Has Robert Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980, been finally ousted from power?
A military spokesman went on Zimbabwean state TV and effectively declared Mugabe and his wife Grace under house arrest while denying a coup was underway.
The crisis began last week when Mugabe fired his longtime confidante Emmerson Mnangagwa who has served Mugabe in various capacities going back to well before the fight for independence. Grace Mugabe, who is seeking to succeed her 93-year old husband, has been the driving force behind Mnangagwa's firing. Mnangagwa is believed to be in neighboring South Africa.
The sad truth is that really doesn't matter who is in power in Zimbabwe. Whether its Robert Mugabe, Grace Mugabe, Mnangagwa or anyone else, life in Zimbabwe is nasty, brutish and short. If the AIDS doesn't kill you then starvation will and if famine doesn't kill then political violence will.
This isn't to say a power struggle would improve things much. Indeed, it would only add to Zimbabwe's misery.
But Zimbabweans are a resourceful people. They have to be. Moffat Makuto, a man I consider my mentor, saw the revolution first hand and also saw what it has become. Nevertheless, he is one of the most optimistic men I have ever met and many of his countrymen share his spirit and those who remain in Zimbabwe have somehow found a way to live in the midst of daily danger and death.
Of course, it will take decades for Zimbabwe to get back half way where it was before the revolution. In a country where things are bad there is a very good chance things are about to get much worse.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Molitor & Lovullo Named AL & NL Managers of the Year
I think few will object to the selection of Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor and Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo as AL & NL Managers of the Year, respectively. The Twins and D'Backs were the most improved teams in their respective leagues.
Molitor has demonstrated resilience in Minnesota going from nearly earning an AL Wild Card berth in 2015 to losing 103 games last year to earning that AL Wild Card spot. What is particularly remarkable is that the Twins played their best ball after dealing away closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals and sending Jaime Garcia to the Yankees after only one start with the Twins after acquiring him from Atlanta. Molitor saw to it that the Twins didn't give up and they thrived.
Lovullo's turn around of the D'Backs is even more remarkable in his first full year as a manager. Of course, Lovullo cut his teeth as an acting manager with the Boston Red Sox in 2015 when John Farrell was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma and many in Red Sox Nation wished he had remained in that capacity. So few here were surprised the D'Backs went as far as they did in 2017. This achievement has to be particularly satisfying for Lovullo. Unlike Molitor who reached the Hall of Fame as a player, Lovullo was a can't miss prospect who missed. But Lovullo found his calling as a manager and he has only just begun.
Molitor has demonstrated resilience in Minnesota going from nearly earning an AL Wild Card berth in 2015 to losing 103 games last year to earning that AL Wild Card spot. What is particularly remarkable is that the Twins played their best ball after dealing away closer Brandon Kintzler to the Washington Nationals and sending Jaime Garcia to the Yankees after only one start with the Twins after acquiring him from Atlanta. Molitor saw to it that the Twins didn't give up and they thrived.
Lovullo's turn around of the D'Backs is even more remarkable in his first full year as a manager. Of course, Lovullo cut his teeth as an acting manager with the Boston Red Sox in 2015 when John Farrell was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma and many in Red Sox Nation wished he had remained in that capacity. So few here were surprised the D'Backs went as far as they did in 2017. This achievement has to be particularly satisfying for Lovullo. Unlike Molitor who reached the Hall of Fame as a player, Lovullo was a can't miss prospect who missed. But Lovullo found his calling as a manager and he has only just begun.
Will Dustin Pedroia Join Bobby Doerr in Cooperstown?
The passing of Bobby Doerr, who was baseball's oldest living player and Hall of Famer at the age 99, makes me think of the man currently playing second base for the Boston Red Sox.
To be precise, will Dustin Pedroia one day join Doerr in the Cooperstown. Doerr was granted entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 through the Veterans' Committee.
Doerr's career ended somewhat prematurely due to a back injury at the age of 33 at the end of the 1951 season. He collected 2,042 hits for a .288 lifetime batting average with 223 HR and 1247 RBI along with 9 AL All-Star team selections.
Pedroia turned 34 this past August and has now played 12 big league seasons compared to 14 with Doerr. Entering 2018, Pedroia has collected 1,802 hits for a lifetime batting average of .300 with 140 HR and 724 RBI. Petey has been selected to four AL All-Star Teams and his earned three Gold Gloves for his defensive work.
Doerr certainly has a big edge in production. He drove in 100 or more runs six times in his career while Pedroia has never had a 100 RBI season. But Petey does have an AL MVP under his belt and two World Series rings. If Petey were to retire today he would be a borderline case much like Doerr. But Pedroia does have an outside shot at collecting 3,000 hits. But given Petey's propensity for injury I doubt he will get there. But if he maintains a .300 average, gets around 2,500 hits and wins another Gold Glove and a World Series ring then I think he would supplant Doerr as the greatest second baseman in Red Sox history and it would be hard to keep Pedroia out of Cooperstown. He wouldn't be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but I don't think it would take the Veterans Committee to put him in.
To be precise, will Dustin Pedroia one day join Doerr in the Cooperstown. Doerr was granted entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 through the Veterans' Committee.
Doerr's career ended somewhat prematurely due to a back injury at the age of 33 at the end of the 1951 season. He collected 2,042 hits for a .288 lifetime batting average with 223 HR and 1247 RBI along with 9 AL All-Star team selections.
Pedroia turned 34 this past August and has now played 12 big league seasons compared to 14 with Doerr. Entering 2018, Pedroia has collected 1,802 hits for a lifetime batting average of .300 with 140 HR and 724 RBI. Petey has been selected to four AL All-Star Teams and his earned three Gold Gloves for his defensive work.
Doerr certainly has a big edge in production. He drove in 100 or more runs six times in his career while Pedroia has never had a 100 RBI season. But Petey does have an AL MVP under his belt and two World Series rings. If Petey were to retire today he would be a borderline case much like Doerr. But Pedroia does have an outside shot at collecting 3,000 hits. But given Petey's propensity for injury I doubt he will get there. But if he maintains a .300 average, gets around 2,500 hits and wins another Gold Glove and a World Series ring then I think he would supplant Doerr as the greatest second baseman in Red Sox history and it would be hard to keep Pedroia out of Cooperstown. He wouldn't be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but I don't think it would take the Veterans Committee to put him in.
Bobby Doerr, R.I.P.
Bobby Doerr, a Hall of Fame second baseman who spent his entire 14-year big league career with the Boston Red Sox, passed away yesterday. At 99, Doerr was both the oldest living MLB player and oldest living Hall of Famer. Those distinctions now belong Chuck Stevens who played with the St. Louis Browns in the 1940's and St. Louis Cardinals legendary player, coach and manager Red Schoendienst.
Doerr was certainly the best second baseman in the AL during the 1940's and might well have been in the 1950's if a back injury didn't force his retirement following the 1951 season. He finished his career with 2,042 hits for a .288 lifetime batting average with 223 home runs and 1,247 RBIs. There were no Gold Gloves in those days but he likely would have had a bushel full. Doerr was named to 9 AL All-Star Teams.
Of course, Doerr never got to be a part of a World Series winner though he played in the 1946 Fall Classic against the Cardinals and was also part of Dick Willliams' coaching staff with the Impossible Dream Team of 1967 who also fell to the Redbirds in seven games. Doerr is credited for converting Carl Yastrzemski into the power hitter who would win the Triple Crown that year. However, Doerr would resign from the Red Sox coaching staff in protest of Williams' firing in the middle of the 1969 season. Doerr would be the inaugural hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays serving in that role from 1977 to 1981.
Doerr was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1986. Later that year, the team would retire his number. He was the third Red Sox player to be so honored after Ted Williams and Joe Cronin.
I strongly recommend David Halberstam's Teammates which documents Ted Williams' last days with Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky and Doerr. Unfortunately, Doerr's wife was ailing and he could not make the pilgrimage down to Florida to see The Splendid Splinter. Doerr would be the quartet's last surviving member as Pesky passed away in 2012 not long after the two appeared at the 100th anniversary commemoration of Fenway Park.
Above is Doerr's Hall of Fame acceptance speech.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Why I Hope The Red Sox Won't Trade for Giancarlo Stanton
The biggest off-season story in MLB will be where Giancarlo Stanton, the man likely to be named NL MVP, will play in 2018.
Stanton, who has played his entire 8-year MLB career with the Miami Marlins, will very likely have a different address as new owner Derek Jeter puts the team through yet another rebuild. At this point, there are four possible destinations for Stanton - the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox.
I know that Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner have long coveted Stanton. But I hope they don't acquire him.
So why shouldn't the Red Sox, a team who finished last in the AL in home runs, not want to acquire a player who hit 59 home runs in 2017?
For starters, I doubt he will ever approach those numbers again. Stanton is injury prone. Four times in his eight year career, Stanton has missed 35 or more games due to injury. Mind you Stanton just turned 28. Imagine what will happen once his body starts to turn on him.
To get Stanton, the Red Sox would have to give up the farm and then some. In addition to their top prospects, the Sox would probably have to trade the likes of Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers or Mookie Betts possibly even a David Price or a Craig Kimbrel. Now I don't deny that Stanton brings much to the table, but I don't think he would make the Red Sox a better team.
I think he would be a better fit in either St. Louis or San Francisco. In Busch Stadium, Stanton could be another Albert Pujols. He would also bolster the Giants although I don't think they have much to offer the Marlins. Can't see Philly working out too well. Methinks he and Gabe Kapler would clash. But who doesn't clash with Kapler? I have a feeling we'll see another team in the mix. My guess would be the New York Mets. He'd be a nice fit there.
But I don't think he would be a fit in Boston. Getting Stanton strikes me as too much of a quick fix. The Red Sox need fine tuning rather than a major overhaul. But if the Red Sox can fire John Farrell despite winning a World Series title along with back to back AL East titles then I think pretty much no one is untouchable with the possible exception of Chris Sale.
Wherever Stanton ends up the one team that is guaranteed to be better will be the Marlins. I always thought the $325 million contract they gave to Stanton in 2014 hung around them like an albatross. They effectively put all their eggs in one basket. To me, the Marlins trading Stanton away is like when the Seattle Mariners dealt away Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr. For the price of one player, the Mariners could afford three or four quality players a la Bret Boone, John Olerud and Mike Cameron and win 116 games. That would surely happen if they got Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and David Price from the Red Sox.
Stanton, who has played his entire 8-year MLB career with the Miami Marlins, will very likely have a different address as new owner Derek Jeter puts the team through yet another rebuild. At this point, there are four possible destinations for Stanton - the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox.
I know that Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner have long coveted Stanton. But I hope they don't acquire him.
So why shouldn't the Red Sox, a team who finished last in the AL in home runs, not want to acquire a player who hit 59 home runs in 2017?
For starters, I doubt he will ever approach those numbers again. Stanton is injury prone. Four times in his eight year career, Stanton has missed 35 or more games due to injury. Mind you Stanton just turned 28. Imagine what will happen once his body starts to turn on him.
To get Stanton, the Red Sox would have to give up the farm and then some. In addition to their top prospects, the Sox would probably have to trade the likes of Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers or Mookie Betts possibly even a David Price or a Craig Kimbrel. Now I don't deny that Stanton brings much to the table, but I don't think he would make the Red Sox a better team.
I think he would be a better fit in either St. Louis or San Francisco. In Busch Stadium, Stanton could be another Albert Pujols. He would also bolster the Giants although I don't think they have much to offer the Marlins. Can't see Philly working out too well. Methinks he and Gabe Kapler would clash. But who doesn't clash with Kapler? I have a feeling we'll see another team in the mix. My guess would be the New York Mets. He'd be a nice fit there.
But I don't think he would be a fit in Boston. Getting Stanton strikes me as too much of a quick fix. The Red Sox need fine tuning rather than a major overhaul. But if the Red Sox can fire John Farrell despite winning a World Series title along with back to back AL East titles then I think pretty much no one is untouchable with the possible exception of Chris Sale.
Wherever Stanton ends up the one team that is guaranteed to be better will be the Marlins. I always thought the $325 million contract they gave to Stanton in 2014 hung around them like an albatross. They effectively put all their eggs in one basket. To me, the Marlins trading Stanton away is like when the Seattle Mariners dealt away Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr. For the price of one player, the Mariners could afford three or four quality players a la Bret Boone, John Olerud and Mike Cameron and win 116 games. That would surely happen if they got Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and David Price from the Red Sox.
Aaron Judge & Cody Bellinger Could Be The Greatest Rookies of The Year in MLB History
As widely expected both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger were unanimously named AL & NL Rookies of the Year.
Judge, of course, hit a MLB rookie record 52 home runs for the New York Yankees along with hitting .284 and driving in 114 runs. On the other side of the country, Bellinger supplanted Adrian Gonzalez at first base and led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the best record in MLB blasting 39 HRs with 97 RBI.
The question going forward is whether Judge and Bellinger will be the greatest rookies of the year in MLB history.
This is the first time both rookies of the year were chosen unanimously since 1997 when Nomar Garciaparra and Scott Rolen won the honors in the AL and NL, respectively. Rolen has a chance of getting into Cooperstown, but Garciaparra was never the same after injuring his wrist late in his tenure with the Red Sox.
There are only two sets of rookies of the year that have entered the Hall of Fame. In 1967, Rod Carew and Tom Seaver won AL and NL Rookie of the Year honors and became first ballot Hall of Famers. In 1977, Eddie Murray and Andre Dawson won AL and NL Rookie of the Year honors and would find their way to Cooperstown. Eventually we shall add the rookie class of 2001 with Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols. I know that there are those who don't consider Ichiro a rookie after playing seven years of ball in Japan. But Ichiro is the exception rather than the rule where it concerns Japanese players, especially position players. So I have no objection to Ichiro winning those honors.
Yet with all these great players, Judge and Bellinger could outclass them all. Of course this requires them not to slump or get injured. It's a tall order, but with their talent it is certainly possible. We shall find the answer in 10-15 years time.
Judge, of course, hit a MLB rookie record 52 home runs for the New York Yankees along with hitting .284 and driving in 114 runs. On the other side of the country, Bellinger supplanted Adrian Gonzalez at first base and led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the best record in MLB blasting 39 HRs with 97 RBI.
The question going forward is whether Judge and Bellinger will be the greatest rookies of the year in MLB history.
This is the first time both rookies of the year were chosen unanimously since 1997 when Nomar Garciaparra and Scott Rolen won the honors in the AL and NL, respectively. Rolen has a chance of getting into Cooperstown, but Garciaparra was never the same after injuring his wrist late in his tenure with the Red Sox.
There are only two sets of rookies of the year that have entered the Hall of Fame. In 1967, Rod Carew and Tom Seaver won AL and NL Rookie of the Year honors and became first ballot Hall of Famers. In 1977, Eddie Murray and Andre Dawson won AL and NL Rookie of the Year honors and would find their way to Cooperstown. Eventually we shall add the rookie class of 2001 with Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols. I know that there are those who don't consider Ichiro a rookie after playing seven years of ball in Japan. But Ichiro is the exception rather than the rule where it concerns Japanese players, especially position players. So I have no objection to Ichiro winning those honors.
Yet with all these great players, Judge and Bellinger could outclass them all. Of course this requires them not to slump or get injured. It's a tall order, but with their talent it is certainly possible. We shall find the answer in 10-15 years time.
Carlos Beltran in Cooperstown Won't Be a Can of Corn to Center
It comes as little surprise that Carlos Beltran has announced his retirement after attaining his first World Series ring with the Houston Astros to cap off a 20-year MLB career.
There are a lot of people who peg Beltran as a future Hall of Famer. He is certainly not without credentials. Beltran collected 2,725 hits for a .279 lifetime batting average with 435 career home runs and 1587 RBI along with 9 All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves.
But cracking Cooperstown as a center fielder is no easy feat. Even Joe DiMaggio didn't get in on the first try. In fact, The Yankee Clipper didn't get in until his fourth appearance on the BBWAA ballot.
Consider some of Beltran's contemporaries. His fellow Puerto Rican Bernie Williams doesn't have Beltran's power numbers (287 HR and 1257 RBI) but he nearly finished with a .300 lifetime batting average (.297) and won four Gold Gloves along with 5 All-Star appearances. After getting 9.6% of the BBWAA vote in 2012, he fell off the ballot altogether in 2013 after garnering only 3.3% of the vote. Like Williams, Jim Edmonds doesn't have Beltran's power numbers (393 HR and 1199 RBI) but his 8 Gold Gloves only counted for 2.5% of the BBWAA vote in 2016.
In 2018 both Andruw Jones and Johnny Damon appear on the BBWAA ballot for the first time. Damon has 200 fewer home runs than Beltran but has 44 more career hits. Although Jones has fewer than 2,000 hits, he finished with 434 home runs - one less than Beltran. Jones also earned 10 Gold Gloves. Ye it wouldn't shock me if neither Damon or Jones get less than 5% of the vote.
Of course, Carlos Beltran will not appear on the BBWAA ballot until 2023. How Beltran does will depend in part on who he is stacked up against. It does help that Beltran played a good chunk of his career during the so-called Steroids Era and never fell under suspicion. So while fresh off his World Series win many people today see Beltran as a Hall of Famer as memories of the Astros' triumph fades and deep into the second term of a Trump Administration, his candidacy for Cooperstown might not be so obvious in a little over five years from now.
There are a lot of people who peg Beltran as a future Hall of Famer. He is certainly not without credentials. Beltran collected 2,725 hits for a .279 lifetime batting average with 435 career home runs and 1587 RBI along with 9 All-Star appearances and three Gold Gloves.
But cracking Cooperstown as a center fielder is no easy feat. Even Joe DiMaggio didn't get in on the first try. In fact, The Yankee Clipper didn't get in until his fourth appearance on the BBWAA ballot.
Consider some of Beltran's contemporaries. His fellow Puerto Rican Bernie Williams doesn't have Beltran's power numbers (287 HR and 1257 RBI) but he nearly finished with a .300 lifetime batting average (.297) and won four Gold Gloves along with 5 All-Star appearances. After getting 9.6% of the BBWAA vote in 2012, he fell off the ballot altogether in 2013 after garnering only 3.3% of the vote. Like Williams, Jim Edmonds doesn't have Beltran's power numbers (393 HR and 1199 RBI) but his 8 Gold Gloves only counted for 2.5% of the BBWAA vote in 2016.
In 2018 both Andruw Jones and Johnny Damon appear on the BBWAA ballot for the first time. Damon has 200 fewer home runs than Beltran but has 44 more career hits. Although Jones has fewer than 2,000 hits, he finished with 434 home runs - one less than Beltran. Jones also earned 10 Gold Gloves. Ye it wouldn't shock me if neither Damon or Jones get less than 5% of the vote.
Of course, Carlos Beltran will not appear on the BBWAA ballot until 2023. How Beltran does will depend in part on who he is stacked up against. It does help that Beltran played a good chunk of his career during the so-called Steroids Era and never fell under suspicion. So while fresh off his World Series win many people today see Beltran as a Hall of Famer as memories of the Astros' triumph fades and deep into the second term of a Trump Administration, his candidacy for Cooperstown might not be so obvious in a little over five years from now.
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