discretion. Also, an "automatic double play" may be called if a sliding base runner tries to take out a defender who is attempting to complete a double play. In Major League Baseball, there is more discretion given for hard-nosed baseball in which a runner tries to break up a double play.

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Improve Off-Hand Dribbling & Layups

Improving off-hand dribbling and layup skills will greatly improve your basketball game. Players who only go to one side become predictable and easier to defend. Using your off-hand during practice and play will help improve your ability; there also are several drills that can help you hone these skills in isolation.

Stand at the baseline, facing half-court. Bounce two basketballs in unison, one in each hand. Keep your eyes up.

Run to half-court and back, continuing to dribble both balls at the same time. Go only as fast as you can while maintaining your dribble.

Alternate dribbles between your left and right hands, continuing to dribble both at once.

Run to half-court again, continuing to dribble alternately with both hands.

Repeat the drill as needed.

Mikan Drill
Stand on one side of the basket just inside of the block and facing the baseline.

Jump and lay-in the ball using the backboard. Use the hand corresponding to the side of the hoop you are on. If you are standing to the right, shoot with your right hand; if you are standing to the left, shoot with your left hand.

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Once you land, jump again to the other side of the basket and grab the ball as it falls through the net. Rebound the ball as high as possible in the air and keep it above your head.

Continue to shoot back and forth with each hand.

"V" Dribble
Stand and dribble the ball from one hand to the other, forming a "V" with the ball's motion.

Crouch in an athletic stance and continue to "V" dribble the ball from hand to hand. Keep the ball low to the ground and dribble quickly.

Dribble the ball from hand to hand behind your back in the "V" motion.

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Become Professional Basketball Player

The Women's National Basketball Association is a viable path for women to pursue the dream of playing basketball at a professional level. Getting there is difficult, however, as only 1 percent of female college basketball players go on to play professional women's basketball, according to the Georgia Career Information Center.

Develop your basketball skills as much as possible, both with a team and on your own time. For any sport, your ability to play that sport well will be a central factor in getting to play professionally. Ball handling, passing and shooting are all necessary skills.

Ask for advice on how to improve your game. Your current coach and your fellow teammates will be able to point out what areas of your game are lacking and need to be developed.

Do physical training several times a week in addition to practicing basketball skills. Professional female basketball players are both highly skilled with a basketball and also elite athletes. Strength training and plyometrics should both be practiced to improve physical ability.

Attend college or university and play basketball on a varsity team. The WNBA requires that all American players complete either a four-year degree or wait four years after graduating high school to play. Statistics from the NCAA show that 1 percent of players who get a college degree go pro, whereas only 0.02 percent of players who complete only a high school degree go pro, according to the Georgia Career Information Center.

Wait to be invited to the WNBA draft, based on what scouts think of your college or university play. If you are not invited to the draft, attend a tryout session with a professional team.

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How to Calculate Baseball Batting Average

As the coach in the baseball feature "Bull Durham" put it, baseball is a simple game: "You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball." To keep track of how well their players are doing with the last on that list, managers and fans alike will turn to the batting average, the basic stat of how often a player gets a hit when he's up at bat. Ty Cobb retains the title of player with the all-time highest career batting average, .366.

Make the Calculation
Fortunately for rabid baseball fans everywhere, calculating a player's batting average doesn't take advance math. Just divide the number of base hits the player gets by the number of times he's been at bat. For example, if a player has been at bat 520 times and has gotten 179 hits, his batting average is 179/520, or .344. Walks do not count as an at-bat, and neither do sacrifice flies or bunts or getting hit by a pitch.

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How to Throw Baseball Slider

A well-thrown slider is a tremendous pitching weapon. It looks like a fastball coming out of the pitcher's hand, but then breaks sharply down and away from the hitter at the last moment. But this pitch is difficult to master and puts extra strain on the elbow. Pitchers should not try to throw sliders until they mature physically.

Master the "two-seam" fastball. Once you effectively use the two-seam grip and arm motion, creating sinking action on the ball, you will be better prepared to throw sliders. For the two-seam fastball, place your index finger and your middle finger directly on the narrow seams of the ball -- the top of the "U" in the stitching. Put your thumb on the bottom of the ball, on the smooth surface of the ball directly under the fingers. Grip the ball tightly to create friction and movement. Use the same arm motion as on a regular or "four-seam" fastball.

Grip the outside of the ball along the long seam. Set your index and middle fingers along the inside of the right seam if you are right-handed, and along the inside of the left seam if you are left-handed. Place your thumb under the ball, opposite from your fingers, at a 45-degree angle. Make the ball roll off your index finger as you snap your wrist, creating a spin that takes the ball down and across the plate. Do not twist your elbow or wrist. "Most good slider pitchers grip the outer-third of the baseball and cock their wrist slightly, but not stiffly, to their throwing hand's thumb-side upon release of the pitch," pitching instructor Steven Ellis wrote on his website, The Complete Pitcher. "This enables a pitcher to apply pressure to the outer-half of the ball with the index finger."

Throw this pitch with the same motion and arm speed as your fastball. "The key to a good slider is making sure that it feels like a fastball coming off my fingertips and ends up looking like a fastball for 59 feet," IMG Academy pitching instructor Dave Shepard said in an IMG instructional video. "The last foot ends up looking like a slider."

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How to Throw Knuckle Balls

A knuckle ball bops erratically like a plane pushing through turbulent air, because the ball doesn't spin. The air flows smooth on the rawhide but gets disrupted by the raised seams, creating pressure pockets that bully the pitch into an unpredictable flight path. The knuckle ball is equally beautiful as it is rare because the pitch is very difficult to throw.

File Your Nails
The knuckle ball's nomenclature is misleading -- the pitch is thrown off the fingertips, not the knuckles. And your fingernails play a large role. Cut the nails of your index and middle fingers so that they are long enough to dig into the rawhide of the ball but short enough not to bend with pressure. File the nails flat so that the edge of the nail sits flush on the body of the ball. Make small cuts, testing your fingertips against the ball every so often until you find the right length.

Get a Grip
Roll the ball in your hand until you are staring at the Indianapolis Colts sign, or an open-side-down horseshoe. Place your index and middle fingertips at the top of the horseshoe about one fingertip length apart. Dig them into the rawhide. Do not place your fingernails into or on the seams. Curl your index and middle fingers until the ball rests against your palm. Anchor the ball in your palm by placing your thumb alongside of the ball, not underneath the ball where it could provide spin-inducing counter-pressure. Use your ring and pinky fingers for stability on the other side of the ball. Avoid resting your thumb or ring or pinky fingers on a seam. Seams catch and cause spin.

Stride
Imagine throwing the knuckle ball down a narrow hallway. At the beginning of the hallway is a small doorjamb that you have to step through to deliver the ball. To get the ball down the hallway, everything must be linear toward the target and the doorjamb keeps you from getting your arms and legs too far away from the center of your body. Keep it simple. Raise your glove arm to point at the target, using it as a gun-barrel site for aiming. Stay tall and stride deliberately, landing your lead foot in a straight line with your back foot toward the target.

Release the Butterfly
Pull the ball back into a cocked position, raising your throw arm to create a backward L and a 90-degree hinge at the elbow. Use the momentum gained from pulling the ball back to balance the ball on your fingertips. Then use centripetal force to keep the ball balanced on your fingertips as you throw the ball forward. The ball will get progressively heavier as you begin to throw the ball as long as it stays balanced in your hand. At a certain weight, let go of the ball. Your fingertips should be just above the equator of the ball at release. And the right weight is something you need to find. It is a feel that develops with throwing hundreds, sometimes thousands, of knuckle balls.

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How to Throw Curveball

One of the biggest misconceptions in baseball is how to throw a proper curveball. Coaches, particularly at the youth and high school level, put young athletes at a great risk by teaching and promoting the improper mechanics on how to throw an effective curveball. As the American Journal of Sports Medicine reported in a 2005 article, "throwing a baseball overhand is both an unnatural motion and a burden on the shoulder and the elbow"--and this applies to Major Leaguers, who have perfected the "how to" of throwing a baseball. The stress such an action puts on a player's arm cannot be understated. However, by taking the necessary steps you can relieve much of the unnecessary strain on your arm in your quest to develop a Major League curveball.

Keep your pitch a secret -- don't let the batter know it's coming! A mistake often made by pitchers at every level is that they "tip" the batter to the pitch they are going to throw; in other words, the batter knows what pitch to expect. You can gain the upper-hand on the batter by following two basic rules even before you go into your windup: a) hide the ball in your glove, and b) have the ball already in the proper curveball grip. The best way to hide the ball is by having a closed web glove, opposed to an H-web glove, where the batter has a clear view of the ball and your grip.

Expect each pitch you are going to throw to be a curveball. If you have to "dig" into your glove to get the proper grip after you receive the curveball sign from the catcher the hitter is going to know what is coming. It is much easier to change your fingers to a fastball grip than it is to properly grip a curveball while the ball is already in your glove.

Grip the ball by placing your middle finger on the inside half of the seam and apply pressure to the ball. Your index finger should stay as close to your middle finger as possible. If you cannot comfortably grip the ball with these two fingers touching or nearly touching, then your hand is too small and you should wait for your hand to grow before trying to add this pitch to your repertoire. Your ring and pinkie finger should rest under the ball with only your ring finger in contact with the baseball. The ideal location for your ring finger is to have its "door knocking knuckle" on the seam (the same side of the baseball as your middle finger). Finally, the side of your thumb, and not the pad of the finger, should rest directly on the top of the seam. Your thumb and middle and ring finger should all be in contact with a seam, preferably the "horseshoe," the wide part of a baseball. Another way to look at it is to have your fingers going with the seams opposed to against them to ensure optimal control.

Deliver the baseball to your target. The mechanics of pitching a baseball stay the same, however, the angle by which your hand is positioned as it accelerates toward home plate is what makes the ball live up to its name...curve. This action involves NO "snapping" or "twisting" of the wrist. This popular belief is a good way to spend a considerable amount of time on the disabled list. The proper arm action and angle of your hand is very similar to pulling down a window shade or doing the tomahawk-chop at a Braves game. For right-handers, your palm should be facing first base as you prepare to release the baseball, and this angle should continue as you follow-through (third base for lefties.)

Once the ball is released, the curveball's trajectory is from north to south. While a slider runs east to west, an ideal curveball is commonly referred to as "dropping off the table" or by going from "12-6" on a clock.

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Calculate Earned Run Average

The earned run average is one of the most venerable and cited figures in baseball, a sport renowned for its love of statistics. The ERA dates back to the earliest days of the sport, though 19th century pitchers, standing much closer to home plate, had low, low ERAs that today’s hurlers can only dream about. Simply put, to calculate a pitcher’s ERA, multiply the total number of earned runs he has allowed by 9, and then divide by the total number of innings he’s pitched in the current season.

Some Runs Don't Count
The earned run average represents the number of earned runs that a given pitcher gives up on average in nine innings on the mound. Only runs that are scored because of the at-bat team’s actions are considered earned runs. Any run that is attributable to an error by the team in the field or a catcher’s passed ball doesn’t count against a pitcher’s ERA -- though interestingly, a run crossing due to a hurler's wild pitch is earned. A player who pitched for seven innings in one game and gave up four earned runs, and who after that pitched nine innings and gave up one earned run, would have an ERA of (4 + 1) x 9 divided by (7 + 9) = 2.81.

Statistics Don't Tell Everything
Though the ERA is designed to allow comparisons of pitchers across teams and leagues, several factors out of the pitcher’s control can influence his average. For example, fielders that are slower than their peers, or who cover less ground, will allow more hits – not charged as errors -- leading to more runs and inflating the pitcher’s negative statistics.

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