Baseball NEWS - Topps : Past & Present Prints

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Yankees NEWS - BBWAA Announces Class of 2014 Hall of Fame Inductees : Joe Torre

 

The Class of 2014 features two 300-game winners, a member of the 500-home run club and three of the members of the Top 5 all-time list for managerial victories.

Torre led the Yankees to six AL pennants and four World Series titles (1996, 1998-2000) in his 12 seasons in New York, and also managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers – winning one division title with Atlanta and two with Los Angeles. His 2,326 wins in 29 seasons rank fifth on the all-time list, and Torre was twice named Manager of the Year by the BBWAA (1996, 1998). In his final 15 seasons as a manager, Torre led his clubs to the postseason 14 times. Torre’s four World Series titles as a manager rank fourth all-time behind Joe McCarthy (7), Casey Stengel (7) and Connie Mack (5) and tied with Walter Alston.

Glavine, whose 305 career victories rank fourth all-time among left-handers, was named on 91.9 percent of ballots cast by the BBWAA on Jan. 8. Glavine was elected on his first time on the BBWAA ballot after receiving 525 votes. A two-time National League Cy Young Award winner and 10-time All-Star Game selection, Glavine was one of the anchors – along with Maddux – of the dominant Braves rotation of the 1990s and 2000s that won five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series title. Glavine was named the World Series Most Valuable Player in ’95 after going 2-0 in the Fall Classic, including pitching eight shutout innings in the decisive Game 6.

Maddux, who was named on 97.2 percent of all ballots cast, won 355 games in his 23 big league seasons, capturing NL Cy Young Awards every year from 1992-95. An eight-time All-Star and 18-time Gold Glove Award winner – a record number for any position – Maddux joins Glavine to become the first long-time members of a rotation elected to the Hall of Fame in the same year since Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell, each members of the Philadelphia A’s rotation from 1902-07, were elected in 1946. Maddux, who received 555 votes in his first time on the BBWAA ballot, won 15-or-more games in a record 17 straight seasons and won four NL earned-run average titles.

Thomas, who was named on 83.7 percent of all ballots cast, hit 521 home runs over 19 seasons in the big leagues, batting .301 while driving in 1,704 runs. Thomas won back-to-back American League Most Valuable Player Awards in 1993-94, led the AL in on-base percentage four times and captured the 1997 AL batting title. The five-time All-Star posted seven straight seasons (1991-97) with at least a .300 batting average, 100 RBI, 100 walks and 20 home runs, the longest such stretch in big league history. Thomas, named on 478 ballots in his first year on the BBWAA ballot, is the first player elected to the Hall of Fame who played the majority of his games as a designated hitter.

Glavine, Thomas and Maddux became the first trio of first-ballot electees selected by the BBWAA since George Brett, Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount in 1999. They join three former managers who were each unanimously elected by the Expansion Era Committee in December: Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre.

Cox skippered the Braves and Blue Jays for 29 seasons, leading his teams to 15 first-place finishes. From 1991-2005, Cox led the Braves to 14 straight seasons where they finished in playoff position. The Braves won five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series under Cox, who finished with 2,504 victories – the fourth-best total of all time. He won the BBWAA’s Manager of the Year Award four times. He won more than 2,000 games with the Braves, becoming only the fourth manager to reach the 2,000 win plateau with one team following Connie Mack (A’s), John McGraw (Giants) and Walter Alston (Dodgers).

La Russa managed the White Sox, A’s and Cardinals for 33 seasons, winning 2,728 games – the third-highest total of all time behind Hall of Famers Connie Mack and John McGraw. He led his teams to 12 first-place finishes, six pennants and three World Series titles – one with the A’s (1989) and two with the Cardinals (2006 and 2011). His teams won 100-or-more games four times and was named the BBWAA’s Manager of the Year in his league four times. He is one of only two managers (along with Sparky Anderson) to win World Series titles in both leagues and the only manager to win All-Star Games in both leagues.

There are now 306 Hall of Fame members, 68 of whom are living.

2014 Award winners Roger Angell, Joe Garagiola and Eric Nadel will receive their recognition and deliver brief speeches during the Awards Presentation on Saturday, July 26 at 4:30 p.m. at Doubleday Field.

NYCC 2013 - Exit : Sandman Mariano Rivera Retirement Exclusive by Brian Kong Booth # H18

Yankees NEWS - Opening Day 2013

Yankee NEWS - Mo to Retire after End of 2013 Season

TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera says this will be his final season.

Cue the Music .. !!

Rivera made the announcement Saturday at the team’s spring training complex. There was word this week that he will retire after the season, and he made it official at a news conference.

Asked how he wanted to end his career, Rivera said, “The last game I hope will be throwing the last pitch in the World Series.

“Winning the World Series, that would be my ambition.”

The 43-year-old Rivera holds the career saves record with 608 and has helped the Yankees win five World Series titles. He is regarded as the greatest closer of all time, whether he’s throwing his cut fastball in the regular season or postseason.

Rivera missed most of last year after tearing his right knee while shagging flyballs during batting practice in early May.

He began the news conference by playfully thanking the Yankees for giving him a new contract for two additional years through 2015 — which would break a team policy of not negotiating new deals before the old ones expire.

“It’s not too easy when you come to a decision like this,” Rivera said, turning serious. “After this year, I will be retired. ... Now you’re hearing it from me. It’s official now.”

Rivera said he would have retired at the end of last season if he had not gotten hurt.

“I didn’t want to leave like that,” he said. “I felt like I wanted to give everything.”

While others have proclaimed him the best closer in baseball history, Rivera wouldn’t put that label on himself.

Ok Mo .. Let Me .. !!

“I don’t feel myself, the greatest of all time. I’m a team player,” he said. “I would love to be remembered as a player who was always there for others.”

Rivera has not pitched in an exhibition game this spring. He usually goes at his own pace in camp, working in the bullpen and throwing in simulated games.

The 12-time All-Star has earned a record 42 saves in the postseason while putting up an 0.70 ERA. He began his major league career in 1995 and has spent his entire time with the Yankees.

Rivera made just nine appearances last season before he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on May 3. He had surgery on June 12.

Rivera returned to his native Panama earlier this week on a personal matter. His wife and two children were by his side for the news conference.

Yankee NEWS - Spring Training : I'm Sooooooo Ready !!!!

YES Network's 2013 Yankees Spring Training Telecast Schedule
Sunday, February 24 Toronto 1:00 pm
Wednesday, February 27 Baltimore 1:00 pm
Thursday, February 28 Toronto 1:00 pm
Friday, March 1 Philadelphia 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 2 Detroit 1:00 pm
Sunday, March 3 @ Boston 1:30 pm
Tuesday, March 5 Atlanta 7:00 pm
Wednesday, March 6 Dominican Republic 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 9 Atlanta 1:00 pm
Monday, March 11 St. Louis 1:00 pm
Wednesday, March 13 Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Friday, March 15 Miami 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 16 Philadelphia 12:00 pm
Wednesday, March 20 Boston 1:00 pm
Thursday, March 21 Minnesota 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 24 Tampa Bay 1:00 pm
Tuesday, March 26 Houston 7:00 pm
Friday, March 29 @Washington (in D.C.) 2:00 pm
Saturday, March 30 @ Army (West Point) 2:00 pm

Schedule subject to change. All times ET

Baseball NEWS - No One Elected to HOF in 2013

Baseball Writers have decided to be punk bitches this year, and not vote ANY player into the Hall of Fame.

Here is a group of people who have never played this game professionally, yet they pass judgement on ALL player inductions. This year they have decided that NO ONE deserves to get into the Hall of Fame.

There are plenty of names on this list below that have never been accused of steroid use.

I call BULLSHIT !!!

I agree that admitted steroid users, or the actual players that have been caught do not belong in the HOF. These punk a$$ bitches have decided to lump a whole "generation" of players as users.

I agree that fringe players do not belong in the HOF, and do not think that players should be voted in just to have a new inductee.

Ballots Cast: 569    Needed for Election: 427
VOTES	PLAYER	PERCENTAGE
388	Craig Biggio	68.20%
385	Jack Morris	67.70%
339	Jeff Bagwell	59.60%
329	Mike Piazza	57.80%
297	Tim Raines	52.20%
272	Lee Smith	47.80%
221	Curt Schilling	38.80%
214	Roger Clemens	37.60%
206	Barry Bonds	36.20%
204	Edgar Martinez	35.90%
191	Alan Trammell	33.60%
123	Larry Walker	21.60%
118	Fred McGriff	20.70%
106	Dale Murphy	18.60%
96	Mark McGwire	16.90%
75	Don Mattingly	13.20%
71	Sammy Sosa	12.50%
50	Rafael Palmeiro	8.80%
19	Bernie Williams	3.30%
18	Kenny Lofton	3.20%
16	Sandy Alomar Jr.	2.80%
6	Julio Franco	1.10%
5	David Wells	0.90%
4	Steve Finley	0.70%
2	Shawn Green	0.40%
1	Aaron Sele	0.20%
0	Jeff Cirillo	0.00%
0	Royce Clayton	0.00%
0	Jeff Conine	0.00%
0	Roberto Hernandez	0.00%
0	Ryan Klesko	0.00%
0	Jose Mesa	0.00%
0	Reggie Sanders	0.00%
0	Mike Stanton	0.00%
0	Todd Walker	0.00%
0	Rondell White	0.00%
0	Woody Williams	0.00%
*Candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote onall ballots cast are removed from future BBWAA consideration; Dale Murphy received 18.6% of the vote in his 15th and final year of BBWAA eligibility.

So .. Let's Talk Baseball People ... 

DONNIE BASEBALL

"The HITMAN"