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Edited by author 11-05-2009 09:54 AM
Please find attached issue No. 26 of the Baseball in Wartime e-Newsletter which focuses on the Service All-Stars and American League All-Stars game of 1942.

BIWNewsletterVol3No26November2009.pdf
 
You will need Adobe Reader to view this newsletter. You can get it for free at www.adobe.com/
 
Have you missed a previous issue? You can download them all at www.baseballinwartime.com/newsletter.htm
 
Have you seen what's new at the Baseball in Wartime Blog?
 
Hall of Famers at War – Warren Spahn
Remembering Shelly McConnell - WWII, Korea and Vietnam Vet!
Happy Birthday Bob Feller
Hall of Famers at War - Joe DiMaggio
Babe Ruth in World War II
American Games Day in Glasgow, Scotland 67 Years Ago
Al Schacht Entertains the Troops Overseas
Three More Minor League Veterans Passed Away Recently
There are daily updates at the Baseball in Wartime Blog
 
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
  
************************************************
Gary Bedingfield
Baseball in Wartime (Founder and Editor)
www.baseballinwartime.com
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
gary@baseballinwartime.com

The Brewers' spring training exhibition schedule:

March 4: San Francisco at Scottsdale.

March 5: Oakland at Phoenix.

March 6: San Francisco at Maryvale.

March 7: Cincinnati at Maryvale.

March 8: Seattle at Maryvale.

March 9: Chicago Cubs at Mesa.

March 10: San Diego at Peoria.

March 11: Oakland at Maryvale.

March 12: Chicago Cubs at Maryvale.

March 13: Colorado (ss) at Maryvale; Chicago White Sox (ss) at Glendale.

March 14: San Francisco at Scottsdale.

March 15: Cleveland at Maryvale.

March 16: Kansas City at Surprise.

March 17: Cincinnati at Goodyear.

March 18: Texas at Surprise, 7.

March 19: Los Angeles Angels at Maryvale.

March 20: Kansas City at Maryvale.

March 21: Chicago White Sox at Maryvale.

March 22: Los Angeles Dodgers at Maryvale.

March 23: Cleveland at Goodyear.

March 24: Off day.

March 25: Los Angeles Dodgers at Glendale.

March 26: San Diego at Maryvale.

March 27: Texas at Maryvale.

March 28: Arizona at Tucson.

March 29: San Francisco at Maryvale.

March 30: Los Angeles Angels at Tempe.

March 31: Chicago Cubs at Maryvale.

April 1: Arizona at Maryvale.

April 2: Detroit Tigers at Miller Park, 7:10

April 3: Detroit Tigers at Miller Park, 1:10

All games at 2 p.m. CST (1 p.m. local time) unless otherwise noted. Daylight Saving Time begins March 14.

Have you seen what's new at the Baseball in Wartime Blog?
 
Discovery of another Minor League Player Killed in World War II
Update on Baseball's Dead of World War II
Remembering Herm Reich
Remembering Ray Gabrych
Remembering Les Palmer
Remembering Ted Kerr
Happy Birthday Bobby Thomson!
Remembering Gil Hodges
Remembering Skippy Roberge
Remembering Harry Walker
There are daily updates at the Baseball in Wartime Blog
 
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
  
************************************************
Gary Bedingfield
Baseball in Wartime (Founder and Editor)
www.baseballinwartime.com
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
gary@baseballinwartime.com

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers today announced their postseason award winners as voted by members of the Milwaukee Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). A total of six ballots were cast for each award.
First baseman Prince Fielder was unanimously voted Brewers Most Valuable Player after batting .299 with 46 HR and a franchise-record 141 RBI in 162 games. This marks the second time that Fielder has won the award (also 2007).

The National League Most Valuable Player candidate ranked among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category, including RBI (T1st, 141), home runs (2nd, 46), OPS (2nd, 1.014), slugging percentage (2nd, .602), total bases (2nd, 356), extra-base hits (3rd, 84), walks (4th, 110), on-base percentage (5th, .412), multi-hit games (5th, 54) and runs (6th, 103).

Yovani Gallardo received four first-place votes to be named Brewers Most Valuable Pitcher. Trevor Hoffman received the other two first-place votes. Gallardo, in his first full season in the majors, went 13-12 with a 3.73 ERA in 30 starts. He became just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to have 200 strikeouts in a season. His 204 strikeouts ranked fifth in the National League while his .219 opponents' batting average ranked third.

Trevor Hoffman earned five first-place votes to earn Top Newcomer honors. Infielder Casey McGehee received the remaining first-place vote. Hoffman went 3-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 37 saves in 55 appearances this season. He extended his all-time Major League saves record to 591 as he ranked fifth in the National League in that category in 2009.

Reliever Todd Coffey was voted Brewers Unsung Hero, receiving three first-place votes. Infielder Craig Counsell (2) and McGehee (1) also earned first-place votes. Coffey went 4-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 78 games. He led the National League with a career-high 83.2 relief innings while his 78 appearances tied for seventh in the league and ranked third in franchise history behind Ken Sanders (83 in 1971) and Ray King (82 in 2001).

Craig Counsell earned the Good Guy Award for the second consecutive season. His four first-place votes edged outfielder Mike Cameron for the honor.

In addition to the awards voted on by the BBWAA, the Brewers announced Mike Cameron as the winner of the Michael Harrison Award for Community Service. Among his charitable contributions was $20,000 to "Team Smile," which allowed 298 children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee to receive free dental care. Cameron also hosted and contributed $13,400 for a Bowl-A-Thon event which gave 17 Milwaukee-area youths the opportunity to attend recording artist Usher's Camp New Look in Atlanta.

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - The Minnesota Twins today announced the Diamond Awards, their annual awards for the 2009 season based on voting conducted by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. In addition, the Twins and the BBWAA announced plans for the Fifth Annual Diamond Awards Event which will be held January 28, 2010 and will benefit brain, nerve and muscle disorders research at the University of Minnesota.

Twins' All-Star catcher Joe Mauer is the winner of the Calvin R. Griffith Award (the Twins' first owner) given to the Most Valuable Twin. Mauer, who won his third batting title in 2009, led the league with a .365 batting-average, hit a career-high 28 home runs and drove in a career-high 96 runs. Mauer, who missed the first month of the season due to injury, was named to his third All-Star Team and his second as the starting catcher.

For the second year in a row, righthanded relief pitcher Joe Nathan is the winner of the Joseph W. Haynes Award (Former Twins' Executive Vice-President) given to the Twins' Pitcher of the Year. Nathan, 34, was 2-2, 2.10 (68.2 ip, 16 er) converting 47 saves (52 opportunities) in 70 relief appearances in 2009. Nathan, who was named to his fourth career American League All-Star team, set the Twins single season save record in 2009.

Rightfielder Michael Cuddyer is the winner of the Charles O. Johnson Award (Former Minneapolis Star and Tribune Executive Sports Editor) given to the Most Improved Twin. Cuddyer, 30, batted .276 with 34 doubles, seven triples, 32 home runs and 94 rbi in a career-high 153 games in 2009 after playing in only 71 games in 2008.

Lefthanded pitcher Jose Mijares is the winner of the Bill Boni Award (Former St. Paul Dispatch-Pioneer Press Executive Sports Editor) given to the Twins' Most Outstanding Rookie. Mijares, 24, was 2-2, 2.34 (61.2 ip, 16 er) with 23 walks and 55 strikeouts in 71 appearances in 2009. His 2.34 ERA was the sixth lowest among American League relief pitchers.

Along with being the Twins MVP, catcher Joe Mauer is the winner of the Dick Siebert Award (Former University of Minnesota Baseball Coach) given to the Upper Midwest Player of the Year for the second year in a row. In addition to leading the American League in batting, Mauer also led the league with a .444 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage.

Michael Cuddyer, along with being named Most Improved Twin, is this year's winner of the Bob Allison Award (Former Twins' Player) given to the Twins player who exemplifies determination, hustle, tenacity, competitive spirit and leadership both on and off the field. Along with serving as a member of the Minnesota Twins Community Fund Board, Cuddyer hosts a "Cuddy's Buddy" at batting practice prior to each Saturday home game, as well as other charitable events throughout the season.

Outfielder Denard Span, is the winner of the Mike Augustin Award (Former Pioneer Press Sports Writer) given to the Twins player who fosters healthy relations with the media. Span set an example to teammates by always making himself available to local, national and international media members, appeared on a weekly radio show, and participated in several public service announcements throughout the season.

The cities of Mesa, Ariz., and Naples, Fla., are gearing up for a battle over the Cubs.

On Thursday, officials from Chicago-based Esmark Inc. and Naples-based Fifth Avenue Advisors held a news conference in Naples announcing their intent to convince the team to move from Arizona to Collier County in Florida.

Tom and Laura Ricketts, siblings who are part of the Cubs' new ownership group, and Cubs chairman Crane Kenney recently visited the Naples area to look at possible sites.

The Brewers today named Chris Bosio Major League advance scout. Bosio served as the Brewers’ interim pitching coach from 8/12 through the end of the season.

From Sporting News…..

 

Twins catcher Joe Mauer and Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols highlight Sporting News' 2009 A.L. and N.L. all-star teams, as selected by a panel of 31 Major League Baseball general managers and assistant GMs.
 
Mauer received votes from all 17 A.L. executives who participated, while Pujols, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun were on the ballots of all 14 N.L. team executives who voted.
 
Mauer led the majors with a .365 batting average and won his third A.L. batting title in the past four seasons. His .444 on-base percentage also was the best in the majors, and he set career highs with 28 homers and 96 RBIs despite missing all of April because of back problems.
 
Pujols, named SN's 2009 player of the year, led the majors with 47 homers, 124 runs scored, a .658 slugging percentage and a 1.101 OPS. His 135 RBIs and 115 walks both ranked third in the majors, his .443 on-base percentage was second and his .327 batting average was sixth.
 
In addition to Mauer, the A.L. all-star team features Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay, Angels outfielder Torii Hunter and Yankees DH Hideki Matsui.
 
In addition to Pujols, Utley and Braun, the N.L. all-star team includes Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds, Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp and Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth.
 
Sporting News is unveiling its award winners throughout the week on sportingnews.com. On Tuesday, Phillies lefthander J.A. Happ and White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham were named SN's 2009 rookies of the year. On Wednesday, Royals righthander Zack Greinke and Giants righthander Tim Lincecum were named SN's pitchers of the year, and the Angels' Mike Scioscia and Rockies' Jim Tracy were named SN's managers of the year. Today, SN also named Pujols as 2009 player of the year.

 

The remaining schedule:
 
— Friday morning: Comeback players of the year, relievers of the year
 
SN's entire 3-page awards package can be found in the new issue of the magazine, which arrives later this week at all Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.

CUBS SIGN ESTEEMED HITTING COACH JARAMILLO

The Cubs have agreed to a multi-year contract with former Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who completes Lou Piniella's staff for 2010.

Jaramillo's hitters have won 17 Silver Slugger Awards, four Most Valuable Player Awards, three home run titles, and three RBI crowns under his tutelage. He had been the Rangers' hitting coach since 1995, and worked with current Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano.

BECKHAM NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BY THE SPORTING NEWS Third baseman Gordon Beckham of the Chicago White Sox joined left-handed pitcher J.A. Happ of the Philadelphia Phillies as The Sporting News Rookies of the Year.

Beckham, 22, batted .270 (102-378) with 28 doubles, 14 home runs and 63 RBI in 103 games with the White Sox in 2009. He is the ninth rookie in White Sox history to be honored by The Sporting News and the first since current manager Ozzie Guillen in 1985.

RICK PETERSON NAMED BREWERS PITCHING COACH

Stan Kyles Returns as Bullpen Coach; Chris Bosio Offered a Position

 

                

                MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers today named Rick Peterson pitching coach, signing him to a two-year contract. The Brewers also invited bullpen coach Stan Kyles back for the 2010 season. Interim pitching coach Chris Bosio has been offered a position within the organization. Bosio and the Club will continue to discuss his role. The announcements were made by Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Melvin.

 

                “Rick brings a number of years of experience as a pitching coach and an extensive background in the study of motion analysis,” said Melvin. “He is a high energy individual and a forward thinker with a comprehensive program of motivation and instruction that is in tune with our current pitching philosophy.”

 

                Peterson has 11 seasons of experience as a Major League pitching coach with Oakland (1998-2003) and New York-NL (2004-08). He served under current Brewers manager Ken Macha while with the Athletics (2003) and under current Brewers bench coach Willie Randolph while with the Mets (2005-08). He has 15 seasons of Major League coaching experience overall, also serving as a bullpen coach with Pittsburgh (1984-85) and Chicago-AL (1994-95).

 

                As pitching coach with the Athletics, Peterson guided staffs which finished in the top three in the American League in ERA every season from 1999-2003. His staffs led the American League in ERA twice, posting a 3.58 ERA in 2002 and 3.63 ERA in 2003. While in Oakland, he helped develop the “Big Three” of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. All three pitchers became 20-game winners under Peterson, and Zito captured the 2002 American League Cy Young Award.

 

                As pitching coach with the Mets, Peterson led staffs which ranked third in the National League in ERA twice (2005 and 2006). He was relieved of his duties on June 17, 2008, the same day manager Willie Randolph was let go.

 

                In addition to his Major League coaching experience, Peterson has had coaching roles in the minor leagues with Pittsburgh (1979-83), Cleveland (1986-88), Chicago-AL (1989-94) and Boston (1997). He also served as minor league pitching coordinator with Toronto (1996-97). He joined the Oakland organization as a minor league roving pitching instructor in 1998 before being named Athletics pitching coach in March of that year.

 

                Peterson, who turns 55 on October 30, resides in Wall, New Jersey with his wife Betsy. The couple has three sons, Sean, Derek and Dylan.

Have you seen what's new at the Baseball in Wartime Blog?
 
Remembering Billy Hebert
Breaking the Color Line during WWII
A WWII Baseball Bibliography (Part 1)
A WWII Baseball Bibliography (Part 2)
Walt Shinn – War Hero and Minor League Outfielder
Remembering Bob Mayence
October 16 was National Registration Day in 1940
 
There are daily updates at the Baseball in Wartime Blog
 
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
  
************************************************
Gary Bedingfield
Baseball in Wartime (Founder and Editor)
www.baseballinwartime.com
http://baseballinwartime.blogspot.com/
gary@baseballinwartime.com

Rick Peterson is expected to be announced as the new pitching coach of the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Peterson, the former pitching coach with the Oakland A's and New York Mets, worked with Brewers manager Ken Macha and third-base coach Brad Fischer in Oakland, and Brewers bench coach Willie Randolph in New York.

Peterson will be charged with helping turn around a Brewers staff that posted the second-highest ERA in the National League this season, including the worst mark among starters (5.37 ERA).

Of these three guys, who could have been or could be center fielders for the Milwaukee Brewers, Melky Cabrera is a switch-hitter (who could have been acquired for Mike Cameron in the last off-season), while suggested Scott Podsednik and abandoned Tony Gwynn Jr. hit from the left side.
Their 2009 regular season stats compare as follows:
 
                           Age League
AL - American League (1901-present)
NL - National League (1876-present)
AA - American Association (1882-1891)
UA - Union Association (1884)
PL - Players League (1890)
FL - Federal League (1914-1915)
NA - National Association (1871-1875)')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="3" G Plate Appearances
Estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,
missing catcher interferences.
When this color click for a summary of each PA.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="5" PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO Hits/At Bats
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="17"BA (H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="18" OBP Total Bases/At Bats or
(1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/AB
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="19"SLG On-Base + Slugging Percentages
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="20"OPS OPS+
100*[OBP/lg OBP + SLG/lg SLG - 1]
Adjusted to the player’s ballpark(s)')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="21"OPS+ Total Bases
Singles + 2 x Doubles + 3 x Triples + 4 x Home Runs.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="22"TB Double Plays Grounded IntoOnly includes standard 6-4-3, 4-3, etc. double plays.
First tracked in 1933.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="23"GDP HBP SH Sacrifice Flies
First tracked in 1954.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="26"SF Intentional Bases on Balls
First tracked in 1955.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="27"IBB Position
’*’ indicates position played in 2/3rds of team games,
’/’ less than 10 games played.')" align=left table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="28"Pos
GG - Gold Glove
SS - Silver Slugger
MVP - Most Valuable Player
CYA - Cy Young Award
ROY - Rookie of the Year')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="29"

 
Melky Cabrera 24 154 540 485 66 133 28 1 13 68 10 2 43 59 .274 .336 .416 .752 97 202 15 4 4 4 4 *897

 
                       Scott Podsednik 33 132 587 537 75 163 25 6 7 48 30 13 39 74 .304 .353 .412 .764 97 221 8 3 6 2 1 *78D/9
                         

Tony Gwynn 26 119 451 393 59 106 11 6 2 21 11 7 48 65 .270 .350 .344 .693 94 135 2 2 5 3 2 *89

 
While Podsednik does not have age on his side, he had more power than Gwynn, plus better BA and on-base than Cabrera or Gwynn AND was once a valuable contributor to a team that won a World Series on the South Side of Chicago in 2005, unlike recent Brewer vets Cameron and Jason Kendall.
 
Here's how that 2009 Milwaukee Brewers catcher compares offensively with a couple suggested replacements, right-handed hitting John Buck or better yet, contact switch-hitter Brayan Peña; his fellow Royal backstop (righty-hitting Miguel Olivo became the primary KC catcher, by way of Buck's injury):
 
                         Age League
AL - American League (1901-present)
NL - National League (1876-present)
AA - American Association (1882-1891)
UA - Union Association (1884)
PL - Players League (1890)
FL - Federal League (1914-1915)
NA - National Association (1871-1875)')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="3" G Plate Appearances
Estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,
missing catcher interferences.
When this color click for a summary of each PA.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="5" PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO Hits/At Bats
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="17" BA (H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="18"OBP Total Bases/At Bats or
(1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/AB
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="19"SLG On-Base + Slugging Percentages
For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA
per team game played')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="20"OPS OPS+
100*[OBP/lg OBP + SLG/lg SLG - 1]
Adjusted to the player’s ballpark(s)')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="21"OPS+ Total Bases
Singles + 2 x Doubles + 3 x Triples + 4 x Home Runs.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="22"TB Double Plays Grounded IntoOnly includes standard 6-4-3, 4-3, etc. double plays.
First tracked in 1933.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="23"GDP HBP SH Sacrifice Flies
First tracked in 1954.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="26"SF Intentional Bases on Balls
First tracked in 1955.')" align=middle table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="27"IBB Position
’*’ indicates position played in 2/3rds of team games,
’/’ less than 10 games played.')" align=left table_number="1" sorttable_columnindex="28"Pos

Jason Kendall 35 134 526 452 48 109 19 2 2 43 7 2 46 58 .241 .331 .305 .636 70 138 11 17 6 5 6 *2

  John Buck 28 59 202 186 16 46 12 4 8 36 1 1 13 55 .247 .299 .484 .782 104 90 2 1 1 1 0 2/D

 
Brayan Peña 27 64 183 165 17 45 10 0 6 18 0 0 12 18 .273 .318 .442 .761 100 73 5 0 4 2 2 2/D

 
Miguel Olivo 30 114 416 390 51 97 15 5 23 65 5 2 19 126 .249 .292 .490 .781 103 191 10 5 1 1 0 2/D

 
Buck apparently had some defensive issues in his comeback, but both Olivo (with his 10 passed balls) and he make over $2 million a season, making possibly one or the other expendable. Peña makes minimal money in his first extensive major league playing time. The errorless Peña originally had no future in Atlanta, with young Brian McCann established there as an All-Star slugging catcher. One caveat with having the 5'-11" and 220 lb. Peña bat the 7th spot in the Milwaukee order- ahead of Alcides Escobar- is whether Peña (2009 projected out .273-15-46) would be an RBI guy for the middle of the order or an impediment on the base paths ahead of the fast Escobar. Other abilities by Peña would have projected out to 10 sac bunts and 5 sac flies, as much as more than Kendall. The younger Peña has an opportunity to enter his prime as a 30-point OPS+ improvement over Kendall.
 
If Ken Macha was only batting Escobar 8th in the order to end 2009 as a means of keeping pressure off the youngster, it was well thought out that his speed could potentially steal bases and not worry about taking the bat out of a pitcher's hands. Pitchers could then bunt him over. If Brayan Peña fits the classic chunky/dumpy catcher mold of a Yadier Molina or Johnny Estrada, it may be worth having him as an RBI-type guy batting 8th behind the 7-spot speedier Escobar and let pitchers bunt the slower catcher over. Whther this could affect what a Peña sees for pitches though, remains to be seen, something that didn't seem to faze Escobar much. [Thanks to baseball-reference.com for stat lines.]