Damn. RIP to a legend.
Still – I think – the only player to win the MVP award in both the NL and AL, part of one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history (the Cincy front office in 1965 thought 30-year-old Robinson might be headed to his decline phase and decided to get out ahead of that; oops)
Also the first African American MLB manager.
A great player in his day. And yea, didn’t he get traded for that perinneal all-star Milt Pappas.
He was also in the very exclusive club of triple crown winners. RIP and it was an honor to have him manage the Nats out of the gate.
One of the first things that popped into my head in thinking about Robinson when I head he’d passed was the memory of the big, tough, fearsome guy in tears after a Nats game in 2006. He’d had to play backup catcher Matt Lecroy against the Astros, and LeCroy simply couldn’t throw. The Astros stole seven bases in half a game, and LeCroy aided them by sailing a couple of throws into the outfield. With two men on late in the game, and the Astros looking like they were going to run wild again, Robinson pulled the rare move of subbing out LeCroy in the middle of an inning, bringing in an emergency catcher.
Frank knew how that looked. And he knew how LeCroy must’ve been feeling. And as he explained the decision, he got emotional, and I remember being struck by the empathy and humanity of the guy. (For his part, LeCroy said after the game “Hell, if my daddy had been managing the team, he’d have taken me out too.”)
I recall that game. I think LeCroy was hurt and did his best in a bad situation. Frank finally hit the tipping point where leaving him in was worse than the humiliation of taking him out for a utility player. LeCroy was managing in the Nats farm system for a while (still with the H-burg Senators, just checked).
LeCroy was one of the great late-era beer leaguers. He couldn’t catch years previous to that debacle when he was with the twins, but you still loved having his bat on your bench and he always seemed like a guy who loved the game and deeply appreciated being able to have a place in MLB.
Looks like our long national nightmare might be wrapping up.
Looks like Moustakas is returning to the Brewers. $10M for 2019 and an option for 2020. That means he’ll make less over the '18-'19 seasons combined ($16.5M) than he would had he accepted the Royals 2017 QO ($17.5M).
Also, KC fans no longer have to worry about Alcides Escobar’s .270 OBP in the leadoff spot day after day after day anymore. He was signed by Baltimore to a minor league deal ($700K if he makes the bigs).
Moose also turned down a 3 year/45 offer that same offseason he brushed off the Royals qualifying offer, I think.
Hilariously and right on schedule, tonight Jon Heyman – Boras’s personal coffee runner and towel boy – tweets that the Phillies might be the favorites, but the Padres and Giants are still in.
Boras using Heyman to see if he can get the Phils to add another $5-10 mil by bidding against themselves.
I wonder if Jon Heyman enjoys being Scott Boras’ personal stalking horse. I suppose there must be an envelope full of 100 dollar bills at some point in the process.
He gets paid in “access”
Or treats, like a corgi.
Bochy’s hanging up his spurs at the end of the season.
Heck of a career for Boch.
He has done more with less than probably any manager in history. Just look at the Giants line up over the past 10 years. And yea, nice to see him retire on his time instead of because of a serious health condition.
He could be a frustrating manager to watch sometimes, but he’ll definitely be missed. The players, by all accounts, love him.
Ask the Padres, while you are at it.
Next year will be worse when they all go fishing for some Trout…
There is no way Trout will be a free agent next year.
Per Passan, Machado signs with the Padres.
Rosenthal: 10 years, $300 million