Sunday Notes: Bobby Abreu, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and the 2026 HoF Poll

This yr’s Corridor of Fame poll included three former Philadelphia Phillies place gamers, none of whom acquired the mandatory 319 votes (out of 425 forged) to achieve election. Chase Utley fared finest with 251 votes (59.1%), whereas Bobby Abreu received 131 (30.8%), and Jimmy Rollins acquired 108 (25.4%). As did my colleagues Jay Jaffe and Dan Szymborski, I put checkmarks subsequent to Abreu’s and Utley’s names, however not Rollins’s.

How did different BBWAA voters select among the many Phillies trio? A complete reply isn’t potential — not everybody makes their ballots public — however we do know concerning the 260 voters whose picks have been shared on Ryan Thibodaux’s Poll Tracker. Right here is the breakdown as of yesterday afternoon courtesy of the Tracker’s Anthony Calamis:

66 voted for not one of the three.
25 had all three.
52 had solely Utley.
9 had solely Abreu.
3 had solely Rollins.
63 had Utley and Abreu, however not Rollins.
42 had Utley and Rollins, however not Abreu.

As for the gamers’ relative advantage, that’s within the eye of the beholder. Affordable arguments, each for and in opposition to, might be made for all three former Phillies by prioritizing particular statistics and accolades — and even reputations (none of Abreu, Rollins, or Utley have been tainted by scandal).

These issues stated, Utley had the best WAR, 61.5, adopted by Abreu and Rollins with 59.7 and 49.7 respectively. Utley had essentially the most Silver Sluggers and All-Star appearances, in addition to one of the best six-year peak (though Abreu’s peak isn’t precisely rooster salad: from 1998-2004 he was value 5.9 WAR yearly with a 142 wRC+). Rollins had essentially the most stolen bases and Glove Gloves.

For me, Abreu and Utley have been straightforward selections. Furthermore, they have been most likely the simplest selections on the poll amongst gamers not burdened by points akin to PEDs, home abuse allegations, and the banging of trash cans. Rollins, however, merely merited consideration (as did Cole Hamels and Mark Buehrle) and finally didn’t get my vote. Fee stats have been a part of the explanation. Over his 15 full seasons, Rollins registered a .324 wOBA and a 96 wRC+, numbers akin to the .323 wOBA and 91 wRC+ that Omar Vizquel had over his 15 core seasons (Vizquel’s profession marks are notably decrease, partly as a result of he performed till he was 45 years outdated). No disrespect to Rollins — he was an excellent participant for a very long time — however he doesn’t measure as much as his poll contemporaries IMO.

Being a big-Corridor voter, I check-marked 10 names in all. Together with Abreu and Utley, I opted for Carlos Beltrán, Félix Hernández, Andruw Jones, Dustin Pedroia, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, and David Wright. Once more, advantage is within the eye of the beholder. Subjectivity is inherent within the voting course of, and the aforementioned three-Phillies breakdown is proof within the pudding. That not everybody filling out a poll views Abreu, Rollins, and Utley the identical approach is hardly a shock.

———

RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Nick Markakis went 11 for 15 in opposition to Darrell Rasner.

Howie Kendrick went 8 for 11 in opposition to Miles Mikolas.

Daniel Murphy went 8 for 13 in opposition to Homer Bailey.

Hunter Pence went 9 for 16 in opposition to Chad Billingsley.

Matt Kemp went 9 for 20 in opposition to Archie Bradley.

———

Wilbur Wooden was on six Corridor of Fame ballots, with the high-water mark of his help coming in 1988 when he garnered simply 7% of the votes tallied. It’s no shock that the erstwhile Chicago White Sox knuckleballer didn’t fare higher, partly due to the gamers he was up in opposition to. 9 from that specific poll now have plaques in Cooperstown, whereas a handful of others arguably ought to. For quite a lot of causes, Curt Flood, Roger Maris, Thurman Munson, and Luis Tiant are notable figures inside baseball lore.

Wooden, who died earlier this week at age 84, belongs in an analogous class. Whereas the numbers fall quick — 36.9 WAR, 164 wins, and a 3.23 ERA over 2,684 innings from 1961-1978 — his resumé is unicorn-like by most fashionable requirements. Essentially the most-accomplished left-handed knuckleball pitcher in MLB historical past, Wooden not solely had 4 straight seasons with 20 or extra wins (together with a 24-20 marketing campaign), he famously began each video games of a double-header in 1973. Previous to turning into a starter and averaging 45 begins and 337 innings over a five-season stretch, he led the junior circuit in reduction appearances for the three years working. From 1968-1970, he toed the rubber 241 occasions and was credited with 32 wins and 52 saves. Wilbur Forrester Wooden was really a surprise.

———

A quiz:

The identical participant is the St. Louis Cardinals’ all-time chief amongst third basemen in hits, residence runs, and RBIs. (A touch: he gained a number of Gold Gloves on the sizzling nook.)

———

NEWS NOTES

Chad Pinder is shifting up within the managerial ranks. The Chicago White Sox introduced this week that the 33-year-old former Oakland Athletics outfielder might be taking the helm of their Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights. Pinder managed the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers this previous season.

The Atlanta Braves have employed Rob Leary to a training function inside participant growth. Most not too long ago a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Leary’s practically 4 many years in skilled baseball embody a number of years as a catching coordinator and a stint as Miami Marlins bench coach from 2013-2015.

Dave Schmidt, a catcher who performed in 15 video games for the Purple Sox in 1981, died earlier this week at age 69. A second-round decide in 1975, the Mesa, Arizona native logged 10 hits in 42 at-bats, with two of his knocks leaving the yard. The primary of his residence runs was an Eleventh-inning, two-run shot that propelled Boston to a 9-7 win over the Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium.

Stu Tate, a right-hander who appeared in two video games for the San Francisco Giants in 1989, died on January 13 at age 63. The Auburn College product retired all eight batters he confronted in his first outing — 4 of them by the use of the Okay — and not one of the 4 batters he confronted in his second outing.

———

The reply to the quiz is non-Corridor of Famer Ken Boyer, who (counting his one season as an outfielder) had 1,855 hits, 255 residence runs, and 1,001 RBIs whereas enjoying for the Cardinals from 1955-1965. Boyer was awarded 5 Gold Gloves, had seven All-Star seasons, and was named NL MVP in 1964. He had 54.8 WAR, 5.0 or extra in eight seasons.

———

Ten pitchers began at the least one recreation for the 1964 World Collection champion Cardinals, with Bob Gibson (36), Curt Simmons (34), and Ray Sadecki (32) combining for 102 of the 162 regular-season efforts. Ernie Broglio’s 11 begins can also be notable, because the right-hander made them previous to being swapped to the Chicago Cubs in June as a part of the six-player deal that introduced a yet-unproven Lou Brock to St. Louis.

One other participant who had but to make a reputation for himself made seven begins, in addition to 25 reduction appearances, for the Cardinals in 1964. Pitching in his lone St. Louis season, Mike Cuellar went 5-5 with 4 saves and a 4.50 ERA over 72 innings. Traded to the Houston Astros the next yr, Cuellar would go on to win a Cy Younger award and make 4 All-Star groups with the Baltimore Orioles. In a seven-season stretch (1969-1975) with the O’s, the southpaw went 139-75 with a 3.08 ERA. Furthermore, he gained a pair of World Collection video games, together with the 1970 clincher in opposition to a Cincinnati Reds group that had signed him out of Cuba in 1957. Cuellar’s preliminary skilled seasons have been spent with Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate, the Havana Sugar Kings.

———

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The deciding recreation of the Australian Baseball League’s best-of-three championship sequence was performed earlier right now, with the Adelaide Giants outscoring the Sydney Blue Sox 6-2 to win their third ABL title in 4 years. Devin Saltiban, a 20-year-old native of Hilo, Hawaii who performs within the Philadelphia Phillies system, was named sequence MVP. Adelaide had gained the sequence opener 3-2, courtesy of a walk-off residence run by Mitchell Edwards, a 26-year-old Melbourne native who performed within the Phillies system from 2018-2021. Sydney got here again to take Recreation 2 by a depend of 6-1, with 28-year-old southpaw Alex Wells going seven sturdy for the win. A local of Newcastle, South Wales, Wells pitched for the Baltimore Orioles in 2021-2022.

———

Once I wrote about Janson Junk again in August, Miami Marlins pitching coach Daniel Moskos described the group’s pitching method as, “Throw nasty strikes,” including that they aspire to “create strong arsenals, one of the best pitch shapes and velocities potential.” Not included within the piece have been solutions to different questions I had for the Driveline-trained, former big-league left-hander. One factor I requested him was whether or not groups can get in hassle by over-accentuating uncooked stuff.

“I believe there’s a high-quality line and a steadiness,” replied Moskos. “In case you’re not taking note of a few of the finer particulars, you may lose your approach, for certain. On the finish of the day, sure, we wish to throw nasty strikes, have one of the best stuff potential. But when we discover that you’ve a pitch kind that’s getting you into unhealthy counts — it’s by no means within the zone — and doesn’t carry out properly for you, we’d take a step again within the utilization of that pitch. We’ll reserve it for the alternatives the place we would like chase-type execution. So, there are some finer factors to it whenever you peel again a layer or two, however the basic precept is to throw nasty strikes.

“We present our guys the numbers on how a lot early-count leverage is of their favor,” he added. “The swing charge on 0-0… it’s a really passive depend. I believe it’s a 5% hit charge on 0-0 throughout the league over the previous three years of Main League Baseball. The information that we care about is guiding us to be within the zone as a lot as potential, notably with lower than two strikes.”

A throw-it-down-the-middle-and-let-your-stuff-play method has change into more and more well-liked, but not each pitcher can achieve that method. Appropriate?

“I believe this methodology works for everyone,” replied Moskos. “There are individuals who can have extra success with it than others, just because pitchers have various ranges of ability. Proper? Some pitchers have the power to spin a breaking ball very well — that’s a ability they possess — whereas different guys might not have that spin, however they’ve the power to throw a changeup very well. Every individual goes to be a bit of bit distinctive in simply how a lot we’re going to seize out of this philosophy.”

———

Invoice Mueller is aware of his approach round a batter’s field. Not solely did the switch-hitting infielder log a .291/.373/.425 slash line throughout the 1996-2006 campaigns, he led the American League with a .326 batting common whereas enjoying for the Boston Purple Sox in 2003. That very same season, he turned the one participant in MLB to hit grand slams from each side of the plate, doing so in a three-homer recreation in opposition to the Texas Rangers. His most-impactful hit was a one-bagger in opposition to the New York Yankees. In Recreation 4 of the 2004 ALCS, he swatted the ninth-inning, game-tying single off of Mariano Rivera that plated Dave Roberts.

Mueller went on to work within the Los Angeles Dodgers entrance workplace, then as a hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Nationals. And whereas now not employed by a big-league group, he does stay lively on the mentoring entrance. A major pupil is Harrison Bader, whom he’s identified since their time collectively in St. Louis.

I not too long ago requested Mueller concerning the 31-year-old outfielder, who started final season with the Minnesota Twins, was moved to the Philadelphia Phillies on the July commerce deadline, and is at present a free agent. What have he and Bader been engaged on?

“Now we have our pillars in place that we’ve talked about,” replied Mueller. “We’ve had a relationship for a very long time. Some months it’s extra bodily than psychological, and a few months it’s psychological. Going by a serious league season is fairly tough. These guys are so good. The analytics are so good so far as them discovering your holes and residing there. You’ve got to have the ability to construct sufficient confidence to interrupt by issues and maintain bettering. You want a village on this recreation generally that will help you do this.”

Bader has a 96 wRC+ over 3,046 plate appearances since breaking in with the Cardinals in 2017. Final season he got here to plate 501 occasions and hit a career-high 17 residence runs whereas placing up a personal-best 122 wRC+.

———

A random obscure former participant snapshot:

Scott Munninghoff performed a small function on a group that went on to win the World Collection. A right-hander whom Philadelphia drafted twenty second general in 1977 out of a Cincinnati highschool, Munninghoff appeared in 4 video games with the Phillies in 1980, permitting three runs over six innings. Sans a call, he was returned to the minors in Might, by no means to return to the majors.

What Munninghoff did on the at dish is extra notable than his efforts on the mound. In his solely big-league plate look, he tripled off of New York Mets righty Tom Hausman, giving him a 1.000/1.000/.3000 slash line for his profession. Together with Eduardo Rodriquez (a 1973 Milwaukee Brewer) and Eric Cammack (a 2000 Met), Munninghoff is the one participant in MLB historical past to log a three-bagger his lone time up.

———

LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

The Athletic’s Zack Meisel and Sam Blum talked to six gamers who’ve acquired precisely one Corridor of Fame vote over the previous two-plus many years.

Warren Cromartie, who’s now in a wheelchair following a pair of spinal surgical procedures, stays hopeful that MLB will at some point return to Montreal. Jason Coskrey talked to the erstwhile Montreal Expos and Tokyo Yomiuri Giants outfielder for The Japan Occasions.

At SABR’s Asian Baseball Analysis Weblog, C. Paul Rogers III regarded again on the 1953 Eddie Lopat All-Star’s tour of Japan.

At Literary Hub, Howard Bryant wrote about Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, and interracial heroism in the course of the Chilly Battle.

———

RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

Pedro Dibut went 7-8 with a 4.05 ERA for the Negro Nationwide League’s Cuban Stars West in 1923. The suitable-hander from Cienfuegos, Cuba then went 3-0 with a 2,21 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds in 1924, making him the primary to play for groups in each white and Black main leagues. (Hat tip to John Thorn, who talked about this on social media a couple of days in the past. Whereas conscious of Dibut, I hadn’t considered him in fairly a while.)

Pedro Ramos had a four-season stretch (1958-1961) with the Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins wherein he went 49-75 and led the junior circuit in losses annually. The Cuban-born right-hander logged information of 11-18 and 11-20 within the final of these campaigns regardless of below-league-average ERAs.

Don Mattingly had 2,153 hits, 3,301 complete bases, and a .358 OBP.
Victor Martinez had 2,153 hits, 3,320 complete bases, and a .360 OBP.

Barry Larkin had 2,340 hits, 441 doubles, and three,527 complete bases.
Michael Younger had 2,375 hits, 441 doubles, and three,491 complete bases.

The San Diego Padres acquired Gaylord Perry from the Texas Rangers in trade for Dave Tomlin on right now’s date in 1978. Tomlin subsequently had his contract offered to Cincinnati and by no means pitched for Texas. Perry went 21-6 with a 2.73 ERA for San Diego in 1978 and was awarded the second of his two Cy Younger awards.

The Brewers signed Matt Stairs as a free agent on right now’s date in 2002. The St. John, New Brunswick native, who suited up for a dozen groups over his 19-year MLB profession, had 16 residence runs and a 116 wRC+ in his lone Milwaukee season.

Gamers born on right now’s date embody Vern Ruhle, whose errant providing impacted Boston’s World Collection probabilities in 1975. On the penultimate Sunday of the common season, the Detroit Tigers hurler plunked Jim Rice, breaking the Purple Sox slugger’s left wrist and ending his yr. Ruhle pitched from 1974-1986, primarily for the Houston Astros, and went 67-88 with a 3.73 ERA over 1,411 innings.

Additionally born on right now’s date was Brian McCall, an outfielder whose MLB profession comprised eight plate appearances with the White Sox in every of the 1962 and 1963 seasons. An completed artist since his enjoying days, McCall recorded three hits in all, two of which left the yard in opposition to the New York Yankees on September, 30 1962. Chicago’s pitcher of report that afternoon deserves point out. Ray Hebert, who gained his twentieth recreation on the yr, was on the mound in 1964 when Mickey Mantle hit a 502-foot residence run that ranks because the longest measured at Yankee Stadium. In 1961, Herbert gave up Carl Yastrzemski’s first profession hit.