I was watching an old movie, yeah, a baseball movie. It starred James Stewart and June Allison. True story. It was about Monty Stratton. Stratton was a RH pitcher who pitched for the White Sox for parts of five seasons. He had a 36-23 record with a 3.71 ERA and 196 K’s. He won 15 games in 1937 and again in 38. His future with the Sox looked bright. He was 26 years old. In November of 1938, Stratton was hunting rabbits on his family farm when he fell and accidentally discharged his shotgun into his leg. It damaged a major artery enough to require amputation the next day.
Fitted with a wooden leg, Stratton worked with the White Sox for the next two seasons as a coach and batting practice pitcher. In 1939, the Sox set up a charity game at Comiskey Park against the Cubs. The proceeds from the game, $28,000, went to Stratton. He took the mound to demonstrate he could still pitch, although he could not transfer weight to his artificial leg. Stratton would never pitch in the majors again, but he did pitch in the minors for parts of five seasons. In 1946 he pitched for Sherman of the East Texas League and won 18 games with a 4.17 ERA. Although he pitched for a few more years, he was never that effective again. His biggest problem was getting off of the mound quick enough to field bunts. Stratton passed away in 1982 at age 70.
The movie got me thinking about other players who had deformities or, in a few cases, were missing limbs and still played the game. So I thought I would profile a few of those guys here.
Pete Gray
Pete’s birthname was Peter James Wyshner. He was one of five children born to Lithuanian immigrants, Antoinette and Peter Wyshner. His brother was a professional boxer who boxed under the name Whitey Gray. Gray lost his arm in a farming accident when he was about 7. He finished his formal education at age 13. He went to work as a water boy at the Truesdale Colliery. He did not like to be treated differently because of his disability. By the time he was 19, he was playing semi-pro baseball. He changed his last name to Gray like his brother had to avoid ethnic prejudice.
He had try-outs with the St. Louis Browns and the Philadelphia A’s. Neither team came calling. When Pearl Harbor happened, he attempted to join the Army but was rejected because he was an amputee. “If I can learn how to hit a baseball one-handed, I can damn sure learn to handle a rifle.” He said. At age 27 in 1942, he joined a team in the Class-C Canadian American League. He batted .381 in 42 games. At class A-1 the next season, he hit .289 with the Memphis Chicks. In 1944 with the Chicks again, he hit .333 and had five homers.
His contract was purchased from the Chicks before the 1945 season for $20,000 dollars. Pete would play 77 games in his only MLB season. He hit .218, with 8 of his 51 hits going for extra bases. He was released after the season when players started coming back from the war. He played for four more seasons before finally hanging up his spikes. He was near penniless and had alcohol issues after leaving the game. He often wondered if he could have made it had he had both arms. Pete died at age 90 in 2002. His glove is in the Hall of Fame.
Bert Sheppard
Unlike Monty Stratton, who lost his leg after he had pitched in the majors, Bert Sheppard’s career was derailed before he got the chance. In WWII, he was shot down in his P-38 during his 34th mission. His leg was mangled and removed by German Lieutenant Doctor Ladislaus Loidi. He learned to pitch again with an artificial leg that was made by a Canadian doctor and fellow prisoner, Doug Errey. When he returned to the US in 1945, he hoped to resume his baseball career. He had pitched for several teams prior to the war, including the Anaheim Aces in 1941. He impressed Senator owner Clark Griffith enough that he was hired as a pitching coach. He would pitch in exhibitions and batting practice. On August 5, 1945, he was called on in the 4th inning of a game against the Red Sox in DC that the Senators were way behind in. He thus became the first and only player with an artificial leg to pitch in a major league game.
He was very effective in his 5.1-inning stint. He allowed only three hits and one run. The game was notable for a couple of other reasons. He relieved Joe Cleary, whose surrender of seven runs on five hits and three walks in one-third of an inning gave him an ERA of 189.00. That was the highest in MLB history for a pitcher who recorded at least one out. Also, outfielder Tom McBride tied a major league record with 6 RBIs in one inning, the inning Cleary pitched. In between doubleheaders on August 31st, Sheppard received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for his service in WWII. Sheppard would in 1968 and 1971, win the US Amputee Golf Championship. He died when he was 87 and is buried in the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
Jim Abbott
Jim Abbott was born with a stump for a right hand. But this never kept him from pursuing sports as a child. At Flint High School, he was a standout pitcher and the quarterback on the football team. He was drafted in the 36th round draft in the 1985 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He instead went to the University of Michigan.
At UM, he was named the James E. Sullivan award winner as the outstanding amateur athlete of the year. In 1988, he was drafted in the first round by the California Angels. He made it to the majors in 1989. He won 12 games in his rookie season. He would win 18 in 1991 when the Angels were looking to trim payroll and dealt him to the Yankees. Part of their return for Abbott was JT Snow, who would be their first baseman for years. Abbott struggled with the Yanks, but in 1993, he pitched a no-hitter against the Indians. He would have a 10-year career in the majors. His final stats were 87-108, with an ERA of 4.25. In his last season, he played for the Brewers in the NL. That forced him to bat for the first time in the majors. He had two hits in twenty-one at-bats. Both hits were off of Jon Lieber of the Cubs, and both drove in runs. They came in two different games. Abbott now works as a motivational speaker.
Chad Bentz
Chad Bentz, like Abbott, was born with a deformed hand. His deformity did not keep the Expos from drafting him in the 7th round in 2001. As a freshman in college, he met Jim Abbott, and he became his mentor. Bentz only pitched briefly in the majors appearing in 36 games for the Expos in 2004. The next season he appeared in only four games for the Marlins. One very interesting item about Bentz. After being released in 2009, he joined the Castleton State College football team in Castleton, Vermont. Up to 265 pounds, he was a running back for the division 1 team. He played in 9 games, carrying the ball 12 times for 29 yards and two touchdowns. He was later a coach for their baseball team!
LOU BRISSIE
To me, one of the more amazing stories is that of Lou Brissie. Brissie began his baseball career in 1940 at age 16. He attracted the attention of Connie Mack, but his father insisted he finish school. He attended Presbyterian College before enlisting in the Army in 1942. In November of 1944, his unit, the 88th infantry division, was involved in heavy fighting in Italy. His unit came under a heavy artillery barrage. A shell exploded near him and shattered his left tibia and shinbone into 30 pieces. At the field hospital, the doctors told him his leg had to be amputated. He replied that he was a baseball player and insisted the leg be saved even if it jeopardized his life. His military citations would include the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart with an Oak Leaf Cluster, and the ETO and American campaign medals.
Two years and twenty-three operations late, he was able to return to baseball with a metal brace on his leg. Brissie would sign with the Philadelphia A’s in 1946. In 1947, Brissie was sent to the A’s AA farm team in Savannah, Georgia. He won 25 games there and was called up to the A’s in September, realizing his dream to play major league baseball.
His first start in 1948 was against the Red Sox. During the game, Ted Williams hit a shot back up the middle that hit Brissies leg, and it caused him to collapse. When Williams got to first, he went to the mound feeling bad because he thought he had really injured Brissies badly. Brissie looked up and saw Williams saying, “For christ’s sakes, Williams, pull the ball.” Brissie would beat the Sox 4-2 that day, striking Williams out for the final out of the game. Brissie would spend parts of 7 seasons in the majors and finish with a 44-48 record with a 4.07 ERA. He won 14 games in 1948 and 16 in 1949.
Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown. Brown lost two fingers on his right hand in a farming accident in his youth. He would gain a nickname and learn how to hold a ball and make it break erratically, “knuckle-curve, and with that pitch, became one of the elite pitchers in the majors in the early part of the 1900s. Brown would go on to win 239 games, losing 120 in his 14 years in the majors. He had a career ERA of 2.07. He pitched in 4 World Series for the Cubs, Winning twice, 07-08.
Mental Problems
Before we move on to a couple of other players who had to overcome either physical deformities or Illness issues, I thought I would touch on a couple of players who suffered mental issues that were not diagnosed at the time. Rube Waddell was a very good pitcher who, at the time, was considered just a little wacky. A lefty, he was a strikeout pitcher at a time when players made very good contact. He strengthened his arms by throwing rocks at birds while working on the family farm. He was definitely not your normal child. Once when he was three, he wandered over to a local fire station and stayed there for three days. He did not attend school very often.
He once left a game to go fishing. He would often chase after fire trucks even while he was pitching a game. Back then, these were just considered eccentricities. He would disappear sometimes in the offseason, and no one would know where he was. Then it was discovered he was wrestling alligators in a circus. Waddell also drank excessively, which added to the instability. Some now consider that Waddell might have been suffering from some sort of mental illness and at the very least, ADD. Still, he was one of the better left-handers of his time. While helping the city of Hickman, Kentucky battle a flood, he contracted pneumonia. It sapped much of his energy. He contracted it again when there was another flood in Hickman, and that led to him contracting tuberculosis. He died at the age of 37 in 1914
Jim Piersall’s battles are well documented. He had what we call today bipolar disorder. He signed with the Red Sox in 1948 when he was 18. He broke into the major leagues in 1950. As his career progressed, he became less and less stable. In 1952 things took a drastic turn for the worse. He had a fistfight with Yankee second baseman Billy Martin. After that settled down, he had an altercation with teammate Mickey McDermott in the Red Sox clubhouse. After several such altercations, including Piersall spanking the four-year-old son of teammate Vern Stephens, son in the clubhouse during a game, he was demoted to Birmingham on June 28th.
In less than three weeks with Birmingham, he was ejected from games four times. The last one was in the second inning after he struck out. He celebrated his teammate, Milt Boiling’s homer by spraying home plate with a water pistol. Suspended for three games, he entered the Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts. He was diagnosed with nervous exhaustion. He underwent electroshock therapy and took a new drug called lithium which seemed to level his moods. He spent the next seven weeks there and missed the rest of the season. He would return to the Red Sox in 1953 and finish 9th in the MVP vote. Although his behavior changed some, he still had some memorable moments that were considered a little off the wall. He once wore a Beatle wig to the plate while playing air guitar with his bat. He also ran the bases backward when he hit his 100th career homer.
Hack Wilson is a Hall of Fame player. He holds the major league record for the most RBIs in a season with 191 in 1930. He had a monster season that year. He was considered one of the premier power hitters of his era. He also was a heavy drinker and, on occasion, a brawler. Studying his behavior and an early addiction to alcohol, some have concluded that Wilson may well have had fetal alcohol syndrome. Some of these diagnoses by researchers now are also based on the physical characteristics Wilson had. A large head, small feet, and short legs and arms are consistent with the syndrome. Not being able to control the impulse to drink later in life is also another symptom. All of this contributed to his short life. He was more or less portrayed by Tom Hanks in the movie “A League of Their Own“.
Several players have made the majors even though they were deaf. One of the earliest was Dummy Hoy. Hoy played in the majors for 14 years. Another would be Curtis Pride, who spent 11 years in the majors. Perhaps one of the strangest stories I found was about a player named Charlie Faust. Faust spent three seasons with the NY Giants. He only pitched in two games over that time. But Faust had gone to a fortune teller who had him convinced he was supposed to lead the Giants to the pennant. So John McGraw kept him around. Sure enough, the Giants won the pennant all three seasons. But they lost the series each time. He left the team in 1913. He spent the rest of his life in a mental institution.
Freddie Sanchez
Freddie Sanchez and our next subject both overcame being born with a club foot and a pigeon-toed foot. Doctors questioned if he would ever be able to walk. He had several surgeries to correct the problems, and eventually, he was able to pursue his dream of playing in the majors. Sanchez had a 10-year career in the majors. He won a batting title, hitting .344 in his second full season in the big leagues. He was a career .297 hitter.
Jim Mecir
Mecir was also born with two club feet. He, like Sanchez, needed multiple surgeries to correct the problem. He would go on to pitch 11 seasons, mostly with the A’s; he was 29-35 with a 3.77 ERA and 12 saves.
Vision problems would make playing baseball almost impossible. But there are a couple of players who worked their way to the bigs in spite of being visually challenged. One was Ryne Duren. Duren wore glasses with lenses that looked like they were as thick as a coke bottle. He had a tremendous fastball and little control of the same. He would often throw his first warmup all the way to the backstop. Many a hitter was pretty intimidated from that point forward. Duren pitched ten years in the majors. He was an All-Star four times. He finished with a 27-44 career record, 3.83 ERA, 55 saves, and 41 HBP.
Tom Sunkel
One of the more improbable careers belongs to this man, Tom Sunkel. He was injured in his eye in an accident with a toy gun. Doctors saved the eye, but he could barely see out of it. Over the years, cataracts developed, and he lost most of the vision in his eye. He pitched a couple of years for the Cardinals. Just as his career was getting started, he went totally blind in the eye. That was 1939. In 1941 he was signed by the Giants and, for the next four years, pitched in the big leagues. His last season, 1944, was spent with Brooklyn. He was 9-15 in his career.
Many other players have had to deal with some sort of disability. The Dodgers saw that firsthand when Jim Eisenreich came over in the Piazza deal. Jim was suffering from Tourette’s syndrome. Al Kaline battled osteomyelitis as a child. Ron Santo, Bill Gullickson, and Sam Fuld all battled with Type-1 diabetes. Several battled cancer. Many of us remember Dave Dravecky. Dravecky broke his arm, which had been weakened by his battle with cancer, delivering a pitch. Well, there they are, some of the players who made their big league dreams come true despite the obstacles they had to overcome.
Future Dodgers Down on the Farm (by Mark)
- OKC won13-5
- Bobby Miller started and went 5.2 innings, allowed nine hits and 5 R. He was just about perfect through 4.0 innings (just like Stone yesterday). He walked one and struck out 3. You have to look at him pitch and say, “how in the hell…” That’s the main reason I think he should pitch out of the bullpen. He seems to lose focus at times. Andrew Miller had the same issues until they put him in the pen.
- Victor Gonzalez pitched one inning, allowed one hit, and struck out 1.
- Mike Busch hit his 27th HR to go with 86 RBI, .278 BA, .360 OB%, and .892 OPS.
- Miguel Vargas was 2-4 with 2 BB. Miguel also stole two bases… he now has 15 on the year.
- Edwin Rios was 2-6 with a HR.
- Jason Martin hit his 27th HR., scored three runs, and had 3 RBI.
- Hunter Feduccia was 2-5 with 5 RBI (a HR was included).
- Jacob Amaya was 2-5 with his 3rd HR.
- Wichita beat Tulsa 10-7.
- Brandon Lewis hit a 2-Run HR.
- Leonal Valera hit a 3-Run HR.
- Great Lakes beat the Lug Nuts 12-1.
- Diego Cartaya hit his 22nd HR – a 3-Run Shot and drove in 4 runs as he went 2-5. (.949 OPS)
- Vivas, Vargas, Ramos, and Diaz all had two hits.
- Emmett Sheehan went five innings and allowed two hits and one run. He walked 0 while striking out 11. He’s a mover, and you need to be watching.
- The Modesto Nutsbeat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-5.
- Dalton Rushing was merely mortal, going 1-4 – it was a double, however!
Dodger News & Notes (by Mark)
- The Bazooka is returning soon.
- Tommy Kahnle threw a simulated game and hit 97 MPH yesterday.
- V-Gon also pitched an inning
- Danny Dufy pitched an inning.
- Blake Treinen is working his way back.
- Yency Almonte is expected back the second week of September.
- Of course, all might not make it back, and someone else may get injured, but Friedman’s Boys have that covered!
- If they all come back, who goes away? What a great problem to have. “Bawwwwwahhhh! We have too many pitchers.”
- Did someone say that maybe Kershaw should not pitch in the playoffs? If he’s healthy, why in the world would you not want a guy with a 2.64 ERA and a 0.984 WHIP on the team?
- Dustin May was better than advertised. Walker Who?
- Speaking of Walker Buehler, some fans have wondered aloud why the Dodgers did not know what was wrong with Walker’s arm after he had surgery on his elbow. I am going to say that the dodgers had Dr. Neal ElAttrache perform the surgery, and he will also perform the surgery this week on it, and it is still not clear exactly what the problem is. They should know more after the surgery. Maybe they should have had someone better than Dr. Neal ElAttrache perform the surgery. He’s only the best on the planet… maybe they should have sought help from Uranus?
- Mike Petriello wrote an excellent article for MLB yesterday about the Dodgers’ Dominance. Back in the day, Mike and Jon Weisman were occasional commenters on LADT. We took different paths (not that I could ever write like Mike). I remained a hobby blogger and built a multi-million dollar company while he built his brand and became a famous writer and TV Personality. I would not trade places and he wouldn’t either. I remember MSTI:
Bear –
Great idea for an article! Did see the Monty Stratton story with Jimmy Stewart; the one I remember best was Jim Abbott who was an inspiring story for a long time. Thanks for reminding us of what these men overcame to play the game of baseball.
Dustin May looked overpowering last night; hope he stays healthy. It will be interesting to watch today’s starter – Sandy Alcantara – to compare Dodger starters with the best in MLB.
Great article – Thanks.
Jim Abbott’s a good listen when he’s talking story. Cool Papi.
Watching D May dealing felt pretty good. Kid’s got it. What else to say?
For all the people on this site singing the praises of Devin Williams ,the closer of the Brewers last Thursday, well yesterday he couldn’t protect a 3-2 Brewer lead in the ninth inning and they eventually lost the game to the Cubs, not exactly a powerhouse. He threw 37 piches,21 for strikes,3BB OK 1H 1 run in .2IP. and was taken out of the game .Hopefully the 37 pitches will put him out of action in the first game against us on Monday against the Brewers.
Dustin May was fantastic yesterday. As you said better than advertised and much better than we could have hoped for. If he continues like this he could be the ace in the hole for a WS title this season.
His stuff is electric, wicked, filthy. And his fastball will probably tick up some more as he builts up stamina.
Surprised that Lux was out of the lineup vs a RHP yesterday.
Today we will get a look at probably the new CY winner in the NL this season. Alcantara is a stud and the Dodgers will have a hard time to get some runs off of him very likely. Hope Pepiot is having a good game to keep us in the game.
Bobby Miller is an enigma. Looks untouchable for 4-5 innings but then all of a sudden he loses it . Hope the Dodgers can correct it. his stuff has ace written all over him but if not move him to the pen for a 2-3 innings or make him a closer.
Cartaya keeps mashing. Glad the Dodgers kept both him and Miller at the deadline. Both will be mainstays for years to come.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!
He won’t be CY Young after today’s beating.
Gonsolin has him beat anyhow.
Nice writeup Bear. I was lucky enough to watch on TV Jim Abbott’s no hitter against the Indians in 1993 when he played for the Yankees. An amazing feat.
… especially with one arm! 😉
Baez released
WHEW!!
I am going to miss the game today. We are getting together to play some music. All pitchers have a bad day now and then. I have never seen a reliever have a perfect season.
Éric Gagné…
Might seem that way, but in the three years where he had 152 saves, and set the record for most consecutive saves, he lost 7 games. No one is perfect.
Got popped.
Bear, what a fascinating write up on these players. When you consider how difficult it is to reach and play in MLB these stories are incredible. I remember Jimmy Piersall’s antics and watching Jim Abbott’s incredible pitching and how he handled his disability. I never knew about Freddie Sanchez’s disability. And for him to win a batting title in his second year is quite an accomplishment.
May looked like he hadn’t missed a beat after his first inning of understandable jitters. He should be a real asset for the postseason and could possibly replace Buehler’s clutch performances we have seen in the past.
Those posters who have been here for a few years know that I have been critical of Cody since the end of his 2019 MVP season. I was a fan and enjoyed watching him play and marveled at his athleticism. But, as I watched him fade in the second half of 2019 I started to see some flaws in his approach and swing that might not be sustained able. I cannot break down a swing like philjones, but when I see a hitter swinging as hard as possible with every at bat it will eventually lead to injuries. Not matter how athletic a player might be the body cannot take that kind of stress on an everyday basis. In discussing Bellinger with my neighbor during his second season (2018) I told him my concern after watching another incredible athlete, Tiger Woods, put tremendous stress on his body by swinging as hard as possible all the time. Hidden tree root, two foot high rough, cart path, or awkward stance it didn’t matter. It lead to several knee and back surgeries and cut his career by several years. And this was one of the most well conditioned and athletic persons in the world. As is Cody. Until he isn’t.
Cody’s hitting problems continued during the Covid shortened 2020 season. His stats projected over a full season would have been 25 HR with about 90 RBI and his average at .238. Down a bit but still a nice season. He performed well in the postseason to help the team win the WS. Unfortunately, Kiki was too aggressive in trying to removed Cody’s arm during a HR celebration. Surgery was done in the offseason to repair to fix his chronic condition once and for all. Cody Broke his leg in the first part of the 2021 season. So, along with gaining back the strength in his arm he had to deal with the leg rehab. On his return from the leg injury it was determined that his arm was still not at full strength because he continued to struggle at the plate. I found it confusing and frustrating that many here were using the injuries as an excuse for his continued poor offensive output. He was playing GG outfield, but he had that broken leg to still deal with. He swung as hard as he could at every at bat regardless of the situation and yet he still had problems making contact and being productive because of still rehabbing shoulder. I called BS. Yes, his past injuries may have caused some regression in his hitting, but one would think you make adjustments in your approach. Not Cody. My approach worked 3-4 years ago it will work now. Until it doesn’t. It’s not like he doesn’t have some examples of how to maybe make a change to how he attempts to hit a baseball. Watch Freddie or Will hit. It could help him be more successful and, more important, reduce the physical demands he puts on his body.
To think that Cody is going to finally make the changes necessary with his swing in the off season would be a surprise to me. That’s what bothers me about Cody more than anything is wasting his tremendous talent. He has the potential to be a top five player in baseball and a lock in for the Hall of Fame. He could hit .325-.350 with 30+ HRs and 120+ RBIs year in and year out. Add his GG defense and speed on the bases he should be great. I mean all time great. It’s possible the game is not that important to him. It’s difficult to understand why he refuses to change his batting approach. I have resigned myself to the fact he will not change and accept that he is .210 hitter that hits an occasional HR and plays GG defense and can steal a base now and then. When some want a injury riddled, journeyman Trayce Thompson to replace Cody then that kind of says it all.
Carry on.
I don’t know about Cody. Maybe Mark’s insider connections can link up to a guy in the industry who can give some insight into Cody’s swing issue, but to me the problem somewhat fundamental and basic. He has a long, looping swing that takes time to get going and generate his bat speed. It’s like watching an oil tanker make a three point turn – it’s an arduous and complicated process. It’s not the clean, efficient swing of a Mike Trout that is short but still violent.
Because of this he has to be a timing/guess hitter. Justin Turner with his leg kick is a really good timing hitter. It almost seems when watching him load up to hit a ball like he’s playing in a slow pitch softball league, but he’s till pulling triple digit fastballs. Once you see this, it’s impressive, even if JT’s skills are diminishing with age.
To do this you have to have really good pitch recognition. Unfortunately, Cody does not. It’s not a hurt shoulder, or the shift. It’s just a fundamental mismatch between his swing style and his ability to recognize pitches. If his swing was shorter, quicker and cleaner, he could react better to pitches as he sees them. He can’t, so it also gets in his head and he resorts to guessing, which makes him even less able to react if he guesses wrong. Now his head and his confidence are a mess.
I don’t know if he’s fixable.
You may be right about the results, but I believe you are making a “straw man.” By all accounts, Cody is working as hard as he can and is more frustrated than all of us put together.
A “swing overhaul” will have to be done in the offseason.
I agree, I did notice last night that one adjustment he has made is that he is choking up noticeably on the bat,
They were also noting that they thought he was using a bat with a slightly thicker handle. That, and choking up might just speed things up a little bit.
At the risk of looking like an idiot what I see with Cody’s swing is he generates his power like a like a coiled spring and and has to commit to a pitch to soon for judge the movement of the balls path. I think he should take a look at Stan The Man’s slingshot approach to generate power in his swing and allow more of a chance to adjust to the ball’s movement. I don’t know if I’m wording this right or even if it’s possible for anybody to change what makes them capable to get to the show in the first place. As a child watching pitching I was amazed how their arm was extended almost like drawing a circle to deliver the release and I could never throw like that. My throws were more like a shotput. Again I don’t know how to put my words to make sense but I can see the difference with pitchers that throw like I threw and ones with that straiter-less elbow delivery. What I’m saying is I could not throw a ball, rock or anything as graceful as some no matter how much I tried. My body or my brain just wouldn’t allow it. I think I took the risk out of this and now a proven idiot I’m still gonna post it.
Quaz, I used to teach a “Sling Drill” or “throwing backwards” from release back to the full body. The drill can help with some guys who were “pie throwers”. They pushed the ball which was really well suited to throwing knuckleballs but not so good to get all the power that can be generated when all 5 slings are used to throw. Start on a knee. Hold a ball up and in a release position above the head. The 1st sling is just the first 2 fingers on the throwing hand on the ball. Just use those 2 fingers to propel the ball a short distance to your target. Next, add a wrist snap with the fingers, No arm yet. Just wrist and fingers to propel the ball. Next, add your elbow to wrist (no shoulder or body rotation just yet). Even take your opposite hand and hold the bottom of your elbow to keep it stable. You’re now flicking the ball farther to your receiver. Now the 4th sling. Use use your shoulder to the elbow to propel your arm forward to the target still a short ways away but lengthening. The 5th sling is now upper body rotation. Point your off elbow to the target and rotate the upper body using all of the previous slings to propel the ball. Roation, shoulder to elbow, elbow to hand and wrist and finally that finger snap. You can do all that flat ground from a knee. Then stand up step to the target and throw using all 5 slings. That should eliminate pie throwing.. It’s a nice drill I’ve used with success and paints a nice mental picture of proper throwing mechanics.
That wouldn’t help me nowadays -I use a wheelchair to get my mail. But I was trying to compare my difficulty with what I see with Cody’s swing so different than Stan’s. I think you get my point. I like your comparison. Do you have a drill for batters? Somehow I think you could be of real help to Cody.
Interesting article. I was thinking a little more about the mental illness and baseball since your article mentioned some notable examples. We all remember Andrew Toles and how unfortunate his situation was. (BTW, thinking of him reminded me of our female poster – I don’t recall her handle – who passed away some time ago and loved Toles.)
I think mental illness is probably much more prevalent in baseball, just as mental illness is much more prevalent in our larger society than we’re willing to admit. I think I read somewhere that Danny Duffy had suffered from depression in the past, and it got me thinking of other players who may had some mental illness that affected their careers. The first guy who came to mind was Milton Bradley. At least the Dodgers were able to get Andre Ethier for him, but that guy …. just reading his Wikipedia page is actually a little sad – for his victims and for him. Sure, he’s violent and abusive, but I think he just suffers from some sort of narcissistic personality disorder, which is nearly impossible to treat. It ended his career. It’s ended his marriages. It’s likely ending his freedom. It’s a sad life to be governed by fits of rage.
I’ve begun to really appreciate Trea Turner on the Dodgers. I think he has actually been the catalyst of this offense – maybe even more so than Mookie. Offensively, he does everything, and he’s involved in everything. Unfortunately, my pre-season prediction that there is a “snowball’s chance in hell that the Dodgers sign him” is only slightly changed. Maybe. Still highly doubtful.
Although I love his game (except for him disappearing in the playoffs and his unfortunate resemblance to David Hogg), and would be happy if the Dodgers signed him, it makes some sense for the Dodgers to part ways with him for a few reasons.
All Michael Bush as done in the minor leagues is hit. He has no business spending another year at AAA. Either play him next year or package him in a trade … but for who? The Dodgers are already loaded. He’s Lux’s age. He should be playing at 2nd next year, Which means Lux slides over to SS.
Not having to pay the exorbitant salary a TT megadeal will command opens up some other possibilities. There’s a chance the Dodgers could reset the salary cap next year. If the Dodgers win the WS this year, both Kershaw and JT can retire as winners. It would be a good bookend for the two most popular Dodgers at the end of their careers. It would also mean JT’s 16 million comes off the books and CK’s 17 mil come of the books. David Price’s 16 mil is off the books for sure. Andrew Heaney is just as likely to move on, which saves another 8.5 mil. Kimbrel and his bird pose are beyond gone next year, which saves 16 million. Maybe the Dodgers resign Treinen, but just as likely not, which saves another 8.5 million. That’s 82 million saved so far. I haven’t really looked at how far off the Dodgers are to getting under the cap, or what the cap even is these days, but it’s conceivable that could happen.
That does a couple of things. Yeah, the Dodgers are financially loaded and pretty stable, but it’s getting dinged on the draft position is where being over the penalty hurts. I think the Dodgers would like to get under just to get rid of that handicap.
If you sign TT to some 35+ AAV deal it kind of puts a kibosh on that whole thing. IMO.
Treinen is signed for next year. Well, it’s a $8M team Option or a $1.5 Buyout, and if I am not mistaken, the Dodgers have already exercised it.
I believe the Dodgers already have Trienen signed for next year. As for Trea; he supposedly said during Kershaw’s ping pong tournament that he wants to win it next year. So I guess if Kershaw comes back, a Trea will as well.
What about Bauer’s 40 million? Is that going to be tied up in lawsuits or are we out of paying him as he is suspended?
As long as he’s suspended by the league for two years, his contract is effectively null and void as far as any financial liability goes. I would imagine the Dodgers are only on the hook if he gets reinstated through appeal, which is a long shot.
Was just doing a little more reading. You know, I forgot to subtract Trea Turner’s current 21 million salary. Also, the Dodgers are paying Daniel Hudson 6 million, and he’s likely not going to be re-signed. Duffy is getting 3 mil. Kahnle is getting 2.3 mil. All of that could be coming off the books.
From what I gather, the Dodgers current team salary is 263 million, and with other benefits the total salary susceptible to the competitive tax is 277 million.
If you subtract the current salary penalties for JT, Price, Heaney, TT, Kimbrel, Hudson you’re left with a total payroll of 192.5. The Dodgers could conceivably sign TT to an 8 year/ 300 million deal for an AAV of 37.5 and just skate under the competive balance tax threshold AND still keep Kershaw on for another year. If he retires, then you can apply that 17 million to the miscellaneous Heaneys or Hudsons that are on the market that are pieces to fill roles and give some space to stay under the threshold
The Dodgers could go with this lineup next year:
1. Betts RF
2. Vargas 3B
3. Freeman 1B
4. Smith C
5. Busch 2B
6. Thompson CF
7. Lux SS
8. Gallo/Taylor LF
9. Rios/RH Hitter DH
…. and save about $200 Million.
Rios hits left, but yeah. Not sure I’m ready to give up on Cody and Max, but if he can stay healthy for an entire season, why can’t Rios replace Muncie’s production?
Not sure Vargas can handle 3rd base defensively. JT will be gone soon, either after this year or the next, and I assume Vargas or some combination of Vargas/Rios will take over, but I don’t consider either to be solid defensively. Too bad the Rockies were unwilling to trade us Arenado.
35 long balls? Questionable.
When Max was languishing on Oakland’s bench did anyone think he’d hit 35 long balls?
Rios has had about 290 plate appearances in his MLB career, which is roughly equal to half a season. This includes his disaster last season when he was injured and hit .087 and hit 1 HR I’m over 60 ABS. In this equivalent half season he’s hit 20 homers, which translates to 40 HR.
Rios can hit. He just hasn’t been healthy and given a chance to play a full season
I meant to put a RH Hitter with Rios as a DH Duo.
Yeah, I re-read your comment and figured out that’s probably what you meant. Didn’t catch it the first time.
Interesting and well done post Bear.
* Well, that’s more like it offensively. Nice to see 12 hits.
* Also nice to see Trayce get a start against a RHP. Doc must have read my post yesterday.
* How good is it to see Dustin May back? After the 1st, he settled in nicely. I’d forgotten the movement on his turbo sinker in combo with his slider As I’ve said before you need something that goes right, something that goes left and something that hops, drops or stops. I hope he continues throwing that change.
* Joe said there are bat companies now making bats based on a players biomechanics. How advanced is that? I can see it for golf clubs with all the technology built into the design. But other than the usual length and weight, handle thickness, type of knob, taper and wood type what else is there to do to a bat? Sounds like a money maker to me. I think the best maple bats that are not biomechanically correct cost about $150. retail now. My wood bats growing up cost $3.95. Adirondack and Louisville were the only 2 companies and all were White Ash. No ends concaved and I did have a tapered handle in pro ball. In Little League they tried to reduce expenses and avoid broken bats by putting a yellowish sheath of fiberglass on the handles. It made them slick. No batting gloves then so they were hard to hold. And they still broke. This was well before metal bats became a thing, now at $500.
* Trea Turner has 27 infield hits most of which are irritating wheel hits, nubbers, and swinging bunts. It’s a tribute to him using his attributes like great hands, speed and putting the bat on the ball. Good things happen when you put the ball in play.
* Sorry to see Mark’s post above without TT in it. I hope he’s wrong.
* As I mentioned yesterday. aside from Mookie, our outfielders can’t hit. Bellinger is going to be in center in the playoffs and left is a dilemma for platooning. Gallo and Belli back to back seems a poor idea. CT3 a strike out waiting to happen. For now, Thompson is my pick versus RHP. So what do you do in left against LHP?
* Does anybody know where to find Outman’s splits in the minors this year. I know overall he’s hitting .276 / .916. I’ve looked in my usual places and can’t find his splits, especially against LHP. My curiosity is based on the obscure idea of Outman and Thompson platooning in left IF both have reverse splits. Gallo hits the road and CT3 resumes a utility role. That might be total nonsense but worth a look on paper.
I am not predicting that TT will not be back – just showing some options.
I am not worried about Miguel Vargas – he will be an above-average 3B. If JT retires, let him tutor Miguel.
Outman Stats:
https://www.milb.com/player/james-outman-681546?stats=splits-r-hitting-mlb&year=2022
Thanks Mark. Just the information I was looking for. Not the results I was hoping for however.
Phil,
Google James Outman Baseball Reference for batting splits.
Andrew, I did use Baseball reference but when I used all his minor league stats, it wouldn’t give me splits. I’ll try again. Thanks
It could be under Minor League Game Logs and Splits.
4:10 PM ET
Marlins (52-68)
Dodgers (83-36)
SP Sandy Alcantara R
11-5 1.92 ERA 173IP 152K 43BB
SP Ryan Pepiot R
1-0 4.26 ERA 25.1IP 29K 20 BB
Confirmed Lineup
RF Mookie Betts R
SS Trea Turner R
1B F. Freeman L
C Will Smith R
3B Max Muncy L
DH J. Turner R
2B Gavin Lux L
LF Joey Gallo L
CF C. Bellinger L
Clear-day
0% Rain
79° Wind 7 mph Out
tedraymond, great post. I always enjoy your insight and comments. Your analogy with Tiger Woods is spot on. I wasn’t going to elaborate on Cody Bellinger and what I see as the problems and more importantly what it might take to fix his swing. If I went there at all it was going to be at season’s end as nothing can be done now. I suggested this stuff for last winter but that didn’t happen.
Since I’m not an MLB professional hitting coach, you can take my thoughts with a grain of salt. What do I know other then what I leaned as a player and coach for 30+ years. I did spend a lot of time talking and learning to some very excite people along the way so I could teach baseball skills to young adults.
*** Warning – If you Don’t Want My Opinions on Bellinger’s hitting – PLEASE STOP HERE!
My comments regarding Bellinger actually started with a conversation with Patch a few years ago during a discussion about Belli and a long-term contract someday. I was very clear about my concerns about him. I like the kid, his athleticism and gold glove D at 1st and center. But I don’t like his swing. It’s a young man’s swing that I predicted would it never hold up with advancing age and injuries.After last season I said “I see a lot of work ahead, starting from the ground up”, over the winter. That didn’t happen for whatever reason. You’d need to ask him. So, maybe this winter? I have my doubts but necessity is the mother of invention
Here’s my advice again for the winter:
* Get into a cage with a tee, a bat 3 pairs go batting gloves and a million baseballs.
From the gound up:
* Feet – get off the plate
* Stride – step toward the pitch. His 12 to 15 inch “bucket foot” causes him to open up his lower half and pulls him off the pitch, especially pitches away and up. So practice striding toward the pitcher in balance.
* Stance and posture – Don’t be so upright, assume an athletic posture and launch position at the start, with flexed knees and a spine angle with some tilt. Like a golfers address position.
* Head movement – To me this is the major thing to FIX. With his upright stance he makes a drastic move to get to launch position very late. Watch Belli’s head in slow motion and look where his head travels to and through contact. His head drops 18 inches. I seriously can find no-one else in all of baseball who drops their head a foot to 18 inches after the pitch has been released, to get into their launch position. So assume a posture at the start that mimics where he wants to be at contact and stop the head dip.
* Hands – Most players load their hands. Belli is too busy moving. Most everybody has a “trigger” to get into a launch position on time. Some use the high leg kick, some a knee buckle and most with their hands. Bellinger hitches with his head and hands. He’s very bottom hand dominate with his top hand dipping along for the ride. I suggest he take the top hand to the baseball as a point of emphasis. This gets him to the pitch without the loop.
* Timing – I have never wavered from my statement that when Bellinger’s timing is right, he can hit. The problem is his swing is so hard to time. It’s a long, complicated swing with lots of moving parts, that hasn’t aged well. A new, simplified version would be a lot easier to time and might save his sinking career. Since he is always tardy, he has to swing too hard to catch up to the pitch. And we all know what the problems are caused by swing from your ass every hack.
I’d be delighted to discuss any of this with anyone interested. That’s all I got.
Hey Phil. “Gallo and Belli back-to-back seems a poor idea”. I agree. Let’s hope that today we’re both wrong.
Cross your fingers Hodges54.
You are wrong. At least early on. Lighttower power by Belli and Gallo.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!
Apparently you were.
Alcantara may be the front runner for the CY Young award but todays lineup is hitting .358(24-67) against him lifetime. May not mean anything but we shall see.
Gallo has come to play. If he continues like that the Dodgers caught lighnting in a bottle.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!1
My god Joey Gallo, what a day (after 2+ innings)
Wow!!
Next one who suggest taking Gallo out of LF, shall be banned!
Great job by Doc to let Pepiot keep going, and GREATER job by the rookie to man up and finish 6.
THAT is confidence building, and THAT is why Doc is such a good manager. Pepiot will remember this for the rest of his career.
Well we all were right about the Gallo trade. What was AF thinking! And now Kimbrel is my closer again! Not bad for the kid who couldn’t throw anything off speed for a strike. He’s in the rotation next year NOT the bullpen! Catman two!
Nice team win and good to see Gallo and Belli contribute! We just have to manage expectations on both of these guys. .210 ba with occasional thunder, gg defense and great base running.
Go Blue!!
Air Mail
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRfMXate/
Now for the brew crew in our yard. I thought Alcantara was in for Saturday’s game and knew May would of done great against him. Oh well, we’ll have to see that matchup at a later date. As things turned out all’s well that ends well and we’re back on track for 114+ wins. As it takes 3 wins to every 1 loss to best or even maintain this pace is it likely to happen? I think it’s more than likely with this assortment of Dodgers. Time will tell and the marks in history will show how special 2022 is a year for the books.
PS Congrats to Albert Pujols he’s pretty special too.
Dodgers sure boosted Gonsolin’s chances for the Cy Young today.
Alcantara may still be more deserving, working long and hard for a far lesser team. But if Gonsolin keeps it up, his ERA and W-L record will attract a lot of votes.
Other possible accolades:
Silver Sluggers for Trea, Will Smith and Lux (!). And Mookie has been better than many think: His OPS is better than Trea’s.
MVP has to be Goldschmidt and his monster season. Freddie, Trea and Mookie should be top vote-getters from the Dodgers.
I totally agree that today was a confidence builder for Pepiot. This guy is legit. He’s going to be a rotation fixture very soon when he learns to trust his stuff and not try to be perfect.
Too many starting pitchers, too many relievers, too many outfielders. I’ve never seen a team this deep.
I hate platoons, but it seems reasonable to platoon Belli, Gallo, Thompson and CT3 in LF and CF. All of them are great defenders and they all strike out a ton. But, they all come up with big hits and run the bases well. You can do a lot worse for 8-9 in the lineup. But, please don’t platoon Hanser and Lux. Let Lux play and give him an occasional breather. Hanser should get a day at 3rd from time to time as well.
Brusdar, Kershaw, Treinen, Kahnle, Duffy, V-Gone are all throwing. The next DFA is pretty easy for me. Sorry Eddie, you were a good story. But, what about after that? That’s 4 more 40 man roster spots and you have to think about next year. I can’t think of 4 guys I would cut, much less one more after Alvarez. I want to hold onto Bickford for next year. Cheap and effective.
We’ll have a better idea after Buehler gets cut on again, but next year’s rotation is shaping up to be Urias, Gonsolin, May, Pepiot and you have to expect Kershaw to come back again. With all the chaos in Texas, I think the baseball Gods have spoken. He’s not going to pitch for any other team and he’s been good enough this year, that he’s probably going to want to do it again next year. There’s also that one guy, you know the one!
I guess the Dodgers are Alcantara’s Kryptonite. Who thought that was gonna happen?
I’d sure like to see some revenge against Corbin Burns next week.
They’re finally looking like the greatest team ever and yet none of them look like they’re having career years.
The stats are pretty fun right now.
In terms of individual OPS (the best hitting stat, IMO), Dodgers are ranked 2nd (Freddie), 7th (Mookie), tied for 9th (Will Smith!), tied for 11th (Trea) and and 21st (Lux). (Mookie is a just shade behind Soto and could wind up with a Silver Slugger too.)
For OBP, Freddie is 3rd, Lux 7th and Smith 11th.
For BA, Freddie is 2d, Trea 5th, Lux 9th.
For Runs Scored, Mookie is 1st, Freddie 3rd, Trea tied for 9th.
For RBI, Trea is tied for 4th, Freddie tied for 10th, Smith tied for 12th..
For Hits, Freddie 1st, Trea 2nd and Mookie 21st (while playing 18 fewer games)…
Pitching is just as gaudy, with Gonsolin leading the NL in ERA, WHIP and W-L%, and Urias, Anderson and Kershaw also putting up excellent numbers.
BP –
Right on about your comment “I hate platoons but it seems reasonable to platoon Belli, Gallo, Thompson and CT3 in LF and CF. All of them are great defenders and they all strike out a ton. But, they are come up with big hits and run the bases well. You could do a lot worse for 8-9 in the lineup.”
I agree completely! The back of the Dodger lineup could be the secret weapon in the playoffs! My distaste for platoon baseball goes back to Walter Alston in 50s-60s. But, he did win 3 World Series in LA; six decades later I admit I was wrong.
I heard a comment today from Orel that I have heard many times throughout my life as baseball fan “Baseball is a game of adjustments.” It truly is: pitch to pitch; inning to inning; game to game; and, season to season! JT, Max and others have applied this axiom to their careers; I hope that Belli will embrace it in his off-season hitting work because – IMO – his early career hitting approach is not going to work anymore….my two cents!
Yes, as many have pointed out, Belli needs to adjust his swing. There’s a lot wrong and he still does alright, all things considered. IMO, he’s still very productive for having a 200 batting average. He’ll finish with over 20 Bombs and maybe 30 doubles. The talent is there. Like Mark said, someone’s gonna fix him.
As far as the platoons go. It isn’t ideal. But, all four of them are similar enough in production that it makes sense for this team in the here and now. If those guys had to do it in the middle of the order, I wouldn’t be as impressed. But, doing it in the 8-9 spot is terrific even with all those K’s. And all of them seem to be above average to great on defense.
So many great stories on this team.