November 29, 2011

 

With the conclusion of the 1954 and 2011 TCBA seasons, Shaffer Stadium has now been home for 71 years of play. While both clubs missed qualifying for post-season play, there were several personal achievements worthy of note. Both clubs did finish the season above break-even and did good jobs of filling the stadium.

 

Yesterday member Ernie Banks announced his retirement, finishing his 11-year career with 1,502 games as a Buckeye, 10^th on the all-time list. Ernie had 5,533 at bats (8^th) in 6,210 plate appearances (8^th), crossing the plate 864 times (8^th). Mr. Cub had 1,513 hits, one of nine Buckeyes to top the 1500 hit barrier. His 944 rbi ranks 6^th on the all-time Buckeye list while his 253 doubles puts him in the top 10. Ernie ranks 6^th with 54 career triples.  His 285 Buckeye homers place him behind only Slammin’ Sammy Sosa (574), Ron Santo (332) and Will the Thrill Clark (310).  Ernie also ranks 9^th all-time in walks (591) while avoiding the top ten in strikeouts. His career slugging average of .493 places him 9^th on the Bradenton list (minimum 1,500 at bats).  Ernie still holds the all-time season best record of 15 sacrifice flies (1955).

 

Ernie won the Buckeye Big Bopper award four consecutive seasons (1958 through 1961) leading Bradenton to their two TCBA championships in 1959 and 1960 while hitting 142 homers and knocking in 420 runs in those 4 illustrious campaigns. Only Ron Santo, Will Clark and Sammy Sosa have won more Big Boppers.

 

Enjoy your retirement Ernie!

 

Joe Adcock took home the Big Bopper Award in 1954, playing in every game and hitting .312. He had 55 extra base hits, including 15 homers, scoring 89 times. This is Joe’s 3^rd Big Bopper after bracketing Ernie’s 4 straight with awards in 1957 and in 1962.

 

Joe moved into the top ten list in slugging (.492), walks (542), plate appearances (5,875) and hits (1,470) while improving his standing in homers (283) to 5^th, in RBI (891) to 8^th, and games played (1,581) to 8^th.

 

Harvey Haddix (21-12, 2.86) had another wonderful season on the mound, fanning 209 batters, 2^nd best in the league. That raised Harvey’s career strikeout total to 1,573; 2^nd best on the all-time Buckeye rankings (in a case of dyslexia, Catfish Hunter has 1,753).

 

But the Kitten’s performance was dwarfed by Warren Spahn. Old Hooknose finished the year at 23-9, winning the league ERA title with a 1.92 effort, and striking out 202 opponents. That earned Spahnnie his record 8^th Platinum Pitcher Award (1955, 1957 through 1962)

 

Warren ranks 3^rd in Games Started (329) topping the list in complete games (196). With 39 shutouts, he trails only Catfish Hunter (41) in that department. Catfish and George Uhle are the only hurlers ahead of Spahnnie in innings (2,731). Hamilton Joe Nuxhall (2,401") and Harvey Haddix (2,301’) moved up the line to 4^th and 5^th with their Yesterday performances.

 

With 186 career wins, Spahn needs just 4 more victories to tie George Uhle for the all-time Buckeye top spot. His 23 victories this season tied his total from 1955 and was the 4^th best ever total turned in by a Bradenton pitcher. Warren won 24 in the 1959 Championship season. Orel Hershiser won 25 times for the 119 game winning Buckeyes of 1988. Uncle Wilbur Wood won 28 for the Gorney Division Championship team of 1972.

 

With a team best 6 saves, Woody Wood, in his 18^th season, raised his career leading total to 132. This was the 14^th time Woody led the team in saves, his 5^th straight season in Yesterday.

 

Newcomer Ray Boone led the team in homers (29) while Gus Bell led in runs (95) and runs batted in (104). Another newcomer, Billy Bruton, led the squad with 16 triples, a record that won’t be topped until 1978 (Garry Templeton with 19). Only Del Bissonette (16 in 1929) has ever hit that many triples in a Buckeye retro season. Six Today Buckeyes have topped the mark (Templeton twice, Curtis Granderson twice, Lance Johnson and Tony Fernandez).

 

The Yesterday Buckeyes completed the season with an 81-73 mark, 3^rd best in a Gorney Division that saw all four clubs top the .500 mark. Newcomers Sacramento and Baltimore took the glow off what would have otherwise been another classic Bradenton-Mexicali showdown. The Mallards finished just one game behind the Buckeyes this season, with the teams splitting their 18 decisions.

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The Today Buckeyes finished their season 3^rd in the Central Division with a record of 84-78 after hoping to win a wild card berth into the Playoffs.

 

Adam Wainwright (19-11, 2.45) edged team mate Justin Verlander (20-11, 3.14) for the Platinum Pitcher award, his first (Verlander has won a pair). Matt Cain (15-11, 3.41), another 2-time award winner, finished 3^rd in the voting. Southpaw Arthur Rhodes led the bullpen with 20 saves.

 

Verlander led the staff with 233 strikeouts, just ahead of Wainwright (221) and Cain (194). The team registered 1,154 whiffs, 32 short of their record performance of 2010. That was the 8^th time a Buckeye staff has fanned over 1100 opponents.

 

Newcomer David Ortiz won the Big Bopper Award hitting .293 with a team best 35 homers, 91 runs and 92 rbi. Ortiz doubled 50 times, the 7^th highest season total in team history, recording 312 total bases, a team best, and the most since 2008.

 

Brandon Phillips missed only one game (161), recording 590 at bats and leading the club in walks (!) (77), plate appearances (673), hits (166) and triples (7).

 

Newcomer Scott Podsednik stole 41 bases to lead the team.

 

In his 15^th season, Jason Kendall has now appeared in 1,866 games (6^th) and ranks 6^th in at bats (6,428) and plate appearances (7,197). His 910 runs place him ahead of Ernie Banks, and all but six other Buckeyes. With 1,734 hits, Jason ranks 6^th on that list of Buckeye performers. He has 309 career doubles (8^th) and 176 steals (4^th) with 609 walks (8^th). Only three Buckeyes (Rusty Staub 21, Woody Wood 18 and Sammy Sosa 16) have played in more seasons than Jason has for Bradenton.

 

With a host of old, brittle players, the future looks to be a rebuilding campaign for the 2012 squad.