Delaware Baseball

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Monday, July 31, 2006

OK, I lied

I'm not going to put the three most memorable trades involving Delawareans today. I'll do that on Wednesday. Kevin Mench homered in his second game as a Milwaukee Brewer. He becomes the seventh Delawarean to homer in more than one league joining Bert Cunningham, Delino DeShields, John Mabry, Dave May, Costen Shockley, and Chris Widger.

The home run totals by Delawareans in each league:

American Association:
Sadie McMahon 3
Bert Cunningham 2

American League:
Randy Bush 96
Dave May 81
Kevin Mench 80
John Mabry 24
Delino DeShields 19
Chris Widger 7
Ken Szotkiewicz 3
Costen Shockley 2
Pedro Swann 1
Happy Townsend 1

National League:
John Mabry 69
Delino DeShields 61
Chris Widger 48
Hans Lobert 32
Dave May 15
Bert Cunningham 7
Pete Cassidy 3
Bill Hawke 2
Cliff Brumbaugh 1
Kevin Mench 1
Costen Shockley 1
Augie Walsh 1
Chris Welsh 1

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Let's make a deal

Kevin Mench was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers with three other Texas Rangers in exchange for Carlos Lee and a minor leaguer. I thought with the trade deadline being here that I would take a look at the six most memorable trades involving native Delawareans.

#6 Bill Johnson and Dick Ruthven for Willie Hernandez. The Phillies dealt Johnson and Ruthven to the Chicago Cubs in May of 1983 to improve their bullpen. Hernandez pitched well, helping the Phillies claim the National League pennant. The Phillies dealt Hernandez and Dave Bergman to the Detroit Tigers at season's end for Glenn Wilson and John Wockenfuss. Hernandez helped lead the Tigers to a World Championship, winning the Cy Young and MVP awards.

#5 John Mabry was a pinch-hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002. Jeremy Giambi was a slugging leftfielder for the Oakland Athletics. The A's and the Phils swapped players straight up in a trade that at the time was considered the worst that A's general manager Billy Beane had ever made. Needing to shake up a losing A's team, Beane dealt Giambi and ended up getting one of the best seasons Mabry ever put together. The A's won the American League West and the trade helped establish the perception of Beane as a genius, a perception enhanced by the publication of Michael Lewis' book Moneyball. Lost in the hype, however, was the fact that Giambi actually had a better season for the Phillies.

#4 At the conclusion of the 1974 season, during which Hank Aaron homered to pass Babe Ruth as the all-time home run leader, the Atlanta Braves dealt Aaron to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dave May and a minor leaguer. Aaron would finish up his career in Milwaukee, where he began his career twenty years previously.

Tomorrow, the top three trades.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Drought ending

Last night Kevin Mench and John Mabry both homered in their respective games. For Mench, it was his first home run since June 11th and only his second since May 9th. Mabry had not homered since the second game of the season although since Mabry is used primarily as a pinch hitter, he has had far less opportunity.

The evening marked the ninth time in baseball history that two Delawareans had homered on the same day. The others:

May 20, 2005: Mabry and Mench
September 25, 2004: Mabry and Mench
August 20, 2004: Mabry and Mench
August 8, 1999: Delino DeShields and Chris Widger
May 22, 1999: DeShields and Widger
May 2, 1999: DeShields and Widger
August 15, 1997: DeShields and Widger
June 3, 1997: DeShields and Mabry (same game)