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Associated Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh leads MLB in homers and is on pace to set a season record for catchers
SEATTLE (AP) — Just before Big Dumper put a thump into a soaring flyball, a smattering of 'MVP! MVP!' chants broke out from behind home plate Sunday. Given the way Cal Raleigh's season has started, perhaps the Mariners' catcher is wholly deserving of such high praise. With a solo shot during Seattle's latest victory, a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins, Raleigh upped his total to a major league-leading 23 home runs. 'He's having an excellent season, not only offensively but also defensively,' teammate Randy Arozarena said, with bench coach Manny Acta translating. 'What he's doing right now, it's great because he's carrying our offense pretty much.' That's no exaggeration on Arozarena's part. And what Raleigh is doing is also unprecedented. The 28-year-old backstop from North Carolina with the funny nickname became the first catcher in major league history to reach 20 home runs before the end of May. His 22 home runs entering June tied for the second-most in Mariners history behind only Ken Griffey Jr., who had 24 in 1997. 'He just continues to grow and mature in this game,' said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, a former catcher who was on that Seattle team in 1997. 'And the pace that he's on right now with home runs — and he's not just hitting home runs, he's still just hitting the ball hard. 'You add that to what he does behind the plate in a game like this — whew, he's a real special player and he's doing it all right now.' According to Baseball Savant, Raleigh ranks eighth among big league catchers in Fielding Run Value. He also has more home runs than Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. So it's no wonder Raleigh has already been worth 3.3 Wins Above Replacement, per less than 60 games into the season for the AL West-leading Mariners. 'I just wish that he continues to stay healthy and (has) a very long career,' Seattle pitcher Luis Castillo said, with Acta translating. 'Because it's a lot of fun right now.' Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals holds the big league record for home runs in a season by a catcher with 48 in 2021. Raleigh is on pace for 64 this year, which would break the American League mark of 62 set by Judge in 2022. Sure, there's still a long way to go in 2025. But, awfully impressive for someone playing such a demanding and taxing position, where offense is often considered a luxury rather than a requirement. 'Sometimes it's not playing harder, it's playing smarter,' said Wilson, a major league catcher for 14 years. 'And he continues to play smart baseball whether it's behind the plate or at the bat. He's coming up huge for us all over the place.' ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Presenting the Reds' All-Quarter Century Team, the best in Cincinnati since 2000
Editor's note: The Athletic is marking 2025 by naming an MLB All-Quarter Century Team, selected by Jayson Stark. We invited readers to take our survey and make their picks for the best players at each position since 2000, with the results announced in an upcoming story. Some of our beat writers are picking All-Quarter Century Teams for the teams they cover. Check this page to find all of our All-Quarter Century Team coverage. Advertisement Last week, Jayson Stark released his All-Century Team for Major League Baseball, and it seemed like a fun idea to do the same for different franchises. While the Reds haven't won a playoff series in this quarter century, the franchise has had some good players, including two Hall of Famers in Ken Griffey Jr. and Scott Rolen. Neither of those players is enshrined with the wishbone C on their cap, but Joey Votto will be. It should be noted that only the statistics accumulated both during the 2000-2025 seasons and while wearing a Reds uniform will be taken into account for this exercise. Barry Larkin was not selected as the shortstop because this time period encompassed the last five seasons of his career, and Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Hamilton would have compelling cases if you factored in their work for other teams. I considered both Baseball-Reference WAR and FanGraphs WAR, but was not beholden to either. Offensive statistics played heavily in the position player selection, but defense wasn't entirely overlooked. For all players, longevity with the team was also considered. I didn't do a full bench or designated hitter because that seemed more like trying to fit guys on (the dreaded participation trophy) and the DH wasn't in use for the National League for the majority of the time frame we're working with. Let's get into it. Not only did Barnhart play more games behind the plate than anyone else for the Reds over the last 25 years, he also won two Gold Gloves in their uniform. Barnhart, who wasn't drafted, wasn't an offensive force, but he did manage to hit .248/.324/.371 with the Reds. But a catcher's first job is always behind the plate. Barnhart's work there puts him here. Barnhart is just one of three Reds catchers, along with Johnny Edwards and Johnny Bench, to have won Gold Gloves. Edwards notched two in his time in Cincinnati, while Bench earned 10. Advertisement In a couple of years, this spot on the All-Century roster could very well belong to Tyler Stephenson, but for now, Barnhart is the pick. With apologies to: Stephenson, Ryan Hanigan, Ramón Hernández OK, nobody had to look this one up. Votto will be in the Hall of Fame in a few years and he didn't play in any other big-league uniform. Votto's name is listed throughout the franchise record book: Second in home runs (356), first in walks (1,365), third in RBIs (1,144), second in doubles (459) and OPS (.920). With apologies to: Sean Casey Again, no research is needed for this one. Phillips played more than three times as many games as anyone else at the position for the Reds during this time frame, made three All-Star teams, and won four Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. The fan-favorite also recorded a 30-homer, 30-steal season in 2007. In his 11 seasons with the Reds, Phillips had 1,774 hits, 191 home runs and 194 stolen bases. Phillips is one of two players former general manager Wayne Krivsky acquired early in 2006. Krivsky sent pitcher Jeff Stevens to Cleveland to acquire Phillips in the first week of the season. With apologies to: Jonathan India, Pokey Reese, Scooter Gennett On the last day of the 2014 Winter Meetings, Reds general manager Walt Jocketty completed two trades, both of which were coups for the Reds. Jocketty sent pitcher Mat Latos to the Miami Marlins for pitcher Anthony DeSclafani and catcher Chad Wallach and also dealt pitcher Alfredo Simon to Detroit for Suárez and pitcher Jonathan Crawford. At the time, Suárez was considered a glove-first shortstop. After filling in at shortstop for an injured Zack Cozart for the majority of the 2015 season, Suárez was moved to third in 2016. After some growing pains defensively, he became a solid defensive third baseman. Advertisement Suárez was an All-Star in 2018, and in 2019, he hit 49 home runs, a record for a major-league player born in Venezuela. As part of their 2022 fire sale, the Reds traded Suárez, along with outfielder Jesse Winker, to the Seattle Mariners, where he played two seasons. He's now in his second year with the Arizona Diamondbacks and became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a game earlier this season. With apologies to: Todd Frazier, Scott Rolen, Aaron Boone The Reds had four standout shortstops for the majority of the second half of the 20th century — Roy McMillan (1951-1960), Leo Cardenas (1960-68), Davey Concepcion (1970-1988) and Larkin (1986-2004). Since Larkin retired following the 2004 season, 14 different players have started at shortstop for the Reds on Opening Day. Only three of those have started more than one — Álex González (2007, 2009), Elly De La Cruz (2024-25) and Cozart (2012-2017). Cozart wasn't the flashiest of shortstops, but he was an excellent defender, making those hard plays look easy. While he hit just .254/.305/.411 in his time with the Reds, he saved his best for last, starting the 2017 All-Star Game and hitting .297/.385/.548 with 24 home runs that season. He signed a multiyear deal with the Los Angeles Angels that offseason, but injuries cut his career short. With apologies to: Barry Larkin, Felipe López, Elly De La Cruz The 'Big Donkey' was a lightning rod for fans as the epitome of the three-true-outcomes player, leading the league in strikeouts three times and walks once during his Reds career, all while hitting at least 40 home runs in each season from 2004 to 2008, which is also when he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 6-foot-6 former University of Texas quarterback had huge power and set what was then a record for most home runs by a rookie in a single month (12) in August 2001. He made the All-Star team the next year. Advertisement In eight seasons with the Reds, Dunn hit .247/.380/520 with 270 home runs, including a home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers' José Lima that left the stadium in center field. Dunn would play six more seasons for the Washington Nationals, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics, finishing his career with 462 home runs. With apologies to: Adam Duvall, Chris Heisey, Jonny Gomes, Ryan Ludwick The hometown kid was the biggest name in the game when he was traded to the Reds on Feb. 10, 2000. While Griffey didn't have the storybook ending in Cincinnati that everyone hoped for, he still made three All-Star teams and hit 210 home runs in a Reds uniform. A series of injuries cast a cloud over Griffey's time with the Reds before an eventual move to right field, but he's still in the team's Hall of Fame. With apologies to: Billy Hamilton, Ryan Freel, Shin-Soo Choo, TJ Friedl The Reds hadn't made the playoffs since 1995 when Bruce stepped to the plate on Sept. 28, 2010, in the ninth inning of a tie game. He sent the first pitch he saw from Houston Astros lefty Tim Byrdak over the center-field wall to clinch the National League Central title. The top prospect in baseball entering the 2008 season, Bruce was 3-for-3 with a pair of walks in his debut and later that week hit a walk-off for his first home run. Bruce played parts of nine seasons with the Reds, making three All-Star teams, winning two Silver Sluggers and finishing 10th in MVP voting twice. He hit 233 home runs with the Reds and 319 in his 14-year career, playing for five more teams before retiring in 2021. With apologies to: Austin Kearns The Reds moved to Great American Ball Park in 2003, and the stadium has been nightmare fuel for pitchers ever since. But the team has been able to put together some impressive staffs without the benefit of big free-agent signings (remember the lesson of Eric Milton — don't spend money on starters just to say that you did). Of the five listed here, three (Harang, Castillo, Arroyo) came via trades, one was drafted (Bailey), and one was signed as an amateur (Cueto). Advertisement Harang was a workhorse for the Reds and some of his numbers are inflated (4.28 ERA with the Reds) by the era in which he pitched (2003 to 2010), but the 6-foot-7 Californian led the National League in wins (16) in 2006 and finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting in 2007. Current Reds manager Terry Francona shook his head this spring when Krivsky's 2006 trade of Wily Mo Peña to the Boston Red Sox for Bronson Arroyo was brought up. Francona understood why Peña's power was enticing, but he also knew how valuable Arroyo was to his Red Sox team that won the 2004 World Series. In his first year with the Reds, Arroyo went 14-11 with a 3.29 ERA and made his first and only All-Star appearance. From 2006-13, Arroyo pitched at least 200 innings in seven of those eight seasons, throwing 199 innings in 2011. Arroyo won 108 games in a Reds uniform, including three in 2017 when he was 40. In his big-league debut, Cueto struck out 10 Diamondbacks, didn't walk anyone and gave up a run on just one hit over seven innings. Although his career spanned 17 years, Cueto's first eight were in Cincinnati and he proved that you could dominate from the mound despite the ballpark. From 2008 to 2015, Cueto started 213 games for the Reds and went 92-63 with a 3.21 ERA. Just as Bruce was rated higher than Votto as a prospect, Bailey overshadowed Cueto. The 6-foot-4 Texan was taken No. 7 in the 2004 draft and made the big leagues at age 21 in 2007. Bailey is best remembered for the pair of no-hitters he threw for the Reds, but it often overshadows the best-pitched game of his career, Game 3 of the 2012 National League Division Series, when he struck out 10 and allowed a run on one hit over seven innings in a Reds extra-inning loss. Picked up off waivers right before the start of the 2016 season, Dan Straily went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA on a team that used 15 different starters over the course of a 94-loss season. Straily's performance was so impressive that the Marlins sent three players, including Castillo, to the Reds in exchange for him. It didn't take long for the Reds to realize what they had in Castillo, who was called up that June and put up a 3.12 ERA in 15 starts. In his six years with the Reds, Castillo was 44-53 with a 3.62 ERA and was twice named an All-Star. Advertisement With apologies to: Mike Leake, Sonny Gray, Hunter Greene, Anthony DeSclafani Both Francisco Cordero and Danny Graves had more saves as a Red, but nobody came out of the bullpen and struck fear into the hearts of batters like Chapman and his triple-digit fastball. The Reds were a shocking winner of the Chapman sweepstakes when he came out of Cuba, and once he settled into the closer's role, he was as dominating as any pitcher in the game. Chapman struck out 42.9 percent of the batters he faced during his time as a Red. With apologies to: Francisco Cordero, Danny Graves, Raisel Iglesias (Top photo of Ken Griffey Jr.: Eliot J. Schechter / Getty Images)
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB East-West Classic to be held at Rickwood Field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Baseball will be coming back to Rickwood Field in the summer, as the Second Annual East-West Classic will honor the Negro-League all-star games of the past. The event will be held June 19, which is Juneteenth. Former players from past generations will participate. Last year's event in Cooperstown, New York, featured legends such as Ken Griffey Jr. and Ozzie Smith. Chris Young is the captain of the East, with CC Sabathia as the captain of the West. College football powers Notre Dame, Clemson agree to 12-year scheduling agreement from 2027 to 2038 Birmingham's historic field hosted a 2024 MLB regular season game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants as part of a salute to the Negro Leagues. The ballpark has undergone $5 million in renovations, which included a new playing surface and a padded wall. Rickwood Field is the oldest existing professional ballpark in the U.S. and served as home for the Birmingham Barons and Birmingham Black Barons. For tickets, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS 42.
