GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 25: Cam Collier #6 of the Peoria Javelinas swings the bat during an Arizona Fall League game against the Glendale Desert Dogs at Camelback Ranch on October 25, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last season saw Chase Burns go from ‘highly talented high draft pick who’d never thrown a pro pitch’ to perhaps the game’s top rated pitching prospect prior to making his big league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in late June. Meanwhile, Tyson Lewis hit balls so damn hard in Arizona in his first action as a pro that by the time he wrapped play in Daytona he’d found himself on Top 100 lists all over the place.
Alfredo Duno mashed his way to the top of the Reds list, emerging from a two-year odyssey to be a clear-cut catcher of the future with a bat featuring as much power as anyone, anywhere.
In a similar vein, Mike Sirota – who was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Gavin Lux deal – burst onto the scene in a huge, huge way, and now finds himself a consensus Top 100 prospect overall. Oops.
It happens each and every year, players who go from unknowns to household names (at least with prospect wonks), players who live up to the billing and more.
As we just wrapped the 2026 edition of our Community Prospect Rankings around here, who’s your pick among Reds prospects to be the biggest riser between now and season’s end? Could it be Cam Collier or Edwin Arroyo, two bats coming off power-sapping injuries that finally find a healthy swing once again?
Will Steele Hall, who only finds himself on the fringes of some Top 100 overall lists, hit the ground running and prove early the faith the Reds scouts placed in him?
Could we see an arm like Aaron Watson show his polished approach is ready to move fast?
Or, might we see someone making the jump stateside from Dominican Summer League play show the world they’re ready to tackle full-season ball at a level previously thought to be above their head?
What say you? Which Cincinnati Reds prospect is poised for a breakout 2026?
Spring training is officially here now that the Detroit Tigers have reported to Lakeland to begin their preseason workouts. The excitement in the air is palpable as winter fades, leaving the smell of fresh-cut grass and clay wafting through the air.
Getting down to Florida — or Arizona — for the rebirth of baseball is in and of itself a significant experience for fans both young and old, offering an opportunity to see their favorite players in a more intimate setting than back in the big stadiums. It also offers those living up north a temporary respite from the frigid weather back home.
As you can see below, the Tigers are settling in and getting ready for the opening game this Saturday in Tampa against the New York Yankees.
So today’s prompt for open discussion is the question of whether you, our cherished Bless You Boys reader, have ever been to spring training, and if so, what was your experience? Do you plan on trekking down I-75 this year to see the Olde English D in preseason action?
Those of you who have been around the site know that I cut my teeth at BYB providing spring training and minor league coverage from Lakeland. I have been going out there since I was a kid, and I enjoy every trip out there (as long as I can avoid I-4).
So now it is your turn! Let us know about your sentiments and experiences when it comes to spring training in the comments below.
Kansas State basketball's attempt to fire Jerome Tang for cause has been widely derided by the basketball world. After a 90-74 win over Baylor with interim coach Matthew Driscoll on the bench, the Wildcats still mentioned Tang several times postgame.
Kansas State arguably looked more complete than it has all season, with PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson putting up 34 and 33 points, respectively.
"We (came) more together as a team," Johnson told reporters postgame. "It just bonded us over that period of time, and it showed. His message still showed that we are still together and we're just going to keep getting better every day."
"It's been some very difficult days," Haggerty added. "Every day, we all love Coach T (Tang), you know, as a coach and as a person. He just wanted us to be better men rather than just basketball players, too. But at the end of the day, we're just gonna keep playing and honoring him."
Haggerty also harkened back to a mantra of Tang's.
"'Crazy faith' is something he said every day, whether it was good days or bad days; he always stuck with faith," he said. "Either he had it on his shirt, or he said, 'crazy faith,' and that was the biggest thing that he always told us."
This support lingers even after Tang's firing for cause was justified by a press conference in which Tang derided his roster and said most of the players wouldn't be back next season.
"This was embarrassing," Tang said after a 91-62 loss at the hands of Cincinnati. "These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform, and there will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, and our student section. It's just ridiculous."
Even with those harsh words, Kansas State's players are rallying behind him as he looks for the $18.675 million buyout he would be owed if Kansas State loses its case to fire him for cause.
Driscoll also sung Tang's praises following his first win as an interim coach. In a lengthy press answer, he said: "I did not come to Kansas State to be the head coach. Coach Tang is an amazing human being. He has always been there for me, he's always supported me, and he's an amazing human being, and he did amazing things at Kansas State."
Driscoll added: "Because of his leadership and because of what he did, that's why tonight transpired, and it's why everything came to fruition tonight. We went through a lot of things, but if you want to know something, there's nothing easy in life, and nothing's normal. Everyone wants it easy, and he said we're not doing that."
Clearly the players and new installation of coaches aren't hoping to bolster the university's case.
Last January, the Dodgers were chasing Roki Sasaki and needed more international signing bonus money. That led them to utilizing their deep farm system to trade Dylan Campbell to the Phillies in return for some of that international money.
Now the Phillies have an interesting prospect.
Dylan Campbell – 80 (I promise you, that’s not Griffin Burkholder’s pie slice) Mavis Graves – 31 Keaton Anthony – 15 Yoniel Curet – 13 Carson DeMartini – 13 Griffin Burkholder – 10 Alex McFarlane – 9 Seth Johnson – 4 Ramon Marquez – 4 Zach McCambley – 4 Devin Saltiban – 2
Having players that can be developed into utility guys are useful. Think about how much the team uses Edmundo Sosa. Were they to be able to develop someone like that, it would be invaluable as they would not have to worry about going out and signing one that is either on the downslope of his career or isn’t that good in the first place. Campbell may not get to the Sosa-esque level of utility production, but even getting someone like him to try and create a prospect is worthwhile endeavor. It’s something they really need to do more of.
Short levers and strong wrists give Campbell notable hitterish traits, and he told MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra that he was working with a new swing in the AFL (for what it’s worth, it looked the same to me). Though he has kept his infielder’s mitt handy for occasional second base duty in pro ball, Campbell was introduced to first and third base for the first time in the AFL. A stocky athlete whose meaty torso and trunk taper down to toothpick ankles, Campbell runs well in a straight line but isn’t the best lateral mover. Defensive versatility is going to be important to his rosterability, but he played the corner infield so infrequently in Arizona that seeing him enough to satisfactorily evaluate his prospects there was difficult. Campbell is back on the radar as a potential bat-first utilityman who plays the outfield corners and hopefully at least one infield position.
With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.
Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 22: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on after the game against the San Antonio Spurs on OCTOBER 22, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the latest installment of Ethical Tanking Theater, the Dallas Mavericks (19-35) announced on Wednesday that Kyrie Irving would miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season as he continues to recover from his ACL reconstruction surgery, which he underwent in 2025.
The team said in a press release that “Irving has made steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged with the team through the remainder of the season.”
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”
There was some hope that Irving would return to the court sometime this season after suffering the knee injury that ended his 2024-25 season on March 3 in a 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings. The normal recovery time for ACL reconstruction is usually 9-12 months, and here we sit on Wednesday, 11-plus months since Irving crumpled to the ground in the second quarter of that loss.
This news should be viewed through the lens of player health and safety, despite the Mavericks’ current record and downward trajectory. Irving will turn 34 next month, and erring on the side of caution is the only smart thing to do with a player of his caliber and importance to the team. The long end of the normal recovery window would put Irving back on the court sometime in March, and the season will be over in April for these Mavs.
DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 03: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks lies on the court after suffering an injury in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center on March 03, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Irving averaged 25.6 points per game in his first full season with the Mavericks and 24.7 before his injury in 2024-25. He shot better than 40% from 3-point range in both his seasons in a Mavs’ uniform.
Fans have been anxious to see how Irving’s game will fit with Cooper Flagg in his rookie-year ascendancy, but they’ll have to wait until year two for that now, when the team’s war chest will hopefully be restocked with another high draft pick in the stellar 2026 NBA Draft. Irving may have been brought here to play Robin to Luka Dončić‘s Batman, but now it appears he’ll come back for 2026-27 as a veteran leader in a young, up-and-coming reboot scenario.
This decision is in the best interest of the player and the team in this case, but it will no doubt be cast as a “tank move” among NBA fans throughout the league. When the loudest cries are pronounced, just be sure to check whose store-bought jersey the one making the call is wearing.
“I wanted to send a huge shoutout to all of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day,” Irving continued in the team release. “Thank you for the inspiration. No fear!”
Phoenix, AZ - February 17, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas and Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy take a ride on the back of a cart at the 2026 Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch, Phoenix, AZ on February 17, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers already brought back two of the players most of us expected to return, with Evan Phillips and Kiké Hernández signing last week, though both will miss the beginning of the season while rehabbing.
It feels like the Dodgers will make an active roster out of those 75 players currently in camp, but with just over five weeks remaining until opening day, there’s plenty of time remaining for more moves to be made. You never know who might hit the waiver wire in the next few weeks, maybe even a certain backup catcher.
Today’s question is what’s one roster move you think the Dodgers should make before opening day?
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will not suit up this season, as he continues to rehab from a knee injury, the team announced.
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025, and he missed the last 20 games of the season. Irving, 33, is expected to return for the 2026-27 season.
"This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one," Irving said in a statement. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"
At the time of Irving's injury, the Mavericks were thought to be in the championship hunt after acquiring Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers for All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, a trade that stunned the basketball world.
But Irving and Davis appeared in one game together, and Davis only appeared in 29 games with the Mavericks before he was traded earlier this month to the Washington Wizards, part of a nine-player blockbuster deal.
Dallas entered the All-Star break at 19-35, good for 12th place in the 15-team Western Conference.
Irving, a nine-time All-Star, has averaged 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds during his 15-year career for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks.
Javier Báez had little choice but offer a full mea culpa, even if the situation proved a little absurd.
"This is all my fault," he told reporters in Lakeland, Florida regarding a positive test for marijuana that will prevent him from representing Puerto Rico in next month's World Baseball Classic.
"I'm the one that failed the test. It really hurts my family, my reputation, but it's part of it. Other than that, I got a long season to go, and I got to prepare for that."
Báez, a Detroit Tigers 2025 All-Star, would not have been caught up in a positive test simply under MLB's auspices. The league has not tested members of the 40-man roster for marijuana and after the 2019 season stopped suspending minor league players for positive tests for pot.
Yet the World Baseball Softball Federation, which administers the WBC, still considers it a banned substance, even in this era when other governing bodies prefer players use marijuana rather than opioids to manage pain and other maladies.
His suspension landed at a particularly inopportune time for Puerto Rico's squad, which learned the same week that fellow All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor will not play due to insurance concerns; Lindor eventually suffered a hamate bone injury, anyway.
Báez, 33, is expected to play a key multi-positional role again for the Tigers. He just hoped to rep his home territory in the WBC before then.
"I understand the rules," says Báez, per the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. "It's not like I was taking steroids or anything to last longer or whatever. They made that decision.
"I'm fine with it – I mean, I'm not fine with it. I just keep my mouth shut."
DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving won't play this season as the star guard for the Dallas Mavericks continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained almost a year ago.
The nine-time All-Star and the team made the announcement Wednesday, two days before the Mavericks return from the All-Star break. Dallas is on a nine-game losing streak, its longest in 28 years, and out of playoff contention.
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said in a statement released by the team. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3. This will be the first time in his 15-year career that the 33-year-old has missed an entire season.
The most significant injury of Irving's career came a month after the Mavericks traded young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around older and oft-injured big man Anthony Davis. Just nine months earlier, Irving and Doncic led the Mavs to the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery and picked former Duke standout Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall. But Irving, Davis and Flagg never played together.
Dallas sent Davis to Washington before the trade deadline, a deal that signaled the Mavericks were moving on from the ill-fated Doncic deal less than three months after firing general manager Nico Harrison in part because of that trade.
The Mavericks appear set to build around Flagg with help from Irving, believing the older of the two one-and-done stars from Duke can complement the new face of the franchise.
“Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper,” said co-interim general manager Michael Finley, who was a two-time All-Star with the Mavericks a quarter-century ago. “He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper.”
The team said Irving would remain “actively engaged” with the team the rest of this season. Dallas is on its way to missing the playoffs for the second year in a row since the five-game loss to Boston in the NBA Finals.
“And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day,” Irving said in the team's statement. “THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”
Before the injury, Irving thrived in two years with the Mavericks following a trade that ended a tumultous three-plus seasons in Brooklyn. There was plenty of drama in Boston before that. Irving was the No. 1 pick by Cleveland in 2011 and won a championship there with LeBron James in 2016.
Irving has averaged 23.7 points and and 5.6 assists per game over 779 games while shooting almost 40% from 3-point range and 89% on free throws.
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 17: Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter reports before the game between the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics for NBC Sports News in Boston on January 17, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We Celtics fanatics consume a ridiculous volume of Boston Celtics content and the large majority of the game coverage is fed to us by NBC Sports Boston as the Regional Sports Network for the team. So much so that they become like part of the family.
I have tremendous respect for the work that these individuals put into the coverage and appreciate their efforts. Just like the players, however, there are ups and downs and learning curves for everyone. So give us your thoughts on the job that they are doing.
Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter have the unenviable job of following legends Mike and Tommy (no last names needed). With that said, they’ve developed their own cadence and voice over the years.
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 15: A detail shot of the jersey worn by Kristian Campbell #28 of the Boston Red Sox prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning! Yesterday was media day in Fort Myers. That’s always been one of the more low-key fun days of spring training, a chance for players to show some personality and for fans to see new faces in the home whites for the first time.
But as the first photos from media day started circulating, the fan reaction wasn’t exactly “fun.” Instead, fans were angry. And they were right to be, because the 2026 Red Sox uniforms look like absolute garbage. Enshittification has come for one of the most classic uniforms in all of world sports:
I’m not even kidding they cannot play a single regular season game like this. This is like actually offensive https://t.co/pthRstsFyC
If you’re not familiar with the company that is Fanatics and the monopoly in sports apparel it’s built over the last decade or so, the long and short of it is this: the company makes cheap-looking jerseys with little care or quality control, but it dominates the market because it enables the billionaire owners who sign exclusive deals with it to make a teeny-tiny bit more money than they used to.
Maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal that the Red Sox are going to take the field this year looking like they’re wearing knock-off jerseys from Building #19. After all, it’s just a shirt. But that’s precisely why it is a big deal to me. It isn’t hard to get this right. All Major League Baseball needs to do is accept a little less money in order to look good, do right by players and fans, and preserve the classic look of a jersey that has existed for almost a century now. And yet they just can’t. They are constitutionally incapable of doing anything that doesn’t make them the most money possible, no matter how much money they already have.
I know that a lot of fans just won’t care. But it’s hard for me to look at these jerseys and not see them as emblematic of some of the larger forces of cultural and social degradation that are being heaped upon all of us in this hyper-exploitative phase of human history. Fix the goddamn jerseys, John Henry.
Talk about that, whatever else you want, and, as always, be good to one another.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees looks on in the third inning during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Back in the winter of 2024, shortly after the Yankees missed out on Juan Soto, they quickly pivoted and signed Max Fried to a mammoth eight-year, $218 million contract. The left-hander, one of the highest-profile pitchers in that 2024-25 offseason, was seen as a luxury for some fans, who deemed his signing unnecessary because their rotation was full and their offense was the unit needing a big splash after losing the superstar slugger.
Time proved that bringing in Fried was the right decision, mainly because quality pitching depth in MLB is invaluable. Gerrit Cole blew out his elbow in spring training, Marcus Stroman was a disaster, and Clarke Schmidt had not one, but two injury list stints, the last of them forcing him to miss the rest of the season and a big chunk of 2026. Carlos Rodón had his best season as a Yankee, and Will Warren and Cam Schlittler eventually broke out and became contributors. The glue that held it all together, however, was Fried.
Fried’s 195.1 innings were the second-most in the American League behind Garrett Crochet, and he ranked fourth in the majors. During times of quick hooks, phantom injured list stints, and cautious workloads, the Yankees got elite durability for their money, at least in year one. And despite a 5.54 ERA in July and a 5.14 mark in August that made some people think he had turned into a pumpkin, Fried eased concerns with an elite 1.89 ERA in September. His final 2.86 ERA was the fourth-best in the junior circuit among qualifiers.
But this isn’t about what Fried did, which is basically the same thing he has been doing since making his MLB debut in 2017: dominate. This is about what he will, or could, do in 2026 as the Yankees make another run at the title. At least from the start of the season, Fried will be expected to carry the rotation with his flawless combination of availability and effectiveness. Cole could be back in May or even April, but he is 35 and is coming off major elbow surgery. He could conceivably return to ace form and status, but it would be unfair to expect him to lead the Yankees staff in 2026. Instead, the Yankees will rely on Fried, who has started 61 games in the last two years and hasn’t finished with an ERA above 3.25 since 2019.
Stuff-wise, Fried remains excellent. He got fantastic results with his curveball last year, earning a 42 percent whiff rate on the pitch, and used a whopping six different offerings at least 10 percent of the time: his cutter, sinker, curveball, four-seamer, sweeper, and changeup, with some sliders sprinkled in. A deep repertoire, a clear out pitch, and elite command make Fried one of the most underrated aces of our time. He won’t touch the triple digits with his heater, but the pitch had a renaissance last year and averaged 95.8 mph. That’s the highest of his career and almost two ticks over the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024 with the Braves.
Basically, Fried hit another gear with the Yankees, and a blister issue in July is at least partially to blame for his summer struggles. He was cruising before that, and returned to dominance once he regained full health. His Statcast profile is full of red, an awfully encouraging development with 2026 in mind:
That’s exactly what you want to see from an ace and what you can expect from Fried this year: elite groundball rate, above-average velocity, fantastic contact management, and pinpoint command. Still in his prime at 32, throwing well, and motivated by playing on a perennial contender, Fried looks ready to deliver another fine campaign in pinstripes. Don’t be surprised if, barring injuries, the 2026 season is even better for him, at least individually.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Brice Matthews #0 of the Houston Astros participates in spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 12, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. We begin with arguably the Astros’ top prospect in camp this year: Brice Matthews.
Brice Matthews, a Houston native and Atascocita High School graduate, went on to play college baseball at Nebraska. After solid freshman and sophomore campaigns, he broke out as a junior, slashing .359/.481/.723 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Viewed as one of the best overall athletes in the 2023 draft thanks to his rare power-speed combination, the Astros selected him with the 28th overall pick in the first round.
Matthews’ first full professional season in 2024 got off to a slow start when he missed about a month with lower back issues. Once healthy, he returned to High-A and immediately made an impact, hitting six home runs in his first seven games back to earn a promotion to Double-A. He finished the year with 15 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and an .865 OPS across the three levels.
Assigned to Triple-A out of Spring Training in 2025, Matthews continued to validate the scouting reports. He hit .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 73 games, earning a call-up to Houston. His big league stint exposed some swing-and-miss concerns as he struck out 20 times in 42 at-bats, but he also flashed his upside with four home runs.
Matthews possesses some of the highest upside in the system, pairing impact power and speed with the versatility to move around the diamond. He played games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field last year. His long-term defensive home may not be settled yet, but with a strong spring, he could carve out a super utility role for the Astros in 2026.
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 27: Executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association Tony Clark talks to the media prior to Game 1 of the 2023 World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Friday, October 27, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good day everyone! We’ve got a lot of news to get to as we kick off this Wednesday — let’s dive in.
In Mariners news…
Josh Naylor, who never jokes about anything, says he was entirely serious about the Mariners’ clubhouse dog Tucker playing a major role in his re-signing with the team.
Daniel Kramer spoke to Julio Rodríguez, who is embracing his role as a veteran on this M’s squad heading into his age-25 season.
Around the league…
Longtime MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark stunned the baseball world with the sudden announcement that he is stepping down from his post. It was later revealed that he did so due to recent allegations of an inappropriate relationship with this sister-in-law, who also worked at the union office.
With apologies to Steve Busby, Paul Splittorff, and 1972 Roger Nelson, the first true ace of the Kansas City Royals was a Brooklyn, New York native named Dennis Leonard.
After graduating from high school, Leonard walked onto the baseball team at Iona University, a small Catholic (4,000 students) college located just north of the Bronx. Leonard began concentrating solely on pitching and, with some exceptional coaching, turned himself into a prospect.
Arm injuries scared off several teams, but the Royals stayed committed and selected Leonard with their second-round choice in the 1972 draft. Leonard shot through the Royals’ minor league system, moving from Rookie League Kingsport to Waterloo to San Jose to Omaha in just three seasons. Despite having already thrown 223 innings at Omaha in 1974, the Royals brought Leonard up at the tail end of the season for a cup of coffee. By his own admission, Leonard said his arm was tired — and the results showed: 22 innings over five appearances with a 5.32 ERA.
Leonard was primarily a fastball-curveball pitcher at this juncture of his career. He started the 1975 campaign in Omaha but was recalled to Kansas City when Lindy McDaniel went down with prostate problems. Leonard, under the tutelage of Royals pitching coach Galen Cisco, overcame a slow start and caught fire after the Fourth of July, winning 12 of his final 15 decisions. He finished the season with a record of 15–7 and was named the Royals Pitcher of the Year, an award he would win three times in his career.
When evaluating the career of Dennis Leonard, you must break it into two pieces: regular season and postseason.
Often brilliant in the regular season, Leonard was a bit like Clayton Kershaw. He struggled at times during the postseason. Why? Who knows. I’m sure some of it was arm fatigue. Leonard was a true workhorse, averaging 272 innings per season over the Royals’ five-year playoff run from 1976 to 1980. Some of his postseason troubles were just plain bad luck.
In the 1977 ALCS, manager Whitey Herzog temporarily lost his managerial compass and called on Leonard in the ninth inning of Game Five to protect a one-run lead and deliver the Royals to their first World Series. At that point, Whitey was desperate, having burned through three pitchers in the eighth. Watching the game on TV, I felt confident with Leonard in the game. After all, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball. Three outs? No problem.
In retrospect, Whitey probably should have stuck with lefty Steve Mingori, who recorded the final two outs of the eighth, or gone to his closer, Mark Littell. As the saying goes, if “ifs” and “buts” were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas.
Paul Blair led off the inning with a bloop single. No knock on Blair or the hit — he was a professional hitter and did what he had to do: get on base. Roy White, another underrated player of the era, drew a walk. Instead of letting Leonard work his way out of it, Whitey panicked and brought in another starter, Larry Gura. Mickey Rivers singled to tie the score.
Now Whitey was in a full-blown meltdown. He called on Mark Littell to try to escape the inning with the game tied. Littell, a great guy who was possibly still scarred by the 1976 ALCS, got Willie Randolph on a liner to center that was deep enough to score White. Littell then got Thurman Munson to ground out before former Royal Lou Piniella hit a tough one to George Brett at third. Brett booted it, allowing Rivers to score the insurance run. Littell retired Reggie Jackson, but the damage was done.
Royals Stadium was a morgue. Sparky Lyle, a true closer, came in and put the Royals down 1-2-3, the final two outs coming on Freddie Patek’s smash to Graig Nettles, who calmly started a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
How much of that was on Leonard and how much was on Whitey? It doesn’t matter now. It’s ancient news.
Thanks to the strike and split schedule in 1981, the Royals became the first team in baseball history to make the playoffs with a losing record. Leonard was cruising in Game One, holding the powerful Oakland A’s scoreless into the fourth inning. With two outs, Tony Armas hit a ball to George that should have ended the inning. Unfortunately, it didn’t. George booted that one too, putting runners at first and third. The next batter, Wayne Gross, made them pay by cranking a three-run home run to give Oakland an insurmountable lead.
How often do we see that happen? An error on a ball that should have ended an inning, and the next batter takes one downtown. It happens so often there should be a nickname for it. Send in your suggestions.
Despite his postseason disappointments, Leonard was a standout in the regular season. Between 1975 and 1981, Leonard won 130 games, the most by any right-hander in baseball. Understand, there were some pretty good right-handed pitchers at the time — guys like Tom Seaver, Fergie Jenkins, Nolan Ryan, Jim Palmer, Catfish Hunter, and Luis Tiant, just to name a few.
Leonard won 20 games three times in his career, back when winning 20 meant something. It’s crazy how starting pitching has changed. In Leonard’s day, a starter was asked to throw 225–300 innings and make 35–40 starts every season. He was expected to go at least seven innings, if not longer. Leonard did all of that and more.
His name still dots the Royals’ single-season and career pitching records. His career marks of 103 complete games and 23 shutouts will probably never be broken. He still holds the single-season team records for starts (40), complete games (21), innings pitched (294.2), and strikeouts (244). I wouldn’t be surprised if those records stood for a long, long time.
His best season was 1977, when he led the league with 20 wins and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting. Amazingly, Leonard never made an All-Star team, which is one of the great injustices in baseball. He was almost always a slow starter, but once the weather warmed up, there was rarely anyone better.
Over his career, he had many outings that would be considered gems. The guy had 23 career shutouts, so that alone gives you some idea.
I think his best game came on September 17, 1980, at Royals Stadium, when Leonard pitched a brilliant three-hit complete-game shutout against the Angels. He struck out nine and walked only two in a game that took just 2:17 to complete and scored an 88. Leonard retired 17 of the last 18 Angels he faced, striking out seven of them.
Emotionally, his finest hour probably came on September 8, 1986, at the Stadium against the Twins. Leonard had pitched gamely in 1986 (more on that later), and I’m sure he knew the end was near. On that evening, he dialed it back and threw another three-hit complete-game shutout — the last of his career. He made four more starts, but this was the final peak.
Leonard was always one of the most popular Royals of his day, with his unruly red hair and trademark Fu Manchu. He was friendly and engaging with fans. Leonard had a somewhat unusual twist in his delivery — he would cock his wrist during the windup. It was a bit unorthodox, but it worked. Thankfully, no pitching coach tried to change him. As his career progressed, Leonard added a slider and later a changeup to his arsenal. The slider was particularly devastating and led to a spike in his strikeout numbers.
Later in his career, Leonard battled a series of injuries that certainly kept his career numbers from being even more impressive. In the summer of 1982, Buddy Bell sent a liner through the box that broke two fingers on Leonard’s pitching hand. That injury cost him two and a half months, and though he came back late in the season, he wasn’t right.
He got off to a promising start in 1983 before snapping his patellar tendon in a late-May game against the Orioles. That type of injury is typically the death knell for a professional athlete, but Leonard put himself through four surgeries and a grueling rehab so he could pitch again. The guy was a warrior.
He missed the rest of 1983, all of 1984, and nearly all of 1985 before making a dramatic return to the mound on September 6. He threw one scoreless inning against the Brewers while a crowd of more than 26,000 gave him a long, emotional standing ovation.
Leonard came to spring training in 1986 feeling like a rookie. He made the squad and ended up recording 30 starts and throwing 192 innings. But at age 35, with an ERA north of 4.40, the end was near. His first start of the 1986 season was classic Leonard — a three-hit, complete-game shutout win over the Blue Jays.
The Royals released him after the ’86 season, and Leonard chose to retire. He was elected to the Royals Hall of Fame in 1989. He’s also an inductee in the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame, and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Pretty impressive for a college walk-on.
The final numbers: 144 wins against 106 losses with a 3.70 ERA. He still sits at number two in career wins and number three in career strikeouts in Royals history.
Dennis Leonard will always be one of the greatest Royals.
