One of Rehman’s areas of expertise, forged in his background as a commodities trader and financial consultant — as well as a four-year starter on the McGill University baseball squad — is on the data analysis side.

BaseballDigest.com: How will your role with the Cubs compare with that in Arizona?
Shiraz Rehman: I’ll probably lean on what I learned in Arizona and move forward from there.  As a full staff, we are still getting to know each other, still figuring out who is doing what.  Right now, it’s all hands on deck.  I would say that my job is to facilitate quick decision making, to put together information for the best possible decision — MLB rules, salary arbitration, contract structuring, they will all come into play.  I’ll be overseeing the tech side, and doing some scouting as well, mostly on the pro side.

BBD: While you were playing in college, did you already see these connections to your finance/accounting studies and baseball?
SR: Probably not.  I think, anyone who grew up in my era was already familiar with analytics.  It’s more that I saw a connection to baseball when I was working in finance, I started to see similar methodologies, analytic approaches, ways to aggregate the data to make decisions.

BBD: What are some of the decisions the team still needs to make before Spring Training, and what will be some of the goals while in Mesa?
SR: I think so far we have done a god job turning short term assets into longer term assets.  We got younger, better defensively, and have put together an MLB coaching staff to create the culture and environment to build around.  We have organizational meetings in a week, and we’ll use the beginning of the spring to get into defining the Cubs Way, something we want to do together and build and come up with as a group.

BBD: Where do the Bloomberg analytic tools come into play, and how long have you used them?
SR: I think I started talking to them [Bloomberg] before they even got involved in the baseball space.  Getting back to what we discussed earlier, I drew a parallel to the baseball world in the first couple of years in the financial world, 1999-2000-2001, in the sense that there is a lot of information to be digested.  A lot of time and effort are spent getting it quickly and at your fingertips easily.  what I think the tools provide best is not so much groundbreaking analysis, bu the ease of getting data.  Proprietary analytics gives us a competitive advantage but the goal in using the tool is to pull different pieces, some public, some proprietary, but all in one place.  Having that information at our fingertips to make quick decisions is the most impactful outcome the tool will have.

BBD: Are there particular tools that are more useful to you?
SR:  The way we are implementing it is a phased approach.  We’re rolling it out to our amateur staff, then the international scouting staff, all the while getting acclimated to each of the segments.  We are using the tool for data entry, feeding info in, as well as on the back end to summarize and dig into what it offers, like statistics, pitch-by-pitch data, game by game, season by season, contracts, service time, video, etc.

Ian Stewart

BBD:  Have you been able to identify some Cubs players who are already here who may have been undervalued and who you see playing a bigger role than anticipated, or maybe than had been previously utilized?
SR: I think it’s unfair to point just to the use of the Bloomberg tool for that.  Our approach is phased; we really need to walk before we run.  We don’t have a lot of legacy technology tools that fit our needs.  As far as players being undervalued, I think it’s more correct to say that certainly there were guys who had down years, who we feel can bounce back.  Chris Volstad, Anthony Rizzo, Ian Stewart, these are guys that all fit the profile one way or another — not specifically from the Bloomberg tool yet, but the type of info that we would use.

“We are excited to partner with Bloomberg Sports and benefit from their world-renowned expertise in Analytics and Information Management” said President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein.  “The management and analysis of data, whether it be scouting reports, statistics, medical information or video, is a critical component of our operation.  We look forward to developing a customized program that utilizes the most advanced and efficient technology available in the marketplace today to facilitate quicker, easier and more accurate access to all the sources of information we use to make baseball decisions.”

“Over the past few years we have helped set a new standard of excellence and efficiency in advanced analytics, whether it has been for MLB teams with our comprehensive, integrated systems, players with our tablet product or fans with our fantasy tools, and this partnership is the next step in that evolution,” said Bill Squadron, head of Bloomberg Sports. “Bloomberg as a company has always been about innovation, and we are very excited to partner with Theo and the Cubs organization.”

Named as One of the Ten Most Innovative Companies in Sports in 2011 by Fast Company Magazine, Bloomberg Sports has quickly become one of the industry leaders in providing cutting edge analytic products for fans, MLB teams and professional players. Their fantasy baseball product, “MLB Front Office,” is the fastest growing and most in-depth tool for both the casual and the die-hard baseball fan.  The professional analytic tools are now being used by 21 Major League clubs for player evaluation, and their tablet products are being used by over 200 MLB players to evaluate performance almost in real time.

The first baseman has begun again in a new organization after being traded by the Red Sox to the Padres, when Hoyer and Epstein were still the Red Sox Assistant GM and GM. Rizzo’s time with the Padres was short-lived, but the Padres are doing plenty right in stocking up on young talent this off-season.

They are intertwined with the Padres and Red Sox in a chip-trading bonanza that has changed each organization in significant ways.

Padres
91 losses – that’s how the Padres ended their 2011 regular season. But they ended the year and began 2012 winning in off-season acquisitions & loading up on top young talent.  That doesn’t mean instant success, but does give them a big jump in the reconstruction of the club.

The Padres parted with RHP Mat Latos, giving the Reds the righty starter they needed, and the Padres acquired two prospects in a four-player package, infielder/outfielder Yonder Alonso and catcher Yasmani Grandal, ranked 3^rd and 4^th in the Reds system by Baseball America.

If projections are correct, Alonso, already an advanced hitter, despite some struggles developing more power should be in the Padres lineup in the next two to three years. He spent 2011 with Triple-A  Louisville hitting .296 with 56 RBI. The Reds called him up in July after he’d made his MLB debut in 2011, getting a September call. The Reds desire to get him to the big leagues and not be blocked by first baseman Joey Votto led to converting him to left field, but that wasn’t a great success. Alonso’s value is in his bat, but the Padres could turn to him to take over first base heading into the future.

Grandal a 23-year old catcher with high upside spent 2011 at three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Louisville hitting .305 overall.  Grandal dealt with injuries in 2011, including a concussion, both during the regular season and in Arizona Fall League, where he was shut down with an injury to his left middle finger. He’s a shoo-in to start the season at Triple-A and needs to put together consistent solid results.

With Austin Hedges also in the system, the Padres best catching prospect, this gives San Diego a couple of excellent options behind the dish. At nineteen Hedges needs a lot more developing and Grandal provides the club with a more seasoned young catcher to bring up if needed. Cory Spangenberg is ahead of him, but having this much catching in the system is a nice problem to have.

Cubs
While the Padres made various flashy moves, the acquisition of first baseman Anthony Rizzo singular power can’t be overstated.

Rizzo blazed his way through Triple-A pitching in 2011, hitting .331 in 356 at bats and collecting 101 RBI along the way.

The Padres AGAIN acquired a top prospect, with the Cubs giving up a lot AGAIN in singular form – pitching prospect Andrew Cashner couldn’t have been easy to deal. Cashner had shoulder issues last season, but he’s not on the high risk side.  The twenty-five year old has a 4.29 ERA in 60 appearances. If he goes to the bullpen, he adds a bit more depth to an area in need of improvement. Along with Cashner they also traded minor league outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

Rizzo could be a difference maker for a team that seems determined to build a farm system that will produce major league success.

Red Sox
The Red Sox have taken their hits. Looking at what they’ve lost over the past two seasons – Rizzo, as well as pitcher Casey Kelly to (a pattern here) the Padres – you could say that hurt them deeply in the future talent department. But that’s not the case.  In 2010, when the Red Sox gave up Kelly and Rizzo, as well as Reymond Fuentes and Eric Patterson, they got first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best in the game. They also signed Carl Crawford. Those two moves upgraded their lineup. At the end of 2011, when they fell to pieces in historical fashion, they looked like hard-luck losers in a game of failure.

But they have some excellent talent in the pipeline.  Pitching wise, Anthony Ranaudo is their top righty in the wings. He passed a big part of the test in his professional debut in 2011, pitching 127 innings between two levels (Low and High A), completing the season with a 3.97 ERA and 117 strikeouts. He needs a full season at High-A Salem, or possibly split-time between there and Double-A. But he’s going in the direction the Red Sox need.

Third baseman Will Middlebrooks is the Sox best prospect and proved himself between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2011. The Red Sox will surely start him in Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can get more at-bats, with the majority of them coming at Portland, with 356. In terms of major league readiness he’s close.

Their current rotation- a work in progress- has the ability to succeed with the benefit of good health, a bounce-back performance from Jon Lester, as well as a successful transition of Daniel Bard to starter, to right the ship. Their lineup is a force.

The three teams have made each other interesting now and a few years down the line, when all this acquiring and sacrificing will show who really won the trading game.

Five Questions With Yankees Brad Meyers
The Yankees picked up pitcher Brad Meyers in the Rule 5 Draft, nabbing him from the Nationals. In four years with Washington, the 26-year old pitched at every level, ending 2011 with Triple-A Syracuse going 6-5 in 92 innings, and a 3.48 ERA. The righty agreed to the ‘To The Farm’ five…

Jessica Quiroli: You pitched a lot at the Double-A level the last couple of years, but saw some time in Triple-A last season. What was the biggest difference in facing Double-A and Triple-A hitters?

Brad Meyers:  The biggest difference is that triple A hitters make adjustments pitch to pitch rather than at bat to at bat.  They recognize pitching patterns a lot quicker and will exploit them.  Triple A hitters play more off the weaknesses of a pitcher as opposed to double A hitters who will wait a couple of at bats to get the pitch they are looking for.  Also, triple A was the first time that I had to throw balls intentionally instead of strikes.  I never thought I could throw too many strikes, but there is definitely a balance between walking people and giving up more hits.

 Quiroli:  Is there a pitch you still struggle with that you are continuously trying to improve?

Meyers:  My slider can be inconsistent at times.  I would like to add some depth to it without dropping off too much velocity.

Quiroli:  What did you improve most in 2011?

Meyers: Last year was the biggest jump for me from double A to triple A.  I learned a lot about the type of pitcher that I am, what hitters are trying to do against you in certain counts/situations, and really did a better job at controlling the running game.

Quiroli: Switching gears. Do you have a horse in the football playoffs?

Meyers: I’m not a big football guy, but I do enjoy Sunday fun-day every couple weeks.  I got into a playoff pool and…

Quiroli: A team you’re rooting for to be in the Super Bowl?

Meyers: I have the Saints beating the Pats in the super bowl.  Tough to go against Rodgers, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the Saints offense all year.

With this week’s acquisition of Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres, Jocketty was able to add a top of the rotation starter in exchange for a package built around prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal and disappointing starter Edinson Volquez.

Latos, who went 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA for the Padres last season, is a shining example of a pitcher whose won-loss record reflects little on how well he pitched a year ago. According to Dave Camewron at Fangraphs.com, not only did Latos have an impressive 2011, but for the last two seasons “has been one of the better pitchers in baseball.”

There aren’t that many pitchers in the sport who can miss bats with the frequency that Latos has established while also pounding the strike zone with regularity. Guys who can live in the zone and still avoid contact are generally the best pitchers in the game. This is the one skillset you want in a pitcher more than any other.

According to the Associated Press, the talent given up to acquire Latos was significant:

Alonso, the seventh overall pick in 2008, didn’t have a place to play with Joey Votto a mainstay at first base. The Reds moved him to left field briefly last season, but he struggled defensively. The 24-year-old Alonso batted .330 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games. Byrnes said he’ll be a leading contender for the starting job.

Volquez was coming off a disappointing season, going 5-7 with a 5.71 ERA. The Reds got him from Texas in the trade for Josh Hamilton in December 2007. Volquez went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, when both he and Hamilton made the All-Star teams. Volquez needed reconstructive elbow surgery the following year and has never gotten back into form.

Grandal, the 12th overall pick in 2010, batted .305 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs at Class A, Double-A and Triple-A last season, making a quick rise through the farm system. He was slotted behind catcher Devin Mesoraco, a first-round pick in 2007 who made it to the majors last season and played in 18 games.

Jocketty said Reds were willing to trade Alonso and Grandal because they were stuck behind other players at their positions.

The Reds also gave up right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger, who went 2-4 with 11 saves and a 2.03 ERA last season at Double-A and Triple-A. Jocketty said Boxberger was the final piece in finishing the deal.

“It was very tough giving him up,” Jocketty said. “We feel he was really starting to come into his own in the second half of the year. I don’t think we would have been able to make the deal if he wasn’t part of it.”

On paper, this appears to be a deal that will assist both teams. The Reds traded what Fangraph’s Cameron classified as “redundant prospects” a reclamation project and a RP with some upside for one of the most valuable commodities in all of baseball.

Padres GM Josh Byrnes has taken a huge gamble in trading away a top of the the rotation starter who is just 24 years old, but as San Diego appears to be in yet another rebuilding phase, spreading around depth makes more sense at the moment.

“It was a tough trade to make,” Byrnes told Dan Hayes of the North County Times, “but if you put it (with the trades of Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams) we have a huge chunk of talent we have put in the system the last couple of years, and ultimately I think that’s our best path to success.”

The Reds still need a closer, and how they acquire one will bear watching.

***

Not really sure what the Milwaukee Brewers are up to these days.

On one hand, there’s no way I’m giving $200 million bucks to Prince Fielder, especially when I have several holes to fill. On the other, giving $36 million to 33-year old Aramis Ramirez?

Ramirez is a very good offensive player, batting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 149 games for the Cubs last season. and is of the top five third baseman in the game. But’s 33, and might be an even worse defensive third baseman than Casey McGehee. The Brewers are also talking about making him their cleanup hitter, and with the possibility of Ryan Braun missing the first 50 games of the season to start 2012, makes this signing a very “all in” type of move. For a team that’s going to lose it’s marquee player, it seems a strange way to go.

***

Jennie Finch is best known for being one of the legends of women’s softball, and is also a tiress advocate for worthy charities like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  She recently sent all of us here at BD a holiday greeting.

Happy Holidays to you and yours as well, Jenny. For more info on Finch, her charity work and more, please visit JennieFinch.com

***

The Miami Marlins have an MVP-caliber shortstop in Hanley Ramirez. They liked him so much at short that they went out gave $106 million to Jose Reyes. The question I have is this; did the Marlins speak to Ramirez before going after Reyes? If they didn’t, that’s pretty foolish. If they did, then Ramirez is being pretty selfish.

As for Reyes?

“As soon as I have the opportunity, I’m going to talk to (Ramirez), because we are very good friends,” Reyes said. “We’re both here for one reason — to win the World Series. It doesn’t matter where I’m going to play or where he’s going to play.” – AP

Reyes is ok with playing third base? Or second? As for the former, Alex Rodriguez, a superior talent in every way to Derek Jeter, moved to third rather than displace the incumbent Jeter in 2004. As for the latter, moving to second to accommodate Kaz Matsui didn’t exactly work out too well for Reyes. Some people are saying that Reyes should call Hanley and “work things out.”

Greg Stoda, who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post, says that it “absolutely should be up to Reyes, a Marlins free-agent newcomer displacing Ramirez at shortstop, to make the initial contact.”

It’d be a gesture of goodwill, if nothing else. The club certainly shouldn’t have to back-channel things.
It’s understandable if Ramirez, who’ll switch to third base, doesn’t want to make the first move even though it would demonstrate a heretofore lacking leadership quality should he simply reach out to Reyes and welcome him to the team.

Reyes, however, by now should have made the effort to speak to Ramirez, which he hadn’t done as of Friday morning.

I couldn’t disagree more. As the “team leader”, Ramirez should be calling Reyes to welcome him to the team, and quelling any media speculation that he isn’t happy with the acquisition of Reyes, who is a far superior defensive player. His silence is deafening, and another churlish example of how selfish Ramirez has been his entire career.

As for Reyes, c’mon Jose. You haven’t had the “opportunity” to call your “very good friend” for a week or more? You’re not doing yourself any favors with those kinds of quotes.

I was the first player drug-tested in baseball, and I am the one who asked for it.” – Babe Dahlgren

The recent news that 2011 MVP Ryan Braun is appealing a failed “banned substance” test wasn’t expected, but after hundreds of failed tests for recreatiional or performance-enhancing drugs for baseball players, even the fact that a reigning MVP not thought to be the strerotypical behemnoth wasn’t all that’s shocking.

Let’s face it, we live in an era where its hard to imagine people choosing integrity over the millions that can be made with the popping og a pill or the injecting of a needle. Ryan Braun may indeed be innocent, and if he is, he will have the power, resources and platform to defend himself.

Some other players never got that opportunity.

There was another player who once took a drug test, the first one in known baseball history. It was paid for by then-MLB Commisioner Judge Kenesaw Moutian Landis, and it came back clean. For some reason, Landis and several of the commisioners that followed him, refused to make the results public, or provide ther player with some level of justice.

Instead, Babe Dahlgren, once considered the best fielding first baseman in baseball, was sentenced to a life as a baseball vagabond,  and even after his playing days, plagued with the inaction of a baseball industry that turned it back on him a long time ago.

The whole story is chronicled in the book, Rumor In Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong, written by Dahlgren’s grandson, Matt Dahlgren.

Sadly, two of the most respected figures in baseball history played a large role in Dahglren’s misery, and it is perhaps that reality which is responsible for the lack of coverage and discussion of these events.

From Gotham Baseball’s Spring 2011 Issue, “Going Nine: The Other Babe”

“The guy can do everything, and I have a hunch that he invents plays as he goes along. If an old-timer were to swear to me on a stack of testaments that there was every a greater defensive first baseman than Ellsworth ‘Babe’ Dahlgren of the Yankees I wouldn’t believe him.” John Lardner, The New Yorker, June 13, 1940

According to Matt Dahlgren, Babe was also the victim of a vicious rumor, that he was a marijuana smoker. Mike Lynch of Seamheads.com summarized it best, stating that the rumor was “started by a Hall Of Fame manager, perpetuated by a Hall of Fame executive, and buried by a Hall Of Fame Commissioner.”

Dahlgren started his career in the Boston Red Sox system and was poised to become the team’s first baseman until the Bosox got Philadelphia A’s slugger Jimmie Foxx. Babe hoped for a trade and got one, to the Yankees, where Lou Gehrig was entrenched. Determined to prove that he belonged, Dahlgren took his game to the Yankees’ top farm team in Newark in 1937, where he hit. 340 for the Bears, one of the greatest minor league champions in baseball history.

He would make the Yankees in 1938 as a utilityman, but played in just 27 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. In 1939, he would make the most of an opportunity he desperately wanted, he just hated the way it happened.

Replacing Gehrig, Dahlgren hit a home run, a double off the top of the fence and two drives that were caught against the fence in a 22-2 rout over Detroit. “I especially admired Gehrig because he was a first baseman like me,” Dahlgren told Newsday’s Joe Gergen in 1988. “I never dreamed one day I’d be in New York to take the man’s place.”

He would hit only .235 that year for the Yanks, but he would hit 15 home runs and drive in 89 runs batting seventh or eighth in a powerful lineup. In the World Series that year, Dahlgren would hit his only World Series home run, helping the Yankees sweep the Reds. The future looked bright for the 27-year old Dahlgren. Then he went home to San Francisco, and his life would never be the same.

Local legend Lefty O’Doul hated the fact the Joe McCarthy, and not he was the manager of the New York Yankees, telling anyone who would listen that “Ol’ Marse Joe” was a bush-button manager and that anyone could manage the Yankees. An Associated Press photographer took a picture of Dahlgren receiving batting tips from O’Doul at a off-season (the reality was that they barely talked that day). Combine the cracks that O’Doul made that day, “The Yankees have to send me their players to learn how to it.” a thin-skinned heavy drinker in McCarthy, and a now-veteran first baseman who was well-liked by his teammates and the local press, and you had the makings of a very bad situation.

Dahlgren had another solid year in 1940, hitting .263 / 12/ 73, and played a brilliant first base, but when the Yankees did not win the pennant. McCarthy seemed to blame Dahlgren, citing a key error down the stretch that cost the Yankees a ball game.

He was sent to the Boston Braves in 1941, and was dealt midway in the season to the Cubs, where he really played well, hitting .263 / 23/ 89 for the season. While he was having the best year of his career to date, McCarthy was telling the New York sportswriters – who all liked Dahlgren, thought he was a superb first baseman, and were watching Johnny Sturm hit just .235 with no power and nowhere near the glove – that Dahlgren’s arms were too short to play first base.

Really.

The longer the season wore on, the longer it looked like McCarthy had had a personal beef with Dahlgren, and the writers pressed McCarthy on the trade. Now, remember, it was the 1941 season, and Joe DiMaggio was setting his magical streak and Ted Williams was hitting .406 for the Red Sox. Dahlgren was happy in Chicago, playing well and finally getting the accolades he deserved.

Then, almost instantly, Dahlgren would spent the rest of his career, from 1942, getting traded from Chicago to St. Louis to Brooklyn (where Branch Rickey would accuse him of smoking marijuana, the first time Dahlgren would hear of the rumor) to Philadelphia (where he became an All-Star) to Pittsburgh (where he would drive in 101 runs and hit .289 in 1944) and finally back to St. Louis, where he would finally be discarded.

In the midst of the incredulous rumor, Dahlgren informed then-Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis of the rumor, and the Judge, according to the book, paid all the expenses for what would prove to be a “clean” drug test for Dahlgren. But Landis and every subsequent Commissioner – up until his death in 1996 – failed to address Babe’s cause.

Dahlgren also died not going who had started the rumor. He had always assumed that it was Rickey, because of the way the situation had played out. It wasn’t until his grandson Matt, who wanted to write the manuscript that would become “Rumor in Town” (Babe’s original manuscript, as well as a letter from Landis proving the rumor existed, were lost in a fire at Babe’s home in 1980), that the origin of the rumor surfaced.

Dahlgren was doing research for his book when someone suggested the aforementioned Marty Appel, arguably the preeminent Yankees historian, for stories about his father.

Appel told him about a conversation he had with New York Times sportswriter John Drebinger in 1973, recalling McCarthy talking to a small group of baseball insiders at the end of the 1940 season. McCarthy, Appel remembered Drebinger telling him, noted that the Yankees would have won the pennant in 1940 had it not been for an error that Dahlgren made in a late-season game against Cleveland. “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.”

Tired of being made a fool for suggesting that the obviously proportionally-limbed Dahlgren’s arms were more than long enough, McCarthy decided to spread a rumor so incredible, so scandalous that few would ever repeat it. But the ones that did cost a good man his career.

“Rumor in Town” might be a promise by a grandson to his grandfather to right a terrible wrong, but one would hope that it also motivate Major League Baseball to right a terrible injustice. To date, the case is one that MLB doesn’t feel needs to be reopened.. And that is a big a tragedy as was the rumor that cost Babe Dahlgren his career.

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

The key free agent departures from the team have been Aramis Ramirez, who declined a mutual option for $16 million in the hopes of signing a long-term deal, and Carlos Pena, who largely failed to live up his one-year, $10 million contract for 2011. Ramirez’ agent has ruled out any possibility of returning to the Cubs, saying that he “wants a ring” instead.

Improvement is greatly needed in the starting rotation, where the return of Andrew Cashner is questionable at best, and Randy Wells needs to dramatically improve over his 7-6 record from last season. And then there’s Carlos Zambrano, who is signed for $18 million through next season. Theo Epstein has left the door open for Zambrano’s return, under the right conditions. In the bullpen, Carlos Marmol has two years remaining under contract, but last year’s performance revealed that he is not the quality closer that the Cubs will need in order to contend in 2012.

Offensively, the team needs to replace Ramirez’ production at third base, and they will also need to make a run at Albert Pujols and/or Prince Fielder to prove they are serious about winning next year. An outfield bat is also needed, given Alfonso Soriano’s declining production and Tyler Colvin’s struggles offensively.

The strength of the team is up the middle, with Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney in the infield, and a recovered Marlon Byrd in centerfield. Geovany Soto needs to revert to form on offense, but his status as the starting catcher appears secure, as well.

Middle relief appears to be more settled that either the starting rotation or closer situation, with Sean Marshall and perhaps Jeff Samardzija in the fold next year, although Samardzija is technically unsigned for now.

As far as trades go, what to do with Zambrano is the first item of business, followed closely by Soriano’s remaining three years. How much salary the Cubs are willing to eat from these disastrous Jim Hendry signings will indicate how quickly the Cubs want to become “Theo’s team.”

As of this writing, the Cubs still owe compensation to the Red Sox for the rights to Theo Epstein. They will likely have to part with some significant minor league talent, rather than established major leaguers. The name getting most of the attention so far is outfielder Brett Jackson, their first pick in the 2009 draft.

Their first personnel move was the hiring of Brewers’ hitting coach Dale Sveum as manager. Player personnel moves will follow in short order, although none have been announced yet.

A minor leaguer who will likely get significant playing time in 2012 is third baseman Josh Vitters. He hasn’t yet played above Double-A level, but if the Cubs are to meet either Pujols or Fielder’s asking price, they may have to cut corners somewhere else (no pun intended). He has been a top-rated prospect in the organization for several seasons, and Ramirez’ departure will likely be his moment to prove himself. He won’t make up for all of the lost production from Ramirez’s departure, but hopefully the greater focus will be on the other corner of the infield, anyway.

Rob Harris
Blue Batting Helmet
@rlincolnharris

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

2011 was the second year of the Ricketts family’s ownership of the team, and it didn’t go any better than the first year. Mike Quade’s team fell out of contention early, and the only positive development thereafter was the dismissal of Jim Hendry as GM. The hiring of Theo Epstein, in the wake of the Red Sox’ September collapse, gave fans an optimism that hasn’t been seen in decades on Chicago’s North side.

Rotation: F
When Ryan Dempster, your team’s Opening Day starter and purported ace, goes 10-14 with an ERA just under 5, the news isn’t good. The team traded away several prospects to the Rays to bring Matt Garza on board, and he pitched better than his final record indicates. After Carlos Zambrano’s emotions got the better of him after a spectacularly bad outing in Atlanta, he “retired” and wasn’t seen with the team again. Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells both went on the DL after their first start of the season, sending the team into a tailspin. The auditions of Rodrigo Lopez, James Russell, Casey Coleman, and Doug Davis  as replacement starters all went nowhere, just like the rest of the team.

Bullpen: D
Carlos Marmol blew ten saves, one of which led Zambrano to famously declare “We stinks.” Marmol briefly lost his closer’s job to Sean Marshall, only to regain it in time for an epic meltdown in St. Louis on September 24. The Cardinals should have voted a playoff share for Marmol, after he gave up three straight walks to force in the tying run, and then threw a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score. Sentimental favorite Kerry Wood rejoined the team but was largely ineffective. Marshall emerged as a decent set-up man.

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Catchers: C-
Geovany Soto hits pretty well in even-numbered years. Unfortunately, 2011 was an odd-numbered year. His .228 average was well below his career numbers, and his backup, Koyie Hill, was even worse, hitting just .194. After just four years with the team, Soto now qualifies as one of its veteran leaders.

Infield: B
Starlin Castro led the National League in hits, and has emerged as the fresh new face of the franchise. However, his lack of attention during a Sunday night game on ESPN earned an on-air rebuke from Bobby Valentine, and indicated just how much growing up he still has to do. Darwin Barney emerged as a legitimate everyday player in his rookie season, even though his .353 slugging percentage put him well behind most of the game’s other second-sackers. Middle infield was actually one of the team’s bright spots, as Castro and Barney seem poised for a multi-year run in their respective positions.

Corner infielding positions were inconsistent, as Aramis Ramirez put up numbers that were good enough to win the NL Silver Slugger award. His .871 OPS was second only to Adrian Beltre among MLB third basemen for the season. First baseman Carlos Pena led the team with 28 home runs, but also struck out a team-high 161 times and hit just .225. The Cubs didn’t get much bang for the 10 million bucks they spent on him.

The Cubs also committed more errors than any other team, with Castro’s 29 leading the way in the National League, and trailing only Mark Reynolds in all of the major leagues.

Outfield: D
Alfonso Soriano hit ten homers in April, but came back to earth in a big way after that. He still has three years left on his contract, and his dwindling production numbers (including just 2 stolen bases for the one-time 40/40 man) suggest that the Cubs will need to eat a significant portion of his salary in order for a trade to occur. He has few, if any, supporters left among Cubs fans.

Marlon Byrd was having a decent season before he took a fastball to the face in Fenway Park, and he ended the season at 9 home runs and 35 RBIs. His .395 slugging percentage is down from his career numbers as well. Kosuke Fukudome, another one of Jim Hendry’s less-than-stellar free agent signings, was traded to Cleveland at the trading deadline, ending a career that peaked with a ninth-inning home run on Opening day of 2008, his first game in a Cubs uniform.

Tyler Colvin was thought to be in the outfield mix after hitting 20 homers as a rookie in 2010, but he struggled at the plate and was sent down to the minors to regain his confidence. His .150 average suggests he may not be in the outfield mix for long. Rookie Tony Campana emerged as a basestealing threat, and has the type of game-changing speed the Cubs have not had in a very, very long time.

Top Offensive Player
Starlin Castro’s 207 hits and .307 batting average gets the nod over Ramirez and his Silver Slugger award. The Cubs finished in the bottom half of major league teams in home runs, runs, and RBIs, so the heavy hitters of Ramirez, Soriano, and Pena didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. Castro’s presence at the top of the lineup bodes well for the team in the near future.

Top Pitcher
Matt Garza threw the first complete game for the Cubs’ staff on July 2 and still took a 1-0 loss to the White Sox. Poor run support and bullpen failures plagued him all season long. He won his last four decisions to get to the break-even mark at 10-10, and his 3.32 ERA was the best on the team’s staff. None of the other starters or relievers, save for Sean Marshall and possibly Jeff Samardzija, could be said to have had a good season.

Rob Harris
Blue Batting Helmet
@rlincolnharris

In being named manager, Matheny beat out fellow prospective employees Jose Oquendo, Joe McEwing, Chris Maloney, Ryne Sandberg, and Terry Francona.  Matheny was a tough as nails catcher, who spent 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, including four years (2000-2003) in St. Louis. His career was cut short due to concussions he had suffered in his career.

Like former player Robin Ventura (Chicago White Sox), Matheny becomes a Major League manager with no managing experience. He had been a minor league instructor in the Cardinals’ organization prior to the hiring.

Next Stop Boston

One job down, two major positions left to go. The Red Sox continued their search this past week by interviewing former White Sox and Pirates’ manager, and current Tigers’ third base coach Gene Lamont.  His last managerial stint was the 2000 season, but he told the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t wanted to.

“I’ve wanted to manage all along,” Lamont said yesterday at Fenway Park [map] after interviewing for the Red Sox [team stats] opening. “I guess I just didn’t toot my horn enough.”

Boston has also spoken with Phillies’ bench coach Pete Mackinin, Torey Luvollo, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Dale Sveum. Other than Sveum’s 12 games as interim manager for the Brewers in 2008, none of the candidates other than Lamont have Major League managing experience.

Whoever the new manager is, he’ll have a new closer as well. Jonathan Papelbon agreed to a four year deal with the Phillies this past week to take over as their closer. Boston thought they had a closer in waiting in Daniel Bard, but the fireballing right-hander struggled in his set up role in 2011 and the Red Sox are not likely to go with such an inexperienced late innings guy.

The Ivy League

The other big job left is, of course, at the ivy covered walls of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Reportedly, the decision is down to four candidates, three of which are major candidates for the Red Sox job- Mackinin, Sveum, and Alomar Jr. Joining them is Texas Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan took a look at the competition.

Meanwhile, recently fired manager Mike Quade is a candidate to take over the Twins’ Triple-A team in Rochester, NY.

Moves and Rumors

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported that Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit has received several offers and will sign with a new team by the end of the month. Pittsburgh declined options for 2012 and 2013, which set Doumit free.

Minnesota is expected to sign veteran utility man Jamey Carroll to be their starting shortstop in 2012. The Twins dealt J.J. Hardy prior to the 2011 season and subsequently used a variety of players at the position. The 37-yr old played 146 games for the Dodgers last season, and recorded a .359 OPS. The move is a little odd in that Carroll has only played 224 games at shortstop in his 10 year big league career. In fact, he’s played more games at both third base and second base.

The Marlins met with free agents Albert Pujols and Jose Reyes, and reportedly made an official offer to Pujols. His current team, the St. Louis Cardinals, said they will not increase their current offer. SI’s Jon Heyman reported the Cardinals offered Pujols a nine year, $210MM deal prior to the 2011 season.

The Closer

Great news this weekend with the safe recovery of Washington Nationals’ catcher Wilson Ramos, who had been kidnapped in his native Venezuela.

Sad news though as former big league pitcher Charlie Lea passed away at age 54. The one time Montreal Expo and no-hit pitcher was found dead in his home Friday in Tennessee. He had been a color commentator for the Memphis Redbirds since 2002. Baseball Digest extends condolonces to his friends and family.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will give the keynote address at the Hutch Award Luncheon on Feb. 1, 2012. Proceeds will benefit early cancer detection research at the Hutchinson Center .

This year’s Hutch Award nominees are:

• Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals
• Tony Campana, Chicago Cubs
• Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins
• Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees
• Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
• Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
• Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
• Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves
• Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox
• Josh Willingham, Oakland Athletics

The Hutch Award recipient will be selected this fall through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 46 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Baseball’s Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock all received the Hutch Award; in recent years Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Mark Teahen and Tim Hudson have joined their ranks.

The Hutch Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of legendary baseball player and manager Fred Hutchinson. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center – founded by Fred’s brother, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, after Fred succumbed to cancer at age 45 – is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the understanding, treatment and prevention of cancer and related diseases.

For more information about the Hutch Award, including a full list of past recipients, or to learn more about the luncheon, visit www.fhcrc.org/hutchaward.

Most Impressive Team - Omaha Storm Chasers  No longer the Omaha Royals, the 2011 innaugual season of the Storm Chasers is a good ‘ol baseball story. Affiliated with the Royals since it’s inception in 1969, the newly named Pacific Coast League team begins a new era on the right foot as they head back to the playoffs after a twelve year absence. While the development of players is the point of it all, there was one really good reason why the Chasers success would be a sweet victory. 2011 marked Mike Jirschele’s 8th season as the Triple-A club’s manager and his 12th in the Royals system. They had never finished higher than third in his entire tenure, including last season, and when he arrived in 2003 they finished in 11th place with. The fact that the team had not been to the playoffs since 1999, gave young players a little something more to play for. With players like Mike Moustakas, Mike Montgomery, and Eric Hosmer on their roster at some point during the season, fans had many great reasons to support the team.

Most Impressive Manager - Andy Haines, Greensboro Grasshoppers – It was down to the wire for the Grasshoppers. They defeated the Kannapolis Indians in extra innings to become second-half champs of the Northern Division. Haine’s knows he has to help the development of players at a low-level. Excellence is not easily achieved. But the Grasshoppers finished with a 79-60 overall record and spent May and June notching victories. They have been a consistent team with excellent offense. Starting pitchers like James Leverton came through in the final stretch . It is not easy to manage at that level. But Haines understands the job and that’s the key. Now after a twelve-year absence, the Grasshoppers are playoffs bound.

Most Impressive Hitter – Paul Goldschmidt, Mobile BayBears, Southern League, Arizona Diamondbacks – Goldschmidt is exactly what the Diamondbacks need. The first-baseman is providing excitement Arizona baseball fans are lacking. Before his call-up, he was putting together a tremendous season for the Double-A BayBears. He led the minors with 30 home runs and 94 RBI. The twenty-three-year-old also worked an astounding 82 walks. His .626 SLG percentage is the league’s best to end the season.

Most Impressive Starting Pitcher -Matt Moore, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Rays – Strikeouts. That is the first word you likely think of when reflecting on Moore’s 2011 season with the Bulls and Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. His 210 K’s led all of minor league baseball. 163 of them were in the Southern League before his promotion. He went 4-0 for Durham with a 1.37 ERA in his final ten starts.

The five chosen this time managed to play solidly through the July heat and into the final couple of weeks of their season.

Matt Moore, LHP, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Rays – For starters there’s that 0.88 ERA. Add to that his 8-1 record and that between July 22nd and August 12th he mowed hitters down in each of his five starts. Moore posted a 0.69 ERA for July,  striking out 49 batters in 30.2 innings. Highlight: His July 27th gem. Over 8 scoreless innings he allowed just 3 hits and struck out 13.

Gary Sanchez, C, Charleston Riverdogs, South Atlantic League, New York Yankees – Before going on the DL, Sanchez was putting together a productive season. In August he got 13 hits in 9 games, hitting.433 with 5 multi-hit games. Highlight: On August 3rd he hit two home runs and then did it again on August 10th.

Mike Trout, CF, Texas Travelers, Texas League, Anaheim Angels – Trout’s consistency through July and August was just more of the same. He hit .300 in July and is hitting .358 through the first two weeks of this month. He has a 9-game hitting streak going, with 13 hits accumulated. Highlight: On August 6th Trout went 3-3 with an RBI and a walk.

Greg Billo, RHP, Kane County Tigers, Midwest League, Kansas City Royals – While a pitcher’s record doesn’t always reflect his performances, in this case it does. Billo is 9-2 with a 0.75 ERA through the first two weeks of August. He finished July with a 1.19 ERA. In five starts he’s allowed just six earned runs. Billo has pitched deep into games, logging 55 innings in ten starts. Highlight: On August 10th he picked up the win against Peoria after pitching a seven-inning one-hitter.

Mason Williams, OF, Staten Island Yankees, New York Penn League – Through 10 games in August he has 18 hits, putting his average at .500. He finished July hitting .357, improving his average steadily throughout the season. Williams has struck out just once in his last five games. Highlight: On August 6th he got 3 hits, a walk, and stole two bases.

My eye on… Erik Arnesen, RHP, Harrisburg Senators, Eastern League, Washington Nationals: On August 14th against the Trenton Thunder, the big righty came back from a shaky first inning to pitch six scoreless innings . He struck out ten Thunder hitters by mixing speeds and attacking the strike zone. It was Arnesen’s 8th win of 2011.

Most fans keep a close eye on the names they know, but it is the names you do not know that start to become important in the stretch run.  Not just for the teams that are playoff bound, but those that are looking to their future as well.

Here are three offensive players and three pitchers in the National League that qualify for the Rookie Of The Year award.  If you are not watching these guys by now, it is time to start.

Taking a look at the offensive guys in the National League leads to a few names that may be worth examining.  Danny Espinosa of the Nationals and Freddie Freeman of the Braves have both clubbed over 15 home runs.  Darwin Barney of the Cubs is hitting .288 and has over 100 hits already this season.  The Mets Justin Turner can boast 20 doubles to his credit and Dominic Brown of the Phillies has a .393 slugging percentage in limited action.  Here’s the top three as I see it:

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
This is becoming a two-horse race but, in my opinion, Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves is pulling away from the competition.  Freeman may not lead rookies in home runs, but he has put up a respectable 15 dingers to this point in the season.  Add in a .296 batting average, .362 on base percentage, .474 slugging percentage, 55 runs batted in and 40 walks and you have a first baseman that is among the best in the league, not just one of the best rookies in the league.

The Runner Up
Danny Espinoza has been wrecking pitchers with power numbers that are impressive for a young man playing shortstop for any organization.  The Nationals’ shortstop has launched 17 balls out of stadiums this season while tying Freeman for the lead among rookies with 55 runs batted in.  Equally impressive is 12 stolen bases, showcasing that he is not a one trick pony and will apply some speed to his career as well.  His on base percentage is 86 points higher than his batting average, which would be very impressive if he was not hitting .228 meaning he is reaching base at a .314 clip.  His .422 slugging percentage places him second when ranked next to other rookies in the league.

He Deserves A Look
The Nationals have put together quite the young team and anchoring it all down behind the plate is Wilson Ramos.  Ramos is putting together enough of an offensive season to get himself some looks in the rookie races.  Hitting .248 with a .322 batting average and a .405 slugging percentage while parking 9 balls over the fence and driving in 34 runs can get you some press time as a rookie.  Back it up with a fielding percentage of .992 and throwing out 35 percent of would be base stealers and a lot of teams would like to have a guy like that on the roster.

What may be more impressive in the National League is the crop of rookie pitchers that will be vying for a Rookie Of The Year nod this season.  The obvious stats will see people talking about New York’s Dillon Gee and Atlanta’s Craig Kimbrel due to their dominance in wins and saves.  Stat heads will point out Josh Collmenter from Arizona and Brandon Beachy of Atlanta as an under-appreciated players due to the lack of punch in the obvious categories.   San Diego’s Cory Luebke may have the same problems on top of playing on a under-performing team that will keep him hidden from most fans’ eyes.

The Odds On Favorite For Rookie Of The Year
The Atlanta Braves may be cornering the market on this year’s award, depending on if it goes to an offensive player or a pitcher.  It is hard to argue against Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.  He does not just lead rookies, but leads the National League with 34 saves in 39 chances.  His sub 2.00 earned run average has earned him three wins and two losses in the five games that he did not save and has been dominant over his 56 innings pitched.  So dominant that he finds himself third in strikeouts by a rookie pitcher with 87, behind pitchers with more than 30 innings more than himself.  His 87 strikeouts far outweigh his 22 walks and he has only allowed one ball to leave the yard all season.

The Runner Up
Coming in second to a player of that caliber is not a bad effort and if it was not for the season Kimbrel is putting up, it is possible that Cory Luebke would turn a few more heads in San Diego.  A swingman pitcher who has appeared out of the bullpen 29 times and as a starting pitcher eight times, he is putting together a solid season for a team that is falling apart.  His earned run average is just over 3.00, has pitched in 88.1 innings, and has struck out 91 hitters on the season.  Only 22 walks to his credit and a measly six home runs shows that he can be dominant and stingy with the best of them and lands him second on this list.

He Deserves A Look
The New York Mets have struggled to win, been surrounded by rumors of trading their star shortstop and have faced financial ruin this season.  In the middle of all of that stands Dillon Gee.  He leads all rookies in innings pitched with 112.1, in games started with 18, and wins with 10.  His earned run average is under 4.00 and he has struck out 74 batters to only 46 walks.  The frustration with Gee is his hit batters, of which he has 11, and his home runs, he has surrendered 11 of those too.

Around the league there are pitchers and hitters that will look to capitalize on solid rookie seasons and avoid the Sophomore Slump.  While these players are showcasing themselves around the National League, it is important to take a look at one player that is not on this list that will mean something more to our i70baseball fans.  Here is our honorable mention.

Daniel Descalso by Erika Lynn

i70baseball Honorable Mention
The Cardinals have produced more than a few rookies this season, on the mound and at the plate, but it has been one player that has shown that he not only belongs in the big leagues, but also that he is getting better as the season goes on.  Daniel Descalso has built his average up to a respectable .262 while getting on base to a .339 average.  His power numbers are low but his value to the team, playing multiple positions and putting the ball in play on a regular basis, is mounting and he is becoming a typical Tony LaRussa type player for many seasons to come.

As the season comes to an end, keep an eye on these seven players and their impact on their teams and the league when the dust settles.  One of these players will take home a Jackie Robinson Award and etch their name into the history books.  The rest will attempt to build on a solid rookie campaign and make a career out of it.  Time will tell how well these names will become known.

Bill Ivie is the editor at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Done Deals

Boston – Kansas City: The Red Sox have added to their depth by picking up Mike Aviles from the Royals for infielder Yamaico Navarro and pitcher Kendal Vez. In Aviles, the Red Sox get a player who can play 2B, SS, and 3B, all positions that have seen players banged up this season. He also swings a decent stick. Aviles fell victim to the youth movement in KC and was sent to the minors at one point this season. He could face a demotion again when Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie returns from the DL.

Texas – Baltimore: The Rangers spoke with a number of teams about relievers and were hoping to land the Padres’ Heath Bell.  But the asking price was too high for the pitchers that Texas most coveted. So instead, the Rangers went a cheaper route by sending corner infielder Chris Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for Koji Uehara.

It’s a low risk move for both teams. Uehera is good, but not outstanding. He’s a strikeout pitcher despite not having overpowering stuff, but also can’t be used on back-to-back days due to his tendency to get banged up. Davis has been a productive hitter in the minor leagues, but hasn’t been able to put it together in “The Show”. He strikes out way too much and can’t hit left-handed pitching. Unless the Orioles deal Derrek Lee, Davis will probably only see occassional playing time at DH and 1B.

Hunter is a #4 starter at best. He pitches to contact and isn’t going to blow anyone away.  The Rangers’ number one pick in 2007, Hunter got off to an 8-o, 2.31 start last season, but went 5-4, 5.07 in his final 14 starts plus one relief appearance. Hunter is also an injury risk and missed a good chunk of this season with a groin injury.

Detroit – Seattle: The Tigers wanted to shore up their starting rotation for the stretch run and feel they did so by picking up Doug Fister from the Mariners. Fister can’t be judged by the 3-12 record he amassed with a bad Mariners club. In 21 starts, Fister allowed less than a hit an inning and walked just two hitters per nine innings while he struck out 5.5 batters. He also allowed just four home runs and had a 2.8 WAR with the Mariners.

Reliever David Pauley accompanied Fister to give the Tigers some depth in their bullpen. In return, Seattle received pitcher Charlie Furbush, outfielder Casper Wells, third baseman Francisco Martinez and a player to be named later.

Furbush is a 25-yr old left-handed strikeout pitcher that was used as both a starter and reliever by the Tigers. No word yet if he’ll replace Fister in the rotation or Pauley in the pen. Wells is a fourth outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, but doesn’t hit much.  Martinez is a highly touted third baseman, but only the second best hot corner man in the Tigers organization. The 20-yr old Venezuelan is still developing his power, but had pretty good splits (.282/.319/.405) for Single-A Erie.

Arizona – Washington: The Diamondbacks added to their rotation by sending infielder Zach Walter, a former 9th round draft pick, to the Nationals for veteran starter Jason Marquis. The soon-to-be 33-yr old joins his sixth organization after 1+ seasons in the Nation’s capital. Marquis was 8-5, 3.95 in 20 starts this season and averaged six innings each time out. With a WHIP over 1.4 and 0.8 WAR, Marquis is a shaky back-end-of-the-rotation starter. He missed most of last season with elbow surgery.

Rumors

Ubaldo Jimenez: The Rockies have reportedly lowered their demands since they have yet to make a deal.  The Red Sox, Reds, and Indians are said to be negotiating the most, while the Yankees are still in play.

Hiroku Kuroda: The Dodgers right-hander really doesn’t want to leave LA, but has reportedly told the cash-strapped team that he’d be willing to accept a trade to the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees.

Josh Willingham and Ryan Ludwick: The A’s and Padres outfielders are still being talked about and are expected to be moved at some point this weekend. Right now it appears A’s GM Billy Beane is asking too much for Willingham.

Heath Bell: Unless the Padres lower their demands, the team’s closer won’t be going anywhere.

Denard Span: The Nationals have been working for days to try to land the Twins’ outfielder. A rumor spread earlier this afternoon that the Twins were trying to get the Yankees involved in a possible three-team deal.

Rafael Furcal: The shell-of-himself shortstop is close to being sent from the Dodgers to the Cardinals.

Update 7:20 PM

Hiroki Kuroda has refused to waive his no-trade clause and will remain an LA Dodger. The ramifications of Kuroda off the market is that the Rockies can now boost their asking price back up for Ubaldo Jimenez.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

A future Hall of Famer, a current Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players to wear a Chicago Cubs uniform of all-time.

What do they all have in common? They were all born on today’s date, July 27. What else do they have in common? I decided not to focus today’s feature on any of them.

Those three names are well known. We know about A-Rod and how he quickly reached the 500 mark, and then not long after that, the 600 plateau in home run calculations. We know about the BALCO findings, and that he finally admitted to using substances in the early part of the new millenium. We know that he came up with Seattle, signed the largest contract in MLB with the Texas Rangers at 10 years/$252 million and then topped that with a 10 years/$272 million contract when he joined the New York Yankees. We know about his willingness to play third base because Jeter was already the captain and resident of the shortstop position with the Yankees and of course, we know about the ‘Cameron and the popcorn’ incident. (I like calling it an incident. Makes it seem like a big deal while of course, it was not).

Durocher? We know that he was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1994 by the veterans committee, won at least 500 games with three different teams, is listed tenth all-time in victories by a manager and finally put an end to the horrible ‘College of Coaches‘ idea that existed with P.K. Wrigley’s Chicago Cubs.

Speaking of the Chicago Cubs, baseball historians and poetry fans alike are well-versed in the likes of Joe Tinker. The man that leads off in the ‘Tinker to Evers to Chance’ poem helped lead the Chicago Cubs through their greatest decade and their last world championship in the early 1900′s.

The three of them have been celebrated time and time again. I have decided they’ve had their birthday cake and eaten, too. (In the case of Rodriguez, it may have even been fed to him by Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson or some other Hollywood startlet). To truly celebrate a birthday in this space and recognize a player few know anything about and some know very little, we need to highlight the career of the deserving, yet relatively unknown.

I present to you: Elliot Taylor ‘Bump’ Wills.

Bump Wills deserves not only an article on BaseballDigest.com celebrating his birth and career, his name alone should be commemorated in stone some way, some how. Whether it be a baseball award, a legal term, a dirty joke or a dance move, to have the name Bump Wills out there and no one making use of it (aside from Bump Wills) is just a shame. I will change that here and now. The legendary, Bump Wills.

Baseball Digest selected Bump Wills as the second baseman of their 1977 All-Rookie team. Andre Dawson, Jack Clark were also selected as members of the team. You can see the entire line-up here.

Bump Wills was born in Washington D.C. on this day in 1952 and turns 59 today. Those who relish in the minutiae of the game may take great pride in knowing that Wills, along with Moises Alou and David Bell,  are the only major league ballplayers to suit up and play a game against their respective fathers.

Wills played college ball at Arizona State University and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the amateur draft in 1975 (January secondary). His career spanned the years of 1977-1982, including five seasons with the Texas Rangers before closing out his time in major league baseball with the 1982 season with the Chicago Cubs.

A career .266 hitter, Wills had his highlights as well as his not-so-proud moments in the game like any other ballplayer. His time with the Rangers was highlighted by stealing 52 bases in the 1978 season. On August 27, 1977, Wills and teammate, Toby Harrah, combined to lead the Rangers to an 8-2 win over the Yankees by hitting back-to-back inside-the-park home runs on consecutive pitches. It tied the MLB mark for consecutive inside-the-park home runs and I’m guessing are the two most memorable pitches of Ken Clay’s career.

On the list of moments Wills would probably rather forget, in a game against the Yankees nearly a year later on May 6, 1978, second baseman Willie Randolph of the Yankees pulled the hidden ball trick on Mills. It doesn’t just happen in the movies. However, I’m assuming it is much more embarrassing when it happens in real life.

While you won’t find him in historic baseball prose, honored with his likeness on a plaque in Cooperstown or on the front cover of People Magazine, Wills did maintain integrity and respect on the baseball diamond when it came to the family name. His father, Maury, also played in the major leagues. Bump represented the family well by playing a quality second base (career .979 fielding percentage), stealing bases at a career mark of a 75% success rate and leading the AL twice in putouts and assists. His team was generally in a better position with him in the line up with his ability to steal a base and work his way around to score. In 1980, he scored a career-high 102 runs for the Texas Rangers.

In his one season with the Chicago Cubs, Wills hit six home runs, had thirty-eight RBIs, thirty-five stolen bases and a batting average of .272. It explains why there isn’t a banner with his name hanging anywhere at Wrigley. No statue in front of the stadium. No banner hanging in the corridors and no flag flying high above. Wills is certainly remembered more so by Texas Rangers fans. Perhaps after reading this article, you too will remember the name Bump Wills.

A baseball player who put it all out there for baseball fans in his time in the majors being remembered by baseball fans from all over. Is there a better birthday gift to be had? (If you discount having popcorn thrown into your mouth by Cameron Diaz, I would have to go with ‘absolutely not’).

Also Born Today:

Shea Hillenbrand turns 36 today. A career .284 hitter, Hillenbrand spent time with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Giants, Angels and Dodgers. The two time All-Star appeared in more games at third base than any one else in 2002 and led the league in HBP in 2005.

Shane Bowers turns 40 today. A star at Loyola Marymount University, the right-handed pitcher was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993 and made his major league debut in 1997. In five games with the Twins, he posted an 0-3 record with an 8.05 ERA.

Ryan Maloney is a Staff Writer for BaseballDigest.com, the author of popular Chicago Cubs blog Prose and Ivy and contributing writer to MLB.com/Entertainment.

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These are the saddest of possible words:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double –
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
“Tinker to Evers to Chance.”

July 21 is the 130th anniversary of the birth of Evers, the tall, thin middle infielder whose scrappy play earned him the nickname “Crab”. It was that style that helped Evers make his debut at age 19 for the Chicago Orphans. (The Orphans became the Chicago Cubs two years later.)

Evers was not only famous as part of the most famous double play combination, but he is also the player who pointed out  the play that became known as “Merkle’s Boner” during the 1908 season. New York Giants rookie Fred Merkle failed to advance to second base on what would have been a game winning hit for the Giants. Instead the play turned into a force out and ended up a tie game. The Cubs later won the make up game and topped the Giants by one game for the NL Pennant. They went on to  capture the World Series as well, defeating the Detroit Tigers.

As for Evers’ career, he was known much for his defense than his offense, but he did win the NL MVP Award as a member of the 1914 Boston Braves.  After playing 12 seasons with the Cubs, Evers was dealt to Boston prior to the ’14 season and ended up winning a second World Series title. Evers hit .279 with one home run, 40 RBI, 87 walks, 87 runs, and 12 steals in his MVP year. Just as offensive numbers were lower in those days,  errors were a lot higher,primarily due to poor mitts and field conditions. Evers committed 17 errors in his MVP season, one of the lowest totals of his career and finished with a lifetime .955 fielding percentage.

Johnny Evers had a big hit in the 1914 World Series. The Boston Herald’s Arthur Sampson recounted it in a 1950 piece in Baseball Digest. Click here to read all about it.

After four seasons with the Braves, Evers played a final season with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1917. Evers, who was a player/manager for the Cubs in 1913, went on to a brief managerial career after his playing days ended. He managed the Cubs to a 41-55 record in 1921, but was fired in early August. In 1922 Evers joined the Chicago White Sox coaching staff and actually played in a game due to an injury to second baseman Eddie Collins and a shortage of extra infielders. He went 0-3 with two walks. (Evers would repeat the feat while a coach for the Boston Brave in 1929. The then 47-yr old Evers made a defensive appearance in one game.)

In 1924 Evers took over the rival White Sox when manager and former teammate Frank Chance was sidelined with a bronchial infection. Evers would be a bookend manager, going 10-11, before Edd Walsh and Eddie Collins managed the next 30 games. Evers then took over again for the final 102 games (41-61). Later in life, Evers worked as a scout for the Braves and managed in the International League. The Veterans Committee elected Evers to the Hall of Fame in 1946.  He died the following year of a brain hemorrhage and was laid to rest in his hometown of Troy, NY.

Also Born Today

CC Sabathia (Vallejo, CA 1980): Carsten Charles Sabathia is loved by his teammates and fans alike. The 6’7″ southpaw, whose weight has fluctuated above 300 lbs at times, is one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball. He’ll pitch this evening against the Tampa Bay Rays with a seven game winning streak on the line and a league high 14 wins. Sabathia was the 20th overall pick for the Cleveland Indians in the 1998 amateur draft out of Vallejo HS in his hometown.

His six-plus seasons in Cleveland included a Cy Young Award, but with free agency pending he was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers at the 2008 trade deadline.  His 11-2, 1.65 record led the Brewers to the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Sabathia signed a seven year, $161MM contract with the New York Yankees and was an integral part of the their 2009 World Series championship.

Moe Drabowsky (Ozanna, Poland 1935): Born with the given name Myron, Drabowsky signed as a bonus baby with the Chicago Cubs in 1956. He began his career as a starter before switching over to a full time reliever for the final 10 of his 17 big league seasons. He won a career high 13 games with the Cubs in 1957 and also set his career high in losses that season with 15. His career would span three decades and saw him play with eight organizations. He finished with an 88-105, 3.61 record with 33 complete games and 55 saves. He set a record by striking out 11 Dodgers in 6.2 innings in the 1966 World Series. Life a lot of lefties Drabowsky was considered a flake and also was a bit of a prankster. He once even gave a hot-foot to then baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Drabowsky worked as a special pitching instructor for the Orioles for 13 years before he passed away in 2006.

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Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Richard Michael Gossage was born in 1951 in Colorado Springs, CO where he still makes his home today. After a stellar career at Wasson High School, Gossage was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 9th round of the 1970 amateur draft. He appeared in 13 games combined that year for the Gulf Coast rookie White Sox and low level ‘A’ Appleton Foxes with mixed results, but a year later as a starter he made everyone in the organization stand up and take notice.

24 of Gossage’s 25 appearances for Appleton in 1971 were indeed as a starting pitcher and he excelled. An 18-2 record, 1.83 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 187 innings jumped off the page at everyone. He also allowed just 141 hits and 50 base on balls. His performance earned the 20-yr old an invitation to the big league spring training in 1972. He then continued to open eyes that spring and went north will the ball club.

Manager Chuck Tanner, who later became Gossage’s manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the front office decided to move Gossage to the bullpen despite his prior year’s performance. It was felt that his electric stuff would work even better out of the pen. He made 36 appearances his rookie season, but despite a 7-1 record, his other numbers weren’t up to his minor league standards. He walked five batters per nine innings, allowed 72 hits in 80 innings, and posted a 4.28 earned run average. Control issues would be the reason was Gossage shuttled back and forth between the Majors and minors the next two seasons.

Bob Rubin of the Miami Herald profiled Gossage after the reliever saved 33 games in 1980. Click here to read all about it.

It wasn’t until 1975 that the player nicknamed “Goose”, by teammate Tom Bradley, (because of the way he stuck his neck out when looking for the sign from the catcher) started to put it all together at the Major League level. He led the American League that year with 26 saves, struck out 130 batters in 141.2 innings pitched, and allowed 99 hits (just three of which were home runs). His play earned him the first of his nine All-Star appearances, and he finished sixth in the 1975 AL CY Young voting.

Despite his fabulous year, the White Sox decided to move Gossage back to the starting rotation for the 1976 season. The results were semi-disastrous. Goose lost 17 games, struck out just 130 in 224 innings, and allowed 214 hits. The team led by Paul Richards also lost 97 games, so that winter owner Bill Veeck decided to make some changes. In December, Gossage along with lefty Terry Forster were shipped to Pittsburgh for outfielder Richie Zisk and pitcher Silvio Martinez. Zisk hit 30 home runs and produced 101 RBI in his one and only year in Chicago and never approached those numbers again. Meanwhile Gossage’s best days were ahead of him.

Back in the bullpen in 1977, Gossage saved 26 games and combined with Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson for one of those dominant relief corp in baseball. But free agency loomed for Gossage and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, despite having the reigning AL CY Young winner Spark Lyle on his team, was greatly intrigued.  And whatever George wanted, George generally got. He landed Gossage with a six year deal on November 22, 1977. It was a move that eventually led to third baseman Graig Nettles’ famous quote on Lyle, “He went from CY Young to sayonara.”

Gossage’s intro to New York was a rough one. He lost the first game of the season when he gave up a 9th inning home run to none other than Texas’ Richie Zisk. His next appearance was a blown save to Milwaukee and another loss. After mop up duty in his third appearance, Gossage lost another ninth inning game, this time to Toronto. His 0-3 record led to boos when the Yankees returned home. Gossage loves to retell the story today of when center fielder Mickey Rivers jumped on the hood of the bullpen car, yelling “NO”, to stop Gossage from entering a game.

Though he also had a blown save in the ’78 All-Star game, Gossage turned things around (a league leading 27 saves) and helped the Yankees come back from a 14.5 game deficit to Boston in the AL East. He then protected a one run lead in a one game playoff between the two teams, getting Carl Yastrzemski to pop up to Graig Nettles to end the game. Gossage went on to make four All-Star appearances while with New York, led the league in saves twice and finished third in the AL CY Young voting in 1980. But Gossage began to clash with owner George Steinbrenner as the 1980′s marched on and he decided to depart as a free agent after the 1983 season. He signed with San Diego and helped them to their first World Series with 25 saves.

After four years on the left coast, Gossage spent time with the Chicago Cubs, had a second tour with the Yankees before rounding out his career with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A’s, and Seattle Mariners. He also pitched in Japan during the 1990 campaign. In 22 big league seasons, Gossage finished with 310 saves and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Today, the Goose is active in youth sports and serves as a Spring Training instructor for the Yankees.

Also Born Today:

Gary Matthews Sr. (San Fernando, CA 1950): “Sarge” was a star baseball player at San Fernando High and was selected as the 17th overall pick in the 1968 amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. The southern California native made his MLB debut in northern California for the Giants in 1972, hitting .290 with four home runs in 20 games. He then won the NL Rookie of the Year award a year later when he hit .300 with 12 HR and 58 RBI. After five years by the Bay, Matthews signed with Atlanta as a free agent. He spent four years there and made his first All-Star team before being dealt to the Phllies prior to the 1981 season. He was a member of the 1983 NL pennant winning team and also reached the playoffs with the Phillies in 1981 and the Chicago Cubs in 1984. Matthews retired after splitting the 1987 season with the Cubs and Seattle Mariners.

Jesse Crain (Toronto, ON 1981): The Canadian born Crain attended the University of Houston and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 2002 draft. Crain debuted with the Twins in 2004 and finished eighth in the ROY voting in 2005 when the reliever went 12-5, 2.71 with one save. Crain had his ups and downs for the next several seasons, but in 2010 he put up strong numbers with 60 strikeouts in 68 innings. The timing couldn’t have been better as the free agent to be signed a three year deal with the Chicago White Sox during this past off-season.

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Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

For many fans outside of Chicago, Ernie Banks is something of an unheralded star.  Aside from being known as perhaps the best player never to win a World Series and for his signature “Let’s Play Two” catchphrase, Banks’s story seems less known than that of many top-tier, all-time greats.

In Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub and the Summer of ’69 (Triumph Books, 288 pps.), Phil Rogers, national baseball columnist for the Chicago Tribune and insider for the MLB Network, shines a spotlight on the man whose name has become synonymous with the star-crossed franchise for six decades.  But while Banks’ enthusiasm, durability and talent were all world-class, and he was often subjected to the hazards of being African-American in a time when racism was much more overt in society, his tendency away from activism leaves his story without that kind of conflict that has made those of other stars like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and others more compelling.

With the fateful — for the Cubs — 1969 season as the hook, Rogers ably chronicles Banks’s career, noting interesting facets of the Dallas native’s early life that forever shaped his attitude toward baseball and life.

“What kid would remember this experience with relish?” asks Rogers rhetorically when writing of Banks’ youthful days picking cotton.  But it comes into play later as Banks credits the chore with improving the quickness of his hands, one of his best qualities as a hitter.

Banks was and is loved almost universally, with the notable exception of Leo Durocher, who as Cubs’ skipper in Banks’s last six years seemed to be trying to replace him every season with players that, looking back today, have all slipped into deep obscurity.

Banks was the kind of player and person that didn’t let that bother him, also evidenced in a brief but telling story Rogers relates about the legendary Rogers Hornsby, not known for progressive feelings towards African Americans.  Coaching the Cubs in Spring Training in Arizona one year early in Banks’s career, the Hall of Famer worked wonders with the future star, imparting a sense of confidence he would keep his whole career.