Jaybird's Jottings

Hall of Giants: Class Seven

As we sat down today to convene the next session for the Hall of Giants, one of the members of my panel of experts stood up and asked for the floor.

“You know, we’ve been looking backward,” he said.   “What about the current players?   Why don’t we consider Lincecum and Cain?”

A check of their stats revealed that Lincecum, in his four years, already has a better than four per year WAR average (18.7 total).  And he has, of course, the two Cy Youngs and one fantastic post-season.   “The Freak” is also showing up on several of the franchise Top Ten lists, including first in Adjusted ERA.

A waiver, however, was needed, because we’ve made a rule that a player needed a minimum of five years to get into the Hall of Giants.

Passed, unanimously.

Cain has six seasons under his belt, but not quite the yearly WAR average of four (20.9).   But, of course, who can forget the 21 scoreless innings in the post season, and he’s number five in Win Probability Added. 

A couple of members on the panel expressed concerns about these two precedents, but Cain’s waiver, too, passed unanimously.   

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, Lincecum and Cain are in my Hall of Giants.

Oh, by the way, my production assistant wants a raise for cutting Beck’s and Lincecum’s hair… 

 

Fairfax County Parks Win Award

Fairfax County, DC’s largest suburban neighbor, was awarded the 2010 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.  It is the "highest honor in the industry," and given by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA).

We’ve used several of the County’s parks, and have a particular fondness for Huntley Meadows.   It’s a remarkable suburban oasis of about 1500 acres of wetland, meadows and forest.   The developers would love to get their hands on it but park users and tree huggers can rest easy.  It’s protected by law in perpetuity.

I have to admit it creates quite a headache for commuters and getting arounders like us.   There’s about a three-mile stretch along Route One that has no westward access to veins such as Van Dorn Street.   This creates backups at the places where people do go east and west. 

We would benefit from this but I don’t mind waiting the additional 20 seconds at the stoplight.  It's more than worth it.

Civil War 150: Alexandria's Plans

With the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War approaching, the chance to enlighten and educate the public is tremendous.   Alexandria has begun their plans but it appears the City will not seize the moment in great ways one would expect.  

I say this because, apparently, the City of Alexandria will not re-create the “Marshall House incident,” a stunning and remarkable early moment that created two of the war’s first martyrs.   

On the early morning of May 24, 1861, just one day after Virginians voted to secede from the Union, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and his men crossed the Potomac River by boats and landed at the seaport of Alexandria.  From the Cameron Street Wharf, they marched uphill to the center of the town of 12,000 worried citizens, some of whom had already evacuated.  With the out-numbered Virginia regiment retreating to Manassas, it appeared the Federal advance would bring no bloodshed.  

At the corner of King and S. Pitt, a Confederate flag proudly flew atop the Marshall House.   It was said Lincoln could see it six miles away at the White House.   Ellsworth and a small number of his men entered the three-story, corner hotel (now the Monaco Hotel), and were walking back down the stairs after taking down the flag.  

On the staircase, innkeeper and ardent Confederate sympathizer James Jackson ambushed the soldiers.  With his shotgun, he shot and killed Ellsworth.   A few seconds later, one of the Zouaves, Francis E.  Brownell, shot and killed Jackson.   News of the two deaths raced across the country, martyred heroes for each side.     

Michael Lee Pope of the Alexandria Gazette Packet, who all Civil War buffs in the area can thank for his knowing exactly what we were hoping for, writes:

Don’t expect to see a reenactment of the invasion and occupation of Alexandria next May, when the city officially kicks off its commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial… In fact, the event will intentionally downplay the invasion and occupation, instead emphasizing "life in Civil War Alexandria."

The City is moving ahead with other plans.  As noted by an article in the Alexandria Times, the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association has created a marketing plan titled, “Witness to War and Reunion: Commemorating the Civil War in Alexandria.”  "Partnering with 18 historical sites, the local tourism industry will bring vestiges of the Civil War into the 21st century with the help of historians."

Perhaps someone will fill the Marshall House void and come up with a seminar or some such event.   But more and more, it’s looking like a DITY effort.

An excellent book is “Alexandria in the Civil War” by James G. Barber.   Being so close to Washington, the city suffered during the war.      Barber writes:  “Although the city never experience combat, it was ravaged by war’s many appetites.”

If all else fails, check out the historical plaque at the Monaco.   Southern sympathizers will love it, as it gives only the Confederate point of view.   For a more balanced summary, there’s a interpretive marker by Union Station behind the King Street Metro.   

 

 

Hall of Giants: Class Six

This next set of players, Jim O’Rourke, George Burns, Dave Bancroft, Johnny Antonelli and Kevin Mitchell, distinguish themselves by having, with the exception of O’Rourke, an average WAR as Giants of 4 or higher.    Unless I am missing someone, the rest of the field has 3 or lower.  

This is another group that spans the history of the game.   O’Rourke’s lower WAR made me think about slipping him to the next group, but his 49 HOF Standard is head and shoulders above the rest of those in the waiting.

Burly slugger and fan favorite Kevin Mitchell doesn’t have a high HOF Standard mark (23), but his 143 circuit shots in just five seasons in San Francisco puts him in good company (and who can forget his one hand catch?).   Antonelli has a lower HOF Standard too, but he shined for the Giants from ’54 to ’59 with WAR marks of 7.5, 4.4, 6.2, 3.9, 4.1 and 5.7.

Bancroft’s HOF numbers are questionable, but his WAR average for the Giants is 4, and James has him as 28^th best SS.

Trolling down Baseball Reference’s season-by-season list of “Top Players” for the Giants, I noticed that Burns is a four-time winner in this regard.   He joins Rusie, Mathewson, Ott, Mays and Bonds as the only other Giants who did it four times.

Pretty darn impressive, as is this sixth class.   We now have 43 members in the Hall of Giants.

 

Freak Season

Giants fans having withdrawal symptoms will want to check out "Freak Season," a website that has info on an upcoming look at Tim Lincecum.  Photojournalist Deanne Fitzmaurice teamed up with columnist Joan Ryan on a photography book on the Giants' ace. 

No word yet on a specific publication date, but they’re saying December.

Fitzmaurice’s blog has some teasers…

 

 

 

Hall of Giants: Class Five

Feeling the need to give McGraw some help, I’m tabbing managers Jim Mutrie, Leo Durocher, Roger Craig and Dusty Baker for my next class.

Also, we need to start recognizing the bullpen, so Hoyt Wilhelm, Rod Beck and Robb Nen get the call.

With this group of seven, my Hall of Giants now has 38 greats of the Orange and Black.

 

 

Hall of Giants: Class Four

Last week, the BBWAA selected Felix Hernandez of the Mariners as the winner of the A.L. Cy Young Award.   As writers and bloggers observed, his selection, along with Tim Lincecum winning the NL award last year, rang the bell loudly for sabermetrics and objective analysis.   Rightly so, the voters got what Bill James and others have been saying all along - forget wins and losses, and look at the stats like WHIP.

Sabermetrics has also helped bring recognition to players who, at first glance, don’t seem all that great career-wise.   One of the best examples of this is Darrell Evans, who I have selected for this fourth group.   In his Historical Abstract, James writes that Evans, who owns a career lifetime batting average of .248, is “the most underrated player in baseball history.”  He goes on to list 10 reasons why.

I won’t list them all, but as many fans and writers now know, the important stats are on base and slugging, adjusted for park factors and era, and Evans shines in this aspect.  In addition, he was a very good defensive player.

Another one of my selectees for this group, George Van Haltren,  also might raise eyebrows.  Before I looked at his numbers, I had him pegged as a player to be selected more towards the end.  But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that his HOF Standard is 50.  That puts him right at the Hall of Fame level.   

The others in this group need no touting, with the exception of Mike Tiernan, who played for the Giants from 1887 to 1899.   His numbers are solid and include a 42 Hall of Fame Standard.  

Also, some might be wondering why Mickey Welch didn’t go in sooner.   He could have, but I was influenced by James, who believes that the quality of play in the 19^th Century was not as good as it was later.   As much as I love the mustachioed era,  I can’t argue with The Great One. 

So welcome to these eight players (Welch, Clark, McGinnity, Tiernan, Evans, Van Haltren, Bresnahan and Ward), who bring the total to 31.   So far, it’s not always been easy for me to say who goes in and when, but the really tough decisions lie ahead.     At some point, I’m going to have to draw that line on my piece of paper, closing the door on players who tugged at our hearts and burned great memories into our minds, but whose numbers are not quite good enough.  

But this is baseball, so it’s still fun…

 

 

Roger Connor Biography

Earlier this month, I posted a note about a new biography of Roger Connor by Roy Kerr.   This is the first book-length bio on the Giants slugger, who was the franchise’s greatest 19^th Century player.

Kerr’s book is now available for pre-order at Amazon and McFarland.  

Also, as I noted, Kerr is now working on his next biography, which will be on Buck Ewing.

 

 

Hall of Giants: Class Three

With the first two classes enshrined, my Hall of Giants now has 17 members - the All-Time Nine Team, plus McGraw, and the Special Seven taken from the players the retired names and numbers.    

For the rest of the way, I will choose from a list of candidates I have compiled from the following:

The 16 Hall of Famers who have five or more years with the Giants.

 

Those Giants who rank high in Bill James’s Historical Abstract (final cutoff to be determined) with five or more years on the team.

 

Other name players with five or more years on the team.

 

For all of these I wrote down their ranking in James’s Abstract, and their WAR, HOF Standards and Gray Ink at Baseball Reference.    I will then rank order these players.

Some may wonder, why not induct the 16 Hall of Famers first?  

It’s an impressive group, but some of them have less than stellar stats, and have been identified as somewhat dubious selectees for Cooperstown.   For example, Rube Marquard’s total WAR is just 28 in 18 seasons, and George Kelly has 24 in 16 seasons.

Before you send me a nasty email, please know that I am leaning toward having a “Big Hall,” and will take into consideration things like if a player played a long time with the Giants, and other factors.    At the same time, however, I want to make it a “Hall of Merit” as much as possible.

So, without further adieu, I give you Class Three.

Tim Keefe, Amos Rusie, Frankie Frisch, Johnny Mize, Bobby Bonds, and Will Clark.

Welcome to this group.    They include an early great, an ace with a blazing fastball, a key player in the Giants winning four pennants in a row, a home run swatter and “Window Breaker,” one of the most exciting Giants ever, and one of my favorite Giants.

This brings my Hall of Giants total to 23.    Group four is up next.

By the way, are you having as much fun with this as I am??

 

Hall of Giants, Class Two

Last time we looked at the original class, if you will, into my Hall of Giants.   Those players were based on position.  The following and the rest are not based on position.

These next seven are from the list of 11 retired names and numbers by the Giants, the ones who did not make the original class.

They are, Bill Terry, Carl Hubbell, Monte Irvin, Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry.

That gives us 16 players plus McGraw, a good start but there’s still some great and very good players to recognize.  Stay tuned.