Monthly Archives: September 2012

The American National Game of Baseball, 1866, Currier & Ives lithograph depicting Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey

After 14 straight losing seasons, the Baltimore Orioles finally clinched a winning campaign earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are sitting on 19 consecutive campaigns below .500, are desperately trying to do the same. Each team’s long run of futility has drawn a lot of attention, but on the flip side, the Yankees’ string of winning seasons has gone unnoticed.

Longest Consecutive Winning Season Streaks, By Franchise

Note: Data is as of 2011; blue bars represent NL; red bars represent AL.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Most people take the Yankees’ success for granted, but with another winning season in the bag, the team now has 20 straight years with an above .500 record. During that span, the Bronx Bombers have compiled a regular season winning percentage of nearly .600 to complement five championships, seven AL pennants, and 12 division titles. The team’s recent struggles heading down the stretch in 2012 have obscured the franchise’s impressive run, but, nonetheless, the Yankees remain in the midst of a golden age.

The Yankees’ current stretch of 20 consecutive winning seasons is the second longest streak of its kind in baseball history. However, it’s a distant second. From 1926 to 1964, the Bronx Bombers reeled off 39 straight winning campaigns, including 18 championships, 25 pennants, and a victory in over 62% of all regular season games. No wonder the Yankees easily lead the majors with the highest percentage of winning seasons.

Winning Season Rates, By Franchise

Note: Includes 2012 season as of September 18, 2012.
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Aside from the Yankees’ two winning season streaks of 39 and 20, the Baltimore Orioles boast the next longest stretch, which lasted for 18 seasons from 1968 to 1985. The best run put forth by a National League team is shared by the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves enjoyed 15 straight winning seasons from 1991 to 2005, while the Cardinals run lasted from 1939 to 1953.

Current Season Streaks, By Franchise

Note: Data is as of 2011
Source: Baseball-reference.com

Among active streaks, the Yankees’ 20-year run is now double the combined total of the next two closest teams because the runner-up Red Sox’ 14 seasons in a row was snapped just two years short of the franchise record. The Cardinals and Rays, who each enter today’s action with 79 victories, are working toward five straight winning seasons, while the Rangers, Giants, and Braves have already notched their fourth consecutive above .500 campaign (with the Tigers also knocking on the door). Meanwhile, should the Pirates join the Orioles on the winning side of the equation, the Royals will take over the lead for the longest streak of losing seasons with nine.

Will this be the year the Pirates finally join the ranks of the winners? How much longer can the Yankees keep their current streak intact? When each team started their current streaks in 1993, the Yankees were coming off their franchise-high fourth straight losing season, while the Pirates were riding three consecutive division titles. In other words, the fortunes of any franchise can turn suddenly, so if there’s one lesson to be learned, fans should never take their team’s achievements for granted. Diamonds may be forever, but in baseball, success on the diamond is not.

Good thing there are still some low-budget, no-frills greasy spoons left in this town.

Ask Bags, he knows.

Check out Joe Posnanski’s appreciation of Miguel Cabrera over at Sports on Earth. Cabrera is in the running for the American League MVP. I don’t think he’s the best player in the league–and I generally feel the best player is the most valuable–because when you factor in base running and defense, Mike Trout is his superior.

But I think Cabrera will win the award (see 1996, Juan Gonzalez over Alex Rodriguez). He’s got the RBI and he’s been great for a long time now. This will like when Paul Newman won the Best Actor Oscar for The Color of Money, a lifetime achievement award. And even if you believe Trout is the MVP, you could do worse than Cabrera.

Whether he’s your MVP or not, he sure is a Load.

[Photo Credit: Robin Buckson/Detroit News]

From the constantly entertaining site, Laughing Squid.

Get healthy and head on over to Food 52 for Edward Giobbi’s spaghetti ala foriana.

What, me worry?

[Image Via This Isn’t Happiness]

“Peasant Burning Weeds,” By Vincent Van Gogh (1883)

A lost interview with Ali, found.

The Yankee offense was nowhere to be found again tonight. They stole seven bases yet scored two lousy runs. Fortunately, the Jays only scored one as the Yanks took the second game of today’s double header. Ichiro followed up his three hits this afternoon with four more tonight, including the biggest hit of the game, a single that was slapped to left field with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Oh, yeah, he also swiped four bases in his finest day in pinstripes.

For most of the game, his performance, and an admirable job by David Phelps–as well as scoreless work from the Yankee bullpen (Logan, Eppley, Soriano)–was overshadowed by the Yankees’ inability to score runs. Alex Rodriguez had an awful night and was booed with vigor after his third strike out. His teammates didn’t receive the same rude treatment but they weren’t much better.

But none of that will be remembered. David Phelps was a star tonight–he retired 12 straight at one point–but Ichiro was the hero.

And we go to bed Heppy Kets, pulling hard for King Felix.

Final Score: Yanks 2, Jays 1.

[Photo Credit: Drew McKenzie, Sportspress Northwest]

One is never enough, especially now. But the Yanks are going to need a delivery from the Score Truck tonightski.

Pile it high and deep, boys.

Never mind the scoreboard-watching: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Pug King]

The Yanks won another nail-biter this afternoon, the one, 4-2. They scored three runs in the first and then were shut down by Henderson Alvarez. Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte had more than a little rust on him but worked out of three jams and pitched five scoreless innings.

Ichiro had a big day for the Yanks with three hits and Nick Swisher had a huge RBI base hit in the eighth. It was critical because the game almost slipped away in the top of the inning. The Jays greeted Dave Robertson with three straight hits (double, single, single) and after a strike out, Omar Vizquel hit a double that put runners on second and third, score, 3-2. One out.

Then Robertson got another strike out–killing us softly in the process–before being lifted for Rafael Soriano.

Who walked the number nine hitter to load the bases. Yeah, it was one of those. He got Raja Davis to line out and after the insurance run worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. He earned this one.

No style points on this one, plenty of sweaty moments for us, but I ain’t complaining as the win is the thing.

[Photo Credit: Story Road; Jason Szenes/Getty Images]

It’s return of Andy Pettitte this afternoon. Tonight gives Dave Phelps.

Yanks are going to need to score runs and plenty of them. Let’s make this long day of baseball a good one, fellas.

Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez RF
Eduardo Nunez SS

Never mind the nonsense: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Gruesome Twosome]

Brett Gardner is set to return to the Yankees as a pinch-runner. Daniel Barbarisi has the story in the Wall Street Journal:

It has been eight weeks since the surgery, and Gardner says he feels normal. But he only swung a bat for the first time Tuesday, and is nowhere near being ready to hit, which the .265 career hitter said isn’t such a big deal.

“Obviously I have to be able to swing a bat,” Gardner said. “Somebody joked with me, I think it was one of my buddies down in Tampa. They said, ‘What can you not do?’ I said I can’t hit. They said ‘What’s changed?'”

So for now, he’ll try to salvage his season with his best tools: his legs, and his glove, filling a September role usually reserved for minor leaguers with great legs and weak bats. Instead, manager Joe Girardi will have a veteran to deploy.

“He can play defense if we needed him to play some defense,” Girardi said. “He’s not going to be able to hit, but you have enough guys on your bench that if his spot came up in a crazy game, you could do something.”

[Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images]

Art in a book. Katharina Gaenssler via This Isn’t Happiness.

Sometimes I look up at the Empire State Building and am filled with pride. Being a New Yorker is dope.

[Photo Credit: Adriano Neves]

David Lebovitz makes a meatball sandwich.

Two for Toozday.

[Photo by Burt Glinn via Je Suis Perdu]

We’ve had a few chilly mornings in New York but today was the first one where I smelled the fall. The streets of the Bronx are littered with fallen branches from last night’s storml.  The sun is out and it is clear and bright.

The Orioles continued their miracle season last night beating the Mariners 4-2 in 18 innings. That’s right, 18 innings. As irritating as that news is for us Yankee fans, it’s also hard not to be impressed.

Yanks play two today and have to win ’em both.

We’ll be watching.

[Photo Credit: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images]

Tonight gives the return of Andy Pettitte. It also brings a rain storm that’s supposed to be something fierce. They might not get this game in which would mean a double header tomorrow I suppose.

If they play tonight, we’ll be root-root-rootin’ for the home team.

Never mind twister: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

UPDATE: It’s been cancelled. They’ll play two tomorrow. First game at 1:05.

[Photo Via: Art Deco Architecture;  My Philosophy]

Sad news to report. Steve Sabol has died. He was 69. To me, NFL Films is the best thing that ever happened to pro football.

Here is a terrific piece on Sabol by Rich Cohen over at the Atlantic.

Sabol will be missed.