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Buck Martinez
John Albert "Buck" Martinez (born November 7, 1948) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, and is currently the television play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Toronto Blue Jays. Since the end of his playing career, he has been a broadcaster, working on the Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles radio and television broadcasts, and nationally for TBS and MLB Network. Martinez managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 2001 to May 2002 and Team USA at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. Playing career Martinez attended Elk Grove High School, Sacramento City College, Sacramento State University, and Southwest Missouri State University. He was originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before being taken by the Houston Astros in the 1968 rule 5 draft. The Astros later traded him to the Kansas City Royals. Mar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catcher
Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket. Positioned behind home plate and facing toward the outfield, the catcher can see the whole field, and is therefore in the best position to direct and lead the other players in a defensive play. The catcher typically calls for pitches using hand signals. The calls are based on the pitcher's mechanics and strengths, as well as the Batting (baseball), batter's tendencies and weaknesses. Essentially, the catcher controls what happens during the game when the ball is not "in play". Foul tips, bouncing balls in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB). It was proposed to the IBAF by Major League Baseball (MLB), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world. It is one of the two main senior baseball tournaments sanctioned by the WBSC, but the only one which grants to the winner the title of "World Champion". It previously coexisted with Olympic baseball (until 2008) and the Baseball World Cup (until 2011) as IBAF-sanctioned tournaments. The final men's Baseball World Cup was held in 2011, and was discontinued in 2013, after an MLB suggestion to reorganize the international baseball calendar, WBSC accepted the suggestion after an executive meeting, giving the "World Champion" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1978 Milwaukee Brewers Season
The 1978 Milwaukee Brewers season involved the Brewers finishing third in the American League East with a record of 93 wins and 69 losses. It was the Brewers first winning season in franchise history since moving to Milwaukee from Seattle in 1970. Offseason * October 25, 1977: Gorman Thomas was sent by the Brewers to the Texas Rangers to complete an earlier deal (the Rangers traded Ed Kirkpatrick to the Brewers for a player to be named later) made on August 20. * December 6, 1977: Kevin Kobel was purchased from the Brewers by the New York Mets. * December 14, 1977: Ken McMullen was released by the Brewers. * December 31, 1977: Ray Fosse was signed as a free agent by the Brewers. * January 16, 1978: Randy Stein was signed as a free agent by the Brewers. * February 8, 1978: Gorman Thomas was purchased by the Brewers from the Rangers. * March 30, 1978: Von Joshua was released by the Brewers. Regular season Opening Day starters *Jerry Augustine *Sal Bando *Cecil Cooper *Andy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Hrabosky
Alan Thomas Hrabosky (; born July 21, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, and Atlanta Braves. As of 2022, he is the color commentator on Cardinals regular-season broadcasts on Bally Sports Midwest. Hrabosky's nickname is "The Mad Hungarian" because of his unusual last name and colorful character. Playing career Hrabosky played baseball and football at Savanna High School in Anaheim, California. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the eleventh round of the 1967 amateur draft, but did not sign with the club. St. Louis Cardinals Two years later, the Cardinals made him their first round choice. At the age of twenty, he made his Major League debut with a scoreless inning against the San Diego Padres on June 16, 1970. Hrabosky became a Cardinals fan favorite for his antics on the mound. When entering a game, he would turn his back to the batter, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Littell
Mark Alan Littell (January 17, 1953 – September 5, 2022), nicknamed "Country" and "Ramrod", was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball in 1973 and from 1975 to 1982 for the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a member of the Royals' division champions in 1976 and 1977, leading the 1976 team with 16 saves. Littell had a career earned run average (ERA) of 3.32 and saved 56 games from 1976 to 1981. Bone spurs in his elbow cut his career short, forcing him to retire midway through the 1982 season at the age of 29, before the Cardinals went on to win the World Series. After his playing career, he coached in the minor leagues and in college baseball. Early life and career Littell was raised on an farm that grew cotton and soybean near Wardell, Missouri. He attended Gideon High School in Gideon, Missouri, and played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher. He threw three no-hitters in his senior year. He had a 7–3 win-loss record, a 0.97 ERA, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Winter Meetings
Representatives of all 30 Major League Baseball teams and their 120 Minor League Baseball affiliates convene for four days each December in the Winter Meetings to discuss league business and conduct off-season trades and transactions. Attendees include league executives, team owners, general managers, team scouts, visitors from baseball-playing countries, trade show exhibitors, and people seeking employment with minor league organizations. The Rule 5 draft, in which minor league players who are not on a team's 40-man roster can be drafted by a major league team, is held on the last day of the meetings. History The tradition of baseball holding off-season meetings during December dates back to 1876, the first offseason of the National League. At the 1876 meetings, William Hulbert was selected to be the league's president, and two teams (the New York Mutuals and Philadelphia Athletics) were expelled from the league for failing to play all their scheduled games; they had refused the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Schultz
Joseph Charles Schultz Jr. (August 29, 1918 – January 10, 1996) was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, and manager. Schultz was the first and only manager for the Seattle Pilots franchise during their lone season before they became the Milwaukee Brewers. Seattle entered the American League as an expansion franchise in 1969, and moved to Wisconsin shortly before the following season. Playing career Born in Chicago, he was the son of a major league baseball player— Joe (Germany) Schultz, an outfielder who played for seven of the eight National League clubs (1912–16; 1919–25) and who later became a manager in the St. Louis Cardinals' extensive farm system. In 1932, at age 13, Joe Jr. appeared in his first professional game, as a pinch hitter for the Houston Buffaloes of the Class A Texas League; the elder Schultz was managing Houston and Joe Jr. was serving as the Buffaloes' batboy that season. Joe Jr. batted left-handed and threw right-handed; he was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ball Four
''Ball Four'' is a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton (1939-2019) in 1970. The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade. In it, Bouton also recounts much of his baseball career, spent mainly with the New York Yankees. Despite its controversy at the time, with baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn's attempts to discredit it and label it as detrimental to the sport, it is considered to be one of the most important sports books ever written and the only sports-themed book to make the New York Public Library's 1996 list of ''Books of the Century''. It also is listed in ''Time'' magazine's 100 greatest non-fiction books of all time. Summary Bouton befriended sportswriter Leonard Shecter during his time with the Yankees. Shecter approached him with the idea of writing and publishing a season-long diary. Bouton, who had taken some notes during the season after having ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Bouton
James Alan Bouton (; March 8, 1939 – July 10, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew. Bouton played college baseball at Western Michigan University, before signing his first professional contract with the Yankees. He was a member of the 1962 World Series champions, appeared in the 1963 MLB All-Star Game, and won both of his starts in the 1964 World Series. Later in his career, he developed and threw a knuckleball. Bouton authored the 1970 baseball book ''Ball Four'', which was a combination diary of his 1969 season and memoir of his years with the Yankees, Pilots, and Astros. Amateur and college career Bouton was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Gertrude (Vischer) and George Hempstead Bouton, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after spending their first 51 seasons in the National League (NL). The Astros were established as the Houston Colt .45s and entered the National League as an expansion team in along with the New York Mets. The current name, reflecting Houston's role as the host of the Johnson Space Center, was adopted three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome, the first domed sports stadium and the so-called "Eighth Wonder of the World." The Astros moved to a new stadium called Minute Maid Park in 2000. The Astros played in the NL West division from 1969 to 1993, then the NL Central division from 1994 to 2012, before being moved to the AL West as part of a MLB realignment in 2013. The Astros posted their first winning record in 1972 and made the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citizens Bank Park, located in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Founded in 1883, the Philadelphia Phillies are the oldest continuous same-name, same-city franchise in all of American professional sports. The Phillies have won two World Series championships (against the Kansas City Royals in and the Tampa Bay Rays in ), eight National League pennants (the first of which came in 1915), and made 15 playoff appearances. As of November 6, 2022, the team has played 21,209 games, winning 10,022 games and losing 11,187. Since the first modern World Series was played in , the Phillies have played 120 consecutive seasons and 140 seasons since the team's 1883 establishment. Before the Phillies won their first World Series in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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