Category: MLB

The Royals did not make big moves this offseason, but arguably the biggest move they made was signing All-Star infielder Maikel Garcia to a five-year, $57.5 million contract. The move rewards the 26-year-old for a breakout season and keeps him in Kansas City potentially through 2031, buying out two years of free agency.

But should the Garcia be the only player signed to a long-term deal? Spring training is sometimes when long-term deals are worked out. There are a few other Royals candidates worth considering.

Vinnie Pasquantino avoided arbitration with a two-year deal, but he would still have a year of arbitration before being eligible for free agency after the 2028 season. The first baseman has been a vocal leader on the team and had a breakout season with 32 home runs and 113 RBI, but the Royals have Jac Caglianone, whose natural position is first base, and Vinnie will be 31 by the time he hits free agency.

Cole Ragans is also on a short-term multi-year deal through 2027, but would also be eligible for free agency after the 2028 season. When healthy, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he has battled injury issues and has had two Tommy John surgeries in his career.

Lucas Erceg has proved to be a valuable bullpen weapon, and is not eligible for free agency until after 2029. The Royals may want to avoid arbitration with him by signing him to a long-term deal, although he is already in his 30s, which makes long-term deals a bit dicey.

Noah Cameron is coming off a terrific rookie season, but it may be worth locking him up to control costs and reward him for a breakout performance. If the Royals want to be aggressive, they could also sign Carter Jensen or Jac Caglianone to long-term deals. Signing players very early before they breakout is usually cheaper for teams, but it brings risk if that player does not reach his potential.

What do you think? Would you look to sign any other Royals players to long-term deals?

Is it on TV?

Oh yeah, it’s even on ESPN! You know baseball’s getting close when spring training games start popping up on national networks. First pitch is at 1:05 PM.

What’s the lineup?

What should we watch for?

It’s not the most interesting spring lineup you could see, but it’s nice to get more looks at Kristian Campbell in center and Caleb Durbin in general. And, anyway, it’s against the Yankees, which is always a little more fun, even when they’re playing in the shadow of palm tress.

Hey, in addition to y’know, the whole Jurickson Profar mess and the exhibition against Team Colombia this afternoon, we’ve got some roster cuts.

Rolddy Munoz gets cut after one official Spring Training outing where he issued three walks while getting two outs. A-yup, that’ll do it. He’s on the 40-man roster, but really needs to figure out that whole oh-so-important control/command thing before he loses that spot.

Garrett Baumann, meanwhile, acquitted himself quite well across two outings, with five strikeouts, zero walks, and a hit batter across 16 batters and four innings of work. He’ll still probably work the same number of “official” Spring Training games either way as the Braves will need arms to complete meaningless innings through the next few weeks, but this is just a formality that he’s not exactly in the running for a roster spot just yet.

Owen Murphy also had two appearances and four innings in “official” games so far, and was kind of between Baumann and Munoz: six strikeouts across 15 batters, but a walk and a homer yielded. The former first-round pick has a lot of potential, but also has a ways to go to factor into the team’s big league plans, as he was hurt for much of 2025 recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Still, if he looks good upon returning, the Braves probably won’t hesitate to rocket him up the ladder.

Yesterday was an off day. That made it the “perfect” time for the Jurickson Profar news to break.

Now, we return to something slightly more normal: meaningless March exhibition contests… but with a twist.

You see, the World Baseball Classic starts in earnest tonight, and many of the national teams have today and tomorrow for exhibition-level tune-ups against MLB clubs — albeit those MLB clubs are partially depleted due to WBC participation.

This afternoon, the Braves will tangle with Team Colombia.

Colombia’s squad is a mix of major leaguers, prospects, and guys who aren’t really in affiliated ball.

They do have a number of MLB/former MLB pitchers, including old pal Julio Teheran, but also current MLB starter Jose Quintana. Their scheduled starter for today is Luis Patiño, who was a big-time prospect that couldn’t really stay healthy, and was released by the Padres in the middle of last season after persistent elbow issues and ineffectiveness.

Donovan Solano, Harold Ramirez, and old friend Gio Urshela are other names you might recognize on the Colombian side.

The Braves are starting Elieser Hernandez (for some reason) but have a lineup full of mostly regulars — except that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies are off with their own WBC teams, and Profar, well, oof.

Good news, everyone: you’ll actually be able to watch today’s spring training game. After an offday on Monday and the first non-televised game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in some time in yesterday’s mercy-rule exhibition against Panama, the Yankees will be live on ESPN in Fort Myers to renew their rivalry with the Boston Red Sox for the first time in 2026.

Luis Gil gets the ball for his third start of the spring and is looking for more consistency. His velo is down, and while this is certainly excusable in February, you’d like to see him hitting 97 more consistently as we get closer to Opening Day, rather than the 94-95 he’s been at. He’s allowed two runs in five innings with five strikeouts and just one walk through his two starts, and we’ll see how long his leash is today after tossing 48 and 52 pitches in his first two starts.

It won’t be a fun first few innings for the ragtag group of Yankees who made the road trip from the already-depleted hitting core due to the World Baseball Classic, as Boston is deploying Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet for his second start of the spring. He won Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card Series with a dominant 7.2-inning effort, and the Yankees considerably struggled against him for much of the five starts he made against the Bombers last year. It’s unclear how long he’ll go, having only thrown 23 pitches and going two shutout innings against the Rays on February 26th.

George Lombard Jr. is leading off and playing shortstop to lead a very young Yankees lineup. Ben Rice is the lone expected starter making the trip and will bat second, followed by Jasson Domínguez, Paul DeJong, and Spencer Jones. We might only see it once, but I’m looking forward to Crochet vs. Jones. Non-roster invites Marco Luciano, Jonathan Ornelas, Payton Henry, and Duke Ellis finish out the starting nine.

Kristian Campbell, who was one of the worst defenders in baseball at second base last year, is leading off and playing center field for Boston. Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer follow him up, as do former Yankees prospects Caleb Durbin and Carlos Narváez. Isiah Kiner-Falefa will also bat seventh and DH.

How to watch

Location: JetBlue Park — Ft. Myers, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: ESPN

Radio broadcast: WEEI 850 (BOS)

Online stream: ESPN Unlimited

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Myles Straw is a 31-year-old, right-handed hitting, center fielder. The Jays traded for him on January 17th, 2025. We got Myles Straw and some international bonus pool money money. At the time we thought/hoped the money would go to Roki Sasaki. Unfortunately, Roki went to the Dodgers and the Jays had to pretend they wanted Straw.

I said, at the time that the fun part of the trade was trying to explain to casual fans that the Jays took Straw to get $3.75 million in international bonus money. A casual fan knows that $3.75 million isn’t much money in baseball terms. But explaining that international bonus money is a different kind on money takes many many words (and pictures, sock puppets…..). I’ll never get that time back.

Straw had played 152 games for the Guardians with a 2.7 bWAR in 2022. Then 147 games with a 0.9 bWAR in 2023 and then 7 games with a bWAR that no one would care about because he only played 7 games in 2024.

Straw made $6.4 million last year, will make $7.4 million this season and has options for the next two seasons, with buyouts for $2.25 million. I only list that because the Jays aren’t going to pick up the options. They may decide they want to keep him but they will decline the options and try to sign him for less.

Surprisingly, to me at least, Straw ended up on the Jays active roster and stayed there through the season.

And he was good. Very good really. He hit .262/.313/.367 with 4 home runs, and 12 stolen bases. But most of his value was from his defense. FanGraphs has him at a +9 outs above average. That 9 outs above average puts him 10th in the MLB among outfielders, and every one above him had many more defensive innings. Several of them more than 50% more innings.

Of course, Daulton Varsho missed a lot of playing time and Straw played more center field that I’d expect him to this year. I’m hoping Varsho doesn’t have to miss half the season with injuries. I’m expecting Straw to play far less.

Steamer thinks Straw will only play in 40 games this year and hit .231/.294/.310 with 1 home run and 5 steals for a 0.1 fWAR. That would have been a fair estimate last year, had Varsho not been injured. I have no clue how much playing time Straw will get this year. We are deep in outfielders. So deep that I have a hard time figuring how the team can keep Nathan Lukes on the roster. And I like Lukes a lot more than I like Straw.

Do you use Straw as the right-handed side of a platoon with Varsho in center? Do you use Straw as a fifth outfielder?

Right now the Jays have Daulton Varsho, Addison Barger, Jesús Sánchez, Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes and George Springer available to play outfield. Who do you drop to give playing time to Straw?

One of MLB's most beloved voices is going to be amplified even more this season.

Detroit Tigers lead broadcaster Jason Benetti is expanding his already expansive portfolio, as he has been tapped by NBC as the play-by-play commentator for its new edition of "Sunday Night Baseball." The network is serving as the new home of "Sunday Night Baseball" after 36 years on ESPN from its inception in 1990.

REQUIRED READING: World Baseball Classic power rankings: Which teams have best odds to win?

While Benetti is known as the face of the Tigers booth alongside Andy Dirks, sports fans in general would recognize his voice. He has done college football and basketball games on Fox, along with some NFL. The former voice of the Chicago White Sox, Benetti joined the Tigers for the 2024 season after Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox saw him leave after eight seasons.

Known for his loose commentary style and lighthearted approach to sports, Benetti is a fan-favorite because he sounds like a fan. He will debut Thursday, March 26 when the Diamondbacks play the Dodgers.

It’s looking increasingly likely that the deal that sent Christian Vazquez to the Houston Astros for Wilyer Abreu will be remembered not only as Chaim Bloom’s best trade during his tenure at the helm of the Red Sox, but as one of the best trade’s in recent baseball memory. Abreu has already won two Gold Gloves and isn’t that far off from making the all-star team; he could do so as early as this year and it wouldn’t be all that surprising. On the other side of the deal, Vazquez has compiled a total of -0.1 bWAR for the Astros and Twins since the trade. And to make matters worse for Vazquez, now he doesn’t even have a place on a Major League roster as we enter the 2026 season. But he’ll be playing for Puerto Rico in the WBC, and he hopes he can parlay that into a job somewhere. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Speaking of trades between the Astros and Red Sox, Isaac Paredes trade chatter is back in the news cycle. While the Sox are seemingly comfortable with their outfield surplus, the Astros infield surplus is said to be “untenable,” with the team continuing to explore a move to clear the logjam and bring in a lefty bat. The Sox and Astros haven’t been in contact for a couple of weeks now, but they had engaged in “thorough discussions” about Isaac Paredes earlier in the offseason and the Astros reportedly may try to rekindle things. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)

Of course you wouldn’t think the Sox had an outfield surplus based on the spring training lineups they’ll be running out over the coming weeks. All four of the team’s primary outfielders (that’s right, we still got four starting outfielders!) will be participating in the World Baseball Classic, along with the team’s maybe-DH/maybe-outfielder Masataka Yoshida. That’s going to make it hard for Alex Cora to fill out the lineup, but it’s also going to create some spring opportunities for guys like Braiden Ward. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Team Brazil has a connection to the Red Sox as well. Angels minor leaguer Lucas Ramirez will be suiting up for the baseball version of the Canarinho, but his father once took the field for the Dominican Republic. That’s because his father is Manny Ramirez. (Martín Gallegos, MLB.com)

And finally some injury news. Carlos Narvaez was scratched from the game with back spasms yesterda, but it’s nothing serious and he plans on playing this afternoon. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: Twins.TVand MLB.TV (FREE)
Radio: Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Go on vacation to Puerto Rico or something

What to watch: The three backup SS options are all in the lineup as they fight for the Twins’ final roster spot. Gray at SS, Arcia at 3B, and Kreidler in RF. Also, Willi Castro and Christian Vazquez make their grand returns to Fort Myers (which many poeple call the Minneapolis of Florida).

Lineups

The Pittsburgh Pirates have landed themselves a generational kind of player in rising star Konnor Griffin. In Spring Training so far, Griffin has been very impressive and is being compared to players of the past who made their MLB debuts with roughly the same amount of inexperience and youth in their professional careers.

At just 19-years-old and only one professional season under his belt, Griffin is looking to do what very few have done and that’s make an MLB opening day roster as a teenager. The Mississippi native has already found himself in a small group of players with the kind of hype that he has generated, but he’s in line to be in an even smaller fraternity if he can crack the Major League level this season.

Over the last 40 years, there has only been four players to see time on a big league roster as a teenager and with so little experience in the Minor League ranks. Those four players are Ken Griffey Jr., Bryce Harper, Alex Rodriguez and Juan Soto. All four of those players were highly touted in their respective draft classes and have gone on to become all-time greats in the game of baseball, and now Konnor Griffin has a real shot at being mentioned in this rarified group.

The most notable of this group is without a doubt Griffey Jr. who made the Seattle Mariner’s opening day roster at 19-years-old in 1989 after being drafted first overall in 1987. “The Kid” went on to have one of the most storied careers of any player in MLB history amassing 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and was a 10 time All-Star and was the AL MVP 1997.

Bryce Harper was one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball history and ended up dropping out of high school after his sophomore year to play college baseball at Southern Nevada. Regarded as a true five-tool player Harper primarily played catcher but was drafted first overall as an outfielder by the Washington Nationals in 2010 in an effort to maximize his talents and get him to the Major League roster faster. It took little time for Harper to make an impact in Washington as he spent just one season in the Minor Leagues before being promoted to the majors in 2012. Harper is one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball and is an eight time All-Star selection, a two time NL MVP, was the NL Rookie of the Year and is a four time Silver Slugger.

Perhaps the most controversial player of this fraternity is Alex Rodriguez. After being drafted first overall in 1993, Rodriguez made his professional debut in 1994. On July 8, 1994 Rodriguez would make his MLB debut as an 18-year-old. At the time he was just the third 18-year-old shortstop in MLB since 1900 and was the youngest player to ever suit up for Seattle. He remains as the last 18-year-old to play in an MLB game. “A-Rod” became a World Series champion with the New York Yankees in 2009 and is also the recipient of the most Hank Aaron Awards with four. His history with PEDs will likely keep him out of Cooperstown but there is no doubt he is one of the most successful baseball players of all time, especially considering he made his MLB debut at just 18.

The most recent draftee of this group (so far) is Juan Soto. The Dominican superstar was signed by the Washington Nationals in July 2015 and made his professional debut in 2016. When Soto made his MLB debut in 2018 he was the youngest player in the majors at 19-years-old and was the first player born in 1998 to appear in an MLB game. Even at a young age Soto was a feared hitter. He became the youngest player since Griffey Jr. to be intentionally walked in a game and was the youngest player in Nationals history to hit a home run. Soto became a World Series champion with Washington in 2019 and is a six time Silver Slugger Award winner. Soto signed the largest contract in professional sports history during free-agency in 2025.

Griffin has one minor league season under his belt in which he was very impressive. Baseball America named him the top Minor League player of the year in 2025 and a Minor League All-Star. USA Today named Griffin the top Minor League player of the year as well. He was also named a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove award recipient. Griffin finished the 2025 season with a slash line of .333/.415/.527 to go along with a .942 OPS, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases. Now in just six Spring Training games Griffin is the first teenager to have three homers in a single Spring in at least 20 years.

On paper, this is the best looking Pirates team in at least a decade if not longer, and Griffin could certainly be a player that puts them over the top. If he doesn’t make the opening day roster, there is a strong probability that he’ll still make his MLB debut in 2026, and if he’s half as good as any of the other aforementioned players, the league is going to have to recognize that the future of baseball has a name; that name is Konnor Griffin.

The Houston Astros (1-6-3) travel to Sarasota to take on the Baltimore Orioles (5-4-1) in Grapefruit League action.

LHP Colton Gordon will make his third appearance of the Spring for the Astros, while RHP Shane Baz will take the mound for the Orioles.

TODAY’S STARTER: LHP Colton Gordon is coming off a productive rookie season, where he recorded a 5.34 ERA (51ER/86IP) in 20 games, including 14 starts for the Astros. Entered the 2025 season as the one of the Astros top pitching prospects and finished the 2025 season with the third most starts in the Astros rotation. Among AL rookies in 2025, he ranked first in walks per nine innings (1.99) and first in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.79).

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP AJ Blubaugh, RHP Alimber Santa and RHP Miguel Ullola.

CAMP BY THE NUMBERS: The Astros have 61 players in camp, including a full 40-man roster and 21 non-roster invitees. 34 pitchers, seven catchers, 11 infielders and nine outfielders.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, March 4, 12:05 p.m. CST

Location: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL.

TV: Space City Home Network

Streaming: SCHN+

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

Today we look at one of the Cubs’ camp arms, who might, MIGHT have a shot at the MLB bullpen. It’s up to him.

Jack Preston Neely came to the Cubs, along with on again/off-again Cub Ben Cowles, for Mark Leiter Jr. He’s got a live arm but tends to walk himself into trouble. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. He’s pitched a total of six innings for the Cubs during the regular season, resulting in a 9.00 ERA, 7 strikeouts, and a 1.67 WHIP.

In his MLB career, he’s pitched to a 4.85 ERA in 10 games, with one save, one hold, 9.1 innings pitched, 15 strikeouts, and 6 bases on balls. He’s given up 11 hits and two home runs, including statistics from this spring, where he hasn’t pitched badly or at length.

The 25-year-old 6’8”, 240 pound right-hander was picked in the 11th round of the 2021 draft by NYY from Ohio State. Neely was an Organization All-Star and a Post-Season All-Star for the Hudson Valley Renegades, a High-A affiliate of the Yankees. Other than his cups of coffee with the Yankees and Cubs, that’s pretty much a career retrospective.

He’s amassed a 0.2 bWAR (0.1 fWAR). Some projection systems have him reaching The Show this year, pitching in a few games, following the line of his career statistics. He’ll get some Ks, give up bases on balls and homers, and not really affect things one way or the other.

Not that he doesn’t have talent, but it’s never been harnessed to his advantage, due to his generosity with the free pass and the meatball. Another pitch would probably help. He throws a fastball in the mid-90s and a slider that runs about 85. Good disparity that a change or curve could set up admirably. His FB doesn’t have a lot of movement, so despite its velocity, batters wait on it and avoid the fast-breaking slider, which has a 35.5 inch vertical drop but not much lateral movement.

Neely is more or less a right-handed complement to Luke Little. Both are getting into the suspect class, but in the meantime, as they try to make The Show, both should remember the words of Ken Kesey.

“You’re either on the bus, or you’re off the bus.”

Mariners fans, do you smell that in the air? Fresh cut grass, hot dogs fresh off the grill, it’s the signs that another spring training is here and the baseball season is on the horizon. While the Seahawks kept me happy this winter, my one true love is finally coming out of hibernation; baseball season is here!

Now that spring training is finally in full swing, we can ask about what you all think so far. There’s been no shortage of exciting performances, fun at-bats, or eye-popping velocity from Mariners prospects so far this spring. Yes, it seems the Mariners have come to play with solid outings from top prospects like Cole Young, all the way to veteran players looking for a second act like Patrick Wisdom. The Mariners’ farm system seems ripe for harvest at a time when this team seems to be on the precipice of something great. I’m excited, but what I wanna hear from you is who has impressed you so far this spring? I know it’s difficult to say, obviously, you don’t watch every game, you can’t see every play, and as I’ve stated before, I can’t list every option in the survey, but let us know via the survey below who you think has been the most impressive so far this spring. If you feel compelled to shout out a player who you don’t see here, feel free to do so in the comments!

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Mariners fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Though it’s not just the regular season that’s around the corner, the return of competitive baseball will actually be the World Baseball Classic! As you may remember, a couple of weeks ago, I asked you all what Mariner you thought would do the best in the tournament. The results were unsurprising, to me at least:

I will say it’s a little tough for Muñoz to be in this poll because he is a relief pitcher, but I wanted to include players from different nations, and at least one pitcher, and it wouldn’t have felt right leaving out Cal or Julio. I can’t say I disagree with the poll’s findings either. As I said previously, I’m hopeful Julio can light it up for the DR and come out hot for the Mariners. I am surprised Cal didn’t do better. One would think, after last season, he could get a huge wave of support in terms of consistency of performance, but I guess the Dumper doesn’t have the mesmerizing effect I thought – or maybe our poll voters are bigger believers in the DR team’s chances? Let us know, was Julio your choice? Do you think Cal is gonna light up the whole tournament? Or do you have a dark horse pick you have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to talk about? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Yesterday Great Britain played in their first tune-up game for the World Baseball Classic. That meant we got to see Harry Ford in a Great Britain jersey. Ford, who has British parents, has represented the country for a while and will do so again at the WBC. In the last WBC, Ford rose to the occasion, and he will look to do so again.

If the first exhibition against the Brewers is a sign of things to come, Ford will have a big tournament. He had three hits, including a homer in the game yesterday. While there was no video of the homers, the Nats got some photos of Ford rounding the bases. It was his first homer of the spring.

The Nats acquired Ford in a trade that sent Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners. Despite being one of the best catching prospects in baseball, Ford was blocked in Seattle due to the presence of Cal Raleigh. That made the Mariners open to trading the 71st ranked prospect for a reliever. Ford has a well rounded offensive profile that is led by his strong plate discipline. His power and contact skills are just average, but his great eye makes him a potentially above average hitter.

While Ford has been a good player in the minors over the years, he seems to rise to a new level when he puts on that Great Britain jersey. The last World Baseball Classic was Ford’s coming out party. Despite just turning 20, Ford was one of Britain’s top players in 2023. His signature moment was a clutch home run against Colombia in pool play. Ford actually hit two homers during pool play.

With another home run yesterday, it really seems like Ford brings the boom when he represents the UK. While Ford was the young kid on the team in 2023, he will be playing a leadership role for Great Britain this time around. He is the co-captain of the team, alongside Yankees star Jazz Chisholm. The fact he is able to play a leadership role at 23 years old is very impressive and speaks to his high character.

It is not like Britain is full of no-name players either. There are several big leaguers or former big leaguers on the roster. Many of those guys are older than Ford, but it was the new Nats catcher who became captain. 

An interesting wrinkle in all of this is that Ford is leaving camp in the middle of a positional battle. Ford is battling with Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Ruiz has actually hit well this spring, though his defense has been shaky. Millas has also been solid, so leaving camp could cost him a job. However, a big WBC could force the Nats into considering him for the starting job.

I hope Ford wins the starting job, and if he does not, I want him to get an opportunity pretty quickly. The Nats need new blood behind the plate, and that is why they traded for Ford in the first place. Keibert Ruiz has had chance after chance, but he has not been able to establish himself as a productive starter. Ford should get that chance sooner rather than later.

Given his performances in a Great Britain jersey, Ford seems poised for a big WBC. Hitting on the biggest stage would put a positive shine on him in this catcher battle. After his big day yesterday, I joked that Ford turns into Buster Posey when he puts that Great Britain jersey on.

The Nats only have a couple representatives at this WBC, and Ford is the most notable one. That means Nats fans’ eyes will be on the young catcher. Harry Ford seems like a young man who rises to the occasion, and he will have the opportunity to show that clutch gene again in the WBC. It would be very cool if he could lead the Brits on a Cinderella run in the WBC.

In honor of the Philadelphia Phillies playing host to the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, we here at The Good Phight are launching a yearlong series that focuses on the history of the Phillies and the All-Star Game. Check back regularly for posts about the Phillies participation (or lack thereof) in the Midsummer Classic over its history.

We’re back to wrap up the rest of the long list of one-time All-Stars on the 1940s Phillies teams. Here’s part one of the 1940s, and here’s part one of this series with the 1930s. Without further ado, let’s wrap up this collection of good individual player seasons wasted on horrific teams.

Babe Dahlgren, 1943

The story of Ellsworth Tenney Dahlgren is one of a player who lost his chance to play in the majors in no small part due to something completely out of his control. His career started with the Boston Red Sox who purchased Dahlgren from the Mission Reds of the Pacific Coast League in 1934. The 23-year-old first baseman debuted with Boston in 1935, playing in 149 games and hitting a respectable .263 with nine home runs. Nevertheless, Dahlgren was sent to Triple-A Syracuse early in 1946 as future Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx arrived in a trade from the A’s and took his spot at first. Dahlgren made his displeasure of the trade known, as he claimed he was too valuable to be sent back to the minors and would rather be traded if Foxx was to have the first base job.

Fortunately for Dahlgren, his wish to find a new club was granted in the spring of 1937. But the monkey’s paw curled, as he was bought by the Yankees who were looking for insurance because their first baseman, Lou Gehrig, was in the middle of a holdout. Dahlgren found a new home but was still blocked for any significant playing time. When Gehrig and the Yankees eventually bridged the $19,000 gap in his contract, Dahlgren was once again sent to the minors, but this time with the task of learning third base. He would find his way back to the Yankees in 1938 but only appeared in 27 games. Dahlgren finally became the Yankees starting first baseman on May 2nd, 1939, notably the game that ended Lou Gehrig’s iron man streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. Gehrig, deteriorating due to ALS, requested to be taken out of the lineup, and Dahlgren was ready to step in to the enormous shoes, going 2-5 on the day with a home run.

But Dahlgren’s life would forever change in 1940. Despite Dahlgren appearing in every regular season game and hitting .264 with 12 home runs, Yankees manager Joe McCarthy blamed the first baseman for costing New York the pennant and pointed to a particular loss to Cleveland where Dahlgren committed an error. McCarthy told John Drebinger of The New York Times that “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.” That comment started a lifetime of unsubstantiated rumors that Dahlgren was a frequent marijuana user, something he vehemently denied.

Dahlgren was released by the Yankees despite a good 1940 season and spent the next two seasons playing for four different teams. He ended 1942 with the Dodgers who then traded him to the Phillies prior to the 1943 season. The impetus of the trade was a dispute with Brooklyn that involved Branch Rickey asking Dahlgren in a meeting if he was a marijuana smoker, something that outraged Dahlgren. So, Rickey traded him to Philadelphia, where he became an All-Star for the first and only time in his career after hitting .323 in the first half. Dahlgren didn’t start in the All-Star game at his shared home stadium of Shibe Park, but he did appear as a pinch hitter in the sixth and grounded into a double play. He ultimately went 0-2 as his NL team fell 5-3 to the AL in the first All-Star game played in Philadelphia and the first one to be played at night under the lights.

Dahlgren went back to the Phillies and finished the year hitting .287 across 136 games. But 1943 was his only season in Philadelphia, as he was traded to the Pirates following the season. Rampant rumors of his marijuana usage continued to follow Dahlgren, so much so that he went to Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis in 1944 and asked to be drug tested, becoming the first player to do so. Landis was not able to do much to help end the rumors though, as he died on November 25th, 1944.

Dahlgren played two more years in the Majors before embarking on a postretirement career that involved ownership of a minor league team, scouting, bringing Little League Baseball to Arcadia, California, and song writing. However, he was never able to escape the marijuana rumors, leading his grandson to write a book entitled “Rumor in Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong” in 2007 to try and put an end to the rumor once and for all.

Ken Raffensberger, 1944

Stop me if you’ve heard something like this before, but Ken Raffensberger was an above average pitcher who was cursed to play for losing teams, especially the 1940s Phillies. Perhaps this was the cosmic payment his Pennsylvania Dutch father had to pay for receiving his wish of a lefthanded pitcher for a first born. Despite playing for a high school without a baseball team that he dropped out after his junior year, Raffensberger signed a professional contract with the Cardinals in 1937 after pitching American Legion and semi-pro ball. It wasn’t long before Raffensberger found himself at the highest level of the Cardinals minor leagues in Rochester, and he was soon invited to big league spring training in 1939. He made his MLB debut not much later, pitching a scoreless inning of relief on April 25th, 1939, at the age of 21.

But Raffensberger found himself back in Rochester for the rest of the 1939 season where he posted his second straight season of 15 wins. The Cardinals decided to trade him to the Cubs in December however, in exchange for two players and cash considerations. Raffensberger was pleased by the trade, as he told his hometown York, Pennsylvania newspaper The Gazette and Daily that he was “tickled” and added “You see I know they’re short on left handers and I confidently feel that with exception of Larry French, I’m as good as any left hander the Cubs will have in camp this spring.”

Raffensberger appeared in just 49 games with the Cubs in 1940, mostly being used as a relief pitcher. His 3.38 ERA across 114.2 IP was impressive for a 22-year-old, but it wasn’t good enough to earn Raffensberger more than 10 games with the Cubs the following season, as he spent most of 1941 in the Pacific Coast League. Raffensberger remained with Los Angeles Angels of the PCL for another two full seasons despite winning a total of 36 games and sporting ERAs of 3.46 and 2.14.

Luckily(?) for Raffensberger, his performance did finally earn him another crack at the Majors, except now it was in Philadelphia with the Phillies. He was acquired by the Phillies along with Cubs first baseman Glenn David Russell in exchange for cash and two players to be named later. It was originally planned for both newly acquired players to not make their Phillies debut until 1944, but Raffensberger was called up on September 29th for a start against the Reds. He performed well, going eight innings and allowing only one run on seven hits, but Cincinnati’s Johnny Vander Meer, of two consecutive no-hitters fame, was better, hurling a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts, sending the Phillies to a 3-0 loss.

When the calendar turned to 1944, the Phillies were looking to continue their upswing, as they improved from being dead last with 109 losses in 1942 to only 90 losses and next to last in 1943. Raffensberger was primed to be a big reason for said theoretical improvement. He held up his end of the bargain, turning in the best season of his career to date and making the 1944 All-Star team at Forbes Field as the Phillies lone representative.

Raffensberger ended up pitching two scoreless innings in the game while allowing one hit with two strikeouts. He actually earned the win for that performance, as he left in the top of the fifth when the score was 1-0 AL, but the NL plated four in the bottom of the fifth and went on to win 7-1. Unfortunately for Raffensberger, the Phillies did not hold up their end of the improving angle, as the 1944 Phillies settled back into last place with 92 losses and even saddled Raffensberger with a league high 20 losses despite a 3.06 ERA across 258.2 IP.

The now 27-year-old lefty returned to the Phillies for just five games in 1945 after a quick five-month service with the Navy. Raffensberger turned in another solid effort for a losing team in 1946 before a slow start to 1947 earned him a trip out of Philadelphia and to Cincinnati. That’s where he would pitch the final full seven seasons of his MLB career. Over that span, Raffensberger went 83-94 with a 3.60 ERA for the Reds. In return, the Phillies received catcher Al Lakeman who appeared in 87 career games with the Phillies and hit .160.

Andy Seminick, 1949

A mainstay catcher for the 1940s Phillies, Seminick would probably be remembered as more of the Phillies lifer he was if he played in an era where there was more winning in Philadelphia. Nicknamed “The Mad Russian” due to his aggressive playing style and his status as the son of two Russian immigrants, Seminick spent twelve seasons total with the Phillies from 1943-1951 and from 1955 to 1957. The team averaged just under 70 wins per season during his tenure.

He dropped out of high school at 17 to play semi-professional baseball and work in the mines of his Muse, Pennsylvania town rather than attend Duquesne University and play football. Despite his father and brothers working for the same mining company, Seminick was the only one of his family who physically worked inside the mines. He suffered a back injury after stepping on some coal in 1940 and decided to be done with mining and focus solely on baseball.

Seminick spent the next few years playing independent ball and working various jobs including as a meatcutter and running a bulldozer at a defense plant after a knee injury disqualified him from the military. The Phillies tried to purchase Seminick’s contract from his semipro team the Knoxville Smokies in 1943, but Bill Veeck, then with the Triple-A Milwaukee Brewers, obtained Seminick’s rights first for $15,000. But Veeck then immediately sold Seminick to the Phillies anyway for $35,ooo. It must also be noted, the reason Seminick started playing catcher in Knoxville despite originally being a utility infielder is that the Phillies purchased Knoxville’s starting catcher Bob Finley earlier in 1943.

Seminick made his MLB debut on September 14th, 1943, in a game against the Giants that ended in a 4-4 tie after ten innings, quickly acquainting him to what life would be like with the Phillies. He collected his first big league hit with a home run to left in the second half of a double header the next day, snapping an 0-8 to begin his career. Seminick followed his Knoxville teammate Finley’s lead once again, as both catchers collected their first hit in the second day of their career with home runs to left field. However, Seminick broke a bone in his wrist a few days later after falling over the mound while tracking a pop-up. He did not tell his manager and convinced the team trainer to keep it quiet so he could finish his rookie season. Seminick ultimately played 22 games in 1943 and hit .181.

1944 began with Seminick breaking camp with the Phillies but ultimately being demoted to Double-A on June 18th due to his weak hitting. That is where he excelled with the Buffalo Bisons, hitting .273 with 14 home runs in 87 games before ending the season once again in Philadelphia. That’s where he would stay for all of 1945 as the backup catcher, quickly becoming the target of new manager Ben Chapman’s frustration. Chapman frequently berated Seminick over his defense behind the plate. But with the arrival of two former catchers to the coaching staff in Cy Perkins and Benny Bengough for 1946, Seminick’s defense improved enough to keep his vastly improving hitting in the lineup. He secured the starting catcher’s job that year and ran with it, hitting .247 with 38 home runs from 1946-1948. Nevertheless, he was frequently booed in Philadelphia due to his defensive lapses, so much so that three local teenage girls started the official “Andy Seminick 21 Fan Club,” producing their own newsletter and hosting various days of celebration for Seminick at the ballpark.

Their attempt at positive reinforcement seemed to help Seminick in 1949, as he started on a torrid pace, hitting .274 with 13 home runs through the first half of the year, earning him a selection to the NL All-Star team. The 28-year-old catcher was in the starting lineup that day at Ebbets Field for the NL, batting eighth in a lineup that featured Pee-Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial, and Ralph Kiner. On the mound throwing to Seminick was Warren Spahn who only lasted 1.1 innings and surrendered 4 runs. Seminick had two plate appearances in the contest, getting hit in the elbow by a pitch in the second and grounding out in the third with the score tied 4-4. Roy Campanella then replaced Seminick as the NL ultimately went on to lose 11-7 thanks in part to Joe DiMaggio’s three RBIs.

Seminick cooled off a little after the break, hitting .212 with 11 home runs. But the Phillies finished in third place with an 81-73 record. It was Philadelphia’s first winning record since 1932 and the first time they crossed 80 wins since 1917. The team and Seminick continued to improve in 1950, as the Phils’ backstop hit a career-high .288 with a career-best .925 OPS and had his second straight seasons of 24 home runs while helping lead the Phillies to their first NL pennant since 1915. Seminick, then 29-years-old, was an elder statesman on the “Whiz Kids” but was third on the team in home runs and guided a pitching staff that featured young starters like Robin Roberts and Jim Konstanty to the best ERA (3.50) in all of baseball. Unfortunately for Seminick and the Whiz Kids, they were quickly dispatched in a sweep at the hands of the Yankees in the World Series.

Seminick regressed in 1951 and so did the Phillies, who finished the season in fifth place. He was then traded along with Dick Sisler to the Reds in a seven-player deal in December. That’s where Seminick would spend the next three and a half seasons before being traded back to the Phillies in April of 1955 where he would reassume starting catching duties. However, Seminick was relegated to a backup role by 1956 behind the better hitting and younger Stan Lopata. He started 1957 as a coach on the Phillies staff but was activated as a player in September due to injuries, appearing in eight games as a 36-year-old.

Seminick then embarked on a coaching career that led him back to the Phillies in 1967 and saw him manage a young Double-A MVP Greg Luzinski with the Reading Phillies in 1970. He later managed Mike Schmidt and Bob Boone with the Eugene Emeralds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 1972. It was Seminick who moved Boone to catcher after the latter was originally an infielder. Seminick then converted into a role as a scout after being passed over for the Phillies manager job in favor of Danny Ozark in 1973. He would remain with the Phillies in his new role as a scout until his retirement in 1986 at the age of 66. Seminick is third among all Phillies catchers in career home runs with 123 and fifth in career WAR with 16.4.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com

Bill Nowlin, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) biography for Babe Dahlgren

Gerry Moore, The Boston Globe, April 4th, 1935

James C. O’Leary, The Boston Globe, Jan. 28, 1936

Bill King, The Atlanta Constitution, Jan. 14, 1936

James C. O’Leary, The Boston Globe, February 18th, 1937

Stan Baumgartner, The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 13th, 1943

Warren Crobett, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) biography for Ken Raffensberger

The Gazette and Daily, Dec. 28th, 1939

The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 5th, 1943

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 30th, 1943

Orlo Robertson, The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 12th, 1944

C. Paul Rogers III, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) biography for Andy Seminick

The Gazette and Daily, Sept. 16th, 1943

The Daily Item, Jun. 24th, 1944

Art Morrow, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jul. 13th, 1949

Mike Capuzzo, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 27th, 1992

Stan Baumgartner, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 11th, 1951