The following article is part of a series concerning the 2022 Golden Days Era Committee ballot, covering managers and long-retired players whose candidacies will be voted upon on December 5. It is adapted from a chapter in The Cooperstown Casebook, published in 2017 by Thomas Dunne Books. For an introduction to the ballot, see here, and for an introduction to JAWS, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Dick Allen

“Dick Allen forced Philadelphia baseball and its fans to come to terms with the racism that existed in this city in the ’60s and ’70s. He may not have done it with the self-discipline or tact of Jackie Robinson, but he exemplified the emerging independence of major league baseball players as well as growing black consciousness.”⁠ — William Kashatus, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 2, 1996

At first glance, Dick Allen might be viewed as the Gary Sheffield or Albert Belle of his day, a heavy hitter seemingly engaged in a constant battle with the world around him, generating controversy at every stop of his 15-year career. It’s unfair and reductive to lump Allen in with those two players, however, for they all faced different obstacles and bore different scars from the wounds they suffered early in their careers.

In Allen’s case, those wounds predated his 1963 arrival in the majors with a team that was far behind the integration curve, and a city that was in no better shape. In Philadelphia and beyond, he was a polarizing presence, covered by a media contingent so unable or unwilling to relate to him that writers often refused to call him by the name of his choosing: Dick Allen, not Richie. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, veteran reliever Joakim Soria hung up his spikes. In his typically understated fashion, he didn’t so much as announce his retirement as have it done for him, through his agent and a Ken Rosenthal tweet.

Soria was a two-time All-Star. He pitched for nine teams during his 14-year career, racking up 15.4 WAR and 229 saves, alongside a tidy 3.11 earned run average. In his first spell with the Royals, Soria established himself as one of the sport’s premier closers and was a bright spot on several forgettable Kansas City teams. He never quite recaptured that early-career form after an elbow injury in 2012, though he remained a dependable late-inning reliever for most of the last decade.

For all his success, Soria’s unusual path to stardom remains perhaps the most notable part of his career. Born to schoolteachers in Monclova, Soria grew up in Mexico. He signed with Los Angeles as a teenager, but pitched only four times for the Dodgers, all in the AZL back in 2002. After going two seasons without appearing in a game, Los Angeles released Soria in 2004 and he spent all of the 2005 season in the Mexican League. After posting solid but hardly spectacular numbers, San Diego took a flier on him. He only threw 11 innings in Low-A that next summer, though, and the Padres understandably left him off of their 40-man roster. Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Associate, Minor League Analytics

Locations: Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida; NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York; MCU Park – Brooklyn, New York; NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking Affiliate Analysts in Baseball Analytics. Each Affiliate Analyst will be assigned to one of the Mets’ minor league sites (AAA Syracuse, AA Binghamton, High-A Brooklyn, Low-A Port St. Lucie, Complex in Port St. Lucie, DSL). Candidates are welcome to apply to only certain sites, so long as they clarify during interviews which one(s) they would be willing to go to. The Affiliate Analyst will spend the full year traveling with their respective club, from Spring Training through the end of the season. Offers may be for full-time positions or for associate positions, with the potential to become full-time after the season. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains three positions.

Position: Analyst

Summary:
The Washington Nationals are seeking an analyst to join our Baseball Research & Development team. The role focuses on using data science to derive insights from baseball datasets to support player evaluation, player development, roster construction, and in-game strategy. The analyst will largely work on long term research projects under the supervision of a senior R&D member, and report to the Senior Director of R&D. Analysts should be able to communicate findings well to all audiences, technical and non-technical. The department is flexible enough to accommodate analyst candidates with particular strengths or areas of interest, but we are seeking applicants with general ‘baseball feel’ and data science experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Kendall Graveman surprised me with something he said during the ALCS. Talking with the 30-year-old, then-Houston Astros reliever, I learned that it was only recently that he truly learned a breaking ball. As the now-free agent put it, “I didn’t throw one forever, really. I didn’t know how to spin it.”

He spun a lot of good ones during the 2021 season. Throwing more breakers than at any point in his career, Graveman had 61 strikeouts and allowed just 35 hits in 53 relief appearances comprising 56 innings. Toeing the rubber for both the Seattle Mariners and the Astros — he switched teams shortly before the July trade deadline — he logged a 1.77 ERA and a 3.19 FIP. Opponents slashed just .130/.193/.196 against the right-hander’s slider.

Graveman signed a free agent deal with the Mariners in November 2019, six-plus after entering pro ball as Toronto’s eighth-round pick out of Mississippi State University. Why did it take him so long to master the intricacies of such an important facet of his craft?

“Some pitching coaches have a very good understanding of how to teach something, and I ran into some people over in Seattle who taught me how to throw a breaking ball,” said Graveman. “Since when I was young, I would cup out of the hand and that would get me on the outside and not creating good spin. That’s as opposed to throwing it like a fastball. We started taking it out like a fastball and letting the wrist be loose, and started seeing positive signs with the spin.”

I asked the Alexander City, Alabama native if he could elaborate on the adjustment. Read the rest of this entry »

After a one-year hiatus due to the oddity and non-celebratory feeling of a season truncated by a raging pandemic, we’re bringing back the Elegy series in a streamlined format for a 2021 wrap-up. Think of this as a quick winter preview for each team, discussing the questions that faced each team ahead of the year, how they were answered, and what’s next. Do you like or hate the new format? Let me know in the comments below. We’ve already tackled the AL and NL Central, the NL and the AL West, and the AL East. We wrap up this series for 2021 with the NL East. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains two positions.

Title: Organizational Intern, Baseball Operations Analyst

Reports to: Manager, Baseball Operations
Status: Full-Time Salary Non-Exempt Intern

Position Overview:
The Phillies are seeking passionate and knowledgeable applicants for an entry-level baseball operations associate. This role will provide analytical and administrative support to our baseball operations group and will consist of opportunities to contribute throughout the many facets of the department, including close collaboration with our Research & Development team. Read the rest of this entry »

Position: Associate, Baseball Systems

Locations: Citi Field – Queens, New York; New York Mets Complex – Dominican Republic; NYSEG Stadium – Binghamton, New York; MCU Park – Brooklyn, New York; Clover Park – Port Saint Lucie, Florida; NBT Bank Stadium – Syracuse, New York

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking eight Baseball Systems Associates. These individuals will be responsible for the oversight of video, technology and administrative needs at any of our Minor League affiliates. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note, this posting contains two positions.

Position: Analyst, Baseball Analytics

Location: Queens, NY

Summary:
The New York Mets are seeking an Analyst in Baseball Analytics. The Analyst will summarize data and build reports that inform decision-making in all facets of Baseball Operations. This position requires strong background in coding, statistics, and data visualization, as well as the ability to communicate findings to both a technical and non-technical audience. This particular analyst will have a focus on short-term questions that require the use of data manipulation and visualization. This offer may be for a full-time or associate role, to be discussed at the time of the offer. Prior experience in baseball is a plus, but is not required. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is part of a series concerning the 2022 Golden Days Era Committee ballot, covering managers and long-retired players whose candidacies will be voted upon on December 5. For an introduction to this year’s ballot, see here, and for an introduction to JAWS, see here. Several profiles in this series are adapted from work previously published at SI.com, Baseball Prospectus, and Futility Infielder. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.

Roger Maris

Casual baseball fans know Roger Maris mainly for his toppling of Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record in 1961, when he beat out teammate Mickey Mantle and hit 61 homers. The more hardcore fans might know that Maris actually won back-to-back AL MVP awards with the Yankees in 1960 and ’61, and helped the team to five straight pennants and a pair of championships. While it’s sometimes presumed that these achievements are enough to merit Maris a spot in Cooperstown, a closer look at the slugger’s 12-year career (1957-68) suggests that he’s exactly where he should be with respect to the Hall of Fame: on the outside. Read the rest of this entry »