Clutch 29-2016: Eve of the Eve of the Big Games

Mr. Clutch is coming to you live (well, live at the time of this writing) from somewhere between here and there. There is Philadelphia, PA and here is up in the air on a flight to Chicago. The guess is that the aircraft will be crossing over the Illinois border at some point soon. This normally wouldn’t mean much of anything except yesterday the Cubbies from the windy city reset the record books.  They are heading to the World Series for the first time since 1492.

OK, so it wasn’t 1492 – that’s when Columbus sailed the ocean blue and allegedly discovered America. The year was the early 1900s and in the paper today there was a fun article that listed all the things that didn’t exist the last time such an event occurred. It included most technology, color TV and probably most of the daily amenities that everyone takes for granted today. If time permits perhaps the exact list will make this post.

If the L.A. Dodgers, who by the way were on the list of things that didn’t exist last time the residents of Wrigley were in a world series, would have one won game six yesterday, then the Clutch team would be in route to watch game seven of the NLCS live between the two teams left from the National League. Those were the two teams that by the way the Mets motored through just a year ago in serious New York October baseball.  The coincidental trip to Chi-town could have been a bucket list knock off, and an elimination game no less.

Instead of witnessing some miniscule part of history, the 24 hours in the Windy city will likely not include a lot of baseball. That said, if time permits, which it certainly would of if a game was going to be played, a quick stop down at Wrigley field might be in order. The Clutch travel team believes that the excitement and aura of championship baseball will still be in air around the stadium despite the fact that the players will be on their way to Cleveland. The guess is that a fair amount of press, tourists and shocked locals will be wandering around the campus.

For anyone out there who is a baseball diehard seeing some places and possible games in being played in them are a must. On any list out there is Fenway park in Boston and Wrigley field in Chicago. They are two of the oldest old school stadiums that still exist and hold more history than any book or website. The best players of all time suited up and locked horns in these places. Records were set, classic games were played and of course these stadiums hold unbelievable historic significance.

As noted in a previous blog, Mr. Clutch and his gang from the old neighborhood visited Fenway a while back and was able to take in the full experience of a game, a tour and everything else that came along with visiting the great baseball town. Though during the off-season, and a time when the Cubs were playing poorly, Clutch, traveling solo like this trip, was in Chicago with time to kill.  The visit to the outside of Wrigley was relatively dull. It was cold, the tours were not running that day and not much was going on. The highlight was picking up some souvenirs to bring home. The hope is that this pilgrimage has better value.

Clutch is no stranger to being around World Series baseball.  Teenager Clutch was practically a resident of Shea Stadium back in October of 1986. Likely noted in previous blogs, ticket access was easy to come to that year and the Mets played home games in game one, two and six, seven (both if necessary). Four tickets to each game was obtained. These seats were right behind home plate and “Loge level”. For those not familiar with the seating chart of the old man, that was one level up and excellent seat.

What was the face value for these tickets? $1,000? $500? Keep going lower. The tickets were sold on the singular market for $30 each. It was hard to believe, and for those who don’t believe it there are many easy ways to validate it. Of course in this day and age the fastest way would be to “Google” the term “1986 Mets World Series ticket” and then click on images. That will bring up plenty of originals which you can select and zoom in on to see the price. Not that technically savvy? Then drive over to Clutch’s house, go down into his basement and look at the ticket from game six which is hanging in the LED lit glass shrine.

Having your team make it to a World Series is exciting. Having it happened when your team is coming off a pretty long losing streak like the Mets of 86 and now the Cubs of 16 is even more exciting. It brings people together and puts a smile on fans faces. The fact of the matter is that most fans of baseball are “Regular” folks with regular jobs and work to pay their bills and advance forward in life. Having a team that you cheer for get to or win a world title certainly brightens you day, week or year.

One final noteworthy item about the Cubs making it to the World Series comes from the same place the team they just beat does: Hollywood. Mr. Clutch is a fan of many things and after baseball is the great movie trilogy “Back to the Future”. In the sequel, BTTF 2, Marty played by the even greater Michael J. Fox, travels into the future from 1985ish to October 21, 2015 – which happens to be a year and two days ago today. While walking through the town square he sees a digital billboard with a joke which reads “Cubs win the World Series”. Like the self-tie laces and flat screens perhaps this fictional prediction was also right on – just a year late! 

Clutch 28-2016: Girls Just Want to Have Fun

Calm down everyone, this blog is not exactly about the song of the same name. Of course this is in reference to the Cyndi Lauper perennial hit from 1983. It’s amazing that Cyndi, the native New Yorker, is still going strong 33 years later. For those not keeping an eye on her career Lauper very recently compose the music for the Broadway smash hit “Kinky Boots”. To close out the bio info on Ms. Cyndi, she also was born and raised one town away from Mr. Clutch and the Mr. and Ms. spent a year (not at the same time) in the same high school.

Though a unsex sport for sure, Softball is typically thought of us as the girls or women version of baseball. In high schools like Adams, girls softball is offered. It’s also a non-popular, but scholarship level sport in college. There is not much along the way of professional softball leagues – though the sport was and will once again be a Summer Olympic event. The sports Olympic life started in Atlanta in 1996. It ended in 2008 in Beijing. The good old USA took gold In 96,00 and 04. They lost to the Japan team in 08 before the sport was removed from Olympic play. Rumor has it that it returns in 2020!

There are not many famous female softball players out there. Can you name one? The Clutch guess-o-meter says that your average person can name none and that a real all-sports fanatic can probably name one. That one would be Jennie Finch. The good looking right hander is legendary in the world of softball and of course was responsible for one of those USA Olympic gold medals. She shattered several records in college and had a phenomenal pro career, though as noted professional softball is an unknown sport. Jennie was also an accomplished power hitter and is married to Casey Daigle, a baseball player and also as pitcher, who had a cup of coffee with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros. They have three kids, and the world waits to see their fastball.

Before digging into the crux of this blog, it is noteworthy that while not a female, Mr. Clutch was a softball Phenom in his own right. The early days of the career featured playing on two teams, of which each played a double-header every Sunday. It was mornings on schoolyard blacktop and afternoons on the grass. A power hitter by trade, Clutch was also a gold-glover on the left side of the infield. The highlight of the Clutch career was leading the 2000 Summerfield co-ed team to a 12-0 perfect season. The lowlight would be a few years later where this stellar career came to abrupt end on opening day of the JCC (Jewish league) season. Trying to get back to first base and not get doubled off Clutch’s cleet got stuck in the base causing a rolled and badly torn ankle. It was a season and career ending injury for the legendary hitter.

Only those movie buffs out there would know what the real topic is here. It’s the AAGPBL or All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. This league had absolutely zero notoriety until the hit movie “A League of Their Own” was released in 1992. Though fiction in plot, it was based on real events which was a women’s “Baseball” league that was in effect from 1943 to 1954. Baseball is in quotes only because it was a somewhat modified morphed version of the game. It was close to regular baseball except the ball was larger – closer to a softball – and the bases were 65 feet instead of 90.

Most of the concepts that were displayed in the movie were real including the short dress uniforms and the players being sent to charm school during spring training.  There really was a Rockford Peaches team and they won the title multiple times during the leagues existence. The purpose or reason that the league existed to begin with was to keep professional baseball alive during the war. Also like the movie, attendance and interest in the games started to grow over time, though not in the initial season.

The girl’s league was the brainchild of Philip Wrigley, the gum mogul and of course the moniker that appears in that still famous baseball stadium in Chicago.  I guess the heirs weren’t keen on using the name in the movie since they changed it to “Harvey” and called the guy a chocolate guy instead of gum, sugary nonetheless. They only changed the name of the Tom Hanks character who was the drunkard manager and former star player.  Jimmy Dugan from the movie was actually Jimmy Foxx, the slugger and all around great hitter who played 20 years in the bigs and amassed 534 HRs, a shade under 2,000 RBIs and a .325 BA during that period.  Oh, and by the way he also executed the “Triple Crown” in 1933. Not too shabby.

Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell played for the Hanks team. They are of specific interest, unlike some of the other star studded cast members like Geena Davis and the great Lori Petty, because they were also New Yorkers. Rosie a native, and Madonna moved to the big apple as a teenager trying to make it in show business, and wow did that work out. Madonna’s baseball career ended when filming wrapped. Rosie would reprise her role as a ballplayer in arguably one of the best episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. Her softball team plays against Larry’s and let’s just say that the plot of the show was about Larry “Juicing” to succeed in the game and in a love triangle where he and her were chasing the same girl.

Girls in baseball had reminded relatively quiet through the years until 2014 when little leaguer Mo’ne Davis came along. What came along with her was a 70mph fastball and a winning team. The uniqueness of this player, mainly being a girl succeeding in a boys sport, brought on tons of fanfare and media. Mo’ne was quickly a star in many ways, including the SI cover, an ESPY, book deal and so on. Mr. Clutch ran into Mo’ne at a sweet 16 birthday party recently where Clutch Ms. Jr. was being dropped off. Wow two celebrities in the same place at the same time. And of course at an event where girls just want to have fun! 

Clutch 27-2016: Managing the Manager

Like all major sports baseball has a “Guy in charge” on the field. In baseball he/she is of course called the “Manager”. Football uses “Head Coach”, basketball uses the term “Coach” and in growing up in an area where hockey was way down the totem pole, not sure what the sports calls it – perhaps “Ice Captain”?

Back in the good old day’s life was simpler in a many ways. Rants about cell phones and cable TV are a few, but they don’t apply to baseball. In baseball back then the buck kind of started and stopped with the manager. He reported up to a general manager who reported up to an owner. There wasn’t much more in terms of additional levels or other baseball people coming in on a 45-degree angle. The manager managed the team, the GM took care of the player roster and the owner paid the bills.

The physical attributes of a manager back then were typically the same through the league. Of course there were some outliers and slight differences, but generally they were the same. A stereotypical manager was an old short guy with a beer gut. He had an “Average” career as a player back in the day and for some reason or another was never in a good mood. This guy would waddle out to the mound to make pitching changes and usually held his job for a long period of consecutive time. Lastly  - he made all the baseball field decisions.

Today managers come in all shapes and sizes. Many of them are “In shape” physically and tend to be a little younger than the managers of old. In the past a manager would typically work his way up from the “A” level to the major leagues just like a player does. Current trends are that retired players get popped right into managing a major league ball club. Mr. Clutch doesn’t understand the philosophy behind that, but it is becoming ever popular. That said, a number of these green managers end up getting fired before completing one cycle through the season.  Of those, some of them never return to managing.

The baseball player to manager fraternity has been pretty solid. There are practically no managers in the history of the game that didn’t play the game at some professional level. Most, as noted, had major league careers of sorts. An interesting one is current Mets manager Terry Collins (shout out to Long Island City!). Terry kind of fits two of the modern and non-normalized molds. He never played in the bigs, though he did have a minor league career, and the Met’s hired him though he had limited to no big league managerial experience. He actually came to the Mets via the Orix Buffaloes of the Japan league!

In addition to the dynamic of the manager profile changing so has the responsibilities. One day out of nowhere came this new position called a “Bench coach”. This new position is considered second in command and is the manager’s right hand person. They take over when he gets the boot and typically whispers general advice in the manager’s ear during a game. It’s Clutch’s guess that the bench coach also handles other duties like keeping the players in order, etc. This just seems like an unnecessary layer and more of a “Friend” of the manager and assisting in times of need.

Teams have also more recently added other egghead executives who sit up in the press box in front of a laptop and think they are playing a modern day version of strat-o-matic baseball. These guys have all the advanced analytics at their disposal along with more charts and graphs than you would ever want to see. Mr. Clutch is studying some of the underlying methods and language (“R”) that generates these values, and there is certainly some validity to the output. Not to be confused with is seen on the idiot box, i.e. how many times Cecil Cooper hits a line drive to right field, this information goes ions deeper.

These guys are looking at information (for one example) like speed in which the ball goes from the hitters bat to a certain point on the field and how long it takes a fielder to react to that and get to that position for one. Weather, see Mr. Clutch’s friends at Playanlytics.com for more details on this, factors into that equation along with many other measures and components.  The end result is that a guy in street clothes literally calls down to the dugout and informs the manager that the left fielder needs to move three steps to the right when a certain hitter digs in to the batter’s box. It’s just an additional case of the machines taking over.

General Managers who typically make trades have in recent times gotten more involved on the day-to-day activities going on between the chalked lines. For a good example of that, fused with some early day analytics, take a look at the movie “Moneyball”. Though the crux of the movie was how Billy Beane, as GM of the A’s, built a winning team with little money, one of the subplots was how he was trying to force manager Art Howe to start a certain player at first-base over another.  Billy was basing this on analysis done by Paul DePodesta. Paul was an assistant who crunched numbers and recommended decisions to the GM who fought over them with the manager. Just more layers to the layers.

Regardless of how one looks at it – computer controlled or decisions made with gut of a true baseball person, it’s a Clutch opinion that baseball is the furthest from other major sports on results being decided by managerial choices. Yes, decisions are made on pitching matchups (kind of important) a lineup (not really important) and moving players around on the field (even less useful), but the players still need to play the game and execute. Of course the same can be said for all sports, but baseball is certainly not as micro-managed with play calling. With all the additional cast of characters some human and some robotic helping managers these days – major league baseball ownership certainly doesn’t share that opinion!