The Twins in the World Series!!

 

Uh, well, former Twins anyway. The Rays and the Twins have been mutually poaching each other's coaching ranks and bullpens in recent years, with Rocco Baldelli coming from TB to MIN, and a series of arms heading south to Tampa. Aaron Slegers was a 5th round pick by the Twins, known mostly for his height as a prospect and his high velocity. The Twins lost him on waivers to the Pirates before the 2019 season, and he was picked up by Tampa when the Pirates tried to keep him without adding him to the 40-Man roster. So far this post season he's appeared in 3 games, and held opponents to just 1 run and struck out three batters.

John Curtiss was picked by the Twins one year and one round later than Slegers, though made their MLB debut for Minnesota in 2017. Curtiss reached career highs in appearances and innings this year in Tampa. He left the Twins in 2019 in a trade with the Angels for a low A infielder prospect, Daniel Ozoria, who may or may not have continued to develop in 2020... Curtiss came to Tampa as a free agent. He had a rough time against the Yankees in the ALDS, but bounced back with 4 appearances in the ALCS, allowing just 1 run on a solo homer while striking out 4 batters in 4.1 innings. 

The Twins losing Nick Anderson hurts. The Twins signed Anderson as a minor league free agent in  2015, and he climbed the organizational ladder from Low-A Cedar Rapids up to AAA Rochester, showing impressive numbers at each stop along the way.

There was a roster crunch following the 2018 season, Anderson could have been added to the 40-Man roster but instead the Twins opted to trade the Minnesota-born reliever to the Marlins. They gave him up for another lower level prospect, like the Curtiss trade. Hard to know if the return, infielder Brian Schales, with develop the promising power from his final year in the Miami org. Schales played in three different levels for the Twins in 2019 including AAA, but appeared in just 52 total games. Nick Anderson, on the other hand, was ready to make a big league impact and was a Topps All-Star Rookie, thanks to a 110/18 K/BB rate. Anderson led the Rays in saves in 2020, and had a 0.55 ERA for the season in 19 appearances. his ERA+ was 780. That's not a typo, seven hundred eighty. 100 is league average. Anderson came to Tampa in a mid season trade with the Marlins, that sent the Rays "Opener" specialist Ryne Stanek across the state.

Just one former Twin on the L.A. side, righty fireballer Brusdar Graterol. He originally was going to Boston in a three team deal, the Red Sox were getting Graterol and Alex Verdugo for Mookie Betts and David Price, and the Twins were going to get Kenta Maeda. Instead, Boston decided there was something they didn't like in Graterol's medicals, so they opted to complete a trade with LA that left out the Twins. Lucky for everyone involved, the Twins and Dodgers did come to a separate deal, with the Twins adding Luke Raley, and the Dodgers adding Jair Camargo. Raley was making a homecoming of sorts, as the Dodgers originally drafted him in 2014. Camargo will be a 22 year old catching prospect in 2021. 

Graterol has provided one of the most entertaining highlights of the postseason. Pitching against the Padres, Brusdar avoided a big inning and celebrated the final out by launching his glove and hat at his own dugout and pointing to the heavens. This prompted some spirited debate from former Dodger Manny Machado, who had just made the final out of the inning. Graterol responded to Machado's Machismo by blowing him kisses on the way back to his dugout, and ultimately cooler heads prevailed. 

Graterol made a one appearance in each of the first 3 rounds without allowing a run, but had a little trouble in the NLCS, allowing 3 runs to score in Game 4 while recording just one out. Other than that blip, he's tossed 6.1 shutout innings for the Dodgers in the post season.

I would be sad about that trade (and maybe I still will be later), but I think Twins fans should agree that it was worth it!

1997 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Jose Guillen

Jose Guillen  has one of the better All-Star Rookie cards of all time. Posing with the statue of the great Roberto Clemente, and poised to become the Pirates' right fielder of the future, Guillen beamed. He shared some of the same skills that made Clemente so good, in particular a throwing arm that dazzled and delighted fans. He was a Topps All-Star rookie at just the age of 20, with a long and productive MLB career ahead of him.

Guillen would have a decent season for the Pirates as their everyday Right Fielder in 1997. He hit 14 homers and drove in 70 runs. He was the 4th youngest player in the league but was still entrusted with the second most plate appearances on the Pirates' squad. While he had a great arm (9 assists as a rookie), he struggled a bit with the leather, ranking 2nd in errors among right fielders. He ranked below league average in rate stats, however was still learning the finer points of the game.

Guillen was signed in 1993 by the Pirates as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He would spent his minor league career in Single A clubs, with an MVP season in 1996 for the high A Lynchburg Hillcats. His final minor league season, he hit .322 with 21 homers and 24 stolen bases. The steals were somewhat of a mirage, as he never stole more than 5 bases in a season before or since. He followed up his 1997 season with a nearly identical 1998 season. He performed even better in the field, and led the NL in RF assists. Despite two seasons with 14 homers and nearly as many errors, Guillen was still considered a top prospect by many observers, who were more than willing to compare him to Roberto Clemente or Dave Winfield, who did have somewhat slow starts to their Hall of Fame careers. 

After leaving Pittsburgh, Guillen began a whirlwind tour of the big leagues, never stopping in one place for more than a couple seasons. He was either burning bridges or providing tantalizing potential at seemingly every stop along the way. Tampa picked him up in 1999 near the trade deadline, and he would muster just 15 homers over the next 2 and a half seasons before being released. The Arizona Diamondbacks gave him a chance, and after hitting .229 over 54 games, he was cut loose. The Rockies had him for just two days, and decided to go in  another direction before he hooked up with the Reds in Cincinnati to finish the 2002 season. He actually played his best baseball in Cincy, including a torrid first half in 2003, when he slashed .337/.385/.629 with a 165 OPS+. He found his power stroke, hitting 23 homers for the Reds before becoming a deadline deal to the Oakland A's. It was in Oakland the he had his only taste of post season play, hitting .455 in 4 games against Boston in the 2003 ALDS. 

He then signed a deal with AL West rivals the Angels, but butted heads with Mike Scioscia on numerous occasions. Even with a career high 104 RBI, he was on the move again after one season in Anaheim. Now in D.C., Guillen had a good season, followed by an atrocious one in which he hit just .216 with just 9 homers. The next year he was in Seattle, and managed to knock in 99 runs, but wore out his welcome there just as quickly. He then signed a 3 year deal with Kansas City, and nearly fulfilled the whole contract before being traded midway through the 2010 season to San Francisco. By that point he had publicly called his teammates babies and openly complained about K.C.'s losing culture. 

His final MLB stop was a stretch run in San Francisco for the Giants team that finally got over the hump and won a championship. Guillen missed the on field celebration, he had been left off the post season roster while being investigated for the alleged use of HGH. He hit .266 with 5 homers and 13 RBI for the Giants in the closing months of the 2010 season, and they would be the last games he would play in the league.

His Career MLB Totals

I'll leave you with a more positive note, here's video of Guillen's tremendous throwing arm taken from a game in 1998. 

Do you have any Jose Guillen Stories? I'd love to read them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

1995 Topps All-Star Rookie Right Handed Pitcher Hideo Nomo

The Dodgers were no strangers to great pitching (like Koufax), and no strangers to phenoms (like Fernandomania). With Hideo Nomo, they once again found a player that elevated the game. Nomo came to the Los Angeles Dodgers as just the second Japanese-born player in MLB history. And unlike Masanori Murakami in the 1960s, Nomo came to the United States with no contractual restrictions. Nomo was here to stay.

Nomo was the clear favorite for National League Rookie of the Year, and not just because he played for the Dodgers. Following in the footsteps of Karros, Piazza, and Mondesi, Nomo won Rookie of the Year honors leading the National League in Strikeouts and Shutouts. He broke the Dodger rookie record for Ks, and his 11.1 K/9 rate broke Sandy Koufax's team record. The only factor working against him for the award was the debate over whether or not the 26 year old was truly a "rookie" having excelled for years in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

In Japan, he had been passed over in the 1988 NPB draft due to "poor control," but he would perfect his signature forkball in the Industrial League in Japan, representing Nippon Steel in Osaka. His performance earned him a spot on Team Japan in the 1988 Olympic games, which finally drew the attention of NPB clubs.
Nomo debuted in professional ball in 1990, leading the league in Strikeouts with 287. Over his 5 seasons in the NPB with the Kintetsu Buffaloes, Nomo had 13 shutouts and struck out over 1200 batters in just over 1000 innings pitched. In 1994, Nomo was hurt for much of the year, and pitching for a new coach who believed in pitching through pain. The new coach was an All-Time Great NPB pitcher who commanded a great deal of respect. At the same time, Nomo was eagerly hoping to prove his abilities against a new set of challenges. After consulting with agents in the United States, Nomo opted to retire from the NPB at the age of 26. The rules of the league allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent for any other league. Kintetsu would retain his rights if he returned to pitching in the NPB.

The Dodgers would wring all they could from Nomo's arm, having him toss an average of 200+ innings in his first 4 seasons. Nomo would not reach the dizzying heights of his rookie campaign again, but he would continue to strike out batters at a blistering clip. He joined Dwight Gooden as the only two MLB pitchers to strike out 200+ batters in each of his first 3 seasons. In 1996, Nomo made history again, tossing a no-hitter at Coors Field (this is before the humidor was installed, by the way.). He is still the only pitcher to toss a no-hitter in the rare air of Colorado.

As a hitter? Well, no one would confuse him for Shohei Ohtani, though he would find some power later in his career. He would hit his first MLB home run in 1998, just months before being traded to the New York Mets.

Nomo would bounce around the league after leaving the Dodgers, but he would continue his assault on the all-time strikeout leaderboard. In 1999, Nomo reached 1,000 career strikeouts. He was 3rd fastest to reach the milestone in MLB history. Nomo would also lead the AL in Ks in 2001 pitching for the Red Sox. He would also toss another no hitter, becoming just the 4th pitcher to toss a no-hitter in both leagues. The 2001 No-hitter came at Camden Yards in Baltimore, and he is the only pitcher to toss a no-hitter at that ballpark, too!

Nomo would return to LA beginning in 2002, and he would pitch for 3 more seasons in Southern Califonia. His career in a Dodgers' uniform included an 81-66 record and 1,200 Ks in 1,217 innings.

After being becoming a free agent before the 2005 season, Nomo signed with Tampa Bay and had a less than Nomo-like season, and he was released after 19 starts. That number is significant, as Nomo was due an additional $700,000 if he made 20 starts for the Rays. The Yankees signed him to a minor league deal and he finished out the year at their AAA affiliate. He would spend 2006 with the White Sox organization, but did not get a call-up.

His career appeared to be over, but he would appear in the Venezuelan Winter League pitching for his former catcher, now manager Carlos Hernandez. He signed a minor league deal in 2008 with Kansas City, and would make 3 relief appearances for the Royals before being designated for assignment. He would retire officially in July of 2008, with over 200 victories combined between the NPB and MLB. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

What are your favorite Hideo Nomo stories?

1994 Topps All-Star Rookie Outfielder Manny Ramirez

Every team he played for had a "Manny Being Manny" story. Whether it was leaving his paycheck behind in his cleats on a road trip, or leaving the field of play to use the restroom inside the Green Monster. Manny Ramirez was a player who moved to the beat of his own drummer. Antics aside, Ramirez would show from his rookie year on that he was one of the best hitters to ever play the game.

He was a pre-season lock to be the 1994 AL Rookie of the Year, and while he didn't quite meet that expectation, there was little reason to think that he was anything less than a budding superstar. He played in just 91 games in the strike shortened season, ranking 2nd among rookies in Homers, RBI, Doubles, and hits.

Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but attended high school in New York City. His family moved to NYC when Manny was 13 years old, and by the time he was a high school Senior at George Washington High school, he was already a legend among those that had seen his offensive prowess. His Senior year, he batted .650 with 14 homers in 22 games. He was a first round draft pick of Cleveland, and made a steady climb up the minors, hitting double digit homers at each stop along the way. Across AA and AAA in 1993, Manny hit .333 with 31 homers and 115 RBI. By 1994 he was ready for the show.

Over his 8 seasons in Cleveland, Ramirez made 4 All-Star teams, and won 3 Silver Slugger awards. He would appear in 10 different post-season series with the team, slugging 13 homers over those games. Even when not hitting, he contributed to his team's offense by scoring runs after drawing walks. While he was never mistaken for an adept fielder in left field, his bat more than made up for his limited range. His Cleveland career included over 1,000 hits and 232 homers with a .313 average. While they did not win a World Series during his time there, the team would not have been the dynasty they became in the 90s without his bat in the middle of the lineup.

In Boston, the young talent matured into a savvy veteran with very few weaknesses at the plate. During his Red Sox tenure, Manny won a batting title (2002), a home run title (2004), and a World Series MVP award (2004). He was an All-Star in all 8 seasons with Boston, and won 6 Silver Slugger awards. In those 8 seasons, he had over 1200 hits and 274 homers.

None was celebrated bigger than this one, a walk off winner in game 2 of the 2007 ALDS.

To many, Manny's time in Los Angeles was disappointing. He was not able to lead the Dodgers to a World Series, even though he hit .391 after being acquired by the Dodgers half way through the 2008 season. He would hit .500 in the NLDS against the Cubs, and .533 against the Phillies in the NLCS in a losing effort. The following season he ran afoul of the league's drug testing, and was suspended for 50 games, testing positive for a drug that can be used to mask steroid use. He would still be eligible for post season play, hitting .308 in the NLDS and a homer in the NLCS. He would run into injury issues in 2010, losing his regular role in LF. After being ejected for arguing strike one with an umpire in a pinch hitting appearance, the Dodgers placed Ramirez on waivers.

He would finish 2010 with the Chicago White Sox, then signed with Tampa Bay in the off season. He had a strong Spring Training, but struggled early in the 2011 season for the Rays. It was then revealed that he had tested positive for another PED, and Ramirez abruptly retired. He would attempt comebacks in 2012 with Oakland, 2013 with the Rangers, and in 2014 with the Chicago Cubs, but each time he ended the season without a major league at bat.

Is Manny a Hall of Famer? He's already in the Hall of Stats and the Hall of Merit - but those 2 failed drug tests seem to have made the decision for the BBWAA writers already. In his 3 years on the ballot so far, he has yet to reach even 25% of the vote.

1994 Topps Rookie All-Star Short Stop Chris Gomez

The 1994 Topps Rookie All-Star squad returns for Labor Day with a player who exemplifies hard work. Chris Gomez played both 2nd and Short for the Tigers in 1994, and makes the Topps Roster as the team's SS.

Gomez was developed as a glove first middle infielder, but it was his unexpected power surge in 1994 that convinced Sparky Anderson to continue to pencil him into the lineup for the Tigers. The team of course had Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker for the umpteenth season in the middle infield, as well as super utility man Tony Phillips to fill in, limiting Gomez to 84 games played.

The Tigers drafted Gomez in the third round of the 1992 draft out of Long Beach State. He originally attended Loyola Marymount after High School in Lakewood California. He was drafted out of high school by the Angels but opted to go to school for an education and to develop his skills. By his senior season, Gomez was an elite defender and capable with the bat, becoming an All-American selection at Short.

Gomez had the tall task of supplanting Alan Trammell as the everyday SS for the Tigers, and the early returns were promising. His defense was predictably solid, and he did hit 11 homers in 1995, but had just a .223 batting average. The Tigers had been spoiled for nearly 2 decades with a perennial All-Star at the position and would end up trading him to San Diego in 1996 in a trade including Brad Ausmus and Andujar Cedeño. 

Gomez would play parts of 5 seasons with the Friars, including a big offensive year in 1998, when he hit a career best 32 doubles. He hit .364 for the 1998 World Series, including a triple. His superlative defense continued as well, leading the NL fielding pct and was second in double plays turned.

Following his Padres' run and a successful season as the Rays' shortstop, Gomez became a valuable utility player for several teams, playing all over the infield for Minnesota, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and almost Philadelphia.

Interesting story - in December of 2004, Baltimore scooped up Chris Gomez from the free agent class just before the Rule V draft. The Orioles didn't have room on the major league roster at the moment as they were exploring trades to possibly net Tim Hudson from the A's. The O's placed Gomez temporarily on the AA Bowie BaySox roster. The Phillies swooped in and opted to use one of their minor league Rule V selections to pick Gomez, and Baltimore nearly lost their free agent to a technicality. The Phillies wanted Gomez as insurance for possibly losing Placido Polanco, but once the Phils reunited with him, they gave the O's a chance to buy back Gomez.

Any Chris Gomez memories to share? Maybe Cleveland fans that recall the playoff push in 2007? Or Padres fans from a decade before?

Rocco's Managerial Life

via MLB.com/twins

After four years serving as a special assistant in the Rays' minor-league system, Rocco Baldelli joined the major league club and spent a pair of seasons as the team's first base coach. In 2018, he was named the Rays' Field Coordinator, working alongside Manager Kevin Cash and the other Rays coaches on player development, with an emphasis on outfield play. This off-season, the Minnesota Twins hired Baldelli to be the team's 14th Manager since moving to the Twin Cities in 1961. 

Baldelli was the 6th Overall pick in 2000, five spots after Adrian Gonzalez. Baldelli was a speedy, athletic outfielder who was poised to combine power and speed at the big league level. He was a standout in High School in Rhode Island, though his Senior Year was truncated by a mixture of bad weather and injuries.

Baldelli was also a great student, drawing the interest of Ivy League schools before being drafted into major league baseball. His minor league career was brief- a rare talent combined with a team just 2 years removed from expansion made his path a short one. After rookie ball, he spent a season in Single A, stealing 25 bases and hitting 8 homers. The next season he toured the Rays' minor league system shooting up the ranks and finishing in AAA. He hit 19 homers and stole 26 more bases. He would be the Devil Rays' Opening Day Center Fielder in 2003.

Baldelli finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2003, behind Angel Berroa of the Royals and Hideki Matsui of the Yankees. Baldelli was 21 years old his rookie year, 8 years younger than Matsui, and 4 years younger than Berroa. He had a higher average and more hits and stolen bases than both of those guys in 2003, finishing above both in WAR as well. And of course, he was a Topps All-Star Rookie!

Baldelli's career began with a 13 game hitting streak. He led the AL in outfield Assists his rookie season, and was near the top of the league in fielding chances and putouts. His 2nd season was a continuation of the excellent play he exhibited in the field and at the plate. He was once again #1 among AL outfielders in Assists. He stole another 17 bags and increased his homer total from 11 as a rookie to 16 in his 2nd season. In his first two seasons, he drew comparisons to Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, and even Joe DiMaggio (though that may have been as much about a passing resemblance as a tall and lanky Italian American outfielder as it was about his performance on the field).   

What happened next has been well documented - a freak injury in the offseason resulted in torn ligaments in his knee, then he injured his elbow in Spring Training, resulting in Tommy John surgery. He would miss the entire 2005 season. In 2006 and 2007, Hamstring injuries limited him to just 92 and 35 games, respectively. Beginning in 2008, Baldelli began to suffer from a condition that left him feeling very weak after even limited exercise. He put his playing career on hold, seeking a diagnosis. Was it Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS)? Multiple Sclerosis? While the exact issue was not identified, Baldelli was cleared by his doctors to resume his career, and was a hero for the Rays in the ALCS in 2008- hitting a 3 run homer in Game 3, helping seal the victory over the Red Sox. He also had an RBI in the deciding 7th Game of the ALCS, propelling Tampa to the World Series.

He would join the Red Sox as a reserve outfielder in 2009, and played in 63 games. He retired after the 2010 season, following another year in Tampa, and another playoff appearance. His sharp baseball mind was valued highly by the Rays, and immediately moved to make him part of the orgs' team of outfield instructors.

Sorting Out . . . The Tampa Bay Rays

Here's another completely Irregular Feature on the Old Arbitrary: I call it "Sorting Out ... "

I started a grand organization of my cards - the first attempt I've made to do so. I sorted everything by team (at least, I think it is everything - I bet I will find another box of cards somewhere any day now).

The smallest population of cards was, as you might imagine, the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays.

Let's begin sorting out ... Tampa Bay:

 The first Devil Ray to reach 3,000 hits and the first Hall of Famer -- Wade Boggs made a farewell tour in Tampa.

The Crime Dog appeared in Devil Rays garb as well.
 

Canseco made his way to Tampa as well. 

For awhile, the Rays had a formidable 1-2 punch in their rotation:

The great thing about sorting is that now I can find cards easily for trade... without further adieu, here are a few examples of Rays that are available for trade:

The Kazmir card is serial numbered to 100:

There's a lot more where these came from, and you can view all the Rays I'm trading (along with several other teams) by checking out my Zistle tradelist. You don't need to be a Zistle member to trade, either. See anything you like? You can just send me an e-mail.