Tuesday, January 27, 2015

#111 Brian McRae



SATISFIED : verb \ˈsa-təs-ˌfīd\
: to cause (someone) to be happy or pleased


Son of former major league All-Star, Hal McRae.

First father-son combination to appear in a major league game when they were in the same lineup in a 1987 spring training game.

Was also managed by his dad for four seasons with Kansas City.

Led all NL OFs in putouts (345) in 1995.

10-year career Royals/Cubs/Mets/Rockies/BlueJays.



Thursday, January 22, 2015

#110 Mark Grace



WORKING : adjective \ˈwər-kiŋ\
: having a job


Walk-up music was usually "Taking Care of Business" which Grace explained was due to his bit part in a Jim Belushi film of the same name.

Hit for the cycle on May 9, 1993.

Hit the most doubles in the 1990s with 364 and the most sacrifice flies with 73.

Retired with a .303 batting average and a .383 career on-base percentage, the 148th best in major league history.

3× All-Star (1993, 1995, 1997)
World Series champion (2001)
4× Gold Glove Award (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996)

On a personal note, I have a daughter named Grace (not named after Mark Grace), but I pulled most all the Mark Grace cards I had and put them in a tin for her to look at and play with when she was a child. She's older now but we still take the tin out from time to time and look at the Mark Grace cards.

Friday, January 16, 2015

#109 Shawon Dunston



INTENT : adjective \in-ˈtent\
: showing concentration or great attention


 First overall pick in the 1982 amateur draft.

Routinely recognized as having the strongest infield arm in the league.

Walked only 8 times, tying Doug Flynn for the fewest walks in a full season, post-WWII (450 or more at-bats).

Made it to the World Series with the Giants in 2002 hitting a home run off Kevin Appier of the Anaheim Angels in game six.  The Angels won the series. 

11 years with the Cubs, then a year with the Giants, then back to the Cubs and the Pirates, then to the Indians and back to the Giants, to the Cardinals and the Mets and back to the Cardinals, and finally 2 more seasons with the Giants.


Monday, January 12, 2015

Emotion Recap - Page 12


#100 Tom Glavine - SKILL
#101 Marquis Grissom - EXCITING
#102 Chipper Jones - POISED
#103 David Justice - DETERMINED
#104 Ryan Klesko - BUSTIN'
#105 Javy Lopez - INTENT
#106 Greg Maddux - DOMINATING
#107 Fred McGriff - COOL
#108 John Smoltz - DELIVERING




Tuesday, January 6, 2015

#108 John Smoltz



DELIVERING : to send (something aimed or guided) to an intended target or destination <ability to deliver nuclear warheads> <delivered a fastball>

Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft (574th selection).

Win–loss record: 213–155
Earned run average: 3.33
Strikeouts: 3,084
Saves: 154

Teams
Atlanta Braves (1988–1999, 2001–2008)
Boston Red Sox (2009)
St. Louis Cardinals (2009)

Eight-time All-Star (1989, 1992–93, 1996, 2002–03, 2005, 2007)
National League Championship Series MVP (1992)
Led the National League in Strikeouts (1992, with 215)
National League Cy Young Award winner (1996)
Holds Atlanta Braves record for most wins in a season (1996, with 24)
Led the National League in wins (1996, with 24)
Counting his wins in the playoffs and All-Star Game, John Smoltz amassed 29 wins in 1996. The only higher such total in the last 70 years is Denny McLain who had 32 in 1968.
Holds Atlanta Braves record for most strikeouts in a season (1996, with 276)
Led the Major Leagues in strikeouts (1996, with 276)
Led the National League in win percentage (1996)
Silver Slugger Award Winner for Pitcher (1997)
Finished 4th in National League Cy Young Award voting (1998)
Led the Major Leagues in Win Percentage (1998)
National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award winner (2002)
Finished 8th in National League MVP voting (2002)
Finished 3rd in National League Cy Young Award voting (2002)
Second in Braves history for saves in a career (154)
Holds Braves record for most saves in a season (2002, with 55)
Led the National Leagues in saves (2002, with 55)
Tied for National League lead in wins (2006, with 16)
Only pitcher to compile 200 wins and 150 saves
Holds Braves record for most strikeouts in a career (3,011)
Given the Branch Rickey Award for exceptional community service (2007)[39]
First pitcher in modern era (since 1900) to pitch exactly five shutout innings, strike out ten, and get the win (April 17, 2008 in the Braves' 8–0 win at Florida)[40]
16th pitcher in the major leagues to reach 3,000 strikeouts (April 22, 2008)
Holds Cardinals record for most consecutive strikeouts (7) in a single game (August 23, 2009)
Only MLB pitcher with more than one postseason stolen base (3)
Awarded Roberto Clemente Award (2005)

AND HOFER!!

Thursday, January 1, 2015

#107 Fred McGriff



COOL : adjective \ˈkül\
: able to think and act in a calm way : not affected by strong feelings


The epitome of coolness.

Drafted by the Yankees in the 9th round of the 1981 amateur draft.

Dealt by the Yankees with Dave Collins and Mike Morgan to the Toronto Blue Jays for Dale Murray and Tom Dodd. The trade is now considered one of the most one-sided deals in baseball history, and one of the worst in Yankees history.

And the rest is history.

5× All-Star (1992, 1994–1996, 2000)
World Series champion (1995)
3× Silver Slugger Award (1989, 1992, 1993)
MLB All-Star Game MVP (1994)
2× Home run champion (1989, 1992)