http://bleacherreport.com/ Bleacher Report - The open source sports network en-us 30 Joel Reuter With the World Series over, so is this decade of baseball, so what better time to look back at the top players of the great decade that was the 2000s. This will be the first in a series running down the top 15 players at each position in the last decade. The only stipulation is that players must have played in at least five seasons during the decade, so sorry Dodgers fans but no Russell Martin. I hope this can spark some debate, as these players and their achievements should be fresh in everyone's minds. So without further ado we will start with number 15...<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287430-the-top-15-catchers-of-the-2000s">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:56:15 -0500 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287430-the-top-15-catchers-of-the-2000s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287430-the-top-15-catchers-of-the-2000s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/287430-the-top-15-catchers-of-the-2000s Baseball MLB Rankings/List Best Lists Greatest Hits Joel Reuter <p>A few days ago, I wrote an article questioning whether or not Nomar Garciaparra was Hall of Fame-worthy.</p> <p>In comparing Nomar to his contemporaries, I also realized that Omar Vizquel has had a potentially Cooperstown-worthy career. So let's take a look at Vizquel's career.</p> <p>Originally&nbsp;signed by the <a href="/seattle-mariners">Mariners</a> at the age of 17 out of Venezuela, Vizquel was in the majors by the age of 22.</p> <p>It was not until his final season with the Mariners in 1993 that he won his first Gold Glove, but there would be many more to follow.</p> <p>Ten more, to be exact. Vizquel was hands-down the best at the position throughout the 1990s, winning the award every year from 1993-2001.</p> <p>However, there&nbsp;is more to Vizquel's career than just defense.</p> <p>In the article about Garciaparra, I compared his offensive numbers with some of the best hitters ever to play the shortstop position.</p> <p>In Vizquel's case, I think the most accurate comparison would be to Ozzie Smith and Luis Aparacio.</p> <p>In 19 seasons, Smith's line was as follows: .262 BA, 2460 Hits, 1257 Runs, 402 Doubles, 69 Triples, 28 HR, 793 RBI, 580 SB</p> <p>In 18 seasons, Aparacio's line was as follows: .262 BA, 2677 Hits, 1335 Runs, 394 Doubles, 92 Triples, 78 HR, 904 RBI, 506 SB</p> <p>In 20+ seasons, Vizquel's line is as follows: .273 BA, 2699 Hits, 1378 Runs, 432 Doubles, 73 Triples, 78 HR, 904 RBI, 389 SB</p> <p>Smith has the most Gold Gloves of all time at the position with 13, followed by Vizquel with 11, and then Aparacio with nine. However, this is not always the most accurate gauge of a player's defensive abilities.</p> <p>Vizquel also holds an advantage in career fielding percentage, as his mark of .985 is significantly better than Smith (.978) and Aparacio (.972).</p> <p>So when you compare him to the two Hall of Fame shortstops that would fall into the "defensive shortstop" category he seems to be in the same class as those guys.</p> <p>So what do you think? Personally, I think he was hands down the premier fielder of his era, and he was a good enough hitter to put up some solid career numbers, and that should be enough to get him in.</p> Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:05:21 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/241961-is-omar-vizquel-a-hall-of-famer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/241961-is-omar-vizquel-a-hall-of-famer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/241961-is-omar-vizquel-a-hall-of-famer Baseball MLB Cleveland Indians Omar Vizquel Opinion Cleveland Columbus OH Joel Reuter <p>Perhaps I am jumping the gun a bit here, but with Nomar Garciaparra&nbsp;sitting at 35 years old and stuck in a utility role on one of the worst teams in the American League in the Oakland Athletics, it appears he is in the twilight of his career.</p> <p>So, that draws the question: Is&nbsp;Garciaparra worthy of Cooperstown?</p> <p>Having played 1,055 of his 1,357 career games at shortstop, I think it is fair to view him as a shortstop for the sake of his eligibility, even though he has prolonged his career by playing corner infield.</p> <p>Nomar's current career numbers are as follows:.313 BA, .362 OBP, .521 SLG, 1735 H, 228 HR, 933 RBI, 923 R</p> <p>That would rank Nomar as follows among the 21 Hall of Fame shortstops:&nbsp;Third in&nbsp;batting average, ninth in on-base percentage, first in slugging, 18th in hits, fourth in home runs, 10th in&nbsp;RBI, 18th in runs.</p> <p>As far as overall statline is concerned, Nomar would fall in after Honus Wagner, Cal Ripken, Ernie Banks, and Robin Yount as far as offensive numbers.</p> <p>Nomar was a six-time All-Star and the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year, when he posted one of the best rookie seasons of all-time.</p> <p>He&nbsp;posted a line of:&nbsp;.306 BA, 30 HR, 98 RBI while leading the AL with 209 hits and 11 triples as a 23-year old for the Red Sox. His 30-game hitting steak that season set a rookie record, and he went on to win the&nbsp;Rookie of the Year&nbsp;unanimously.</p> <p>Over the next three seasons, he averaged a line of: .350 BA, 27 HR, 107 RBI, as he won the batting title in 1999 (.357) and 2000&nbsp;(.372).</p> <p>After an injury cost him most of the 2001 season, Garciaparra again topped a&nbsp;.300 average, 20 home runs and&nbsp;100 RBI in 2002 and 2003. Injuries cost&nbsp;him most of the 2004 and 2005 seasons, but he proved he could still play in 2006.</p> <p>After signing with the Dodgers in the offseason to play first base, the 32-year old Garciaparra made the NL All-Star team with a line of: .303 BA, 20 HR, 93 RBI and won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year.</p> <p>Will injuries and a move away from the shortstop position cost Garciaparra when it comes time for him to face the Hall voters? Or will the fact that he was arguably the best offensive shortstop of his era and his stellar career line earn him a place among the immortals.</p> <p>Personally, I think that as long as he does not play too long to the point that his career batting average drops below .300, he deserves a spot. Perhaps not on the first ballot, but eventually.</p> <p>So, what do you think? I look forward to what should be a good debate.</p> Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:41:27 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/239465-is-nomar-garciaparra-a-hall-of-famer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/239465-is-nomar-garciaparra-a-hall-of-famer http://bleacherreport.com/articles/239465-is-nomar-garciaparra-a-hall-of-famer Baseball MLB Nomar Garciaparra Opinion Joel Reuter On of the best things about the game of baseball, and what makes it so widely discussed and debated, are the overwhelming amount of statistics available. Everyone knows the all-time home run leader, the wins leader, the hits leader, but who can name the player with the best Strikeout-to-Walk ratio? That is where I have decided to start this series on obscure baseball stats. Hopefully this series will teach you something, while shining some light on some forgotten players and forgotten statistics. I started with strikeout-to-walk ratio because I have seen Stephen Strasburg's impressive line of 195 walks versus only 19 walks. I think that this statistic is a good judge of how well a pitcher does at keeping himself out of trouble. Limiting walks is one of the biggest problems with pitchers today, and having a guy who doesn't walk many guys is a real asset.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238522-joels-obscure-baseball-top-ten-career-strikeout-to-walk-ratio">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:42:16 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238522-joels-obscure-baseball-top-ten-career-strikeout-to-walk-ratio http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238522-joels-obscure-baseball-top-ten-career-strikeout-to-walk-ratio http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238522-joels-obscure-baseball-top-ten-career-strikeout-to-walk-ratio Baseball MLB Stats Joel Reuter Part Two in my Top 100 Chicago Athlete's series, and I have chosen to represent this first slide with our culinary claim to fame, the Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. In case you missed No. 81-100, here is the link to that article. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100 Some ground rules before we start: I only went as far back as World War II, or 1945, because of how difficult it is to compare athletes from different eras. Second, I only included athletes who played professionally in Chicago. For example, Dwayne Wade was born on the South Side and was a high school basketball star at Richards High School. However, he is not included on the list because he plays in Miami. The only exception to this was with Olympic athletes, as I included four who were born in Chicago, but did not necessarily compete in Chicago. All major sports were considered, and I hope I have done a good job fairly representing everyone. A special thanks to Tab Bamford, who helped me out in assembling my list of 100, when i could only come up with 70-something. His knowledge of Chicago sports is incredible, and I can't thank him enough for his help. I am going to do this in five different slideshows, so I hope you will follow the series as it progresses. I look forward to your feedback, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238066-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-61-80">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:16:59 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238066-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-61-80 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238066-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-61-80 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/238066-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-61-80 Rankings/List Multiple Sports Chicago Best Lists Joel Reuter As a life long Chicagoan, I have seen my fair share of great athletes in this city. So, I decided to attempt to put together my list of the Top 100 Chicago Athletes of All-Time. A few ground rules before we get started: I only went as far back as World War II, or 1945, because of how difficult it is to compare athletes from different eras. Second, I only included athletes who played professionally in Chicago. For example, Dwayne Wade was born on the South Side and was a high school basketball star at Richards High School. However, he is not included on the list because he plays in Miami. The only exception to this was with Olympic athletes, as I included four who were born in Chicago, but did not necessarily compete in Chicago. All major sports were considered, and I hope I have done a good job fairly representing everyone. A special thanks to Tab Bamford, who helped me out in assembling my list of 100, when i could only come up with 70-something. His knowledge of Chicago sports is incredible, and I can't thank him enough for his help. I am going to do this in five different slideshows, so I hope you will follow the series as it progresses. I look forward to your feedback, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:27:35 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/236049-the-top-100-chicago-athletes-of-all-time-no-81-100 Rankings/List Multiple Sports Chicago Best Lists Joel Reuter After finishing my rankings on the 1970s and 1980s, it seemed like there were always about ten more guys worthy of making the list, so for this list, I expanded it to a top 30. As with the previous two lists, only starting pitchers were considered. The players were ranked based on several statistical categories, with an emphasis on ERA+ and overall record. I was blown away by the fact that six pitchers from the 1992 Blue Jays made the list, and that does not include Dave Stieb and Jack Morris. What a stacked team that was. As you would imagine, even with the statistics, a certain amount of subjectivity on my part went into this and because of that I'm sure not everyone will agree with me. I welcome your feedback, be it positive or negative, and look forward to some good debate.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/226964-the-30-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-90s">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:48:07 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/226964-the-30-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-90s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/226964-the-30-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-90s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/226964-the-30-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-90s Baseball MLB Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best Lists Joel Reuter <p>Having written nothing but baseball related articles to this point as a member of Bleacher Report, I decided it was time to branch out into my other favorite sport, football. Or more specifically, fantasy football.</p> <p>I have decided to do my own preseason rankings, and I started with the quarterback position. My rankings will be based on a standard scoring, two-quarterback league. I will also break quarterbacks into tiers, grouping players with similar expectations together.</p> <p><strong>Tier 1<br></strong>Brees is in a league of his own, and is the only quarterback worth drafting in the first round.</p> <p><strong>1. Drew Brees, Saints</strong><br>As impressive as his 5,069 yard, 34 TD performance was last season, there is not reason to believe he won't approach those numbers again, especially with a healthy Marques Colston. Brees also has not missed a game since 2004, and is about as safe of a pick as there is at this position.</p> <p><strong>Tier 2<br></strong>These next three guys are a notch down from Brees, but are still more or less sure things. Expect all three of these guys to be gone by the end of round four.</p> <p><strong>2. Peyton Manning, Colts<br></strong>While you hate to lose a guy like Marvin Harrison, he had lost a step and the passing game may actually be better with Anthony Gonzalez in a starting role. Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne remian among the best at their positions, and the coaching change will have little effect on Manning as he basically calls his own plays anyway. Expect the usual 4,000 yards and 30 TD's.</p> <p><strong>3. Aaron Rodgers, Packers<br></strong>Common sense tells you that he should only get better with another year under his belt. As he and Greg Jennings continue to build a rapport, they will become one of the most dangerous QB-WR duos in the game. His scrambling ability also helps here, as he tallied 207 yards and 4 TDs on the ground last season.</p> <p><strong>4. Philip Rivers, Chargers<br></strong>Rivers has become one of the most reliable passers in the game, despite lacking a big name target at the wide receiver position. What he does have at his disposal is one of the games top recieveing tight ends in Antonio Gates, and two great pass-catching backs in Ladanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles. Expect 3,800 yards and 28 TD's at least.</p> <p><strong>Tier 3<br></strong>Once you get into Tier 3, you are no longer dealing with a sure thing.&nbsp;Either injury concerns, change of&nbsp;scenery, or loss of&nbsp;key a WR bump these guys down a level. Still, they are worth a starting spot.</p> <p><strong>5. Tom Brady, Patriots<br></strong>All signs point to Brady being healthy to start the season. The receiving corps is more or less unchanged from the group he threw 50 TD's to, with Joey Galloway taking Dante Stallworth's spot. The addition of Fred Taylor should also help open up the passing game a little.</p> <p><strong>6. Kurt Warner, Cardinals<br></strong>After having Warner on my fantasy team last season, it is hard to rank him this low. However, with his injury history and the fact that he is now 38 years old, the odds are stacked against him that he will duplicate last seasons 4,583 yard, 30 TD season. Still, if he can stay healthy, expect 3,800 yards and 25 TDs.</p> <p><strong>7. Matt Ryan, Falcons<br></strong>I would have loved to see the look on Ryan's face when he first heard the news that the Falcons had acquired Tony Gonzalez. The Falcons already had&nbsp;the up-and-coming duo of Roddy White and Michael Jenkins at reciever, and a sound running game. I would not be suprised to see Ryan put up 4,000 yards and 25 TD's as they continue to open up the playbook for him.</p> <p><strong>8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles<br></strong>After finally playing a full 16 games last season, McNabb will look to stay healthy once again. If he can, he has an impressive stable of recievers to throw to. The duo of DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin may be the best pair of young receivers in the game.</p> <p><strong>9. Jay Cutler, Bears<br></strong>As much as everyone talks about how terrible the Bears receiving corps is, Cutler is still a great quarterback with a big-time arm. The tight end combo of Greg Olson and Desmond Clark are stellar, as is Matt Forte out of the backfield. Also, look for Cutler to hook up with former Vanderbilt teammate Earl Bennett, who is slated as the No. 2 wide receiver, on a regular basis. Not as valuable as he was in Denver, but still worthy of starting.</p> <p><strong>Tier 4<br></strong>Now down into Tier 4, if you have waited this long to grab&nbsp;a QB, you would be wise to grab a couple from Tier 4 and play the matchups on a weekly basis.</p> <p><strong>10. Carson Palmer, Bengals<br></strong>There are a lot of question marks surrounding Palmer, but I like him to bounce back this season. Any team with Cedric Benson as the unquestioned starting running back is going to be throwing a lot. A healthy Chad Ochocinco as well as the addition of Laveranues Coles should push Palmer back into the upper tiers by season's end.</p> <p><strong>11. Matt Cassel, Chiefs</strong><br>Cassel would be higher after last season, but with only one year under his belt, it will be interesting to see how he responds to being "the man" after signing a huge contract with the Chiefs. He performed well with limited expectations, but now that expectations are high, he will have to respond or Tyler Thigpen is waiting in the wings.</p> <p><strong>12. Tony Romo, Cowboys</strong><br>The loss of Owens obviously hurts here, but Romo still has Jason Witten, arguably the game's best recieving tight end. Still, with a healthy Felix Jones, and the lack of a go to receiver, the Cowboys will no doubt be running more.</p> <p><strong>13. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers<br></strong>The Steelers commitment to the run inside the red zone, as well as the loss of Nate Washington who was one of the better slot receivers in the game, limit Roethlisberger's fantasy value. His ability to get 2-4 rushing touchdowns, as well as the continued improvement of Santonio Holmes gives him some upside though.</p> <p><strong>14. Matt Schaub, Texans</strong><br>Sure he has had some injury problems, and some inconsistency, but he has Andre Johnson to throw to. That alone makes him a high end backup capable of a big week against the right defense.</p> <p><strong>-For the record, should Brett Favre sign with the Vikings, this is where he would fall in my rankings</strong></p> <p><strong>15. Trent Edwards, Bills</strong><br>With the addition of Terrel Owens, and the incumbent Lee Evans providing solid numbers, Edwards should see an improvement on last years 2,699 yards and 11 TDs to around 3,200 yards and 18 TDs. He's got the weapons, and he could be a sleeper this year if everything goes right.</p> <p><strong>Tier 5</strong><br>These guys are best used as backups to the guys from one of the first two tiers. Ideally, you would only have to start them once during the season.</p> <p><strong>16. Matt Hasselbeck</strong><br>Injuries, and poor receiver play are always an issue with Hasselbeck. However,&nbsp;playing in the same division as&nbsp;the Cardinals, Niners, and Rams will give Hasselbeck plenty of good matchups throughout the season.</p> <p><strong>17. Eli Manning</strong><br>Without a real replacement for Plaxico Burress, Manning will be throwing to a largely unproven group of receivers, headlined by the second best Steve Smith in the league. Rookie Hakeem Nicks is a wild card here, as he could develop into a top tier reciever.</p> <p><strong>18. Kyle Orton</strong><br>His good winning percentage means little in fantasy football. Still, with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal to thorw to, he should post better numbers than he did in Chicago.</p> <p><strong>19. Chad Pennington<br></strong>Chad Henne is being groomed as the starter in Miami, and if Pennington struggles his job could be in jeopardy. Even if he does not struggle, he puts up&nbsp;average numbers at best.</p> <p><strong>20. Jeff Garcia</strong><br>This one is a bit of a stretch, but if he can take the job from JaMarcus Russel, which should not be too hard to do, Garcia will be a valuable backup.</p> <p><strong>The Rest<br>21. Jason Campbell, Redskins<br>22. Joe Flacco, Ravens<br>23. Mark Sanchez, Jets<br>24. Brady Quinn, Browns<br>25. Jake Delhomme, Panthers<br>26. Marc Bulger, Rams<br>27. Sage Rosenfels, Vikings<br>28. David Garrard, Jaguars<br>29. Shaun Hill, 49ers<br>30. Luke McCown, Buccaneers</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:15:46 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221219-joel-reuters-fantasy-football-perspective-quarterbacks http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221219-joel-reuters-fantasy-football-perspective-quarterbacks http://bleacherreport.com/articles/221219-joel-reuters-fantasy-football-perspective-quarterbacks Football NFL Fantasy Football Fantasy Football Fantasy Rankings/List Joel Reuter This is the second in my series running down the 20 best starting pitchers from each decade. My first was on the 1970s, and the link to that article is below in case you missed it. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216893-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-decade-1970s The 80s were quite a bit more difficult than the 70s were. There was not such a clear cut upper echelon during this decade, at least not compared to the 70s. I ran in to problems on both with players who started their careers in the middle of the decade like Gooden and Clemens, as well as players who retired in the middle of the decade like Carlton and Guidry. I look forward to hearing what you as the reader think of both who made my list as well as where I ranked them, and I encourage you to let me know what you would have done different.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/218689-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-80s">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:22:10 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/218689-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-80s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/218689-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-80s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/218689-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-80s Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best Lists Joel Reuter I have decided to begin a new series, running down the top 20 pitchers of each decade. Why did I start with the 1970s you ask. This is largely considered the Golden Age of pitching, and it was not uncommon to see half a dozen 20-game winners each season. My how times have changed. Picking a top 20 was difficult. There were about 15 guys that were sure bets for this list, but the bottom five spots could have gone to about 12 different guys. That said, I am sure there will be varying opinions on both who made the list, and where they were ranked. I look forward to the debate and encourage you to voice your opinion. On with the list...<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216893-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-decade-1970s">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:11:57 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216893-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-decade-1970s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216893-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-decade-1970s http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216893-the-20-best-starting-pitchers-of-the-decade-1970s Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter As a Cubs, fan it was a lot of fun putting together my list of The Chicago Cubs 20 Best Transactions Since 1990. However, it is only fair that I follow that up with the 20 Worst. While none of these moves hold a candle to the Aramis Ramirez trade in terms of significance, there have nonetheless been some truly awful decisions made in the recent history of the franchise. The biggest surprise here for many will be number three on this list, as I'm not sure aa whole lot of people know about that one. You will see what I mean. So without further ado, and I'm sure this will bring some joy to Cardinals and White Sox fans everywhere, let's look at some terrible decisions by Cubs management.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216256-the-chicago-cubs-20-worst-transactions-since-1990">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:22:48 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216256-the-chicago-cubs-20-worst-transactions-since-1990 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216256-the-chicago-cubs-20-worst-transactions-since-1990 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/216256-the-chicago-cubs-20-worst-transactions-since-1990 Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Rankings/List Chicago Indianapolis US Citie Joel Reuter I'll give the Cubs one thing, they are not afraid to pull the trigger on a big trade or sign a big name player, if they think it will help the team. With the recent flop signing of Milton Bradley and seemingly unwise trade of Mark DeRosa, I decided to look back at some of the moves that went right dating back to 1990. Before we begin with the list, I just want to say thank you to the Pittsburgh Pirates, as three of your bonehead trades managed to make this list, two of them even cracked the top five. As you can tell, this list just screams for a sequel, and have no worries, The 20 Worst... is already in progress.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214647-lets-make-a-deal-the-chicago-cubs-20-best-transactions-since-1990">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:59:16 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214647-lets-make-a-deal-the-chicago-cubs-20-best-transactions-since-1990 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214647-lets-make-a-deal-the-chicago-cubs-20-best-transactions-since-1990 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/214647-lets-make-a-deal-the-chicago-cubs-20-best-transactions-since-1990 Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Rankings/List Chicago Indianapoli Joel Reuter I will start off by giving credit to Alex Akita, who's article "Top-11: Most Randomly Awesome Seattle Mariners of All-Time" was the inspiration for this article. If you get a chance, check that article out as well as it is a good one. This slideshow will take a look at some of the shortest tenured Cubs of the last decade. Some of these guys filled in admirably for injured players, while some of them had laughably short and unproductive stays with the team, and were out the door as quickly as they came in. For anyone who considers themselves a Cubs fan or has at least followed the franchise for the past decade, this should be a fun trip down memory lane. And I must say, this nine man team would have a real good chance of not winning a single game if they played together for an entire season.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213538-remember-when-they-were-cubs-my-all-obscure-cubs-team-since-2000">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:50:53 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213538-remember-when-they-were-cubs-my-all-obscure-cubs-team-since-2000 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213538-remember-when-they-were-cubs-my-all-obscure-cubs-team-since-2000 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213538-remember-when-they-were-cubs-my-all-obscure-cubs-team-since-2000 Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Rankings/List Chicago Indianapoli Joel Reuter This is the fifth slideshow in my series running down the top players at each position in each team's history, and this one will focus on shortstops. In case you missed them, the first four slideshows were on catchers, first basemen, second basemen, and third basemen. Here are the links to those articles: The Best Catcher in Each MLB Franchise's History The Best First Baseman in Each MLB Franchise's History The Best Second Baseman in Each MLB Franchise's History The Best Third Basemen in Each MLB Franchise's History My only restriction for these rankings is that only the stats that a player had for the team he is representing will be considered. For example, take the case of Joe Cronin. He is definitely one of the better shortstops of all time, and a worthy Hall of Famer. However, his career is pretty evenly split between the Red Sox and Twins (Senators in his case). So, while he may have had a better career than the player I chose for the Twins, he did not have a better Twins career. There were three teams in particular that were difficult, as the Pirates, Giants, and White Sox all had two Hall of Famers at the position. On the catcher's slideshow, I wondered if anyone else would represent two teams, as Carlton Fisk was my choice for both the Red Sox and White Sox. Then Eddie Collins joined him, as I chose him at second for the Athletics and the White Sox. Then Matt Williams was the third member as he represented both the Giants and Diamondbacks. However, no shortstops will be joining him, as the closest may have been Garry Templeton, although Ozzie Smith was the clear choice for the Cards. Overall, shortstop was an interesting position to analyze, as it has changed so much over the years from a defense oriented position, to a speedster position, to the power hitters of today. I look forward, as always, to the great debates these rankings spark, and I want to thank everyone who has actively participated in this series. So without further rambling, the list begins.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213261-the-best-shortstop-in-each-mlb-franchises-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:31:33 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213261-the-best-shortstop-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213261-the-best-shortstop-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/213261-the-best-shortstop-in-each-mlb-franchises-history Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter <p>The <a href="/chicago-cubs">Cubs</a> currently sit two games under .500, and 4.5 games out of first. In the wide open NL Central,&nbsp;they are still right in the thick of things, but they need to make their move sooner rather than later.&nbsp;</p> <p>After watching division foes the <a href="/st-louis-cardinals">Cardinals</a> acquire Mark DeRosa, a man the Cubs would love to have again now, there are a few moves, in house and on the trade market, I would like to see the Cubs make.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 5: Trade for Joe Biemel of the <a href="/washington-nationals">Washington Nationals</a>.<br></strong></p> <p>Biemel's Stats: 34 games, 0-4, 3.52 ERA, 19-12 K-BB Ratio</p> <p>Biemel is a solid veteran who was part of the <a href="/los-angeles-dodgers">Dodgers</a> postseason run last year, so he has experience playing for a playoff team. He would provide the Cubs with that much needed second left-hander out of the bullpen and seeing as he is 32-years old, should come relatively cheap.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 4: Trade for Felipe Lopez of the <a href="/arizona-diamondbacks">Arizona Diamondbacks</a><br></strong></p> <p>Lopez' Stats: .303 BA, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 6 SB</p> <p>The Diamondbacks are floundering right now, and Lopez would be a huge upgrade for the Cubs at second base, as he is a perennial .300 hitter and a solid fielder as well. This would allow Fontenot to return to the bench role that he thrived in last season, and would give the Cubs a much needed speed threat on the bases.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 3: Rest Aramis Ramirez whenever possible.</strong></p> <p>The immense struggles of the Cubs offense have shown just how valuable Ramirez' bat is. Once he comes back, I think we almost need to treat him like we do Rich Harden. If we go up by four or five runs, pull him. If it's raining, and the field conditions are getting bad, pull him. Whatever it takes to keep him healthy needs to be done.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 2: Resolve the Milton Bradley situation.</strong></p> <p>It has hit the point where I feel that the Cubs are best off cutting their losses and dealing the "slugger." He has some value on the trade market, as the <a href="/new-york-mets">Mets</a> may be a possible taker with their injury problems and lack of offensive fire power.</p> <p>If they are able to deal Bradley, I would then say go after Adam Dunn, the man they should have signed in the first place this off-season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 1: Go With the Hot Hand at Closer.</strong></p> <p>I know as well as anyone that closer by committees rarely work, but this is the situation we have put ourselves in by relying on Kevin Gregg. A month ago, the easy answer would have been to turn the job over to Marmol, but with his recent control problems, Angel Guzman may be the most reliable arm in the pen right now.</p> <p>A few games ago, against the Sox, Aaron Heilman came in and struck out the side. So I say why not throw him out there next game as the closer, let him build off of that confidence he gained. This truly is a bullpen of streaky pitchers, so let's use that to our advantage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This is just my take on how the Cubs could get better, and I think all five points are within reason and should be fairly easy to pull off. Let me know what you think.</p> Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:19:11 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/209996-five-things-i-would-like-to-see-the-cubs-do-in-the-coming-weeks http://bleacherreport.com/articles/209996-five-things-i-would-like-to-see-the-cubs-do-in-the-coming-weeks http://bleacherreport.com/articles/209996-five-things-i-would-like-to-see-the-cubs-do-in-the-coming-weeks Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Opinion Chicago Indianapolis Joel Reuter This is the fourth slideshow in my series running down the top players at each position in each team's history, and this one will focus on third basemen. In case you missed them, the first three slideshows were on catchers, first basemen, and second basemen. Here are the links to those articles: The Best Catcher in Each MLB Franchise's History The Best First Baseman in Each MLB Franchise's History The Best Second Basemen in Each MLB Franchise's History My only restriction for these rankings is that only the stats that a player had for the team he is representing will be considered. For example, take the case of Scott Rolen. He is definitely one of the better third basemen of all time, both offensively and defensively. However, his career is pretty evenly split between the Phillies and the Cardinals. So, while he may have had a better career than the player I chose from the Cardinals, he did not have a better Cardinals career. I was astounded by one team in particular here, and that was the Oakland Athletics, as they have had some fantastic third basemen through the years. The most difficult choice, by far, was with the Braves as Chipper Jones and Eddie Mathews are both among the top ten of all time in my opinion. On the catcher's slideshow, I wondered if anyone else would represent two teams, as Carlton Fisk was my choice for both the Red Sox and White Sox. Then Eddie Collins joined him as I chose him at second for the Athletics and the White Sox. We now have a third player joining them, and that man is Matt Williams. As always this has been an unnecessarily long introduction, and I appreciate you sticking it out with me. I look forward to hearing about my notable exclusions, as there are always a few, as well as any other comments you may have. I want to thank everyone for making this series so successful to this point, and I hope you continue to follow it. And with that, let's get on with the slideshow.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/208610-the-best-third-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:03:28 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/208610-the-best-third-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/208610-the-best-third-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/208610-the-best-third-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter This is the third slideshow in my series running down the top players at each position in each team's history, and this one will focus on second basemen. In case you missed them, the first two slideshows were on catchers and first basemen, and here are the links to those articles: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201513-the-best-first-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history My only restriction for these rankings is that only the stats that a player had for the team he is representing will be considered. For example, take the case of Frankie Frisch. He is a Hall of Famer and one of the better second basemen of all time. However, his career is pretty evenly split between the Cardinals and the Giants. So while he may have had a better career than the player I chose from the Giants, he did not have a better Giants career. There were a number of great players who did not make the list because some teams had a wealth of talent at the position, teams such as the Cardinals, Tigers, and Cubs. On the catcher's slideshow, I wondered if anyone else would represent two teams, as Carlton Fisk was my choice for both the Red Sox and White Sox and Jimmie Foxx came close at first base, but I gave Boston to Mo Vaughn. With this slideshow we officially have our second player to represent more than one team, Eddie Collins. Well, enough with the introduction, I hope you enjoy the slideshow and I look forward to hearing what you agree with, disagree with, and everything in between.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/204707-the-best-second-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:49:48 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/204707-the-best-second-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/204707-the-best-second-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/204707-the-best-second-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter This is the second slideshow in my series running down the top players at each position in each team's history, and this one will focus on first base. Pictured are the two best of all time in my eyes, Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx. In case you missed it, the first slideshow was on catchers and here is the link to that article: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history My only restriction for my rankings is that only the stats that a player had for the team he is representing will be considered. For example, take the case of Johnny Mize. He is a Hall of Famer and one of the best first basemen of all time. However, his career is pretty evenly split between the Cardinals and the Giants. So while he may have had a better career than the player I chose from the Giants, he did not have a better Giants career. I will be the first to admit that I value offense at the first base position, and while guys like J.T. Snow and Doug Mientkiewicz were great on defense, you will not see them on this list anywhere. On the catcher's slideshow, I wondered if anyone else would represent two teams, as Carlton Fisk was my choice for both the Red Sox and White Sox and I must say I seriously considered naming Jimmie Foxx for the Red Sox and A's but ended up choosing another Red Sox, so perhaps with second basemen we will see another multiple team representative. Well, enough with the introduction, and if you have read this far without moving on to the rankings I commend you, let's get on with the list.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201513-the-best-first-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:53:43 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201513-the-best-first-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201513-the-best-first-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/201513-the-best-first-basemen-in-each-mlb-franchises-history Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter I have decided to start a series running down the top players at each position in each teams history and I began with catcher. The only restriction was that only stats that the player had for the team he is representing will be considered. For example, the case of Joe Torre. He played out his impressive career mainly for the Braves and Cardinals. Although he might have had a better career than the player I chose from the Braves, he did not have a better Braves career. To be honest, I was surprised at how many teams with lengthy histories had such a sparse selection of above average catchers, with perhaps the most surprising being the Giants who I had to go back to the 1880s for. One man, Carlton Fisk, appears on this list twice which I found impressive. I wonder if there will be anyone else that appears twice in this series? So without further ado, we will start with the list. I hope this sparks some debate and I look forward to reading your comments. <p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:24:03 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/200073-the-best-catcher-in-each-teams-franchise-history Baseball MLB MLB History Rankings/List Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter My fourth installment in my Ten Best Pitching Performances in each teams history series was once again a member of the National League Central as I looked at the Astros. Considering the franchise has only been around since 1962, there have been quite a few great pitchers come through Houston. One man I'm sure will come up is Nolan Ryan, and while he pitched his record fifth no-hitter with the 'Stros, he never had a dominant season worth making the list. As with past lists, each pitcher can only appear once, to keep one pitcher from dominating the entire list. Also, only starting pitchers were considered. So enjoy the list, and I look forward to your input. Also, I encourage you to look back on the first three of the series if this is your first read.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197602-the-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-houston-astros-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:31:21 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197602-the-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-houston-astros-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197602-the-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-houston-astros-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/197602-the-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-houston-astros-franchise-history Baseball MLB Houston Astros MLB History Rankings/List Austin Houston US Cities Best List Joel Reuter Continuing on with my series, and sticking in the National League Central, I have run down my top single season pitching performances in Milwaukee Brewers history. With so few successful seasons under the franchise's belt, there were not all that many great pitching seasons to choose from. The 1992 season, in praticular, was an impressive one, however, as there are three guys who had great seasons that year, as the team won 92 games. As with previous lists, each pitcher is only allowed to appear on the list once, to prevent one guy from dominating the list. Hope you enjoy this, and being a Cubs fan, I look forward to hearing from Brewers fans in praticular on what they think of my selections.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/196901-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-milwaukee-brewers-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:14:53 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/196901-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-milwaukee-brewers-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/196901-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-milwaukee-brewers-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/196901-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-milwaukee-brewers-franchise-history Baseball MLB Milwaukee Brewers MLB History Rankings/List Madison Milwaukee US Cities Best List Joel Reuter <p>With the buzz of this year's MLB draft centered on surefire No. 1 pick Stephen Strasburg, I decided to take a look back at previous No. 1 overall picks to see how they fared in the MLB.</p> <p>From the first draft back in 1965, when the Dodgers selected outfielder Rick Monday&nbsp;out of Arizona State, until later tonight, when the Nationals will no doubt make the flame-throwing Strasburg the top pick, there&nbsp;have been&nbsp;spot-on picks&nbsp;like Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, as well as epic busts like Brien Taylor and Steve Chilcott who never&nbsp;even reached the majors.</p> <p>I have&nbsp;ranked&nbsp;my top 10 first&nbsp;overall picks, and if the hype is legitimate, Strasburg will find&nbsp;his way onto the list before too long.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 10: Jeff Burroughs in 1969 by the Washington Senators</strong></p> <p><strong></strong><em>Career Stats: 16 seasons, .261 BA, 240 HR, 882 RBI</em></p> <p>Burroughs, the father of failed Padres prospect Sean Burroughs, was a solid major leaguer throughout his career. He had his best season in 1974 when he hit .301, 25, 118 and won the AL MVP.</p> <p>Three years later, he crushed a career-high 41 home runs in his first season in the NL with the Braves, good for second in the league.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 9: Andy Benes in 1988 by the San Diego Padres</strong></p> <p><strong></strong><em>Career Stats: 14 seasons, 155-139, 3.97 ERA, 2,000 Ks</em></p> <p>Benes never became the top-tier pitcher many thought he would be when he was first drafted, but he still put up solid numbers, notching double-digit wins 10 different times.</p> <p>He had his best season in 1996 as the ace of the St. Louis Cardinals rotation. He posted an 18-10 record and finished third in the NL Cy Young voting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 8: B.J. Surhoff in 1985 by the Milwaukee Brewers</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 19 seasons, .282 BA, 188 HR, 1,153 RBI</em></p> <p>Originally drafted as a catcher by the Brewers, Surhoff also spent a few seasons at third base before eventually settling into the outfield.</p> <p>He was a solid hitter, topping the .300 mark four different times and playing well into his late 30s for the Orioles.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 7: Mike Moore in 1981 by the Seattle Mariners</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 14 seasons, 161-176, 4.39 ERA, 1,667 Ks</em></p> <p>Moore put up double-digit wins eight different times, logging the best season of his career in 1989 for the eventual World Series-winning Oakland A's.</p> <p>Moore was&nbsp;instrumental in the team's success,&nbsp;going 19-11 during the regular season and continuing the success with a 3-0 mark in the playoffs, including 2-0 in the World Series.</p> <p>His career record would look better if not for a disastrous 9-19 season for the Mariners in 1987.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 6: Darryl Strawberry in 1980 by the New York Mets</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 17 seasons, .259 BA, 335 HR, 1,000 RBI</em></p> <p>If not for his drug problems, Strawberry would have most likely hit 500-plus home runs in his career, as he already had 280 long balls at the age of 29 when his career fell off.</p> <p>He was named to eight straight&nbsp;All-Star teams and also won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 1983.&nbsp;He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting four times and led the NL in home runs once.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 5: Joe Mauer in 2001 by the Minnesota Twins</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: Six seasons, .322 BA, 56 HR, 336 RBI</em></p> <p>I still remember, as a Cubs fan, being thrilled that the Twins passed on what many were hailing as the best college pitcher ever in Mark Prior and took Mauer.</p> <p>Funny how much things can change in just a matter of years.</p> <p>Mauer's two batting titles speak for themselves, and as his power continues to develop, he will continue to climb this list.</p> <p>Easily the best hitting catcher in the game today.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 4: Harold Baines in 1977 by the Chicago White Sox</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 22 seasons, .289 BA, 384 HR, 1,628 RBI</em></p> <p>A six-time All-Star, Baines' longevity is as impressive as his career stat line. His 1,628 RBI rank him 28th all-time, and he is a White Sox legend.</p> <p>The fact that he went 14 years between his first and last All-Star appearances speak to how consistently good he was.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 3: Chipper Jones in 1990 by the Atlanta Braves</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 16 seasons, .311 BA, 415 HR, 1,402 RBI</em></p> <p>Chipper is hands down the best switch hitter of&nbsp;his generation, and aside from Eddie Murray and Mickey Mantle, he might be the best of all time.</p> <p>With&nbsp;30-plus HR six times, 100-plus RBI nine times,&nbsp;a .300-plus BA 10 times, and a batting title last&nbsp;year at the age of 36, Chipper continues to pile up the&nbsp;numbers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 2: Alex Rodriguez in 1993 by the Seattle Mariners</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 16 seasons, .305 BA, 561 HR, 1,629 RBI</em></p> <p>Love him or hate him, Rodriguez may be the best high school player in the last 20 years, and he made an immediate impact for the Mariners.</p> <p>He, along with guys like Nomar Garciaparra and Miguel Tejada, changed the shortstop position forever, and if the Mariners had to do it all over again, there is no doubt they would take Rodriguez first overall again.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>No. 1: Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987 by the Seattle Mariners</strong></p> <p><em>Career Stats: 21 seasons, .287 BA, 617 HR, 1,788 RBI</em></p> <p>Even though injuries cut into Griffey's career pretty significantly, he still has had one hell of a career, and without any steroid suspicions it is all the more impressive.</p> <p>With 13 All-Star appearances and 10 Gold Gloves, Griffey dominated the 1990s and was the face of Major League Baseball the entire decade.</p> <p>Truly one of the best to ever play the game.</p> Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:26:18 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/195394-the-top-10-first-overall-picks-in-mlb-draft-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/195394-the-top-10-first-overall-picks-in-mlb-draft-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/195394-the-top-10-first-overall-picks-in-mlb-draft-history MLB MLB History MLB Draft Rankings/Lis Joel Reuter <p>In today's game of multi-million dollar contracts and an overall me-first attitude on the part of the players, it is easy to forget what hustle and determination&nbsp;looks like on the baseball field.</p> <p>One man who defined hustle, to the point that it was his undoing, was Pete Reiser&mdash;and he is a man too often forgotten in the baseball world.</p> <p>The year was 1941, and the Brooklyn Dodgers were 21 seasons removed from their last pennant. Coming off a solid 88-65 season, the Dodgers needed a spark to propel them to the next level, and they found it when they handed the starting center field job to 22-year-old Pete Reiser.</p> <p>A part time player the previous season, Reiser shined in his first opportunity as a starter, winning the batting title with a .343 average, and also leading the NL in runs (117), doubles (39), triples (17), and total bases (299).</p> <p>He started the All-Star games and finished a close second to teammate Dolph Camilli for the MVP.</p> <p>The Dodgers also won the pennant, but fell to the Yankees 4-1 in the World Series.</p> <p>For Reiser, he had established a reputation as a great hitter and a helluva fielder who would routinely crash into the then unpadded concrete walls chasing fly balls, which often resulted in injury.</p> <p>The next season, the Dodgers again started out great.&nbsp; They were backed by their newest star Reiser who was hitting .383 midway through July.</p> <p>It was then that his all-out style of play really&nbsp;cost him for the first time in his career as he crashed full speed into&nbsp;the concrete outfield wall&nbsp;in St. Louis, separating his shoulder and suffering a concussion in the process.</p> <p>He&nbsp;was ineffective&nbsp;the rest of the season as his average dropped to .310, and the Dodgers fell out of contention.</p> <p>Following the '42 season,&nbsp;Reiser enlisted to serve his country in the Army during&nbsp;World War II and was out of baseball until 1946.</p> <p>Upon his return to the game in 1946, he&nbsp;picked&nbsp;up right&nbsp;where he left off as he was considered the fastest player in baseball,&nbsp;once clocked at 9.8 seconds in the 100-yard dash.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>He showed that speed with an NL high of 34 steals.&nbsp;</p> <p>Injuries again&nbsp;were an issue though as&nbsp;a gruesome late season&nbsp;wall collision&nbsp;saw him carted off the field on a stretcher with a separated shoulder, broken ankle, and a number of torn muscles.</p> <p>His season was over.</p> <p>The 1947 season paired Reiser with Jackie Robinson, and the&nbsp;two went&nbsp;on to finish first and second in&nbsp;stolen&nbsp;bases.</p> <p>Again, however,&nbsp;his season was cut short by a crash into the outfield wall. This collision was so severe, in fact, that he was actually read his last rites while laying in the outfield at Ebbets Field.</p> <p>The Dodgers still managed to win the pennant in '47 and, despite the scary injury, Reiser started the first three games of the&nbsp;World Series. However, he was not&nbsp;himself as he&nbsp;misplayed several fly balls due to his rapidly developing vertigo.</p> <p>By the next season, Reiser was no longer a starter as the injuries really started to take their toll on him. He had vertigo, he was dizzy all the time, and he was just not good enough to start anymore.</p> <p>He was traded to the Braves in 1948 and he retired in 1952 when the dizziness became too much for him to play through. Thus ending the playing career of the man that manager Leo Durocher would later&nbsp;call, "The only ballplayer I ever saw who was better than Willie Mays."</p> <p>After his playing days were over, Reiser was asked by a reporter, "Do you ever think that if you hadn't played as hard as you did, there's no telling how great you might have been?</p> <p>He responded, "Never. It was my way of playing. If I hadn't played that way I wouldn't even have been whatever I was. God gave me gave me those legs and the speed, and when they took me into the walls that's the way it had to be."</p> <p>Now that is what baseball is all about, and the way the game should be played.</p> <p>Baseball needs more Paul Reiser's.</p> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:03:14 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192243-pete-reiser-the-definition-of-hustle http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192243-pete-reiser-the-definition-of-hustle http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192243-pete-reiser-the-definition-of-hustle MLB Los Angeles Dodgers History Riversid Joel Reuter The second in my new series, the first being the Cubs, I decided I would take a look at their rivals, the Cardinals. Like the Cubs, the Cardinals have a lengthy franchise history, so once again I will set the cut-off at 1950 for how back I will look. As with the Cubs list, each pitcher can only appear once, that way one pitcher does not eat up the entire rankings. Also, only starting pitchers were considered. So we will begin with number ten.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192024-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-st-louis-cardinals-franchis-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:56:03 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192024-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-st-louis-cardinals-franchis-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192024-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-st-louis-cardinals-franchis-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/192024-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-st-louis-cardinals-franchis-history Baseball MLB St Louis Cardinals MLB History Rankings/List St Louis US Cities Best List Joel Reuter I am beginning a new series in which I will run down the Top 10 single season pitching performances in each franchise's history. Since there is a good chance that one pitcher may rule a teams top ten, I have decided that each player can only appear once on the list, so as to provide more variety. Also I am only looking at starting pitchers. I am starting with the Cubs as they are my favorite team, and I will branch out from there. I have also decided to set 1950 as my cut-off year, not only to make researching this a bit easier, but I also feel that this is when there really was a boom in great pitching. So while the dead ball era guys deserve their reccognition, they will be honored in a future series. For now, lets look at the Cubs, a team that, despite its losing tradition, has had some truly impressive pitching performances, including one by a mna named Larry Jackson that really suprised me, so lets begin with number ten.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/191634-the-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-cubs-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:30:51 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/191634-the-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/191634-the-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/191634-the-top-10-best-pitching-seasons-in-cubs-franchise-history MLB Chicago Cubs Rankings/List Chicago Indianapoli Joel Reuter The term "Heart of the Order" is used to describe the top power threats in each teams lineup, generally the 3-4-5 hitters. I decided to look back and see what the most productive heart of the lineup was in each teams franchise history. There seemed to be several big trios in 2000, as that was the most frequently occuring year. I also included what record the team finished with, showing that good power hitting does not always lead to success. As this was somewhat subjective on my part, I look forward to hearing any trios I may have left out, and await your feedback.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/190362-heart-of-the-order-the-best-3-4-5-trios-in-each-mlb-teams-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:51:15 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/190362-heart-of-the-order-the-best-3-4-5-trios-in-each-mlb-teams-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/190362-heart-of-the-order-the-best-3-4-5-trios-in-each-mlb-teams-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/190362-heart-of-the-order-the-best-3-4-5-trios-in-each-mlb-teams-history Baseball MLB MLB History History Greatest Players in MLB Best List Joel Reuter Wrapping up what has been a very enjoyable series for me to write as a die-hard Cubs fan, I put together my list of top Cubs closers. I have learned a lot about some Cubs I did not know prior to this, and I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have. If this is your first read of the series, and you are a Cubs fan, I encourage you to read the previous seven of the series.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/188907-the-top-10-closers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Sat, 30 May 2009 15:08:19 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/188907-the-top-10-closers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/188907-the-top-10-closers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/188907-the-top-10-closers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history MLB Chicago Cubs Rankings/List Chicago Indianapoli Joel Reuter Next up in my top Cubs series, I ranked starting pitchers and the Cubs certainly have had some great ones over the years. While they may have not had many of the best in the last fifty or so years, the Cubs had hands down the best pitching of the dead ball era, and there are a number of old timers on this list. While these rankings are subjective, I looked at each pitcher's career numbers with the Cubs as well as how they performed in their top seasons. I hope you are enjoying this series, and if this is the first one you have read, I encourage you to read the previous six in the series.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/187198-the-top-15-starting-pitchers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 28 May 2009 23:55:40 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/187198-the-top-15-starting-pitchers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/187198-the-top-15-starting-pitchers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/187198-the-top-15-starting-pitchers-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history MLB Chicago Cubs MLB History Rankings/List History Pitching Rotation Chicago Indianapolis Greatest Players Greatest Players in ML Joel Reuter Continuing on with my top Cubs series, I ranked the top outfielders in Cubs history. I decided to just do a top 20 outfielders rather than breaking it down by outfield position, as there is not much information on what outfield position some of the older guys played. While the rankings are somewhat subjective, as they always are, I looked closely at each player's 162-game average during his tenure with the Cubs, as well as whether he was a part of any Cubs playoff teams. I hope you enjoy this and follow the series as it continues. As always, I look forward to your input.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/186051-top-20-outfielders-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Thu, 28 May 2009 02:22:19 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/186051-top-20-outfielders-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/186051-top-20-outfielders-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/186051-top-20-outfielders-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history MLB Chicago Cubs Chicago Indianapolis Best List Joel Reuter Continuing on with my Cubs series, I ranked my top ten Cubs third basemen. This position was a consistent revolving door from the time Ron Santo left until the trade for Aramis Ramirez, and becasue of that there are a lot of old timers on this list. While the rankings are somewhat subjective, as they always are, I looked closely at each player's 162-game average during his tenure with the Cubs, as well as whether he was a part of any Cubs playoff teams. I hope you enjoy this and follow the series as it continues. As always, I look forward to your input.<p><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/184358-top-10-third-basemen-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history">Begin Slideshow</a></p> Tue, 26 May 2009 15:38:55 -0400 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/184358-top-10-third-basemen-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/184358-top-10-third-basemen-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history http://bleacherreport.com/articles/184358-top-10-third-basemen-in-chicago-cubs-franchise-history Baseball MLB Chicago Cubs Aramis Ramirez Rankings/List Chicago Indianapolis