Broadcaster Jack Morris Apologizes for Offensive Accent Before Shohei Ohtani At-Bat
Aug 18, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- AUGUST 18: Former pitcher Jack Morris is honored for his Hall of Fame induction prior to the game between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers on August 18, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Tigers defeated the Twins 7-5. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
Hall of Fame pitcher Jack Morris, who
currently works as a Detroit Tigers broadcaster, apologized for an
accent he used while describing how to pitch Los Angeles Angels
superstar Shohei Ohtani during Tuesday night's game.
Morris said in part: "I sincerely
apologize if I offended anybody, especially anybody in the Asian
community." Here's the full incident and apology, via Wood TV's
Spencer Wheelock:
The 66-year-old Minnesota native
pitched for the Tigers (1977-1990), Minnesota Twins (1991), Toronto
Blue Jays (1992-93) and Cleveland (1994) during his playing career.
He's since returned to work for the Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays as a
color analyst.
Morris is in his second stint as part
of the Detroit broadcast crew. He was rehired in 2019 after
previously working for the team during the 2015 and 2016 MLB seasons.
His remark about Ohtani,
a native of Japan, came before the Tigers intentionally walked MLB's
home run leader in the sixth inning. Morris apologized when the two-way
sensation returned to the plate in the ninth inning.
Neither the Tigers nor television
network Bally Sports Detroit returned initial requests for comment on
Morris from Kirkland Crawford of the Detroit Free Press on
Tuesday night.
Ohtani, the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and a 2021 All-Star, finished the game by going
1-for-3 with three walks in an 8-2 Angels win.
Los Angeles and Detroit have two
matchups left on Wednesday and Thursday as part of a three-game series.
Ranking MLB's Filthiest Pitches of the Last 3 Months
Aug 13, 2021
ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 26: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches in the game against the Colorado Rockies at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 26, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
More than three months have passed since we ranked Joe Musgrove's slider, Corbin Burnes' cutter, Jacob deGrom's fastball and the 10 filthiest pitches from the first month of Major League Baseball's 2021 season.
So, yeah, it's about time for a new list.
In ranking 10 more of the nastiest pitches of 2021, our major ground rule was that any pitch that made the first list couldn't also make the cut for this new list. Now that they have larger sample sizes under their belts, we also opened the door for relief pitchers this time.
Also of note is that both aesthetics and results matter here. The ideal pitch was one that not only stands out for its velocity, movement and other qualities but also because its stats scream "unhittable!"
Alas, the poor sinker. It's certainly the lesser of the three dominant fastball types, as the average hitter is
hitting a sturdy .279 against sinkers compared to only .256 against four-seamers and .257 against cutters.
Against Graveman's sinker, though, hitters are just 8-for-75 with not even one extra-base hit.
It helps that the Seattle Mariners-turned-Houston Astros right-hander is throwing it at a career-best average of 96.5 mph. He also mostly works his sinker on the inside half of the plate against both left-handed and right-handed batters, and their meager 84.7 mph average exit velocity against the pitch speaks to how frequently Graveman jams them with it.
9. Patrick Sandoval’s Changeup
And now for Patrick Sandoval, an underrated pitcher who might just have the most underrated pitch in baseball:
Granted, Sandoval's changeup might not look especially nasty. It's certainly not as aesthetically pleasing as, say, the all-time great lefty changeups of Johan Santana or Cole Hamels.
Yet ever since Sandoval moved into the Los Angeles Angels' rotation on May 17, his changeup has racked up more swings and misses than any secondary pitch outside of Kevin Gausman's splitter. It was also largely responsible for the 32 whiffs that he got in a single outing on June 6, which is still the high mark for any pitcher this season.
To give credit where it's due, Luke Hooper of FanGraphs did a fine job of breaking down the exact mechanics of Sandoval's changeup in July. As a starter, he's used it to hold opposing hitters to a .139 average (14-for-101) with 49 strikeouts.
8. Devin Williams’ Changeup
Better hide those cabbages, because here comes an airbender:
The changeup was the defining feature of Devin Williams' run to the National League Rookie of the Year in 2020. It accounted for 52.7 percent of his pitches and 41 of his 53 strikeouts, all of which came in tandem with a microscopic 0.33 ERA.
Rather than back off, the Milwaukee Brewers righty has doubled down on his changeup in 2021. He's now throwing it for 62.5 percent of his pitches, which is more often than Kenley Jansen is throwing cutters this season.
And yet Williams' airbender is still baffling opposing hitters, who are 20-for-117 with 54 strikeouts against it. It's as if the pitch has more vertical movement than any other changeup, not to mention horizontal action that can break one way or the other.
7. Framber Valdez’s Curveball
Which left-hander has the best curveball in baseball today?
We'll see your Blake Snells and Clayton Kershaws and raise you a Framber Valdez:
If nothing else, the Astros ace's curveball is noteworthy for the frequency with which he throws it. He didn't even make his 2021 debut until May 28 because of a broken finger, yet he's still thrown more curves than all but six other southpaws this season.
There also aren't many curveballs that break like Valdez's, which is in well-above-average territory with its vertical and horizontal movement. That all happens late, too, as his hooks have a habit of looking like hangers until they suddenly hightail it out of the hitting zone.
It's a pitch that simply can't be laid off and can't be hit. Opposing hitters who've tried are merely 14-for-121 with 63 strikeouts against it.
6. Craig Kimbrel’s Curveball
If anyone's in the mood for an oldie but goodie, here's Craig Kimbrel's curveball:
Many a hitter has been emasculated by Kimbrel's curve over the years, in part because he just throws it so darn hard. At an average of 86.4 mph in 2021, it's indeed more like a slider than a curveball.
This is also true of the pitch's movement these days. Over the last two seasons, Kimbrel has been throwing his hook from a lower arm angle than he did previously. That's reduced the pitch's vertical movement but upped its horizontal action.
You could make the case that Kimbrel, who recently moved from the Chicago Cubs to the Chicago White Sox, should not have messed with a good thing, but, well, the .071 average (4-for-56) against his curveball this year is the lowest of his career.
5. Alex Reyes’ Slider
As he's walked 42 batters and thrown nine wild pitches in only 52.2 innings, Alex Reyes might be the wildest pitcher in baseball. Yet here's one reason to let that slide:
There are also other reasons, as Reyes' slider is but one of five pitches he's throwing with regularity in 2021. That alone makes him more remarkable than John Q. Closer, who only throws two pitches.
What makes the St. Louis Cardinals closer's slider particularly gnarly is that it comes to the plate at 86.1 mph on average and has legit two-plane break by way of its above-average horizontal and vertical movement.
So, kudos to Javier Baez and Bryan Reynolds for being the only players to hit Reyes' slider over the fence this year. Those are basically the lone blemishes on a pitch against which hitters are 5-for-58 with 36 strikeouts.
4. Aaron Bummer’s Slider
They really ought to test Aaron Bummer for foreign substances that have the power to turn ordinary baseballs into whiffle balls:
Bummer's slider breaks about as much as you'd think. It not only boasts more horizontal movement than any other pitcher's slider but is also up there in vertical movement.
It's therefore hard to blame hitters for getting all deer-in-the-headlights whenever the White Sox lefty unleashes his slider. It only draws swings about half the time and has been hit into play on only 15 occasions all season.
Those 15 incidents have yielded only five hits (all singles) in 62 at-bats ending by Bummer's slider. He's also collected 47 outs by way of the strikeout, which actually gives his slider the highest strikeout rate of any pitch that's ended at least 50 plate appearances.
3. Blake Treinen’s Slider
Pick a Blake Treinen pitch. Any Blake Treinen pitch. No matter your selection, it'll move like it's on a string.
As nasty as Treinen's sinker and curveball are in their own right, you can see why his slider has become his primary pitch in 2021.
Numbers-wise, it doesn't have quite as much vertical movement as Bummer's slider. It does, however, have comparable horizontal movement and a velocity advantage of over three miles per hour at an average of 86.5 mph.
Ultimately, the Los Angeles Dodgers righty's slider is about as unhittable as pitches get. Hitters have struck out 36 times against it while collecting only four hits in 65 at-bats. That's an .062 average, the lowest such mark of any pitch that's ended at least 60 plate appearances.
2. Shohei Ohtani’s Splitter
Though he mainly works as the best home run hitter in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani also moonlights as one of the league's great pitchers.
At an average of 87.6 mph, Ohtani's splitter is one of the fastest in baseball today. And while its downward action isn't that impressive relative to other splitters, what movement it does have seems to happen when the ball is inches away from the plate.
No wonder hitters just can't hit it.
In 2021 alone, they're 7-for-86 with 55 strikeouts against Ohtani's split. Go back to 2018, and those numbers jump to 10-for-145 with 92 strikeouts.
1. Freddy Peralta’s Four-Seam Fastball
Appropriately, at the very top of this list is arguably the best pitch in baseball right now.
OK, so, it's a fastball. Definitely a good one, as evidenced by that pitch's 97 mph reading on the radar gun. But apart from that, seemingly nothing special.
And yet there is something instructive about the fact that Peralta has gotten more called strikeouts with his four-seamer than any other pitcher.
Perhaps that comes down to how well the Brewers ace hides the ball. Or how, relative to other 5'11" pitchers, he's able to release the ball closer to home plate. Or maybe it's the pitch's rising action. Or all of the above.
Whatever it is, Carlos Rodon's four-seamer is the only pitch that has Peralta's heater matched in terms of overall run value. And since Peralta's pitch is the better of the two in opposing average (.133) and strikeout rate (34.5 percent), it gets a slice of cake from us.
Max Scherzer Rumors: Angels Could Be 'Big Player' for Dodgers Star in Free Agency
Aug 12, 2021
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 10: Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches during the first inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 8, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers may have to compete with their northern neighbors if they hope to re-sign pitcher Max Scherzer this offseason.
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Los Angeles Angels were interested in adding Scherzer before the trade deadline, and that desire to have him suit up alongside Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani may carry over to the winter.
The Angels may be a big player for Max Scherzer in winter as I just said on @MLBNetwork. It could be an LA-LA showdown. Even on outskirts of race, they looked into him as a rental so it makes sense they’d cover him as a free agent. And based on his trade list he clearly likes LA!
It's unclear how much the 37-year-old Scherzer could command in the offseason. The former Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals ace is finishing up a seven-year, $210 million deal, during which time he helped bring a World Series to D.C. in 2019.
The urgency for the Angels is understandable.
Los Angeles hasn't made the postseason since 2014 and is running out of time to capitalize on having Trout, one of the best players in MLB history. His postseason career consists solely of a 3-0 sweep by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series.
If Scherzer does decide to join the Angels, he'd be reuniting with former Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, who left Washington to join L.A. on a seven-year, $245 million contract.
While it's unlikely Scherzer commands that type of contract length at this point in his career, the Angels have shown a willingness to pay at—or above—market value for top talent.
Scherzer certainly qualifies as top talent. The eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young winner remains as stellar as ever, posting a 2.67 ERA over 121.1 innings with 163 strikeouts and 29 walks. That's good for a 0.890 WHIP, the best in Scherzer's career if he can maintain it for the rest of the season.
It's not often the Angels and Dodgers compete for talent. As Los Angeles' AL team looks to catch up to their local rival, adding one of the best arms in the game is sure to help close the gap.
Mike Trout Won't Be Shut Down for Season After Injury Setback, Angels GM Says
Aug 12, 2021
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout (27) walks back to first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians Monday, May 17, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters that there are no plans to shut down superstar center fielder Mike Trout, who has missed nearly three months with a right calf strain, for the season.
"My policy with any player is we go day-to-day and communicate," Minasian told reporters Wednesday. "From our end, we will not rush him. We want him to feel good about how his calf feels and to play at his level when he does come back."
Per the Associated Press (via ESPN), Trout was originally scheduled to be out six to eight weeks but has now missed 12. He felt discomfort running the bases a few weeks prior, but scans have revealed that the calf continues to heal at a rate slower than originally anticipated.
Trout, MLB's gold standard for the past decade, was off to another terrific start in 2021 with a 1.090 OPS and eight home runs through 36 appearances before landing on the injured list with the calf strain, which he suffered in a May 17 game against Cleveland. He's been off the field ever since.
The 30-year-old New Jersey native has paired his virtually unmatched offensive talent with good durability throughout his career. The last time he missed an extended stretch because of injury came back in 2017. He otherwise appeared in at least 134 games in every full season since 2012.
Juan Lagares took over as the Angels' full-time center fielder with Trout sidelined, but Brandon Marsh has started 20 games in center since July 18. Justin Upton, Jo Adell and Adam Eaton have also started in the corner outfield spots since August 1.
L.A.'s offense simply has no way to replace the production the three-time American League MVP provides when healthy, so expect middling results until Trout is back to full strength. The Angels entered the night with a 57-57 mark.
Angels' Anthony Rendon to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery on Hip Injury
Aug 4, 2021
Los Angeles Angels' Anthony Rendon (6) runs to first base during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles Friday, July 2, 2021, in Anaheim. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
"Rendon will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a right hip impingement," the team said in a statement Wednesday. "Additional information will be provided as appropriate.”
In his second season as a member of the Angels, the 31-year-old hit .240/.329/.382 with six home runs and 34 RBI in 58 games.
The veteran has struggled to stay on the field this year, requiring three stints on the injured list with groin, knee and hamstring injuries.
He did not appear in a game after July 4.
Before signing a seven-year contract with the Angels, Rendon spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals.
During that stretch, he was a two-time Silver Slugger award winner, one-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion. He also finished sixth or better in the National League MVP voting on three separate occasions.
His best season came in 2019 when he finished third in the MVP voting after hitting .319 with 34 home runs and 126 RBI. Rendon was also named an All-Star for the first time that year, and he hit .328 with three homers and 15 RBI during the playoffs as the Nats went on to win their first World Series.
That performance landed Rendon a monster contract with the Angels, and while he performed well during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, 26-34 L.A. did not thrive.
In 52 games last season, Rendon hit .286 with nine home runs and 31 RBI. That was enough to create some excitement regarding the Angels lineup entering 2021 with Rendon, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani leading the way.
Unfortunately for Rendon, injuries have prevented him from having the type of season most fans and pundits expected.
Jack Mayfield has filled in at third base in the star's absence but has slashed just .197/.234/.192 with five home runs since a late-July call-up.
Mike Trout Angels Rookie Card Graded Mint 9 Sells for More than $1M
Jul 29, 2021
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout throws back a baseball after signing it to a fan before a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, July 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
A rare Mike Trout rookie card recently sold for more than $1 million in a private sale.
Per TMZ Sports, music producer DJ Skee bought the 2011 Mike Trout Topps Update "Platinum" card for close to $1.1 million in a deal brokered by PWCC marketplace.
The card received a grade of "Mint 9" by Beckett, the third-highest grade possible in the system.
The version of the card Skee purchased is stamped as 1/1 with a brief summary of Trout's professional career to that point:
"Many scouts had Mike at the top of their prospect checklists at the time of his promotion to the Angels in July 2011. Only 19 at the time, he was hitting .330 with nine home runs and 28 steals for Double-A Arkansas. The New Jersey born speedster debuted on July 8 vs. Seattle, then showed his wares the next night with his first hit and two runs scored."
Trout's cards have been among the most valuable collectors' items. A 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfactor card featuring the three-time American League MVP sold for $3.93 million at auction in August.
The Angels selected Trout with the 25th pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft. The New Jersey native has gone on to become the best player of this generation. He has made the All-Star team nine times and has finished in the top five of AL MVP voting in each of the past nine seasons.
Angels GM Perry Minasian Says Team Will Address Treatment of Minor League Players
Jul 23, 2021
ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: A detailed view of the Los Angeles Angels logo painted on the grass at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 21, 2020 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The treatment of minor league baseball players has become a serious concern across the sport, and Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian said the organization will "address it" in the near future.
"What is being reported is unacceptable, and we will look into it and address it," Minasian said, per Joon Lee of ESPN.
Pitcher Kieran Lovegrove of the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas said he and six other teammates are living together in a three-bedroom apartment, with one person sleeping in the kitchen.
Shane Kelso retired because of the living conditions he faced as a member of the Low-A Inland Empire 66ers and said four teammates lived in a camper van in a trailer park, while others lived in cars.
Lovegrove noted that he worked for Lyft, Uber, UPS and Best Buy during the offseason as a way of making more money:
It's gotten to the point now where there are guys who are in a serious mental health crisis because of how stressful money is here. I really do think it affects not only their play on the field, but I think it affects quality of life overall. We're reaching a point now where this is actually becoming detrimental to the players' overall health and the owner not addressing it is [the organization] actively saying that they don't care about the health of their players.
Lovegrove also lamented the poor quality of food and nutrition while expressing frustration at owner Arte Moreno and others in the ownership group:
It's frustrating when you're sitting in the pen and you're hearing guys just harp about how bad the ownership is and how bad the organization is because you don't want guys to be somewhere that they are unhappy. Is Moreno completely out of touch with the reality of what it's like to be a player? Probably. I don't see that really changing because I don't know that he really does care about the quality of the organization so much as the amount of money it produces.
This comes after Alex Shultz of SF Gate reported players on the Stockton Ports, which is a Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, are losing money during long homestands this year because the host families that typically house them cannot because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the organization covers hotel fees for road trips, it does not for homestands. Therefore, players who are staying in hotels for home games are at times paying more than their paychecks have covered.
The Twitter account Advocates for Minor Leaguers also raised concerns about Bowie Baysox players sleeping in their cars and the quality of their meals:
(2/3) We’re told that members of the Baysox will receive ~$900 after taxes for their entire 2-week homestand and are on their own for housing beginning tomorrow at 11 AM. We’re told that some players simply cannot afford to spend roughly 80% of their paycheck on the team hotel.
Players in the Oakland A’s organization shared these photos of their recent post-game meals.
No employer would serve these meals to employees they care about. Why are the A’s serving them to their future Major Leaguers? pic.twitter.com/cIFqiPg6iX
It is notable that the working conditions for minor leaguers have made so many headlines this season and caught the attention of people like Minasian because the collective bargaining agreement expires prior to the 2022 campaign.
It would not be a surprise to see them addressed during the next round of negotiations.
Shohei Ohtani Agrees to Contract for Fanatics to Be Exclusive Memorabilia Partner
Jul 20, 2021
Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani during a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Calif., Monday, July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Coming out of an All-Star week in which he was the biggest star in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani has joined Fanatics.
Per an official release from the company, it has signed an exclusive deal with the Los Angeles Angels star to become the sole distributor of his memorabilia.
"It's an honor to join Fanatics as their latest exclusive athlete,” Ohtani said of the deal. "Their global presence and reach throughout both the United States and Japan will help provide fans everywhere access to incredible products.”
Victor Shaffer, executive vice president of Fanatics, called Ohtani "a once-in-a-generation baseball talent" as part of his statement about the deal.
“There is no doubting his growing popularity both in the United States and in his native Japan and we look forward to providing fans everywhere with the widest assortment of Ohtani officially licensed merchandise and collectibles ever offered,” added Shaffer.
"Since July 1, in memorabilia and merchandise, Ohtani is the top-selling athlete on Fanatics across all sports, which includes hundreds of professional and collegiate teams," according to ESPN's Dan Hajducky.
Ohtani joins a group of Fanatics exclusive athletes that includes Tom Brady, Zion Williamson, Sabrina Ionescu, Mookie Betts and Trevor Lawrence.
When the Angels signed Ohtani in December 2017, it was unclear how he would be able to translate his ability as a pitcher and hitter to Major League Baseball.
The Japanese superstar quickly erased those doubts as a rookie in 2018. He posted a .925 OPS in 104 games as a hitter and 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51.2 innings on the mound to win American League Rookie of the Year.
Ohtani has taken his performance to another level this season. He leads MLB with 34 homers and a .686 slugging percentage, to with a 3.21 ERA in 14 starts.
Shohei Ohtani Donates $150K HR Derby Earnings to Angels Support Staffers
Jul 17, 2021
American League's Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Angeles, hits during the first round of the MLB All Star baseball Home Run Derby, Monday, July 12, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Gabriel Christus)
Shohei Ohtani's participation in MLB's Home Run Derby on Monday didn't last long.
The Los Angeles Angels two-way star lost his first duel with Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto after a three-swing swing off was needed to break a tie. Yet Ohtani's legacy in that event will have little to do with what happened on the field that day. Instead it'll focus on what he did upon returning to L.A.
According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Ohtani donated his $150,000 participation earnings to around 30 Angels support staff employees to thank them for their hard work.
Fletcher reported Ohtani decided before the event—which pays the winner $1 million and the runner-up $500,000—he would pay the funds forward. Upon returning to Southern California from Colorado, Ohtani began handing out checks to trainers, clubhouse workers and media relations staffers.
The American League's headliner during All-Star Week continues to impress both on and off the field.
Shohei Ohtani MLB All-Star Game Jersey Receiving Bids for over $100K at Auction
Jul 16, 2021
American League's Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Angeles, looks towards the crowd prior to the MLB All-Star baseball game, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/Gabriel Christus)
An MLB All-Star Game jersey autographed
by Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has a top bid
over $110,000 with five days left in the auction.
The MLB Auction listings, which run through Wednesday night, show Ohtani's jersey at $111,050. The second-highest bid was for San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr.'s jersey, which was at $3,630 as of Friday afternoon.
Proceeds from the jerseys will benefit
the Baseball Assistance Team via Major League Baseball Charities.
The description of the Ohtani jersey
makes it clear the item up for bidding isn't part of the uniform the
Angels star, who served as the AL's leadoff hitter and starting
pitcher, wore Tuesday during the All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver.
"The jerseys were autographed during
the 2021 All-Star Week festivities and are MLB Authenticated," the
listing states. " ... These jerseys are not game-used and only
autographed."
Ohtani was the winning pitcher for the
AL after pitching a scoreless first inning in a 5-2 win. He went
hitless in two plate appearances.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named the Midsummer Classic's MVP after
hitting a third-inning home run. The top bid for his autographed
jersey stands at $3,020.
Ohtani has become a headline attraction
this season while leading MLB with 33 home runs and striking out 87
batters in 67 innings across 13 starts as a pitcher.
The vast difference in auction prices
further showcase the Japanese star's popularity and global appeal.
