Nashville-Born Ballplayers

Junior Gilliam has a street named after him in Nashville (90 Feet of Perfection)

While walking around Nashville last weekend during CMA Fest, I noticed there was a street running through the heart of the city named "Junior Gilliam Way," not far from Rosa Parks Boulevard. That made me wonder what other players hail/hailed from Smashville, and if Gilliam was truly the best (and thus worthy of the distinction as the city's only ballplayer with a street named in his honor). Turns out there were quite a few players born in Nashville -- 39 and counting according to Baseball-Reference. While none are Hall of Famers (yet), there were a few who came close, as well as one who will likely go into Cooperstown one day wearing the cap of my beloved Boston Red Sox.

Best Players:

Ben Chapman (41.3 bWAR)
Chapman barely edges out Gilliam in terms of career value, but he was never going to have a street named after him following his shameful treatment of Jackie Robinson while managing the Phillies in 1947. While he was clearly a despicable human being, Chapman was also a pretty good ballplayer, leading the Major Leagues in steals four times (but also caught-stealing four times) and batting .302/.383/.440 (114 OPS+) for his career. His most memorable highlight as a player, however, was being told by Ted Williams, "I'll be back, and I'll make more money in this bleeping game than all three of you (Boston's outfield) combined!" after being sent down from Spring Training in 1938. With Chapman playing for Cleveland the following year, Williams arrived for good and set about delivering on that promise.

Jim Gilliam (40.7 bWAR)
Gilliam, more popularly known as "Junior," spent his entire 14-year career with the Dodgers. Despite spending most of those seasons on the trading block, he was only Boy of Summer from the '50s who was still a meaningful contributor during the Sandy Koufax-Don Drysdale era. The speedy switch-hitter proved to be a lesser version of Robinson -- his predecessor at second base -- with his baserunning, defensive versatility, and table-setting skills. A two-time All-Star, Gilliam won NL Rookie of the Year honors in 1953 and drew MVP votes four times, finishing in the top-six twice. He also played in seven World Series, winning four. Had he not begun his career in the Negro Leagues, he might have made it to the Hall of Fame.

Roy Cullenbine (31.4 bWAR)
Cullenbine was similar to Gilliam, as both were patient switch-hitters who made two All-Star teams, received MVP consideration four times, and led their league in walks once while playing the outfield a lot. A journeyman outfielder from 1938 to 1947, Cullenbine possessed one of the sharpest batting eyes in baseball history. He posted a career 17.8 percent walk rate and set a record by drawing a walk in 22 consecutive games, finishing with a career .408 OBP. He also developed power later in his career, slugging 73 of his 110 home runs over his final four seasons. Cullenbine played for a pair of pennant winners despite switching teams seven times in his career, helping Detroit win it all in 1945. With his solid pop, strong throwing arm and elite ability to get on base, he would have had a much longer and more stable career had he been born half a century later.

Best Names:

So many good ones. Here's a smattering: Tiny Graham, Noodles Hahn (think he had a weak arm, or just really liked spaghetti?), Ray Hamrick, Foster Castleman, Mickey Kreitner, Bubber Jonnard (brother of Claude Jonnard), Ike Fisher (brother of Bob Fisher), Clyde McCullough (say that one ten times fast). There were also a pair of "Lefty"s -- Lefty Davis and Lefty Sullivan. Now I'm wondering if a team has ever had two "Lefty"s at the same time...

Greatest What-if?

Johnny Beazley (4.6 bWAR)
Beazley burned bright and fast like a comet, going 21-6 with a 2.13 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP at age 24 to help his St. Louis Cardinals upset Joe DiMaggio's New York Yankees in the 1942 Fall Classic (the only World Series that DiMaggio would ever lose). Then he went into the service, and when he returned three years later he wasn't the same. Who knows how his career would've played out had he come up after the war instead of before.

Current Stars:

Mookie Betts (21.1 bWAR)
Just four seasons into his career, Betts has already accumulated more than half the WAR of any other Nashville-born player. A tremendous defensive outfielder with elite power, speed, and contact skills, he's arguably the American League's best all-around player not named Mike Trout. And the best part is -- he's only 24.

R.A. Dickey (20.8 bWAR)
Okay, maybe not a current star given how awful he's been this year, but he enjoyed a brief run as one of the game's top pitchers. In 2012, he prevented Clayton Kershaw from joining Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson as the only hurlers to win four straight Cy Young awards (Kershaw won in 2011, then again in 2014 and '15). The Mets, knowing how fickle knuckle-ballers can be, wisely traded the then-38-year-old for a package of prospects that included Noah Syndergaard. Dickey's reverted into a Tim Wakefield-esque innings-eater since then, but 15 years and nearly 2,000 innings in the Majors are nothing to sneeze at.

Sonny Gray (10.1 bWAR)
Gray's career got off to a promising start with Oakland, as he went 33-20 with a 2.88 ERA over his first three seasons and finished third in the 2015 AL Cy Young vote. He struggled during an injury-plagued 2016 and is still trying to get back on track this year. He's only 27, though, so hope remains that he will once again be a quality starter.

While not stars, this is where I give shout-outs to Andrew Triggs and Caleb Joseph.

Not bad, Nashville. While not as prolific as pumping out ballplayers as you are at country music stars, you can still lay claim to a National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young winner, a likely future Hall of Famer, and a Hollywood villan.

Mr. 4,000

Last night, Ichiro Suzuki did something that only two men in baseball history (Pete Rose and Ty Cobb) have done before him: he notched the 4,000th hit of his professional career.

With the Toronto Blue Jays in town and more than 36,000 on hand at Yankee Stadium, the great Ichrio dug in against reigning NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. Both have struggled this year, with Dickey failing to replicate his magical 2012 and Suzuki batting nearly 50 points below his career average.

That didn't seem to phase either combatant last night, for Dickey delivered a strong start and Suzuki made history--in his first at-bat of the evening, no less. Dickey was off to a good start, having just struck out Brett Gardner looking sharp as Ichiro performed his signature pre-batting ritual. The crowd trained its phones and cameras on Suzuki, hoping to witness something nobody had seen since Ronald Reagan's presidency.

Thankfully, Suzuki didn't make them wait long. On the third pitch he saw, Ichrio reached out, flicked his wrists and lined a bullet past third baseman Brett Lawrie, who lunged towards the smash but couldn't come up with it. Kevin Pillar scooped it up in left as Suzuki motored around first, his knock official. Play was stopped, and the Yankees dugout emptied--not to fight, as they had on Sunday, but to celebrate--as Ichiro was swarmed by congratulatory teammates.

The swing (pictured above), and the hit that followed, was classic Ichiro. Suzuki used his quick hands, masterful bat control, and blazing speed to slap and poke his way to a career unlike any other. From 2001--the year he won both the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards (something only Fred Lynn has ever done)--through 2010, he batted above .300, rapped out more than 200 hits, won the Gold Glove and made the All-Star team every freaking year. His average season produced 105 runs, 224 hits, 38 steals, and a .331/.376/.430 batting line. He was like Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, and Rod Carew all rolled into one.

Since then, age (combined with the wear and tear of playing everyday) has deteriorated Suzuki into a merely average player. The two-time batting champ is a .276 hitter (with no power) over the past three years. His arm is still as powerful as ever, but he's lost a step in the field and so his overall defensive value has diminished. He can run, just not as often.

But Ichiro is fit and trim--he takes excellent care of himself--as he prepares to celebrate his 40th birthday this October. He still has another year with the Yankees and will likely play beyond that, if he so chooses. The baseball legend should have no problem finding a job as he closes in 3,000 big league hits (he has 278 to go). Someone will pay him to wear their uniform when he achieves the milestone.

It was easy to take the first couple thousand for granted. Ichiro made it look so easy, as if he could place the ball exactly where he wanted. He was an artist. He was a machine. It was beautiful to watch.

So now, with a great player approaching the end of a storied career, let's appreciate every drag bunt, seeing-eye single, and screaming line drive. Because there's never been a baseball player like Ichiro before. And there might never be another.

2012 All Breakout Team (NL)

A look back at some of the top breakouts in the National League from 2011.  Rookies are ineligible, so you won't find the likes of Bryce Harper, Wade Miley, Todd Frazier or Kris Medlen below. For the most part, I tried not to include guys who were already established big league stars that took their games to new heights, a la Buster Posey, Yadier Molina, and Matt Cain.

C Carlos Ruiz
The first time All-Star was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing year for the Philadelphia Phillies. At the ripe old age of 33, Ruiz rode a monster first half to a career year highlighted by his .Mike Piazza-esque 325/.394/.540 batting line. There were stretches early in the season when it seemed like he was the only Philly inflicting any damage with his bat.

1B Allen Craig
Craig's potential was on display during his injury-shortened 2011 season and again throughout the Cardinals' championship run. He missed more time in 2012--all of April and two weeks in May--but when healthy he was one of the better hitters in the National League. In just 119 games he belted 22 home runs, knocked in 92 runs and batted .307 while manning first base in place of a wounded Lance Berkman. Also gave some thought to Paul Goldschmidt here.

2B Jose Altuve
The diminutive second baseman makes Dustin Pedroia look big, but his lack of size didn't stop him from batting .290 and making his first All-Star team at the tender age of 22. Houston's leadoff hitter was also aggressive on the basepaths, stealing 33 bases to help make up for his lack of power (.399 SLG). The speedy keystone is a great building block for the 'Stros as they rebuild their team around young talent.

3B Chase Headley
Headley put together a monster offensive season not seen in San Diego since Adrian Gonzalez. The switch-hitting third baseman entered 2012 with just 36 home runs and a .392 slugging percentage to his name before morphing into Chipper Jones. Produced a six-win season on the back of his 31 home runs and league-leading 115 RBI. Won his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger on his way to a fifth place finish in the NL MVP voting. If he could just get out of Petco (.695 OPS there compared to .836 everywhere else) he'd be a star. Honorable Mention goes to Pedro Alvarez, who launched 30 home runs in his first full season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

SS Ian Desmond
After a pair of disappointing seasons in 2010 and 2011, Washington's shortstop busted out this year. His power--25 circuit drives and a .511 SLG, both figures topped the position--developed to supplement his already solid defense and baserunning. Was one of three shortstops to go 20/20 this season, along with Jimmy Rollins and Hanley Ramirez. Expect another strong performance in 2013, his age 27 season. Jed Lowrie was headed for a breakout year as well before a sprained ankle cost him two months of games post-All-Star Break.

OF Garrett Jones
The quintessential late bloomer, Jones appeared in his first major league game at the age of 25 and didn't play his first full season until he was 29. While he's been a steady source of power during his time in the bigs, low batting averages and high strikeout totals cut into his value. In 2012 he managed to cut down on his whiff rate and boost his average to .274 while smacking a career high 27 home runs and tying his personal best with 86 RBI. Those numbers remind me of a typical Adam LaRoche season.

OF Andrew McCutchen
'Cutch had already flashed the tools that alluded to his Matt Kemp potential, but he finally put them all together this year with an MVP caliber season. His 194 hits, 269 times on base and 7.5 Offensive WAR paced the NL, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. He ranked second in runs scored, total bases, batting average, and OPS+ while rating third in OBP and SLG, all while playing Gold Glove defense in center and keeping the Pirates in the playoff picture for most of the summer.

OF Dexter Fowler
Colorado's center fielder took a big step forward in 2012 when he batted a career best .300/.389/.474 with double digit totals in doubles, triples, homers, and stolen bases. Statistically speaking, he was the NL's equivalent of Austin Jackson (minus the superlative defense). Not as good as Carlos Gonzalez, but turns 27 this spring and could be in line for another strong season.

SP R.A. Dickey
Sneaky good in 2010 and '11 but became a household name and Cy Young winner in 2012. Made his first All-Star team following a dominant first half reminiscent of Ubaldo Jimenez's 2010. Matt Cain started the Midsummer Classic even though Dickey was 12-1 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.93 WHIP at that point. Predictably, he leveled off a bit in the season's final three months, but still pitched well enough to finish with outstanding overall numbers. He won 20 games while pacing the league in innings, shutouts, complete games, and strikeouts. Most impressively, the 38 year-old knuckleballer entered the season with a career 5.5 K/ rate but whiffed nearly a batter per inning in 2012 and fanned almost as many hitters as he did in his previous two seasons combined. It will be interesting to see how he fares against American League competition in 2013.

SP Gio Gonzalez
After a couple solid seasons with Oakland, Gonzalez emerged as one of the NL's top pitchers in his debut with the Washington Nationals. He finished third in the Cy Young race behind Dickey and Clayton Kershaw after leading the majors with 21 wins and his 0.4 HR/9. He also posted the best strikeout rate in the NL, outpitched Stephen Strasburg and helped lead the Nats to the best record in baseball.

SP Jonathon Niese
Was overshadowed by rotation-mates Dickey and Johan Santana, but was clearly the team's second best starter behind Dickey. Trimmed a full run of his 2011 ERA (4.40 to 3.40), posted a 1.17 WHIP and struck out more than three batters for every walk. With Dickey in Toronto and Santana in decline, look for Niese to step up and lead the rotation in 2013.

SP Lance Lynn
In his first year in the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation, the 25 year-old helped fill in the void left by Chris Carpenter by winning 18 of his 29 starts and making the All-Star team. Had 180 strikeouts in 176 innings, but will have to fight to keep his spot in a crowded rotation next season.

SP Homer Bailey
After several disappointing years, the former first round draft pick finally emerged as a reliable mid-rotation workhorse. He made all 33 starts, surpassed 200 innings for the first time in his career and maintained a 3.23 K/BB ratio. Was overshadowed by Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos, but he looks like a solid frontline starter for years to come.

RP Craig Stammen
His career got off to a rough start, but the Nationals reliver rebounded with a strong 2012. Struck out almost a batter per inning and went 6-1 out of Washington's bullpen with a 2.34 ERA.

CL Jason Motte
Tony LaRussa's retirement opened the door for Motte to be the Cardinals' regular closer, and he did not disappoint. Besides leading the National League with 42 saves, Motte posted a 0.92 WHIP and a 5.06 K.BB ratio in Mike Matheny's first year at the helm. Had all of twelve career saves prior to 2012.

CL Aroldis Chapman
Cincinatti's flamethrowing southpaw stepped into the closer's role to replace the departed Francisco Cordero. After two years of teasing the baseball world with his superhuman velocity, the Cuban Missile polished his shaky command (6.5 BB/9 rate entering the season) and challenged Craig Kimbrel for the title of baseball's best closer. Chapman dominated opponents, holding them to a .141 batting average and fanning 122 of them in his 68 appearances. The first time All-Star saved 38 games with his tidy 1.51 ERA and 0.81 WHIP while also picking up MVP and Cy Young consideration. He's the Justin Verlander of relievers.

To see last year's NL breakouts, go here

Bolstered Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays pillaged the Miami Marlins

Most of the ink that's been spilled this offseason has focused on the pricey free agent acquisitions made by baseball's two burgeoning West Coast superpowers. 2012 saw the Dodgers and Angels grapple for splashy headlines the way competitive siblings battle for their parents' undivided attention. Hollywood has emerged as the center of the baseball world with its pair of star-studded teams, both of whom are flush, aggressive, and hungry to end an interminable three-year postseason drought.

Meanwhile, in a foreign land called Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays have quietly assembled baseball's most dangerous and intriguing ballclub.

Last preseason many tabbed Toronto as a dark horse candidate to make the playoffs, but injuries decimated John Farrell's starting rotation and caused a promising season to end with 89 losses. 2012 was a frustrating year on many levels. Brett Lawrie did not mature into the Ryan Braun clone that scouts hoped he would become. Adam Lind, Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar looked lost at the plate. The bullpen struggled. Ricky Romero pulled a Tim Lincecum and went from Cy Young candidate to one of baseball's worst pitchers overnight.

Instead of crossing his fingers and waiting to see what his personnel could achieve when healthy, GM Alex Anthopoulos adopted an aggressive, win-now approach that sacrificed some of his organization's most promising young talent in the process. But unlike, say, Kansas City's much criticized trade of Wil Meyers for James Shields, he made sure he got plenty of established big league talent in return.

In the span of a few short months, he overhauled his roster into one of the most formidable teams in the league. The Blue Jays are going all in for 2013 as they gun for their first playoff appearance in 20 years. With their retooled roster they will try to take advantage of the aging Yankees and rebuilding Red Sox, both of whom are flawed and could be watching from the sidelines come October. After a flurry of trades, Toronto is poised to usurp the kings of the American League East

And for that, the Jays can thank the Miami Marlins.

Less than a year after spending money like a drunken playboy in a Vegas casino, the Marlins dismantled their roster piece by piece, trading away all their talent Harry Frazee style. Now, all that's left is the wildly inconsistent Rick Nolasco, a disgruntled Giancarlo Stanton (who may not see a decent pitch to hit again for the rest of the decade), and Twittaholic Logan Morrison. I envision many solo home runs in Stanton's future, for the basepaths will be just as empty as the seats in Miami's shiny new baseball stadium.

The mass exodus began during the summer when the losses began to mount and it became clear the Marlins weren't going to contend for a playoff spot. Hanley Ramirez took his fading star to Hollywood. Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante packed their bags for Motown. A struggling Gaby Sanchez got dumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates. After the season ended Heath Bell was banished to the Arizona desert. Ozzie Guillen got canned.

Then, to top it all off, the Fish pulled off a fire sale that rivaled Boston's late summer housecleaning. Miami jettisoned its remaining stars north of the border in a blockbuster 12-player trade that rocked the baseball world and ignited a media firestorm.

But instead of focusing on the pathetic Marlins and their winning-adverse ownership, I want to look at the newest members of the Toronto Blue Jays and what can be expected of them in 2013.

Jose Reyes
After signing a nine figure contract, the speedy shortstop played a full season for the first time since 2008 and even led the league in plate appearances, but many considered his lone season with Miami a mild disappointment even though most of his numbers were right in line with his career averages. Health is always a concern with him, especially now that he's playing half his games on artificial turf, but when the switch-hitter's in the lineup he will be a great table-setter for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Plus, he can't possibly be any worse than Escobar was last year.

Projection: 104 runs, 13 home runs, 58 RBI, 37 steals, .301/.353/.446

Josh Johnson
Managed to stay healthy last year but was clearly not the same dominant pitcher who won the NL ERA title in 2010. However, it's worth noting that his numbers were inflated by a brutal start; from May 9th to the end of the season he posted a more respectable 3.26 ERA while limiting opponents to a .229 batting average. On the flip side, it's concerning that his home run rate more than doubled given that the Rogers Center is very conducive to the long ball. The oft-injured starter could struggle in the American League, but to his credit he was solid during interleague play by going 8-3 with a 2.95 ERA. Not an ace anymore, but he's a great number two when healthy.

Projection: 12-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 185 innings, 164 strikeouts.

Mark Buehrle
After taking a productive sabbatical in the National League, Buehrle returns to the AL coming off another strong season in which he produced 3.2 bWAR, received his fourth straight Gold Glove and posted his best WHIP since 2001. One of the game's most consistent and durable hurlers, the 33 year-old workhorse has compiled twelve consecutive seasons with at least 200 innings pitched, 30 starts and double digit win totals. The perfect middle-of-the-rotation starter, Buehrle should stabilize Toronto's rotation and adds another southpaw arm to complement Ricky Romero. He's no stranger to hitter-friendly environments after calling U.S. Cellular Field home for nine seasons.

Projection: 13-12, 4.04 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 204 innings, 112 strikeouts

Toronto also received super-utility man Emilio Bonifacio and catcher John Buck in the megatrade. Since the Blue Jays already have a young power-hitting backstop in J.P. Arencibia, they packaged Buck with three prospects (including Travis d'Arnaud) in a trade to the New York Mets that netted R.A. Dickey and two minor leaguers, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas.

R.A. Dickey
Toronto secured an ace in the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Although Dickey became a household name in 2012, he'd been a very good pitcher in the two previous years. Over the past three seasons he's made 91 starts, compiled a 2.95 ERA, averaged 206 innings per season and struck out more than three batters for every walk. The 38 year-old knuckleballer is a good bet to fall back to earth next year but his recent record indicates he will succeed in the American League.

Projection: 15-9, 3.43 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 212 innings, 198 strikeouts

Last but not least, Anthopoulos has made one notable free agent signing to date that could pay huge dividends if it pans out.

Melky Cabrera
The Melk Man followed up a breakout 2011 in Kansas City with an even better year in 2012 for the Giants that was truncated by a 50-game suspension for PED use. While it's unrealistic to expect him to repeat his performance from the past two years, I think it's equally unfair to assume he'll regress into the light-hitting outfielder he was in New York and Atlanta. For a two-year, $16 million investment, there's quite a bit of value to be had here. If Cabrera is anything close to the player he was in 2011 and '12, he will be a massive bargain. He teams up with Joey Bats and Colby Rasmus in Toronto's outfield.

Projection: 80 runs scored, 12 home runs, 64 RBI, 15 steals, .291/.330/.432

So with a strong starting rotation of Dickey, Johnson, Buehrle, Romero and Brandon Morrow, the Jays have addressed their biggest weakness and now boast five frontline starters. Adding Reyes and Cabrera makes a good lineup even better, adding balance with their switch-hitting abilities and giving the offense a nice blend of power and speed. On paper, Toronto is loaded. All the pieces are in place for new manager John Gibbons, so expect his Blue Jays to win upwards of 90 games next year and challenge their division rivals for the AL East flag.

For the first time in a long time, Blue Jay fans can say that without sounding like they're riding a maple syrup-induced sugar high.