Willie Mays was simply the best player I ever saw. Some have better stats, and have won more titles, but the name Mays is still magical.
Willie was 20 when he broke in with the Giants. He was just one of those guys you could not take your eyes off of. His cap would fly off as he rounded the bases, and in centerfield, he was as graceful as a gazelle chasing down fly balls.
He had power, a great throwing arm, speed, and he was just flatly exciting. He lost a season and a half to military service or he would have finished with more than 660 homers. He might well have joined Babe and Henry in the 700 club.
He was the one Giant, along with McCovey, who I had total respect for. I always wished he would have been a Dodger. Mays played in four World Series, 51-54-62-73. He only got one ring. His performance in those series was not very good.
He only had three extra base hits in 21 games and he only hit .230. He never hit a World Series homer. His counterparts at the time, Mantle and Snider, would tally 18 and 11 in their series appearances.
But Willie always had a smile and looked like he was having the time of his life out there. He still managed to make what was probably the best catch in World Series history in 1954.
His voice was unusually high-pitched, but I remember his interviews with Vin Scully on the radio and later on TV when LA was in SF.
He won two MVP awards, but could have won at least two more when he finished a close second to Ernie Banks in 1958, and to Maury Wills in 1962.
As kids we would try and copy his patented “basket catch”. Without much success I might add. The only player I saw other than Mays do that, was Darrell Thomas, who used to drive Lasorda nuts doing it.
As with most stars, it was sad to watch his last couple of seasons with the Mets. He did manage to hit 14 more homers as a Met, and he got into another World Series. But he should have been a career Giant, the same way Aaron should have been a career Brave.
I have a lot of great memories of Mays, even though he was on the hated Giants. I will always cherish the fact that I saw him play several times at the coliseum. RIP Willie, you were one of a kind.
A Willie Mays Pictorial.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/willie-mays-turns-91-today-life-pictures-84299892
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORT
OKC Baseball Club 5 – Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado) 4 – 11 innings
OKC had to come back in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game to get it to extra innings, and then walked it off with one in the 11th.
This was a bullpen game for OKC. Kevin Gowdy started and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings even while allowing 3 hits and a BB.
OKC scored 1st. In the 3rd Drew Avans tripled and scored on an Andre Lipcius double.
Grant Lavigne hit his 10th HR for Albuquerque in the 4th off Gus Varland to tie the score.
Albuquerque took the lead in the 5th off Kyle Hurt. Hurt issued 2 walks and a single for a run. He got two outs before being relieved by Matt Gage to end the inning. Gage pitched a scoreless 6th.
OKC scored a pair in the 5th. Chris Okey doubled, Drew Avans and James Outman singled to load the bases. Trey Sweeney singled to score Okey and Avans.
The Isotopes tied the game in the 8th after a BB and double off OKC’s Jesse Hahn. Albuquerque hit a sac fly off Michael Flynn in the 9th to take a 4-3 lead,
In the bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs, Drew Avans doubled and scored on a single by Andre Lipcius. Outman doubled Lipcius to 3rd. Both were stranded, forcing the two teams to go into extra innings.
Neither team scored in the 10th.
Jack Dreyer retired the side in the 11th on two pop outs and a ground out. I would not be at all surprised if Dreyer makes the climb all the way to LAD.
The Maytag ran efficiently today…What's New!
Jack Dreyer stranded the place runner in the Top of the 11th, then got the W when OKC walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Dreyer moved his ERA down to 1.88, WHIP of 0.69, 38 Ks in 29 IP. He's gone 9 outings in a row scorless.… pic.twitter.com/Fu7ePIeZCz— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) June 20, 2024
The Maytag ran efficiently today…What's New!
Jack Dreyer stranded the place runner in the Top of the 11th, then got the W when OKC walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Dreyer moved his ERA down to 1.88, WHIP of 0.69, 38 Ks in 29 IP. He's gone 9 outings in a row scorless.… pic.twitter.com/Fu7ePIeZCz— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) June 20, 2024
With Jonathan Araúz at 2nd, Chris Okey sac bunted him to 3rd. Drew Avans was IBB. Lipcius hit a ground ball to SS who got Araúz out at the plate. A WP pushed the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Outman also drew an IBB. Okey scored on another WP for the walk off win.
- Drew Avans – 3-5, 1 BB, 4 runs, double (15), triple (6)
- Andre Lipcius – 2-5, 1 BB, 2 RBI, double (17)
- James Outman – 2-5, double (5)
- Double – Chris Okey (5)
Andre Lipcius had 2 hits and a couple of Ribeye's & now has hits in 4 games in a row. He's hitting .303 OPS .949 & has posted a WRC+ of 129. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/Cl9u7fWT09
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) June 20, 2024
Tulsa Drillers 8 – NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) 5
The Drillers put up 6 in the 2nd. The first two batters of the inning struck out. The next nine batters reached base.
- Diego Cartaya – BB
- Brendan Davis – BB
- Bubba Alleyne – Double, Cartaya and Davis score
- Yeiner Fernandez – Single, Alleyne scores
- Alex Freeland – BB
- Taylor Young – single, Freeland to 3rd
- Young steals 2nd
- Griffin Lockwood-Powell – Single, Freeland and Young score
Kendall Williams started and completed 5.0 innings. He allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 2 BB. Of the 6 hits, 3 were doubles and a single in the 5th, scoring 2 runs.
Tulsa got the two back in the 8th. Diego Cartaya singled and moved to 3rd on a Bubba Alleyne double. Yeiner Fernandez singled to score both Cartaya and Alleyne.
NWA picked up a run in the 8th and 9th off a pair of relievers.
- Bubba Alleyne – 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 doubles (9)
- Yeiner Fernandez – 3-4, 1 run, 3 RBI
- Diego Cartaya – 1-2, 2 BB, 2 runs
Quad Cities River Bandits (KC) 4 – Great Lakes Loons 2
Quad Cities scored a run in the 3rd on a pair of singles, a caught stolen base, 2 BB, and a sac fly.
Great Lakes scored a pair in the bottom of the 3rd. Frank Rodriguez, Noah Miller, and Thayron Liranzo each singled with Rodriguez scoring and Miller moving up to 3rd. Miller scored on a ground out.
The score would remain 2-1 Great Lakes until the 8th. In the 8th, Franklin De La Paz was the pitcher. He allowed a 1-out BB, a 2-out single, followed by a 2-out, 3-run HR, making the score Quad Cities 4-2 over Great Lakes. That would be the final score.
- Noah Miller – 2-4, 1 run
- Double – Dylan Campbell (14)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6 – Inland Empire 66ers (LAA) 2
In front of a sold out crowd, Clayton Kershaw took the mound in his first rehab appearance. Before that, the crowd told the story:
Clayton Kershaw is signing autographs for fans after his rehab start. pic.twitter.com/ZbexNYgcaM
— Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (@RCQuakes) June 20, 2024
Before the game, the RC Quakes team wanted to watch the future HOF lefty warm up:
All the Quakes players want to watch the GOAT too pic.twitter.com/d2TDRwxxFA
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) June 20, 2024
In the first, with one out, Adrian Placencia hit a triple off Clayton, and scored on a sac fly.
Kersh gave up a single in the 2nd and a BB in the 3rd. His final line – 3.0 IP, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 BB and 5 K. Certainly a better 1st rehab than Bobby Miller.
Clayton Kershaw throws a knee-buckling curveball for his 5th strikeout and to complete his rehab start pic.twitter.com/SwJ7G8IICO
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 20, 2024
RC took the lead in the 4th. Josue De Paula singled and stole 2B. He moved to 3B on a ground out and scored on a Jesus Galiz double. Jose Meza singled to scored Galiz and a 2-1 lead.
In the 5th, Wilman Diaz drew a BB. Kendall George singled with Diaz to 3rd. Logan Wagner singled with Diaz scoring and George to 3rd. Josue De Paula singled to plate George with Wagner moving to 3rd. De Paula stole 2nd with Wagner scoring and De Paula moving to 3rd on a throwing error. De Paula scored on a ground out.
Patrick Copen followed Kershaw and complete 4.2 innings. He was outstanding in the 4th – 6th inning. In the 7th, Copen issued a BB that was followed by a WP and double for a run.
Copen got the first two batters out in the 8th when Joseilyn Gonzalez was summoned to relieve Copen. He faced one batter and got the final out. Carson Hobbs retired the side in order in the 9th to close out the victory.
- Josue De Paula – 3-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
- Doubles – Jesus Galiz (4), Juan Alonso (11)
ACL Dodgers – Did Not Play
Still 9.0 games up in the NL West.
Yes, and you should have seen all the comments on X saying that the loss was on Roberts and calling for his firing. Maybe Scott was in disguise on there making all of those posts! Just pulling your chain Scott. We all know you love Dave and AF. They all wanted Ramirez gone too.
Bear, don’t you know every LAD loss is because of Roberts, and every win is in spite of him.
Really?????? Those uninformed clods. How dare they. Lakers hired JJ Reddick. Won’t matter, as long as LeBoring is on the team, they are not winning anything.
Lolz, actually Yohan had been pitching pretty well ever since Dave gave him that pep talk. I didn’t mind seeing him called in.
L
Again: Cut Biggio and play M.Vargas a little bit at 3b. He wont hurt your team more there than Biggio or CT3 being on the roster.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Biggio is a beauty Vargas should play more Outman should be back with team etc. still believe these Dodgers just dont help rookies develop would rather have vetern bums to make Friedman look good if they ever deliver thus Taylor and Biggio etc remain with team. Go Dodgers
I don’t think Vargas even has an infield glove.
Yes, Friedman prefers veterans. I don’t believe that’s a fault.
This team is marking time and will continue to do so until first the deadline and then the push to October. I believe an ace, or at least a front line starter, will be a deadline priority. I’d prefer Outman, or a trade acquisition in center as I view Pages as a liability. I still don’t like Mookie at short but have learned to live with it this year. Kiké and Taylor? Bench players. Maybe they improve late season. Maybe they are replaced. Low priority in my view. The bullpen, when at full strength, looks fine to me. My confidence level remains high.
I think Pages is a right fielder and another player playing out of position. I want an outfield of Teoscar, Outman, and Pages.
Would not mind that at all.
Okay with that.
Heyward is a 34 year old 6′ 5″ 240 pound physical specimen with an awesome clubhouse presence. He also has a 2024 line of .253.351.494.845. But he is on a one year expiring contract and is holding back a younger player who placed 3rd in ROY last year and is logically the longer term center fielder.
Heyward is better defensively in right field than Pages but I think the overall defense is better with Outman in CF and Pages in RF than it is with Pages in CF and Heyward in RF.
I am glad to see others coming around to the need of another top of the rotation pitcher. I have not waivered on my desire to see the Dodgers acquire LHSP Garrett Crochet. He would be my #1 target. Adding De Jong would not be the worst addition.
When Pages came up and was playing CF, I wrote that I did not think that he was a very good defensive CF. He does not get good reads, and does not have good routes to the ball, especially going back on the ball. That was evident again last night, and earlier in the series. He caught one, and did not catch last night’s. I caught a lot of flak on that assessment. We will never know for sure, because he was not out there, but the play that Pages missed last night into a double, I am convinced that Outman makes it with relative ease.
Joc Pederson was outstanding on going back on the ball in CF. Both Belli and Outman made the transition very well where they are now considered excellent on going back. I do not see that instinct in Pages. He has a cannon for an arm and belongs in RF.
You and I have both been saying for a while now…Mookie is an outstanding athlete who is not a SS. The Dodgers do not have to find a replacement for Mookie when looking for a SS, it just needs to be someone better offensively than Lux. I would much rather see Mookie at 2B and a legit SS at SS for LAD. I too worry about Miggy Ro playing everyday at SS. This year, neither CT3 nor Kiké have shown that they are an offensive upgrade over Lux. This year DeJong is.
Somebody proposed a trade of Kendall George for Paul DeJong in the Trade Simulator. It was liked by both LAD and CWS fans. I am not sure how CWS would care for that deal.
I wonder what the cost would be to get Edmundo Sosa out of Philadelphia?
IMHO, Betts will get better at shortstop. I accept his defense at short because I like what he brings offensively to shortstop. As long as Barnes, Taylor, Kike’, Biggio are going to fill 2 of the four spots in the bottom of the lineup, I think I will live with Betts at shortstop. I left out comment on Lux because he is young, cheap, and getting better offensively plus plays good defense.
We will soon see if Rojas can keep up his offense and play 5 out of 7 games at short.
I want a third baseman and I don’t know if Friedman will trade for both a 3rd baseman and a pitcher.
I was very high on Outman in his rookie year. He has lots of promise but it never seemed to last and his plate appearances kept getting weaker with too many SO’s. He became even weaker in his Sophomore year. It’s got to be a mental thing with him. Some players adapt, some don’t.
Outman hasn’t proven anything, yet. Pages continues to hit. He needs more development but the Dodgers don’t seem to provide any development to their rookies. Vargas hardly sees the field. The whole point is repetitions which Vargas doesn’t get. It’s a head scratcher to me.
Biggio is simply holding court until Max is better or they make a move. He adds a lefty bat to the mix. He is obviously better at second defensively than third. Vargas is even worse than Biggio over there.
I’m at a loss to see what AF or anyone for that matter feels the need to hold back Vargas in order to play a guy hitting .200 and who is not a superstar with the glove.
They obviously do not feel he hit’s RHP all that well. At least not this year.
Pages in center (as a fielder) is a work in progress. Multiple times I have seen him have trouble with balls over his head. He has a bad habit of running what seems like 2/3 speed to get to these balls, and at the last second, he either muffs it or makes what should be an average play a difficult one. This is certainly something he can work on. In addition, situationally, it should be obvious to every thinking player that when you are in Colorado you run like hell at a ball over you head because it is going to carry that extra 5/10 % beyond what your eyes tell you will happen in normal sea-level conditions.
As the season continues, i will be watching his base slides and his outfield routes to see if he is making adjustments. On the very positive side, though, we have seen him make some nice adjustments as a hitter — so I hope his coaches push him hard to get better on these other important fundamentals.
“Multiple times I have seen him have trouble with balls over his head. He has a bad habit of running what seems like 2/3 speed to get to these balls,”
I see the same thing. Routes and judgment on the difficult plays are less than. Outman is better but neither appear to me to be natural, graceful center fielders. Both are playing out of position if you ask me. Outman is an outside linebacker playing center field and Pages is a left fielder being asked to do it.
This team was built to score and pitch. I don’t see a Gold Glove candidate anywhere though Freddie sure has saved a lot of throwing errors at first. The Dodgers infield arms suck begonias.
I agree. Outman’s defense is much better in CF (I wonder when he’ll be recalled), and Pages would be a very good RF.
Pages’ scouting report says he has a 55 arm.Though I haven’t seen it yet I don’t doubt he has it. Teo, Outman and Pages/Heyward is fine with me.
Heyward at this point is the best outfielder on the team. He also has some gold gloves to prove it. But the rest, Meh.
Any idea how hard Kersh was throwing last night?
88-90.
That was his slider, right? If that’s his fastball, oh sh*t.
He only broke 100 mph five times.
88-90 was his changeup.
Hang in there Badger. Not time to panic about velo yet. CK is going to be the second coming of Jamie Moyer. In 2012 Moyer pitched 7 innings against the Pads, allowing only 2 unearned runs. He threw 21 four-seamers that day, on which the average velo was 77.2 mph. No pitch he threw in that game broke 80 on the gun.
I know, different times, different game, but let me have my fun.
Your fun works for me
I’m ok with it as well.
2 for 2. I’m batting 1.000.
I was wondering why Doc replaced Teo late in the game and he later explained he felt it was a good time to get him off of his feet with a day game today. They were up two at the time. He also said that he liked Taylor’s approach at the plate even though he lined out to second. My biggest gripe with this team is that IMHO, they take way too many pitches in the zone without even attempting to foul the ball off with 2 strikes. Biggio did it twice, Lux did it, and Ohtani did it in a big spot. On the subject of how you like me now, Heyward is heating up. He will be on the pine with a lefty going today at 1:10 LA time. I found a station I can watch the games on. Surprised the hell out of me. One other bitch. Back in the day, late in the game, teams always used the no doubles defense. Last night Kike was 20 feet off of the line when that ball was hit about two feet left of the bag. Just really bad positioning.
Blame the computer nerds. They determine the positioning.
Well computers are not always right in the REAL world. Instinct is a large part of the game. Hey Jeff, I got Andrew’s card the other day. Nice looking card. I also got a Yamamoto, and my Ohtani should be here today. I have two cards autographed by Erskine.
I am not arguing that instinct is a large part of the game, and I am just as curious as to why teams do not guard the line late in the game to minimize the double opportunites. Computer nerds have changed the game, and I am not convinced for the better.
I noticed that too. I figured the double in the gap is a much longer throw home so they are cutting that off. Made sense to me.
I think about this a lot. (So do the nerds, if Theo Epstein is a nerd)
I’m nowhere near a final conclusion, but there are elements of the game that are decidedly worse:
It’s a much harder watchIt’s probably overly specializedBut then there are elements which are much better:
The new stats make it so much easier to discern how well players perform and to contextualize those performances.The quality of play is much better (players swing harder, throw faster, etc.)Do those even out? Do the positives outweigh the negative?
I’m not sure.
I do think that smart people are doing good things (as evident by the pitch clock, shift ban) and the game is slowly getting more fun to watch. There are other elements that I think are better, but most fans would probably disagree.
adhering to the three times through the order issuethe diminishing bunt.
The game between the Giants and Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Brimingham is tonight, and it is dedicated to Willie Mays. Should be an interesting game.
Even at 50 Willie Mays was great in center field
I heard Mays say in an interview that he called the pitches from center field. The catcher would get a signal from Mays.
If this is true, and I REALLY doubt it, it really shows how much more complex and intricate the game is now.
Yankees have signed LHRP Tim Hill to a major league contract. Yankees now have 3 lefties in their pen. Gonzalez, Ferguson and Hill. Brandon Gomes was quoted as saying that the injuries to Betts and Yoshi will not impact the Dodgers plans at the deadline. This was reported on MLBTR. Stone V Blach today. Blach has always given the Dodgers fits. Need to score early and often.
Always bet on Blach
Well, the hitters just Blached him out. Three homers off of him. Nice.
I can see McMahon being a player that asks to get out of Colorado eventually. He’s signed through age 32, but that team won’t compete any time soon. He’s from SoCal. He’d sure be a nice fit here. I felt the same way about Arenado, who’s also from this area, and that never came to pass.
Too bad he is 29. I want someone younger but, yes, he would be a great fit. He is a lefty hitter so that would give the Dodgers Freeman, Lux, McMahon, Outman, Ohtani, Heyward, Muncy hitting from the left side balanced with Smith, Betts, Teoscar, Rojas, and Pages from the right side. I’m not including the struggling utility hitters. I’ll offer Muncy to get the bidding started.
Hey Fred, you can’t have it both ways.
First you list Max in your group of lefty hitters and then you want to trade him away. If Max is the name you use to get the bidding started the Rox hang up on you. You need to put a package together so that they at least hesitate before hanging up.
Maybe you should make a 3-team deal out of this. I bet the Yankees would like to have Max.
Another Rockies 3B for Dodger fans to pine over and never get!
McMahon’s track record isn’t as appealing (to me) as Arenado’s, but he’s having a good year at bat and can field quite well.
Yeah, he’s not Arenado good. Only 10 WAR in the last 3 years. Colorado dumped Arenado, maybe they would do the same with McMahon.