Did You Know
When Bryce Harper makes his debut today, he will become the youngest player in Nationals history. Ryan Zimmerman debuted on Sept. 1, 2005, at the age of 20 years, 11 months, and 4 days old. Now, as Zimmerman heads to the DL with shoulder issues, Harper, who is 19 years, 6 months, and 12 days old, will break that record today in Los Angeles. Harper was batting .250 with a home run and three RBI in 20 games for AAA Syracuse.
This Day in Baseball History
4/28/1956: 20-year-old Frank Robinson bats second and plays left field for the Reds, going 2-4 with a double and a home run. The homer was the first of 586 for his career, coming off Cubs pitcher Paul Minner. Minner would end up 2-5 with a 6.89 ERA in his 10th and final season, while Robinson would hit 38 home runs and bat .290 en route to a Rookie of the Year award.
News
The Nationals called up phenom Bryce Harper in replacement of Ryan Zimmerman, who heads to the DL with shoulder issues. Harper will make his debut today in Los Angeles.
Longtime Ranger Ivan Rodriguez officially retired Monday in Texas after 21 years in the majors.
Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
Mets outfielder Scott Hairston hit for the cycle in a game against the Rockies, but was on the losing side as Colorado scored 11 runs in the fifth to drop New York 18-9.
The Angels released Bobby Abreu after a four-year run with the team.
Tigers outfielder Delmon Young could face hate crime charges for assault in New York City and anti-Semitic remarks.
Pudge Rodriguez was one of the greatest catchers the game ever knew and probably a first ballot Hall of Famer. Thirteen Gold Gloves, 14 All Star appearances, seven Silver Sluggers, an AL MVP, and a World Series Championship mark highlights of his incredible résumé. He debuted in in 1991 for the Rangers at just 19 years old, hitting three home runs and batting .264 in 88 games. Playing his first full season in 1992, he hit eight home runs and batted .260 in 123 games while earning his first of 10 straight Gold Glove/All Star seasons. His offense began to escalate in 1993, when he hit 10 home runs and batted .273 with eight stolen bases in 137 games. In the strike shortened 1994, he again bumped his numbers with 16 home runs, a .298 average, and six stolen bases in 99 games. Back to a full season in 1995, he homered just 12 times but knocked his average up to .303 for the first of eight straight .300+ seasons. Breaking out in 1996, the Vega Baja, Puerto Rico native hit 19 home runs, knocked in 86, and batted .300 in 153 games. 1997 was even better, when he hit 20 home runs and bumped his average up to .313. His ascent to greatness continued in 1998, as he hit 21 home runs, knocked in 91, and batted .321 with nine stolen bases in 144 games. From 1999-2000, Rodriguez one of the best two-year stretches ever for a catcher. In the first year, 1999, Pudge hit 35 home runs, knocked in 113, and batted .332 with 25 stolen bases in 144, earning him the AL MVP award. Despite missing time to injury in 2000, the 28-year-old still hit 27 home runs and batted .347 in 91 games. Had he his normal 580 at bats (he had just 363 in 2000), he was on pace for 43 home runs, 133 RBI, and 201 hits. Combined, in 235 games between '99 and '00, he hit 62 home runs, knocked in 196, and batted .337 with 30 stolen bases. He produced again in 2001, hitting 25 home runs and batting .308 with 10 stolen bases in 111 games. He began his slow decline in 2002, hitting 19 home runs and batting .314 in 108 games. It was the first year since 1991 that he was without a Gold Glove, and also the first since '91 that he was without an All Star appearance. Joining the Marlins in 2003 after 12 years in Texas, he played a major role in their run for the World Series Championship. Teamed with players such as Edgar Renteria, Livan Hernandez, and Josh Beckett, Pudge hit 16 home runs and batted .297 with another 10 stolen bases in 144 games. He won NLCS MVP honors with a pair of home runs, a .321 average, and stellar defense behind the plate through the seven game series. Joining the Tigers in 2004, he experienced a career rejuvenation by hitting 19 home runs and batting .334 in 135 games, reclaiming both a Gold Glove and a spot on the All Star team. His numbers dropped in 2005, as he hit just 14 home runs and batted .276 in 129 games, but he earned another All Star appearance. He batted .300 for the last time and 10th and final time in 2006, combining his .300 mark with 13 home runs and eight stolen bases in 136 games in 2006. In 2007, his final productive season, he hit 11 home runs and batted .281 in 129 games. Splitting 2008 between the Tigers and Yankees, he hit seven home runs while batting .276 with 10 stolen bases. He split 2009 between the Astros and Rangers, hitting 10 home runs but batting just .249 in 121 games. The Nationals employed him in 2010, where hit hit four home runs and batted .266 in 111 games. Spending his final year, 2011, as a backup, Pudge hit two home runs and batted .218 in his final 44 games. Over his 21-year career, he finished with 311 home runs (118th all time), 1,332 RBI (87th all time), and a .296 average (256th all time). His 572 doubles rank him 21st and most of all catchers. He caught more games, 2,543, and had more hits, 2,844, than any other catcher.
Game Scores
Dodgers (14-6) beat the Nationals (14-6) 3-2.
Cubs (7-13) beat the Phillies (9-11) 5-1.
Red Sox (9-10) beat the White Sox (10-10) 10-3.
Yankees (11-8) beat the Tigers (10-10) 7-6.
Rays (13-7) beat the Rangers (15-5) 8-4.
Braves (13-7) beat the Pirates (8-11) 6-1.
Rockies (10-9) beat the Mets (11-9) 18-9.
Top Scorer: Rockies beat the Mets 18-9.
Standings
AL East: Rays (13-7, .650 WPCT). AL Central: Indians (10-8, .556). AL West: Rangers (15-5, .750).
NL East: Nationals (14-6, .700). NL Central: Cardinals (13-7, .650). NL West: Dodgers (14-6, .700).
AL Wild Cards: Orioles (12-8, .600) and Yankees (11-8, .579). NL Wild Cards: Braves (13-7, .650) and Mets (11-9, .550).
Bottom Team: Twins (5-15, .250). Longest Winning Streak: Rays, 6 games. Longest Losing Streak: Twins and Marlins, 6 games.
League Leaders
Offensive: AVG: Matt Kemp (Dodgers), .452 (33-73). Home runs: Matt Kemp, 10. RBI: Andre Ethier (Dodgers), 24. Stolen bases: Dee Gordon (Dodgers), 10.
Pitching: Wins: Lance Lynn (Cardinals), James Shields (Rays), and Robbie Ross (Rangers), 4. K's: Jered Weaver (Angels), 36. ERA: Joe Saunders (Diamondbacks), 0.90 (30 innings, 3 earned runs). Saves: 5 tied with 7.
Top Performers
Offensive: Scott Hairston (Mets): 4-5, double, triple, home run (2), 4 RBI, 3 runs, AVG up .093 from .172 to .265, hitting streak to 1 game (4-5, .800 AVG).
Pitching: Joe Saunders (Diamondbacks): Win (2-1), 9 shutout innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 4 K's (18), ERA drop: 0.39 runs from 1.29 to 0.90.
Worst Pitching Performance: Manny Acosta (Mets): Loss (0-1), 0.1 innings, 7 earned runs, 5 hits, 2 walks, 0 K's, ERA jump: 6.42 runs from 2.89 to 9.31.
--
Teams followed in this update: Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies
If your team is not included, please leave a comment.
HR: home runs. RBI: runs batted in. AVG: batting average. SB: stolen bases. ERA: earned run average. BAA: batting average against. K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage
Zack Silverman
