Wild Card Matchup 10/1/2014: San Francisco at Pittsburgh
How do the Pirates stack up vs Madison Bumgarner?
Josh Harrison:               4/5     .800
Travis Snider:               Never Faced
Andrew McCutchen:    2/10   .200
Neil Walker:                 3/9     .333
Starling Marte:             Never Faced
Ike Davis:                     0/3     .000
Jordy Mercer:               3/7     .429
Russell Martin:             3/7     .429
Edinson Volquez:         1/5     .200

Chris Stewart:               Never Faced
Gaby Sanchez:             3/9      .333


Not a lot of ABs vs Bumgarner for the Pirates. Josh Harrison has been very successful, but the sample size is small. All of Ike Davis' outs have been recorded via strikeout. Bumgarner faced Pittsburgh in July and got hit pretty hard, only lasting 4 innings while giving up 5 ER, taking the loss.

How do the Giants stack up vs Edinson Volquez?
Gregor Blanco:              5/19      .263
Joe Panik:                      Never Faced
Buster Posey:                 5/9       .556
Hunter Pence:                7/36     .194
Pablo Sandoval:             6/13     .462
Brandon Belt:                8/18      .444
Brandon Crawford:       3/20      .150
Travis Ishikawa:            1/4        .250
Madison Bumgarner:    1/4        .250

Michael Morse:             3/4        .750

Solid numbers for San Francisco vs Volquez. Pence's stats are a concern, as he has struck out 16 times. However, 3 of his 7 hits are homers. Michael Morse is questionable because of an oblique injury. Also watch out for the ever dangerous Madison Bumgarner at the plate. Volquez has yet to face the Giants in 2014.


This is going to be a good game. Pittsburgh had an amazing atmosphere last year during the playoffs (Remember the Cueeeee-to chant? Definitely worth watching again). However, I like the Giants in this one. Bumgarner has been pitching well recently, and will bounce back from his earlier loss to Pittsburgh to send San Fran to the NLDS.

All stats via Baseball Reference. 

Wild Card Matchup 9/30/2014: Oakland at Kansas City 
How do the Royals stack up vs Jon Lester?
Alcides Escobar:    6/17    .353
Nori Aoki:              4/9      .444
Lorenzo Cain:        5/16    .313
Eric Hoser:             4/13    .308
Billy Butler:           4/28    .143
Alex Gordon:         4/25    .160
Salvador Perez:      3/6      .500
Omar Infante:        3/20     .150
Mike Moustakas:   3/12     .250


The top of the lineup has been very successful vs Lester, with numbers 1-4 hitting a combined .345. That being said, Lester is 3-0 vs Kansas City this year, with one of those wins coming as a member of the Red Sox. He pitched 20.2 innings and given up 6 ER. Butler, Gordon, and Infante are signs of concern for the Royals, hitting a combined .151 with a pretty large sample size for each player. Gordon and Butler combine for 21 strikeouts vs Lester.

How do the Athletics stack up vs James Shields?
Coco Crisp:            6/28    .214
Adam Dunn:          7/35    .200
Josh Donaldson:     2/9     .222
Brandon Moss:      3/14    .214
Josh Reddick:        7/22    .318
Jed Lowrie:           3/21    .143
Stephen Vogt:        2/6      .333
Derek Norris:        0/5      .000
Eric Sogard:          0/5      .000

Geovany Soto:      1/9      .111
Sam Fuld:             2/10    .200

The Athletics don't look as impressive vs Shields as the Royals look vs Lester. Josh Reddick is a bright spot; 3 of his 7 hits are homers. Shields faced the A's twice this year in, going 1-0 while pitching 14 innings and giving up 5 ER.


When Lester and Shields have been on the mound vs the Royals and Athletics this year, their teams have not lost. Something is going to have to give on Tuesday. I like the Royals in this game. Lester has pitched very well vs them this year, but the Royals have gotten a look at him three times, and have some dangerous hitters vs him at the top of the lineup. Add in a home crowd that has been waiting for postseason ball since 1985, and you get a Kansas City victory.


All stats via Baseball Reference.

Player A vs Player B
This is a little game we like to play. It's kinda like the blind resumes of bubble teams you see on ESPN during the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday. We give you the stats of two anonymous players from a certain season, and you choose one over the other. Good luck.


Scenario 1:

Hypothetical situation. You are the GM of an MLB team. Both of these players are on your team. Both of these players are rookies. You're tight for cash and can only sign one long-term. Who do you choose? Obviously, you're going to pick Player B. But if you happen to pick Player A because of the better SO:BB numbers and speed on the base paths, congrats! Player A is the 1986 rookie season of Barry Bonds. Player B is the 2006 rookie season of Dan Uggla. Not that Dan Uggla is terrible or anything.


Scenario 2:

New situation. You're a baseball writer who has a vote for the NL MVP. Take a look at these numbers. Who do you vote for? Besides a few more home runs and RBIs, there is really nothing that would lead you to picking Player A over Player B. Unfortunately, that's what many voters did in 2006. Player A is Ryan Howard, the NL MVP from that year, while Player B is MVP snub Albert Pujols, who finished second that year in voting. Also to note: Pujols had a 8.4 WAR that year. Howard? 5.2 WAR.

Scenario 3:

Same situation as above. In fact, Player A is still Ryan Howard. But Player B still has some decent numbers in comparison. More hits, doubles, higher BA. His 4.9 WAR is comparable to Howard's 5.2 WAR. And he has struck out less than half as many times as Howard. I don't think Howard deserved to win the 2006 NL MVP, however, I'd still take him over Player B here. But it would be a close vote, right? Nope. Player B is Garrett Atkins, who finished 15th in NL MVP voting in 2006. 

Scenario 4:

This one isn't really much of a situation than it is a fun observation. Besides having 1 more hit, Player A has essentially nothing on Player B. Another fact about Player B: This was his rookie of the year season. He is Angel Berroa, 2003 AL ROY. Player A? That, too, would be Angel Berroa. Obviously it's not his rookie year, so what is it? That would be the next most impressive season Berroa would have in his career (2005 to be specific). Most players get better their first couple of years, peak at around 26-30, then slowly decline towards their retirement. Not Berroa. His career was straight downhill after his rookie season. 

Scenario 5:

Saved the best for last. This one is completely ridiculous. Again, you're a voter for the AL MVP award. Who do you choose? Unless you are that bothered by the difference in stolen bases, there is essentially no reason to pick Player A over Player B. By the way, Player B's 36 homers, 137 RBIs, and .356 batting average led the AL. Yeah, he won the Triple Crown. The "Mike Trout" argument doesn't work here either: Player B had a 10.6 WAR; Player A had a 8.2 WAR. And yet, after all this, Player A was voted the AL MVP over Player B in 1942. Player A was Joe Gordon of the New York Yankees. Player B: Ted Williams.

Source: Baseball Reference

The All-Jose Team 2014
Jose Altuve is all over the place with his record-breaking hits season. Jose Abreu is one of the most feared sluggers in the American League, and is the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year. And Jose Valverde is fun to watch. Below is our top-Jose team of 2014, along with a random fact about each.

1B Jose Abreu
Abreu has more home runs vs Justin Verlander than Robinson Cano and Adrian Beltre combined. He has 12 AB's vs Verlander. Beltre and Cano have 101 AB's vs Verlander. Yeah.

2B Jose Altuve
He owns Felix Hernandez. But on the other side of that spectrum, Bronson Arroyo owns him. Altuve is 0/13 vs Arroyo, the most ABs he has vs any pitcher without a base hit. The next closest is Joe Smith of the Angels, of whom he is 0/7 against.

3B Jose Iglesias
Yeah we know he missed the whole year with stress fractures in his shins. But oh well.
His Twitter name is @JoseIglesias_SS. We needed somebody at third though, and he has played third base 37 times in his career.

SS Jose Reyes
Reyes has more triples (115) in his career than he has home runs (111). He also did this.

LF Jose Constanza
Basbeall-Reference has Constanza listed as an "Outfielder and Pinch Hitter".

CF Jose Tabata
He pinch-hit for Travis Snider on September 20th. After falling behind 1-2, the runner on first was caught stealing. Tabata was then removed as the Pirates went to their bullpen in the next half inning. So he essentially did nothing.

RF Jose Bautista
He's played every position except shortstop. Not quite on Ben Zobrist's level. And we don't see him playing short for Toronto anytime soon because of the other Jose on this list. Other Jose as in Reyes.

P Jose Fernandez*
He has given up 14 homers in his short career. 2 of those homers were to Jedd Gyorko. And his first career home run was a hoot. 

C Jose Molina
In Babe Ruths last speech at Old Yankee Stadium, he said, "I was glad to have hit the first home run in this park. God only knows who will hit the last." That last homer would be by Jose Molina.
He is also 1 for 1 with a triple and 2 RBIs vs Juan Cruz.

Note: There are probably a couple accent marks missing from the majority of these names.
*You didn't actually think we would put Valverde here over Fernandez, did you?

Question: Which Jose would you most want to build a team around? Leave a comment and let us know.

Sources: Baseball Reference

Things Pete Rose Was Good At That Has Nothing To Do With Betting On Baseball
Here at Ben Zobrist Green Ellis, we are firm believers that Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame (You already knew this if you read our first post ever). Yes, we know he bet on the game. And we know that betting on baseball is the cardinal sin. But the best players go to Cooperstown. And like it or not, Charlie Hustle was one of the greatest to ever play the game. Hate him all you want, make him sit in a corner wearing a dunce cap, tell him he's a disgrace. But let him in.
We compiled a list of things that Pete Rose was good at. All of which have nothing to do with him betting on baseball. Even if you hate him, at least try to enjoy and appreciate the helluva baseball player he was.


1. Pete Rose had 4256 hits, more than anyone else ever.
Everyone knows this. What everyone doesn't know is that 4256 is more hits than the following combinations of players:
-Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza
-Barry Larkin and Jorge Posada
-Mark McGwire and Reggie Jackson
-Jason Varitek and Barry Bonds
-JJ Hardy, Hideki Matsui, and Nomar Garciaparra
-Ty Cobb and Caleb Joseph
-Derek Jeter and Buster Posey
-Hank Aaron and Yoenis Cespedes

That's a lot of hits.



2. Pete Rose scored 2165 runs in his career, 6th all time.
Again, this is more than the following combinations of players:
-Jackie Robinson and Chase Utley
-Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, and Matt Kemp
-Edwin Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki, Adam Jones, and Matt Joyce
-Willie Mays and Will Middlebrooks
-Roger Maris and Vladimir Guerrero



3. Pete Rose hit 746 doubles, 2nd most all time.
Let's play our combination game again:
-Sammy Sosa and Tino Martinez
-Ernie Banks and Brady Anderson
-Mike Schmidt and Ichiro Suzuki
-Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Grady Sizemore, and Robert Andino
-Cal Ripken Jr and Giancarlo Stanton
-Ted Williams and Phil Nevin



4. He played for 24 seasons. By the time he retired, he had been on an MLB roster for more than 53% of his life.



5. Not only did he play for 24 seasons, but he only struck out 1134 times over the course of his career.
There are 31* Hall-of-Famers who have played 24 or less seasons and struck out more often.
 *This number will be higher in a few years. It's not including current future Hall-of-Famers (Jeter) or guys who haven't been inducted yet (Griffey Jr.)



6. Rose debuted in 1963. In 1964, he was benched for some time because of a hitting slump. But from 1965-1983, Rose never missed more than 15 games per season. Eight of those years he played in every single game. And 15 of those years, he hit over .300. He was the model of consistency of the time.



7. In the postseason, Rose was a .321 lifetime hitter, and was the 1975 World Series MVP. He won 3 world titles, 2 with Cincinnati and 1 with Philadelphia. There are over 100 current Hall of Famers that never won a single World Series.



8. Batting Average vs the some pretty decent pitchers:
Catfish Hunter*: .308
Fergie Jenkins*: .316
Don Sutton*: .339
Gaylord Perry*: .304
Bob Gibson*: .307
Don Drysdale*: .328
Jim Bunning*: .318
Juan Marichal*: .341

*Denotes Hall-of-Famer



9. He has a hit playing every position in the field except for shortstop. Not quite Ben Zobrist-esque. But close.



10. I'm going to put up the stats of two players over the course of their careers:

Player A:
-79.1 career WAR, 2165 runs, 4265 hits, 746 doubles, 135 triples, 160 home runs, 1314 RBs, 1566 walks, .303 BA, .375 OBP

Player B:
-69 career WAR, 1322 runs, 2397 hits, 410 doubles, 109 triples, 211 home runs, 1215 RBIs, 895 walks, .303 BA, .376 OBP

If you've read anything above this, you should be able to tell that Player A is Pete Rose. Who is Player B you ask? Player B is not a single player, but the average statistics of every player in the Hall of Fame (excluding pitchers obviously). Sure looks like Pete Rose is better than the average Hall-of-Famer. Well, besides the home runs. Maybe he should have taken some steroids to get those numbers up... not like steroid use gets you banned for life or barred from being on the Hall of Fame ballot.


Pete Rose was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player of his generation. It's a shame he's not allowed in the Hall of Fame because of something that has little/nothing to do with his amazing playing career.

MLB Player Wife/Girlfriend Power Rankings
We've compiled a list of the 15 hottest wives/girlfriends of MLB players. Not included are those who are suspended (Chris Davis), injured for season (David Wright), or DFA'd (Reid Brignac). Maybe they will make the future rankings. Let us know if we missed anyone, or if you think our rankings are off. Although it is really hard to argue against any of the following people being higher or lower than anyone else. Enjoy. (Also towards bottom NSFW)

15. Leah Niese- Wife of Jon Niese (P-NYM)

14. Kelly Reynolds- Girlfriend of Alex Cobb (P-TB)

13. Jacquelyn Frazier- Wife of Todd Frazier (3B-CIN)

12. Taylor North- Girlfriend of Kevin Gausman (P-BAL)

11. Lisalla Montenegro- Wife of C.J. Wilson (P-LAA)

10. Emily Greinke- Wife of Zach Greinke (P-LAD)

9. Brittany Svendgard- Girlfriend of Matt Joyce (OF-TB)

8. Lindsay Clubine- Wife of Clay Buchholz (P-BOS)

7. Chelsea Goff- Fiancee of Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL)

6. Dallas Latos- Wife of Mat Latos (P-CIN)

5. Larisa Fraser- Wife of Ryan Braun (OF-MIL)

4. Kim DeJesus- Wife of David DeJesus (OF-TB)

3. Jaime Edmondson- Fiancee of Evan Longoria (3B-TB)

2. Amanda McCarthy- Wife of Brandon McCarthy (P-NYY)

1. Kate Upton*- Girlfriend of Justin Verlander (P-DET)

*The more recent pictures are illegal. 

The Devil Rays
Tampa has been eliminated from postseason contention this year, and can only lose one more game to avoid a losing record for the first time since 2007. What was so special about Tampa's 2007 season you ask? That was the last time they played as the "Devil Rays". In honor of the sucky year the Rays had, let's take a look at how changing the name from "Devil Rays" to "Rays" changed the course of a franchise.

• The Devil Rays had a record of 645-972 over the course of 10 seasons. That is a winning percentage of .399. The Rays had a 550-423 record in 6 seasons. That's a winning percentage of .565. 
• More on winning records: the Devil Rays never had one. They went 10 straight seasons below .500. The Rays have gone 6 straight with a record above .500. A perfect finish this year would make that 7 in a row.
• The Devil Rays swam at the bottom of the AL East for 9 of their 10 seasons. Only once, in 2004, did the Devil Rays not finish in the basement. That year, they finished 4th. The Rays have yet to finish a season anywhere below 3rd place.
• The Devil Rays made the playoffs 0 times in 10 years. The Rays made the playoffs 4 times in 6 years.
• In 1998, their inaugural year, the Devil Rays finished 51 games back of the AL East leading New York Yankees. After they became the Rays, and excluding the years they won the east, they would finish a combined 35.5 GB of first place in 6 seasons. 
• The Devil Rays had a run differential of -1621, an average of -162.1 per season. The Rays have a run differential of +572, or an average of +95.3 per season.
• In his two years on the Devil Rays, Ben Zobrist played only one position. Shortstop. They sucked both years. In their inaugural Ray year, Ben Zobrist played 6 different positions, 7 if you include the DH. They won the AL East and made it to the World Series. I'm not saying the Rays got so good after they changed their name because of Ben Zobrist, but the evidence is there. 
• Steve Irwin died on September 4th, 2006 after being attacked by a stingray. The Devil Rays finished that season 6-19, including a losing streak of 9 games, their longest of the season. That's a winning percentage of .240. This terrible end to the season also included a 16-1 loss to the Yankees on September 25th. Read more about blowouts here.

All stats are excluding this current season, because this is the first year the Rays have sucked as the Rays. That being said, they still have 7 games to turn it around. And even with 75-80 record, they still have a run differential of +10. Not as stellar as the usual +95.3, but not as terrible as the dark days of the Devil Rays*.
*That rhyme was completely accidental

Sources: Baseball Reference 

Position Players on the Mound in 2014

This year in baseball, there have been many things to gawk at: Blockbuster trades like the David Price deal, the collapse of the Oakland A's after dealing Yoenis Céspedes, even no-hitters from teammates Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw within 3 weeks of each other. Most importantly, we like to call 2014 "The Year of the Position Player Pitcher."

1. Adam Dunn (CHW)-- Dunn found himself on the mound against the Rangers in a 16-0 losing effort. He threw an inning and gave up one run on two hits using 22 pitches.
2. Andrew Romine  (DET)-- A lost cause game against the Twins saw this guy on the mound, where he gave up three runs on four hits in one inning. The final score turned out to be 20-6 Minnesota.
3. Chris Gimenez (TEX)-- Continuing the theme of blowout games, Gimenez came in during a 15-6 rout by the Angels. Unlike most position players, he actually threw up a zero, something the actual pitchers on the team had trouble doing for the rest of the game.
4. Steve Tolleson (TOR)-- Tolleson has two (2!!!!) pitching appearances this year totaling one inning. He came in to sit the Indians (.1 IP) down in May then did the same thing to Boston (.2 IP) in August.
5. J.P. Arencibia (TEX)-- The Rangers were down by a lot so they put a non-pitcher on the mound. Sound familiar? Arencibia took care of business against the Rays, needing only 10 pitches and facing four batters.
6. Mike Carp (BOS)-- No, not Mike Trout or Tim Salmon. While the possibility remains that they could all be distant cousins, Carp has done something that Trout and Salmon have never done in their careers. Carp came in to face the Yankees on April 24 this year. Even with walking five people, Carp somehow managed to give up only one run using 38 pitches.
7. Mitch Moreland (TEX)-- May 6 in Colorado, Mitch Moreland came in to show the Rangers how to pitch. He sent the Rockies down in order, and the bullpen thanked him for saving arms. The final score was a Texas loss, 12-1.
8. Leury Garcia (CHW)-- Garcia came in for the 14th inning of a tied ballgame against the Red Sox. This is the first player on the list to record meaningful innings. The Red Sox proceeded scored two that inning and Garcia took the L for the White Sox. The final score was 6-4.
9. Dean Anna (NYY)-- One of the many 18.00-ERA-Club members on the list, this Yankees' middle infielder surrendered two runs in one inning against the Rays on the day of 16-1 rout. 
10. Danny Worth (DET)-- The veteran pitcher of the list, Danny Worth has been on the mound for two innings this year, more than actual pitchers on the team, Kevin Whelan and Jose Ortega. Both times being in the same series against Texas, Worth gave up a combined one run while striking out two. Both games were already lost causes, so, yet again, the position player had no major impact on the game.

Quick reminder that every single time a position player has pitched this year, teams are 0-12.... But who cares? This is one of the top sights of the MLB. My list goes no hitters, playoffs, playoff races, then position players pitching.

All stats provided by Baseball Reference and ESPN

Happy Anniversary, Randy!

                 Randy Johnson hit his only career home run off Doug Davis at Miller Park on September 19th, 2003. In honor of the 11th anniversary of that accomplishment, here are the Top 11 Most Useless Randy Johnson facts.

1. Randy Johnson owns Rickey Henderson. Henderson is 7/61 vs the Big Unit, a batting average of .115. Oh, and of those 54 outs, 30 were recorded via strikeout.

2. Reed Johnson has faced Randy 21 times, 4 of which resulted in a Hit-By-Pitch. So you could say Reed Johnson peed his pants a little whenever Randy was on the mound that day.

3. The player with the most plate appearances and no strikeout vs Johnson? Mel Hall with 18.

 

4. Randy Johnson has a career WAR of 102.1. Is that the highest of anyone to come out of the University of South California? Nope. USC alum Tom Seaver had a career WAR of 110.5.

5. Randy Johnson had more complete games in 1999 than the careers of Francisco Liriano, Edwin Jackson, and Corey Kluber combined.

6. Randy Johnson has 4 of the top 10 single season strikeout records after 1900. That’s more than strikeout king Nolan Ryan himself. 

7. He killed a bird once. You could say it was a “fowl” ball.* Oh, and it's en Español.

8. On June 30th, 1999, Johnson struck out 17 batters vs the Reds. And lost the game. In fact, Johnson struck out 14+ batters in 5 games that year, and went 2-3 in those games. 

9. Johnson’s final career appearance on October 4th, 2009 resulted in him entering the game as a relief pitcher and blowing a save.** He did, however, have 2 strikeouts in the 1.0 inning of work.

10. Randy Johnson is an aspiring rock photographer. Seriously. Follow him on Twitter at @RJ51Photos.

 

11. He gave John Kruk a heart attack (the video is worth your time)






We warned you they were useless...

*Sorry.

**Orioles fans will understand.

All stats via Baseball Reference
Sources: noisecreep.com

The Ugliest MLB Blowouts

We were looking forward to watching some great games tonight. Maybe see King Felix toss a no-no vs the hungover Angels? Or check out the Thursday Night Football game? But Felix Hernandez gave up a hit in the third inning. And Atlanta leads Tampa Bay 56-0 heading into the fourth quarter. 56-0! This got us thinking: What MLB games in history can compare to such a one-sided matchup? In honor of the manslaughter Atlanta is committing on Tampa Bay tonight, we went back and found some of the most one-sided games in MLB history. Enjoy.

August 22nd, 2007

Texas Rangers 30, Baltimore Orioles 3

Perhaps the best part about this game was that it was actually a close game for 5 innings. Baltimore actually lead 3-0, and heading into the top of the 6th, the Orioles were still in it, only down 5-3 And that's where the wheels came off. The Rangers scored 9, including a Marlon Byrd grand slam, to make it 14-3. Two innings later, Travis Metcalf (who?) added a grand slam of his own as part of a 10-run inning to make it 24-3. Another 6 in the top of the ninth gave them 30. Oh and by the way: this was the first game of a doubleheader. The Orioles actually had to trot back out there in front of that crowd (assuming there was a crowd) and play another game. Which they lost 9-7. But 9 runs compared to 30 runs? The pitching staff definitely made progress that day. Here's the Rangers box score:

August 31st, 2004

Cleveland Indians 22, New York Yankees 0

This one is really shocking. Coming into this game, the Yankees boasted an 81-49 record, whereas the Indians were just .500 at 66-66. It's why we love baseball though. Anything can happen. Cleveland tacked on three runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a quick 9-0 lead. A Coco Crisp 2-run blast in the 5th leader to 6 more. Also of note: Victor Martinez was in the Indians lineup, going 2 for 4 with a homer. 10 years later and it's still a lot of the same from V-Mart. And who was on clean up duty for the Indians for the last two innings that day? None other than Jeremy Guthrie, who starts this Sunday for the Royals in a huge series vs the Tigers. Box Score: 

September 16th, 1975

Pittsburgh Pirates 22, Chicago Cubs 0

Another 22-0 thriller. Difference here is that the Pirates were the obvious favorite and better team heading into the game. 22-0 is still eye-opening nonetheless. Pittsburgh scored 9 in the top of the first and never looked backed. Rennie Stennett went 7 for 7, accounting for nearly 4% off his hits during the entire 1975 season. Rick Reuschel was the losing pitcher, only lasting 0.1 of an inning. Two years later, Reauschel would be an All Star and finish 3rd in Cy Young voting. Box Score: 

July 23rd, 2002

Boston Red Sox 22, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4

There were other games that had bigger margins of defeat, but we choose this one because a) It was more recent and not in a year like 1830 b) Nomar Garciaparra hit 3 home runs, had 8 RBIS, and it was his 29th birthday c) Johnny Damon and his luscious hair were playing d) Manny Ramirez was also playing and Manny Ramirez is the most amusing player ever. Box Score: 

The football game is finally over so we'll stop there. The Bucs ended up losing 56-14, not as bad as a 30-3 baseball loss. But still pretty pathetic. And we are only minutes away from the 11th anniversary of Randy Johnson's only career home run. So stay tuned.

Sources: espn.com, baseball-reference.com

The 10 Best Bobblehead Giveaways of 2014

It's September 6th. The Tampa Bay Rays are out of the playoff race. And yet, 17,969 fans, above average for a home Rays game, pack the Trop. Why? Is it because of the Ben Zobrist appeal? Yes. But more importantly, it's Evan Longoria 80s Hair Band Bobblehead Drummer Night. And the only thing baseball fans love more than going to a baseball game to watch baseball is free bobblehead night. Especially in Colorado (you'll see). Here were the top giveaways of the 2014 season, in chronological order.

1. Apr. 20 Colorado Rockies - The Dinger Bunny Bobblehead Gnome 
What better way to spend 4/20 in Colorado than going to a Rockies game for a free bobblehead of some unknown purple creature? The Dinger Bunny Bobblehead Gnome is exactly what it sounds, a bobblehead and a garden gnome. Go ahead, put it in your front yard. 33,563 attended. Phillies 10 Rockies 9.
Price: $12.99 on eBay

2. May 16 Chicago Cubs - Babe Ruth Called Shot 

Yep. The Cubs have nothing good of their own to make into a bobblehead, so they just decided to use Babe Ruth. But who wouldn't. This has to be one of the hottest items of the year. 35,771 attended. Brewers 4 Cubs 3.

Price: $98.99 (!!!) on eBay

3. May 18 Colorado Rockies - Super Cargo Bobblehead Gnome

Even with Carlos Gonzalez injured, fans packed Coors Field for another amazing Rockies giveaway. Cargo + Superhero = Must Have. And the fans got to see a 2-run walk-off homer by Justin Morneau in the bottom of the 10th. A win-win. 44,092 attended. Rockies 8 Padres 6.

Price: $19.99 on eBay

4. June 8 Colorado Rockies - Sasquatch Bobblehead Gnome 

Something about the Rockies and these bobbleheads that double as garden gnomes. Grab one of these quickly before they disappear into the wild. It also kinda looks like Johnny Damon pre-2006. Aaaand Clayton Kershaw pitched. Why wouldn't you go? 38,111 attended. Dodgers 6 Rockies 1 (game was rain-shortened however).

Price: $35.00 on eBay or if you want to spend more

5. June 12 Seattle Mariners - Macklemore Bobblehead

Now selling at the Thrift Shop. I have the Same Love for this bobblehead as I do for the others. Can't Hold Us back from waiting in line hours before the gates open to grab one of these. Yea I know all those puns were shit. 40,596 attended. Yankees 6 Mariners 3.

Price: $39.99 on eBay

6. June 21 Cincinnati Reds - Ken Griffey Jr. 500th home run 

Easily one of the most epic bobble heads. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest, most amazing players to watch in the history of the MLB. Seriously. I mean he actually hit the warehouse at Camden Yards. 42,530 attended. Reds 11 Blue Jays 1.

Price: $39.99 on eBay

7. July 4 Minnesota Twins - Lou Gehrig Bobblehead

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech. Great collectors item. Strange, however, that it was the Twins that gave it away. 36,952 attended. Yankees 6 Twins 5.

Price: $19.99 on eBay

8. July 13 Colorado Rockies - Golden Arenado Bobblehead Gnome

Another Rockies gnome. This one has an eye-opening golden hat. Put it right next to the Dinger Bunny and Super Cargo. Your neighbors will admire the landscaping work. 35,743 attended. Twins 13 Rockies 5.

Price: $16.99 on eBay

9. Aug. 17 Washington Nationals - Racing President Bill 

Do you think William Taft ever thought that 100 years after his presidency a baseball team would design and hand out a figurine of him running around a baseball diamond? It's a shame this couldn't have happened in 1913. He could have put it on his desk in the Oval Office. Nationals won this one in a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of 11. 34,430 attended. Nationals 6 Pirates 5.

Price: $19.95 on eBay

10. Sept. 6 Tampa Bay Rays - Evan Longoria 80s Hair Band 

There is so much awesome about this one. A. It's Evan Longoria as an 80s rock drummer. B. They're playing the Orioles (excuse our bias). C. Ben Zobrist (the greatest 1B/2B/3B/SS/LF/CF/RF to ever play in MLB history) went 0 for 1 with 4 walks. D. The game ended with a walk-off passed ball. 17,969 attended. Rays 3 Orioles 2.

Price: $15.99 on eBay

The total comes to $319.87. Totally worth it.

Sources: eBay.com

He's not God, but he's pretty close. Who has had the most success vs King Felix in their career?

Felix Hernandez Killers

DH Jim Thome                9/19      .474/.583/1.105

P Edgar Gonzalez           1/2        .500/.500/.500

C Joe Mauer                   14/37    .378/.439/.649

1B Miguel Cabrera          11/26    .423/.516/.500

2B Jose Altuve                8/18      .444/.500/.611

3B Melvin Mora               10/26    .385/.448/.423

SS Orlando Cabrera       16/36    .444/.432/.556

OF Nick Markakis           14/31    .452/.528/.548

OF Mike Trout                 18/47   .383/.404/.660

OF Johnny Damon          11/22   .500/.593/.818

Bench:

OF Grady Sizemore        9/18    .500/.550/.889

OF Endy Chavez             7/14   .500/.500/.500

OF/1B Lance Berkman   6/13    .462/..462/.615

OF Colby Rasmus          7/10    .700/.800/1.000

C Matt Wieters                5/13    .385/.429/.462

DH David Ortiz               13/36   .361/.455/.500

2B Brian Roberts            13/13  .361/.452/.500

These totals add up to 172/381. That's a batting average of .451...

Other observations to note:

-How about those O's? Melvin Mora, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, and Brian Roberts all repped the orange and black. In fact, of teams King Felix has faced at least five times, the Orioles have the highest collective batting average (.286)

-Jose Altuve, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout. Top players in the game today, and their dominance of the top pitcher in the AL shows why.

-Johnny Damon only faced Felix with the short hair. With the long hair, his batting average would be a couple hundred points higher.

-Honorable Mention to Nelson Cruz and Mark Teixeira, both of whom have hit 5 homers off King Felix, more than any other player.

Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com

Clayton Kershaw is God. These guys are on a completely different level because they actually OWN God. 

Clayton Kershaw Killers

Starters:

DH Adam Dunn                8/13   .615/.643/1.692

P Adam Wainwright          2/6     .333/.500/.500

C Carlos Ruiz                   6/16   .375/.545/.563

1B Albert Pujols               10/22  .455/.586/.636

2B Brandon Phillips          9/25   .360/.385/.520

3B Ryan Zimmerman       7/16   .438/.444/.500

SS Miguel Tejada             7/20   .350/.350/.400

OF Dexter Fowler            16/38  .421/.476/.526

OF Gerardo Parra            9/26   .346/.414/.462

OF Ryan Braun*              10/30  .333/.355/.467

*Yea we put an asterisk

Bench:

2B Howie Kendrick          6/15   .400/.400/.400

C Cody Ross                   9/26   .346/.433/.462

OF Pat Burrell                 7/21   .333/.385/.619

UTIL Scott Hairston         9/28   .321/.321/.357

SS Willie Bloomquist       5/13   .385/.429/.385

OF Marlon Byrd               4/14   .429/.429/.429

The totals come to 124/329, a whooping .377. The last player to hit at least .377 in a season was Larry Walker in 1999.

Some other observations:

-Dexter Fowler bats .299 vs LHP, and a large part of that is due to the fact he destroys Clayton Kershaw. You read that right. In fact, of all pitchers Fowler has faced at least 15 times, only Trevor Cahill (.500), Paul Maholm (.450), and Luke Gregerson (.444) have done worse vs him. 

-Adam Dunn has hit 4 home runs off Kershaw, more than any other player. Three of his five outs are strike outs.

-Albert Pujols is a machine. And Kershaw is scared. Only Matt Holliday (10) has more walks vs Kershawk than Pujols (7).

-Adam Wainwright has faced Kershaw 10 times. Adam Wainwright has more walks vs Kershaw than he has strikeouts. Adam Wainwright has a double and 2 RBIs vs Kershaw. This dominance is not just one-sided. Kershaw is 0/7 vs Wainwright. Kershaw wakes up in the middle of the night sweating because of Adam Wainwright.

-How about some love for Pat Burrell and Miguel Tejada?

I bet the San Diego Padres wish they had a couple of these guys on their team.

Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com

On May 26th, 1981, Cynthia and Tom Zobrist gave birth to their son, Benjamin. And 1498 days later,  another Ben was brought into the world. A BenJarvus. This blog is designed to celebrate their awesome-ness. Except, not really. Football's cool. But we like baseball. And 99.9% of what is on this blog will be baseball-related. Also:

-Although our namesake is a Devil Ray (we haven't gotten used to "Ray" yet), we are Orioles fans. 

-Ryan Flaherty is the greatest thing to happen to Baltimore since Billy Ripken

-Clayton Kershaw is God

-The Astros are going to win the 2019 World Series

-Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame

and most importantly,

-Ben Zobrist is the greatest 1B/2B/3B/SS/LF/CF/RF to ever play in MLB history

We will be posting articles pretty randomly, so follow @BZGreenEllis on Twitter so you check us out when we do. Enjoy.