I think Arthur Rhodes prefers THIS World Series ring

No matter what, Arthur Rhodes was going to get his first World Series ring.
He played for the Rangers AND the Cardinals.
If the Rangers got that last strike last night, it would be a Rangers ring.

Call me crazy, I think this will be sweeter for him.

He has pitched over 20 years in the bigs with 9 different teams.
Now he has a World Series ring.

I feel good for Arthur Rhodes.
How could you not?

Awesome overload at AT&T Park

There will never be a night like this again in San Francisco.

Oh there might be another ring ceremony by China Basin.
And there will no doubt be another "down to the last strike surreal walk off win" for the Giants. So far they have had two in two home games this year.

But there will never be a first ring ceremony again.
Never again will there be a night where Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry get their first ever World Series rings. (Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda got rings, but those were their second rings. Willie won in 1954. Cha Cha with the 1967 Cardinals.)

And to combine that with the surreal ending and Miguel Tejada basically saying "I want a ring too!" and you have a night that will never be replicated.

The great things about the Ring Ceremony is that it gives the previous championship a final exclamation. Everyone who got a ring (including Barry Zito) never has to wonder if they will ever reach the top of the baseball world. So many Hall of Famers played long and wonderful careers and never got that.

I wonder if the Madison Bumgarners and Buster Poseys, who spent part of 2010 in the minor leagues and won as a rookie, really understood what Perry and McCovey's rings meant.

They each played 22 seasons and never won a Series (although if McCovey's line drive eluded Bobby Richardson, then it would have been a different story.)

So 2010 is over. Focus on 2011.
And if the first few games are any indication, it is going to be nuts.

A great day for three Yankees with bad timing

The Giants and their coaching staff got their World Series rings yesterday. And for three members of the coaching staff it was especially sweet.

Dave Righetti, Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens and Roberto Kelly were all supposed to be big parts in a revamped Yankees team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unfortunately for them, the Yankees were dreadful when they played for them.

Had they played for the Yankees for a few more years, they may have had a chance to win a World Series (or 4) with the Joe Torre led squad. Instead they went through their playing career without a ring.

I am sure watching the many Yankee World Series ring celebrations over the years put a little bit of envy into them.

Now they've got rings of their own.

As I wrote last October, Yankee fans should have rooted for the Giants in the post season.
Now I hope a few Yankee fans are happy for some of the representatives of some not as lucky times in the Bronx.

Yes, I know A-Rod was getting a ring...but...

But it was an intellectual understanding.

Actually SEEING A-Rod with a ring is kind of sickening...
Please other 29 teams, someone keep them from repeating as champs

10 year veterans in search of their first World Series ring

The Sully Baseball “Who Might Get A Ring” obsession continues with a look at which veterans have a shot at a ring after 10+ seasons.

Which ever team wins in any year, there is inevitably a veteran who put in long years who finally won the big one… and it is hard to not smile when you see them win.

I remember being thrilled for former Red Sox hero Don Baylor when he got his ring in 1987 with the Twins.

It’s hard not to have goose bumps when you see Dave Winfield drive in the World Series winning runs in 1992… or Paul Molitor score on the Joe Carter homer… and even though he was hurt and not available, the White Sox win in 2005 must have been especially sweet for Frank Thomas.

And it isn’t always for the superstars. All time journeyman Mike Morgan finally got his ring in 2001.

And last year Jamie Moyer and Matt Stairs won it all with the Phillies.

Who will get the sentimental attention when the champagne pops this year?

Which player who made their debut at least 10 seasons ago will really cherish the final out, all the while looking at the rookie on the roster and think “You have no idea how lucky you are!”?

My criteria for this list is the following:

The players had to make their Major League debut in 2000 or sooner. (Sorry Hideki Matsui and Takashi Saito… I’m not counting the Japanese Leagues.)

If they missed some time due to injury, that’s fine, as long as their debut was 2000 or sooner. Rick Ankiel is on the list even though he had to go back to the farm to become an outfielder (and find an extra boost.)

They need to be in the organization now, even if they are hurt or won’t play. Lest we forget, Matt Clement and Royce Clayton got World Series rings in 2007 even though Clement played in as many games as I did that year and Royce Clayton’s only contribution was the funny “I didn’t get my taco” exchange with Coco Crisp.

There are four fomer MVPs and no shortage of former All Stars. The Dodgers have the most… the Twins have the fewest.

So let’s see who the sentimental favorites will be…

ATLANTA BRAVES

Tim Hudson – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Greg Norton – 13 seasons (Debut in 1996)
Javier Vazquez – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)

BOSTON RED SOX

Paul Byrd – 14 seasons (Debut 1995)
Billy Wagner – 15 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Chris Woodward - 10 seasons (Debut in 1999)

COLORADO ROCKIES

Jason Giambi – 15 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Todd Helton – 13 seasons (Debut in 1997)
Matt Herges – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)

DETROIT TIGERS

Carlos Guillen – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)
Aubrey Huff – 10 seasons (Debut in 2000)
Magglio Ordonez – 13 seasons (Debut in 1997)
Placido Polanco – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Bobby Abreu – 14 seasons (Debut in 1996)
Kelvim Escobar – 12 seasons (Debut 1997)
Vladimir Guerrero – 14 seasons (Debut in 1996)
Torii Hunter – 13 seasons (Debut in 1997)
Gary Matthews Jr – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Darren Oliver – 16 seasons (Debut in 1993)
Justin Speier – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Brad Ausmus – 17 seasons (Debut in 1993)

Casey Blake - 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Juan Castro – 15 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Rafael Furcal – 10 seasons (Debut in 2000)
Mark Loretta – 15 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Eric Milton – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)
Guillermo Mota – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Vicente Padilla – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Jason Schmidt – 14 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Jim Thome – 19 seasons (Debut in 1991)
Randy Wolf – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)

MINNESOTA TWINS

Ron Mahay – 14 seasons (Debut in 1995)
Joe Nathan – 10 seasons (Debut in 1999)

NEW YORK YANKEES

A. J. Burnett – 11 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Jerry Hairston, Jr. – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)
Alex Rodriguez – 16 seasons (Debut in 1994)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Paul Bako – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)
Raul Ibanez – 14 seasons (Debut in 1996)
Chan Ho Park – 16 seasons (Debut in 1994)

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Rick Ankiel – 7 seasons (Debut in 1999)*
Mark DeRosa – 12 seasons (Debut in 1998)
Ryan Franklin – 10 seasons (Debut in 1999)
Trever Miller – 11 seasons (Debut in 1996)
Joel Pineiro – 10 seasons (Debut in 2000)
Dennys Reyes – 13 seasons (Debut in 1997)

*Ankiel missed the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 MLB seasons.

Rings for Don Mattingly? Terry Pendleton?

Were there ever two players that had worse luck for winning a World Series ring than Don Mattingly and Terry Pendleton?

I wrote last year how Mattingly's career was perfectly wedged between two great Yankee eras.

Terry Pendleton's career was no less agonizing in terms of getting a ring. He was part of two Cardinals teams that lost game 7 of the World Series, including the Don Denkinger game of 1985.

And as a member of the Braves he was the MVP of their miraculous 1991 pennant run. But they lost THAT series in 7 games... and lost the World Series in 1992 and the NLCS in 1993. Pendleton went to the Marlins in 1995 as the Braves won the World Series. He returned to Atlanta the next year, only to see the Yankees pull off one of the great upsets in World Series history... the year after Mattingly retired.

Well guess what?

Both of them are coaches on teams that might very well be playing deep into October.

They can get their belated World Series rings THIS year!

If the Dodgers win it all, Mattingly would finally have a ring.

If the Braves win it all, Pendleton would get his at long last.

And there are other ringless veterans on almost every coaching staff that has either clinched or is in contention.

Glenn Hubbard was played 12 seasons but was cut from the 1989 World Champion A's team in midseason.

Tony Pena would have been the 1987 World Series MVP if the Cardinals could have held onto their game 7 lead.

Andy Van Slyke not only was on that same 1985 Cardinals team with Pendleton but also played for the Pirates team who had their World Series dreams dashed by Francisco Cabrera.

Interestingly, each member of the official Cardinals coaching staff have already won a World Series ring as a player or as a coach (or in the case of Hal McRae, both.)

Coaches don't get the attention that the players nor manager get... but for sentimental reasons let's take a look at which former Major Leaguers currently on coaching staffs might finally earn that World Series ring at long last.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Glenn Hubbard – 12 year career (1978-1989)
Terry Pendleton – 15 year career (1984-1998)

BOSTON RED SOX

Tim Bogar – 9 year career (1993-2001)

COLORADO ROCKIES

Bob Apodoca - 5 year career (1973-1977)

Tom Runnells - 2 year career (1985-1986)

Jim Tracy, Manager - 2 year career (1980-1981)

Jim Wright - 2 year career (1981-1982)

DETROIT TIGERS

Jeff Jones - 5 year career (1980-1984)

Gene Lamont - 5 year career (1970-1975)

Lloyd McClendon- 8 year career (1987-1994)

Andy Van Slyke - 13 year career (1983-1995)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

Mike Butcher – 4 year career (1992-1995)
Orlando Mercado – 8 year career (1982 – 1990)

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Don Mattingly - 14 year career (1982-1995)

MINNESOTA TWINS

Scott Ullger - 1 year career (1983)

Jerry White - 11 year career (1974-1986)

NEW YORK YANKEES

Dave Eiland - 10 year career (1988-2000)

Mike Harkey - 8 year career (1988-1997)

Mick Kelleher - 11 year career (1972-1982)

Tony Pena - 18 year career (1980-1997)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Pete Mackanin - 9 year career (1973-1981)

Stumbled across a factoid while writing another post...

Building up for the post season, I was planning on writing a series of obsessive lists about players and coaches who are looking to win their first World Series ring.

I have a fixation with people getting their World Series ring as I can only imagine it would be the apex of anyone's career... and NOT winning one must be a never ending source of frustration.

So I was looking up info on the coaching staffs of the teams that have either clinched a spot in the post season (Yankees, Cardinals, Dodgers, Angels) those who will clinch in the next day or so (Red Sox, Phillies) and those still fighting for a spot (Tigers, Twins, Rockies, Braves) to see which  coaches are looking for THEIR first ever World Series ring.

And the bit of trivia I have discovered was this...

All the managers of the teams still with October aspirations already have a World Series ring... except for Rockies manager Jim Tracy.

Joe Girardi of the the Yankees won as a player during the Joe Torre era.

Terry Francona of the Red Sox managed the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox teams.

Mike Scioscia of the Angels won as a player with the 1981 and 1988 Dodgers and as a manager with the 2002 Angels.

Jim Leyland of the Tigers managed the 1997 Marlins.

Ron Gardenhire of the Twins earned a ring as a coach for the 1991 Twins.

Charlie Manuel of the Phillies managed the 2008 World Champion Phillies.

Tony LaRussa of the Cardinals managed the 1989 A's and the 2006 Cardinals.

Joe Torre of the Dodgers managed the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Yankees.

Bobby Cox of the Braves managed the 1995 Braves.

Which means Tracy stands alone as a ringless manager.

And if the Braves pass the Rockies for the Wild Card, then this whole "winning a ring" would be old hat for ALL the managers.