MLB Franchise Four: Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Jason

Voting closed weeks ago, but I’m continuing my posts highlighting each club’s Franchise Four nominees. This post examines the A’s and O’s.

Baltimore Orioles Franchise Four

Here are the Baltimore Oriole nominees:

  • Paul Blair
  • Dave McNally
  • Eddie Murray
  • Cal Ripken, Jr.
  • Boog Powell
  • Jim Palmer
  • Brooks Robinson
  • Frank Robinson

And here are the players I voted for:

  1. Cal Ripken, Jr. A no-brainer.
  2. Eddie Murray. No-brainer #2.
  3. Brooks Robinson. #3.
  4. Jim Palmer. #4.

There may be other teams with an equally clear cut top 4, but I can’t see it. It seems strange leaving Frank Robinson off of this list, but he only played six years in Baltimore. I was a little surprised not to see Mike Mussina on the list, too. But very little room for argument with these four, at least in my opinion.

Oakland Athletics Franchise Four

Here are the A’s nominees:

  • Dennis Eckersley
  • Rollie Fingers
  • Rickey Henderson
  • Jimmie Foxx
  • Lefty Grove
  • Catfish Hunter
  • Reggie Jackson
  • Al Simmons

This is a very tough list with plenty of great players. No matter how you cut it, you’re going to leave off some great players. But here are my four:

  1. Rickey Henderson. Greatest leadoff hitter ever? You could make the argument. Here’s what is inarguable: Henderson played some of his best baseball in an A’s uniform. Franchise leader in runs, walks, and stolen bases. An absolutely disruptive force at the plate and on the bases.
  2. Jimmie Foxx. A .339 batting average, 302 HR and 1075 RBI for the old Athletics, good for 2nd place in each category in the team record books. Perhaps his most eye-popping stats are the .440 OBP and the .640 SLG. Truly one of the best hitters of his era.
  3. Al Simmons. Posted a .356 average in his decade-long tenure in Philly. I’m willing to bet he’ll lose out to one of the more recent A’s (Reggie, Catfish), but Simmons is one of the all-time greats whose best seasons were played for this club.
  4. Dennis Eckersley. Having watched him play, I have to put him on this list. I know there are arguments to be made for other players, but this one just feels right.
Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Her Goodness

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Jason

Bybee_family_pictures-179Today our family celebrates a very special birthday.

Her students call her “Mrs. Bybee.”

The kids call her “Mommy.”

I simply call her “Sunny.”

But today we give thanks for this woman and all the goodness she brings to our lives.

In pre-marital counseling, I’ll often ask engaged couples to identify their partner’s most endearing, defining quality. “What one word best summarizes how you see him / her?” It’s always a blessing to see these young couples speak such powerful words of truth relative to identity. I believe such activity is foundational to a healthy marriage.

As I apply my question to myself and Sunny, I know exactly what one word best summarizes her character: goodness. In her heart, Sunny is just a good person. And she always has been.

Twenty years ago this month, Sunny and I started dating. As I look back to those earliest days of our relationship, I see remarkable consistency of character in Sunny. From day one, I’ve never known anyone more interested in doing the right thing…not the convenient thing…not the popular thing…not the politically expedient thing…but the right thing, in any and every circumstance. She was that way when I met her at age 17. And she’s the same person today.

Her goodness has been a gift to so many throughout the years. I can only imagine the ways her students are shaped by daily exposure to her character. I know my children are better people for growing up under her care.

And I know beyond a doubt that her goodness has profoundly shaped my life for the better.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! — Psalm 27:13

Sunny, you are a channel of God’s goodness to all of us. Through you, we see Him. I hope today you feel loved and cherished and honored.

Baby, you’re the greatest!

Posted in Family, Sunny | Leave a comment

MLB Franchise Four: Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Jason

White-Sox-vs.-TwinsVoting for MLB’s Franchise Four has closed, but I’m going to finish out my series of posts highlighting the four greatest players for each MLB franchise. Today, I’ll be looking at the White Sox and the Twins.

Chicago White Sox Franchise Four

Here are the White Sox nominees:

  • Luke Appling
  • Nellie Fox
  • Eddie Collins
  • Harold Baines
  • Frank Thomas
  • Minnie Minoso
  • Paul Konerko
  • Luis Aparicio

It’s surprising that a franchise as storied as the White Sox don’t have a single pitcher among their eight nominees. I mean, Ted Lyons is a Hall of Famer after all. It’s also impressive to recount the number of great middle infielders the Pale Hose have developed. Here are my votes:

  • Frank Thomas. Franchise leader in HR, RBI, and runs.
  • Paul Konerko. Second in HR and RBI. Did you know he only stole 9 bases over his 18 year career? Unbelievable.
  • Eddie Collins. One of the best keystoners to play the game.
  • Harold Baines. Never the best player in the game, even on his own teams. But he was very good for a very long time. I suppose you could argue for another player (like Appling).

Minnesota Twins Franchise Four Another long-time franchise, another fantastic set of players. Take a look at this group of nominees:

  • Bert Blyleven
  • Rod Carew
  • Walter Johnson
  • Jim Kaat
  • Harmon Killebrew
  • Joe Mauer
  • Tony Oliva
  • Kirby Puckett

I didn’t expect this one to be so difficult. But here’s my vote:

  • Walter Johnson. No brainer. 417 wins. It was a different time, sure. But you have to respect these numbers.
  • Harmon Killebrew. All-time leader in games played, HR, RBI, and walks. One of the greats.
  • Kirby Puckett. I don’t care what the numbers say; Puckett is on this list. If you saw him play, you know.
  • This final spot was hard for me. Blyleven was only 9 games above .500 for this franchise, so I couldn’t go there. I think you can argue for either Mauer or Carew. I went with Carew. Check back in another 10 years and maybe Mauer has my vote. But for now, it’s Carew.
Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | Leave a comment

Mothers Day: We Need You

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Jason

Here is a video we showed in our Mother’s Day worship service yesterday. A special word of thanks to my super-talented daughter for doing the voiceover reading of the text. She’s a natural!

Posted in Family, Kids, Video | Tagged | Leave a comment

MLB Franchise Four: Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Jason

I’m flying through this series to try and finish before voting closes May 8. Thought I’d break from posting about the “storied” franchises and instead focus on some of the newer franchises.

Miami Marlins Franchise Four

Wow. Big difference here compared to the lists we’ve been working through.

  • Josh Beckett
  • Luis Castillo
  • Jeff Conine
  • Livan Hernandez
  • Giancarlo Stanton
  • Charles Johnson
  • Gary Sheffield
  • Mike Lowell

It’s mildly surprising to not see Hanley Ramirez on this list. I mean, it’s not like he was squeezed out by a bunch of more deserving nominees. Take Beckett. Any idea how many games he won for the Marlins? A whopping 41, good for 8th on the franchise list. Or take Livan Hernandez, he of the 24-24 career record for the Marlins. Seriously? These are your Franchise Four nominees?

What do I care? I’m a Cardinal fan. Anyway, here goes:

  1. Giancarlo Stanton. Franchise leader in HR and counting. He’s the face of the franchise now. (“Mr. Marlin?”)
  2. Mike Lowell. Franchise leader in RBI, although Stanton will catch him this season.
  3. Jeff Conine. Conine only played five seasons in Miami, but he was the first Marlin that mattered. That has to count for something. Doesn’t it?
  4. You know what? I’m actually going to write in for Hanley Ramirez with my final vote. It’s ridiculous that some of these guys are nominated ahead of him. His .300 lifetime average is second in team history.

I seriously doubt Hanley wins enough write-in votes. The final vote will probably include both Beckett and Livan on the basis of their postseason heroics.

Colorado Rockies Franchise Four

This little exercise reminds you of those fun Blake-Street-Bombers teams from the 90s. Here are the Rockie nominees:

  • Dante Bichette
  • Todd Helton
  • Larry Walker
  • Vinny Castilla
  • Andres Galarraga
  • Troy Tulowitzki
  • Carlos Gonzalez
  • Matt Holliday

What, no pitchers? Just kidding.

  1. Todd Helton. Helton leads the Rockies in a host of counting stats categories.
  2. Larry Walker. Walker leads the Rockies in a host of metric-based categories.
  3. Dante Bichette.
  4. Vinny Castilla. Castilla and Bichette rank 3rd and 4th in most other offensive categories.

I think Helton and Walker will definitely make the cut. Look for Tulo to edge out one of my other guys.

Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

MLB Franchise Four: Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Jason

I didn’t realize that the voting for this Franchise Four ended this week. No way I’m gonna be able to cover every team before Friday. Oh well. Here’s a few more.

Pittsburgh Pirates Franchise Four

I definitely wanted to vote on this one before the ballots close to cast my mark for Roberto Clemente. Clemente is one of my favorites and I think he’s a shoo-in for this, but still. Here are the Pirate nominees:

  • Barry Bonds
  • Roberto Clemente
  • Ralph Kiner
  • Bill Mazeroski
  • Willie Stargell
  • Pie Traynor
  • Honus Wagner
  • Paul Waner

Tough choices here. But this is my ballot:

  1. Roberto Clemente. What a player. I can’t remember what first drew me to Clemente; obviously, I never saw him play. But after reading David Maraniss’s excellent bio a few years ago, I’ve had a deep appreciation for Clemente as both a player and a human being.
  2. Willie “Pops” Stargell. Franchise leader in HR and RBI. Another quality person, too.
  3. Honus Wagner. Another no-brainer. One of the best players ever.
  4. You could really go a number of ways here. But I’m going to cast my vote for Paul Waner. A lifetime .333 hitter, including a franchise record .340 clip in a Pirate uniform. Honorable mention to Traynor and Kiner.

I think my first three are money; the final spot is really up for grabs. Should be an interesting vote.

Cincinnati Reds Franchise Four

Here are the 8 Reds nominees:

  • Barry Larkin
  • Pete Rose
  • Johnny Bench
  • Eric Davis
  • Dave Concepcion
  • Joe Morgan
  • Frank Robinson
  • Tony Perez

And here are the players I voted for:

  1. Pete Rose. When I think of the Cincinnati Reds, I think of Rose. No matter how you feel about his HoF chances, he deserves this recognition.
  2. Joe Morgan. According to Bill James, Morgan is the best 2B to ever play the game. He makes a compelling argument, too. Though he only played 8 seasons in Cincy, I still voted for him.
  3. Johnny Bench. Perhaps the best catcher ever, too. No wonder those Reds teams were so dominant back in the Big Red Machine days.
  4. Barry Larkin. I love Robinson, but my heart says Larkin (a lifelong Red) deserves this final nod.

I think the final vote will line up with my ballot. Outside chance that some Eric Davis fans rock the vote, but I doubt it.

Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

MLB Franchise Four: Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Jason

This is the next installment in my ongoing series covering MLB’s Franchise Four initiative.

910Today, we look at two of the oldest franchises in the majors, the Tigers and the Indians. I love working through these lists from these long-tenured franchises; lots of great players to choose from.

Detroit Tigers Franchise Four

The first thing you notice with the Tigers list is the dearth of pitchers. Justin Verlander is the only nominee, which is mildly surprising given the love Jack Morris gets from nostalgists. It’s also a bit surprising that Norm Cash didn’t make the list, although I’m not sure who you’d exclude. This is a fine eightsome:

  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Justin Verlander
  • Ty Cobb
  • Al Kaline
  • Charlie Gehringer
  • Sam Crawford
  • Hank Greenberg
  • Alan Trammell

So here’s my ballot:

  1. Ty Cobb. Up there with Ruth in the discussion for the greatest player ever.
  2. Al Kaline. Franchise leader in HR. Great defensive right-fielder.
  3. Hank Greenberg. A two-time MVP and a Hall of Famer.
  4. Miguel Cabrera. It’s hard to leave Gehringer off the list, but I think Cabrera probably deserves this final spot. A two-time MVP, three-time batting champ, and winner of the first triple crown in 45 years.

I think Alan Trammell may win a spot in the final fan vote, perhaps edging out Greenberg.

Cleveland Indians Franchise Four

Here are the nominees for Cleveland:

  • Nap Lajoie
  • Jim Thome
  • Bob Feller
  • Larry Doby
  • Omar Vizquel
  • Tris Speaker
  • Earl Averill
  • Lou Boudreau

Jim Thome is the franchise leader in homers by a large margin, but I’m not sure you can include him in the final four.

  1. Tris Speaker. An all-time great. Bill James ranks him as the fourth greatest CF, one spot ahead of Joe Dimaggio. Speaker spent the first half of his career in Boston, but he still had a decade in Cleveland. He still ranks as the all-time leader in doubles.
  2. Nap Lajoie. A name very few remember these days, but Lajoie was one of the best keystoners to play the game.
  3. Bob Feller. A list like this must include Feller, the franchise leader in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts.
  4. Larry Doby. You could argue for Averill, but I’m going with Doby, an oft-overlooked five-tool talent. In Speaker, Doby, and Averill, the Indians have some of the best center fielders the game has ever seen.

How will the final vote shake out? Recency bias probably means both Vizquel and Thome make the cut, likely at the expense of Doby and another player, which is ridiculous.

Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | 1 Comment

MLB Franchise Four: Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Jason

la-sp-dodgers-giants-trades-20140508Here’s another post in my ongoing series highlighting the Major League Baseball Franchise Four initiative, this time focusing on the greatest West Coast rivalry, the Dodgers and the Giants.

Los Angeles Dodgers Franchise Four

I really have a problem with the Dodger nominees. No Zack Wheat? Pee Wee Reese? Gil Hodges? Any of these would’ve been more deserving than either Fernando or Kershaw. Kershaw might go down as an all-time great, but it’s too early to say at this point. Anyway, you can’t change the nominees; here they are:

  • Don Drysdale
  • Sandy Koufax
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Fernando Valenzuela
  • Steve Garvey
  • Jackie Robinson
  • Duke Snider
  • Roy Campanella

As with most of the storied franchises, this decision is a tough one. But here are my selections:

  1. Duke Snider. The franchise leader in HR and RBI, there’s no way you can leave Snider off this list.
  2. Sandy Koufax. We know his career totals were cut short by injury. What we don’t know is where he’d rank in our collective consciousness if we’d had the opportunity to watch him fade. There was no Jordan-in-a-Wizards-uniform phase for Koufax. Rather, we only remember him at his peak. And what a peak it was. Arguably the greatest pitcher of all-time deserves recognition on this list.
  3. Jackie Robinson. Even if Jackie weren’t an all-time talent, he’d be worthy of this recognition for his immeasurable impact in bringing racial segregation to an end in the big leagues. But Robinson merits inclusion here not merely as a cultural icon but as a Hall of Famer.
  4. With this final spot, I was torn. You could really make a strong case for Drysdale, although his final numbers are similar to Don Sutton’s, who didn’t even appear on this ballot. In the end, my final vote goes for Roy Campanella, the former Negro- and Mexican-Leaguer who earned three National League MVP awards and is widely remembered as one of the best catchers in history.

As I’ve said before, recency bias means Kershaw will likely be voted in by fans, which is really unfortunate. I love the guy, but bumping one of the four I’ve mentioned would be a tremendous oversight.

San Francisco Giants Franchise Four

Oh, boy. This should be interesting. What do you do with Bonds? This is another fantastic list of players. Here are the Giants nominees:

  • Barry Bonds
  • Wilie Mays
  • Mel Ott
  • Buster Posey
  • Willie McCovey
  • Christy Mathewson
  • Juan Marichal
  • Orlando Cepeda

At this point in his career, Posey is poised to be an all-timer: 3 championships, an MVP, and a Rookie of the Year award. But I can’t justify including him on my list…at least not yet. Here’s where I’m going:

  1. Barry Bonds. Look, it’s not the Hall. Bonds won five MVPs as a Giant. His 586 HR for San Fran is 2nd only to Mays on the franchise list. He slugged .666 over 6,263 ABs as a Giant. And don’t forget that he was a fantastic defensive player for most of his career. Bonds was a singular talent and, as much as I might try, there’s just no way to justify leaving him off this list. He may never be enshrined in Cooperstown, but I think he deserves this recognition.
  2. Willie Mays. A once-in-a-generation talent. Gotta put him here.
  3. Mel Ott. Do you realize that in Bonds, Mays, and Ott the Giants have one of the greatest left, center, and right fielders to ever play this game? Ott is a forgotten player from the 1920s and 30s, but he should be on this list.
  4. Christy Mathewson. One of the first five inductees in the Hall of Fame. Unanimously recognized as one of the most dominant pitchers the game has ever known.

I don’t know if Bonds will make the final cut. I suspect Posey will be there, and perhaps McCovey as well.

Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

MLB Franchise Four: St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Jason

viewphotoHere’s the second post in my ongoing series covering MLB’s Franchise Four initiative. After covering the Yankees and Red Sox last week, I’m going to look at the four greatest players for two of the Senior Circuit’s oldest clubs: my St. Louis Cardinals and their rivals, the Chicago Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals Franchise Four

This is ridiculously impossible. I mean, look at this list:

  • Stan Musial
  • Lou Brock
  • Dizzy Dean
  • Rogers Hornsby
  • Bob Gibson
  • Albert Pujols
  • Ozzie Smith
  • Red Schoendienst

I was in St. Louis a few weeks ago when they honored Red Schoendienst’s lifetime contributions to the franchise. The guys is absolutely a Cardinals icon. But he’s the one of the eight with the weakest body of work as a player. The other seven, however, have legitimate claims to the honor. This is going to be tough.

Here are my four greatest Cardinals:

  1. Stan Musial. The greatest Cardinal ever. No contest.
  2. Bob Gibson. A lifelong Cardinal with 251 wins. A sign of Gibson’s dominance: after the 1968 season, MLB lowered the mound by 5 inches and decreased the size of the strike zone in a move that has since been called “the Gibson rules.” Yeah, he’s gonna be on this list.
  3. Lou Brock. Hall of Fame leadoff man retired with the most stolen bases in major league history. For 30 years, has been involved in charitable and civic work in the greater St. Louis area. No way can you leave him off this list.
  4. This one hurts. You could make a case for Dean, although his final numbers aren’t quite as strong as some others. You could also make a legitimate case for Hornsby, whose best seasons were in St. Louis, although he spent many years in the back half of his career playing for other clubs. But for me, this one comes down to Ozzie and Albert. Pujols was the dominant hitter in the majors for the better part of a decade and a key member of two championship Cardinal squads. And his ongoing work in the community is certainly laudable. But I’m going with Ozzie Smith, if for no other reason than this: Ozzie is the reason I’m a Cardinals fan. Smith is easily the most iconic player from the Cardinals 80’s salad days when I came of age as a baseball fan. Although he eventually worked himself into a pesky offensive player, the Wizard will always be known for his Gold Glove defense. You can have your three-run homer; I’ll take Ozzie’s backhand-from-the-hole, acrobatic-throw-on-a-line all day long.

I’m not sure how the voting will pan out in this one. I’m thinking Lou might be left off of the casual fan’s ballot in place of Pujols, but who knows.

Chicago Cubs Franchise Four

For all their ineptitude, the Cubs have a nice list of all-time greats to choose from:

  • Ryne Sandberg
  • Sammy Sosa
  • Ernie Banks
  • Ron Santo
  • Fergie Jenkins
  • Billy Williams
  • Gabby Hartnett
  • Three-Finger Brown

Here’s the way I approach a list like this: I’m looking for all-time greats for that particular franchise. Case in point: Fergie Jenkins has some great career numbers. But I can’t include him as one of the four greatest Cubs because he spent an entire decade pitching for other clubs. Same reason I didn’t put Hornsby in as one of the Cards Franchise Four.

That being said, here’s my ballot for the greatest Cubs:

  1. Ernie Banks. There are a couple of slam dunks on every club. Banks epitomized the moniker “Mr. Cub.” An all-time great.
  2. Ryne Sandberg. According to Bill James, Sandberg ranks as the 7th best 2B in baseball history. And to think, he could’ve been a Phillie.
  3. Gabby Hartnett. Nobody remembers Hartnett, but he was a fantastic catcher in the 20s and 30s. He probably won’t make the final vote (I’m sure he’ll be edged out by Sosa), but he absolutely deserves to be mentioned here.
  4. Ron Santo. James sees Santo as the 6th greatest 3B ever, ahead of fellow Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Brooks Robinson.

In the final vote, Sosa will be there over Hartnett, which is kind of a shame. But what do I care? It’s the Cubs.

Posted in Baseball, Franchise Four, Sports, St. Louis Cardinals | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Top Ten: Dwight Yoakam

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Jason

After a friend of mine recently began posting his “top ten” lists of favorite songs by his favorite artists and that got me thinking about my favorites as well. This post is part of a similarly-themed series that I’ll be doing over the next few months.

173643_1_fDwight Yoakam has always been one of my favorite artists. Even in the late 80s, Yoakam’s brand of “hillbilly rock” was well beyond the mainstream Nashville sound. Surprisingly, he found commercial success on his self-financed debut EP, “Guitars, Cadillacs, etc.” From the string of radio hits in the 80s and 90s to his more recent run of critically acclaimed work, I’ve always been a big fan. And it appears I’m in good company. The story goes that someone once asked Johnny Cash to name his favorite country singer. Yoakam was his answer.

With that, I give you my ten favorite Dwight Yoakam songs.

  1. “Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose.” This one, from If There Was A Way, was the song that put Yoakam on the map for me. I still love Pete Anderson’s guitar work on this track.
  2. “You’re The One.” Another stellar cut from If There Was A Way.
  3. “Train In Vain” from Under the Covers. By this point in his career, Dwight had absolutely mastered his “hillbilly country” sound.
  4. “Miner’s Prayer” from Dwight Live.
  5. “It’s Never Alright” from 3 Pears. This 2012 release might go down as his best album from top to bottom.
  6. “Fast As You.”
  7. “If Teardrops Were Diamonds” from Population: Me. This duet with Willie Nelson is Yoakam at his sad-sack best.
  8. “Bury Me” from dwightyoakamacoustic.net. This is a great set of songs, none better than the lead track.
  9. “Sorry You Asked.” This one cracks me up every time, especially the line about “certain third parties.”
  10. “I Sang Dixie.” Back in the day, I loved Yoakam’s louder, electric songs, but I think he really shines when he tells stories of loneliness. This classic is one of his best.

There’s the list of favorite Yoakam tracks. More to come in this series.

Posted in Music, Top 10 | Tagged | Leave a comment