The Yankees came back in a big way on June 29. Losing 7-2 to the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the eighth inning, Brian McCann stepped up to the plate. He crushed a solo home run to decrease the Texas lead to 7-3. McCann then stepped up again in the ninth with the Yanks trailing 7-4. He hit a game tying three run home run. Later in the inning, Didi Gregorius hit a home run with a runner on base to walk the night off. The Yankees ended up winning to a final score off 7-9.
Month: June 2016
The Bleacher Creature Honors Men and Women in Armed Forces
The Bleacher Creature would like to thank all the brave men and women who served/serve our country. From June 29 to July 8, The Bleacher Creature will be using special backgrounds to thank the men and women who protect our country. The military keeps the country safe and allows Americans enjoy lots of activities including baseball. Some Major League teams including the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Mets have special jerseys used to honor the armed forces. The Atlanta Braves will even be hosting an official game at Fort Bragg. This is the first professional sports game to ever be played on an active military base. Tune in to The Bleacher Creature for articles about players who served this great nation. The Bleacher Creature, the unofficial site of the official fan.
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle was arguably the best switch hitter of all time. He collected a plethora of honors and records during his 18 year career. In this article one will learn the basics on the great Mickey Mantle.
Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Oklahoma on October 20, 1931. He was named after future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane. His dad, Mutt Mantle, taught his son everything he knew about baseball so Mickey wouldn’t have to work in the coal mines like him. Mickey took batting practice from both sides of the plate at a young age. This would make him extremely famous later on. Mickey Mantle was signed young by the New York Yankees. He would play his entire career in pinstripes. He would make his Major League debut in 1951 at the age of 19. He was the backup for the retiring Joe DiMaggio. In the 1951 World Series, Casey Stengal told Mickey to cover Joe if he couldn’t get to any balls. When a ball was hit, Mantle charged to get it. DiMaggio called him off, and Mickey’s spike got stuck in a drain when he was trying to stop his momentum. This would mark the first of many injuries in Mantle’s career. Mickey truly became a household name in 1956. In that year, he won the American League Triple Crown award. He led the league in home runs with 52, runs batted in (RBIs) with 130, and batting average with .353. He also led the league in runs with 132, slugging percentage with .705, and wins above replacement (WAR) with 11.0. He went on to win the Most Valuable Player award, too. Mickey would go on to have a season with similar numbers in 1961. That year, he and Roger Maris engaged in a grueling battle to beat Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maris would break the record due to Mantle’s season ending with injuries. Before the injury, Mantle crushed 54 home runs, drove in 128 RBIs, scored 132 runs, and posted a .317 batting average.
When Mantle finished his career, he stood with a Major League record for World Series home runs with 18 and home runs by a switch hitter with 536. Also, Mantle drove in 1,509 RBIs, scored an outstanding 1,677 runs, walked 1,733 times, posted a .298 batting average, and collected 2,415 career hits in 2,401 career games. Mickey also won the MVP award three times; in 1956, 1957, and in 1962. He won his first and only Gold Glove award in 1962. Mickey was a part of seven World Series teams. In 1974, Mickey Mantle’s number 7 was retired by the New York Yankees. Also that year, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame alongside former teammate Whitey Ford. Mickey Mantle passed away in 1995 due to a drinking problem. Despite his death, many Yankee fans still love Mickey. As one can see, Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball.
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds was a hitter of the century. He evolved from a skinny all around phenomenon to a muscular home run beast. This article hosts information about the all-time home run leader.
Barry Bonds was born July 24, 1964. He was the son of former Major Leaguer, Bobby Bonds. A young Barry spent a lot of time around players and in the clubhouse. This early mentoring helped Bonds gain success later in his life. Barry made his Major League debut in 1986 with the Pittsburgh Pirates at the age of 22. Bond hit 16 home runs and stole 36 bases. Bonds would play six more seasons with the Pirates. In that span, Barry smacked 142 home runs and swiped 212 bases. Bonds would also win three Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and two National League Most Valuable Players awards.
Barry Bonds real success came with the San Fransisco Giants. When he joined the club in 1993, they had an idea about what he would bring. But Barry brought more. The next decade saw sluggfests and intentional walks-o-rama. In his first year with the club, Barry crushed a career high 46 home runs while stealing 29 bases. He would have similar years with 30+ home runs until 2000. At the turn of the century, Barry surpassed his original career high in home runs set in 1993. Barry hit 49 home runs in 2000. 2001 was one of the most memorable seasons in the history Major League Baseball. 2001 was a season all players dream of having. Bonds hit a record 73 home runs while posting an astronomical .863 slugging percentage. He accommodated these statistics by also posting a .328 batting average with 137 runs batted in and 129 runs. Barry never quite reached his standards after that season. Sure, he walked a record 232 times in 2004 and a .370 batting average in 2004. But Bonds has been linked to steroid use and that eliminated his chance for the Hall of Fame. People say that his statistics shouldn’t count, but they are still etched in stone. Barry Bonds finished his career with 2,935 hits, 2,558 walks, 601 doubles, 514 stolen bases, eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers, and a Major League record in MVP awards (7) and home runs 762. In conclusion, Barry Bonds has posted some of the greatest numbers in Major League history.
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw is one of the most dominant pitchers of his era. If he is not leading in one pitching category, then he is leading another. We will now break down the legacy of Clayton Edward Kershaw.
Clayton Kershaw is a star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1988. Clayton was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2006 first year player draft. He wears number 22 and stands at an intimidating 6 foot 3 inches and weighing in at 225 pounds. Kershaw has piled up tons of awards and accomplishments in his career. In 2010, Kershaw began giving signs that he was going to be something special. In 204.1 innings, he was able to strike out 212 batters and post a 2.91 earned run average. 2011 was the start of the Kershaw dynasty. In 2011, Clayton Kershaw picked up his first Cy Young award. In 233.1 innings of work, Kershaw struck out a league leading 248 hitters and tied the league lead for wins with 21. He also posted an amazing 2.28 ERA. He carried his success into the 2012 season. 2012 saw Kershaw strike out 229 and a 2.53 ERA. 2013 and 2014 were Kershaw’s best seasons. He won the Cy Young award in both seasons. In 2013, he posted a 1.83 ERA and in 2014, he posted a league leading 1.77. In 2014, Kershaw won the National League Most Valuable Player award because he won 21 games, pitched a no-hitter, and struck out 239 batters in 198.1 innings of work. In 2015, Kershaw’s bar was set extremely high. He had to fight for his fame due to the dominance of Jake Arrieta and teammate Zack Greinke. Kershaw did just that. He struck out 301 batters in 232.2 while posting a 2.13 ERA. He finished third in the Cy Young voting.
In Kershaw short career, he has been awarded a multitude of honors. From 2011 to 2014, he led the league in ERA. He has won three Cy Young awards, been on the All Star team from 2011-2015, won the Gold Glove award in 2011, and was declared the National Most Valuable Player in 2014. As one can see, Clayton Kershaw is one of the best players in Major League Baseball.
Bryce Harper
Bryce Harper has shown signs of stardom in his brief career. He went from being an aggressive teenager to a mature 20 year old. In this article one will know everything about Bryce Harper.
Bryce Harper appeared on Sports Illustrated for the first time in 2009, at the age of 16. Critics and writers knew he was going to be something special when he hit a 570 foot home run. The Washington Nationals took no hesitation and drafted Bryce in the first round of the 2010 draft. Two years later, he finally made his long awaited debut at the age of 19. His 2012 season was solid. In 139 games, the rookie hit 22 home runs, drove in 59 RBIs, scored 98 runs, and stole 18 bases. He would claim a trip to the All-Star Game and the National League Rookie of the Year.
Bryce followed his 2012 rookie campaign with another great season. In 118 games, Bryce slugged 20 home runs and stole 11 bases. He would be named to his second All Star Game and even was asked to participate in the Home Run Derby at Citi Field, too. Injuries slowed Harper down in 2014, but he stepped it up in 2015. 2015 was by far his best season in his career. He had career highs in games, home runs, RBIs, runs, doubles, batting average, slugging percentage, Wins Above Replacement (WAR), walks, and hits. He tied the National League lead in home runs with 42 and singly led the league in WAR with 9.9. Bryce would be named to the All Star Game for the third time in his career and picked up the National League Most Valuable Player award. He surpassed Mike Trout to become the youngest unanimous MVP recipient. In Harper’s young career, he has taken home a plethora of hardware. In conclusion, Bryce Harper is one of the best players in Major League Baseball.
Nolan Arenado
Nolan Arenado has emerged as one of baseball great superstars. Evolving from a defensive wizard to an all-around beast, Arenado has etched his name in stone. In this article one will get to know the ins and outs of Nolan Arenado.
Nolan Arenado is a superstar for the Colorado Rockies. He was born in Newport Beach, California. His parents named his after the legendary Nolan Ryan. Despite the origin of his name, Arenado has made himself famous not by pitching. Standing at a solid 6-2 and weighing in at 205 pounds, Nolan moves around the infield with ease. He is famous for charging infield hits with his bare hand and throwing out the runner. His signature move was when he slid off the tarp at AT&T Park to make an unbelievable catch. All these defensive accomplishments have led him to three Gold Glove awards in his first three seasons.
While having all this success on defense, Nolan’s offense has drastically improved. Playing at the hitter friendly Coors field has helped enhance his numbers. In his rookie season in 2013, he hit 10 home runs. 2014 saw 18 home runs. 2015 was different. He slugged 42 home runs to tie the league lead. He also led the league in RBIs with 130. On top of that, Arenado also piled up 43 doubles with a .287 batting average. All these numbers ended up leading to an outstanding .575 slugging percentage, a trip to the All-Star Game, and his first Silver Slugger award.
Nolan Arenado’s 2016 season has been great. Through his first 69 games, Nolan has crushed 21 home runs, hit 14 doubles, and driven in 60 RBIs while also playing stellar defense. As one can see, Nolan Arenado is one of baseball’s young sensations.
Clayton Kershaw’s Gets 11
In what was supposed to be a super matchup of Stephen Strasburg and Clayton Kershaw, Kershaw came out victorious. Strasburg mysteriously backed out from his scheduled start. For Kershaw though, he claimed his league leading 11 win.
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Offensive Stat
Trevor Story started off 2016 historically. All those amazing home runs… and strikeouts. We don’t want to bash him, but you can’t talk about Trevor Story without mentioning strikeouts. As of June 18, 2016, Trevor was fanned 96 times! At this pace, Story is on track to strike out a record 273 times! Some sluggers need to learn to cut back!