Neil Paine of fivethirtyeight.com opines that the 2018 unit is the best Red Sox team to ever play in the World Series. This is a pretty bold statement given the Red Sox have appeared 12 times in the World Series winning the title 8 times. And since 2000, The Rex Sox completed series sweeps in 2004 and 2007 and won in 2013. Be curious what Red Sox fans think.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/this-might-be-the-best-red-sox-world-series-team-yet/
SERIESWEEP - Come monitor, debate, & celebrate sports finest moment...the Series Sweep!
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Brewers complete 2018 MLB season book-end series sweep.
The Brewers closed out the 2018 season with a 3-0 series sweep of the Detroit Tigers. Ironically, the Brewers completed the first series sweep of the 2018 MLB season as well which we covered in an earlier post. Scott Paulus of the Milaukee Business Journal created an excellent slideshow of the sweep.
The Brewers played 48 series of 2, 3, 4 or 5 games in 2018. They completed 7 series sweeps for the year. That's a rate of 15% versus an MLB team average of 26% of 717 series played in 2018.
The Brewers played 48 series of 2, 3, 4 or 5 games in 2018. They completed 7 series sweeps for the year. That's a rate of 15% versus an MLB team average of 26% of 717 series played in 2018.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
2018 MLB Season Starts with a Series Sweep Bang
The Milwaukee Brewers complete a 3-0 Series Sweep over the San Diego Padres. The third win was highlighted by a 5 hit game by rising star, Christian Yelich. Here's a game recap.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Orioles Complete First 2017 Series Sweep
The Baltimore Orioles have the distinction of completing the MLB's first series sweep in the 2017 season, albeit only a two game win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
After two home runs clinched the victory in game 2 of the series, Dan Duquette, O's GM, was quoted as saying: "Earl Weaver liked pitching, defense and three-run homers, right? A great formula.
After two home runs clinched the victory in game 2 of the series, Dan Duquette, O's GM, was quoted as saying: "Earl Weaver liked pitching, defense and three-run homers, right? A great formula.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Brooms and Baseball
Recently ran across Jonathan Fraser Light's Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball on Amazon. Found some interesting info on the role of the broom in baseball history. The National League was the first to deploy a whisk broom to clear dust and debris from homeplate beginning in the 1890's. Later,the AL introduced brooms although the long handled version. In 1904 Ban Johnson banned the long broom and went to the small version following an incident where a player tripped on a long handle broom running toward homeplate.
The most notorious incident involving a broom might have been in 2002 when Seattle Mariners catcher, Dan Wilson, had to borrow umpire John Shulock whisk broom to dust off home plate after Manager Lou Pinella piled dirt on home plate following a disputed call and tirade by "Sweet Lou".
From a fan perspective, the broom has become the symbol of a series sweep, the winning of all the games in a set of 2, 3 or 4 games. Typically, if a fan's favorite team wins the first two games of a three game series, a writer might lead their story with "get out the brooms, we're hoping for a sweep."
Reporting after the completion of a series sweeps might include a headline like: "Sweep Success", "Sweep Dreams" or "the "Sweep Smell of Success." Mercifully, I won't go.
Fans get involved with brooms by ribbing a rival team by going to an away game and taunting with cries of :"The City that Never Sweeps".
Team mascots may use a broom as a prop as an impending sweep nears.
An illustrious broom waver was The Boss, George Steinbrenner, who waved a broom following the New York Yankees second consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.
The latest chapter of the brooms in baseball saga is that as a result of growing concerns about violence at games several MLB teams including the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have banned brooms from their stadiums.
The most notorious incident involving a broom might have been in 2002 when Seattle Mariners catcher, Dan Wilson, had to borrow umpire John Shulock whisk broom to dust off home plate after Manager Lou Pinella piled dirt on home plate following a disputed call and tirade by "Sweet Lou".
From a fan perspective, the broom has become the symbol of a series sweep, the winning of all the games in a set of 2, 3 or 4 games. Typically, if a fan's favorite team wins the first two games of a three game series, a writer might lead their story with "get out the brooms, we're hoping for a sweep."
Reporting after the completion of a series sweeps might include a headline like: "Sweep Success", "Sweep Dreams" or "the "Sweep Smell of Success." Mercifully, I won't go.
Fans get involved with brooms by ribbing a rival team by going to an away game and taunting with cries of :"The City that Never Sweeps".
Team mascots may use a broom as a prop as an impending sweep nears.
An illustrious broom waver was The Boss, George Steinbrenner, who waved a broom following the New York Yankees second consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.
The latest chapter of the brooms in baseball saga is that as a result of growing concerns about violence at games several MLB teams including the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers have banned brooms from their stadiums.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Historic Flag Events?
Our sister company, the Sweep Flag Company, is launching their line of flags to be used by sports fans to celebrate their teams baseball series sweeps and to establish their bragging rights.. Surely a lot of fun, but not a cerebral activity.
But it did get me thinking about the planting of flags as a way of establishing one's position. here's a review of some memorable Flag Plantings.
October 12, 1492 -- Christopher Columbus, a Italian by birth and under a commission of the Queen of Spain, planted a flag on a beach in what was called Hispaniola. Controversy still exists today to the exact whereabouts. Photo courtesy of science photo library.
February. 23, 1945 -- Five US Marines planted the Stars and Stripes on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima after a brutal invasion. The US held the island until 1968 when it was returned. Photo courtesy of Joe Rosenthal. Controversy also surrounds this image since some say it was staged and that there was no photographer at the original raising.
March 29, 1953 -- Sir Edmund Hillary, British citizen, and his Tibetan guide, Tenzing Norgay planted a flag on the summit of Mount Everest to indicate their being the first to climb the mountain. This image is world famous and has been featured on stamps of a few countries.
Febuary 5, 1971-- Astronaut B. Shepard, Commander of Apollo 14, plants an American Flag on the Moon. Photo courtesy of NASA - Edgar Mitchell.
January 25, 2016 -- Gregory S. Roberts, retired pharmacist, places the first Sweep Flag in the USA in the town of Cotuit, Massacusetts.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Seriesweep Blog Joins Baseball Bloggers Alliance
We have recently joined the BaseBallAlliance.net, a group of 200 of Baseball's best bloggers. These are folks who love, understand and write about all aspects of baseball.
You can find out more about the group on Twitter @baseballblogs or #BBBA.
We are pleased to get to know Ed Comber, BBBA President and owner of FoulBallz.com. You can read Ed's tweets @foulballz.
You can find out more about the group on Twitter @baseballblogs or #BBBA.
We are pleased to get to know Ed Comber, BBBA President and owner of FoulBallz.com. You can read Ed's tweets @foulballz.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Who was the first team to put player's names on jerseys?
In 1960, the Chicago White Sox were the first team to put player's name on the back of their jersey. Idea of Bill Veeck, baseball's greatest showman.
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| Image courtesy of Baseball by BSmile |
Monday, February 13, 2017
A 70 Year History of the Cape Cod Baseball League's Cotuit Kettleers
Here is a great article summarizing the last 70 years of the Cotuit Kettlers written by Matt Gill of Cape Cod Life Magazine.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
World Series Sweep MVP - 2005 - Jermaine Dye
Thanks to the Baseball Hall of Fame for background on Jermaine Dye:
Paraphrasing: An Oakland, California native., Dye was taken in the 17th round of the 1993 MLB Draft by the Braves, and made his big league debut on May 17, 1996 – stepping onto a Braves team that won the World Series the year before.
Dye appeared in 98 games that year, hitting 12 home runs and finishing sixth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. He appeared in 15 of the Braves postseason games that year as Atlanta defended its NL crown before falling to the Yankees in the World Series.
Dye was traded to the Royals just prior to the 1997 season starting a 13-year run in the AL. He hit 27 home runs and drove in 119 runs in 1999, then earned his first All-Star Game selection in 2000 en route to 33 home runs, 118 RBI and a Gold Glove Award in right field.
He was traded to Colorado and then immediately to Oakland on July 25, 2001. Dye remained with the A’s through 2004, signing with the White Sox prior to the 2005 season. In his first year in Chicago, Dye hit 31 home runs and drove in 86 runs – and led the Sox to their first World Series title in 88 years when he hit .438 in Chicago’s sweep of Houston, taking home the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
The White Sox's Jermaine Dye wore this jersey in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series just before he was named the Fall Classic's MVP following Chicago's sweep of the Astros. - B-224-2005 (Milo Stewart, Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)
After a Playoff Sweep, the World Series Is Anything but a Breeze
Just ran across this series sweep related article by NY Times writer Victor Mather from October 2015.
He writes:"There is nothing quite so emphatic as a playoff sweep. A 4-0 series triumph leaves no doubt about the better team and seems to underline the winner’s greatness. With their victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night, the Mets became the eighth team to sweep a league championship series since the L.C.S. expanded to seven games in 1985. Those sweeps — 13 percent of all series — were accomplished with little trouble."
" Two of the sweeping teams, the 2014 Royals and the 2007 Rockies, had swept division series as well and were 7-0 heading into the World Series. Before Mets fans become too complacent about the coming series, they should be warned. This powerful set of teams did not carry good form to the next round. Only one of the seven previous sweeping teams won the World Series, the 1995 Braves. The others fell short, and three of them were swept themselves." he continues.
Salvador Perez helped fans celebrate last year's sweep by the Kansas City Royals, who went on to lose the World Series in seven. Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
He writes:"There is nothing quite so emphatic as a playoff sweep. A 4-0 series triumph leaves no doubt about the better team and seems to underline the winner’s greatness. With their victory over the Cubs on Wednesday night, the Mets became the eighth team to sweep a league championship series since the L.C.S. expanded to seven games in 1985. Those sweeps — 13 percent of all series — were accomplished with little trouble."
" Two of the sweeping teams, the 2014 Royals and the 2007 Rockies, had swept division series as well and were 7-0 heading into the World Series. Before Mets fans become too complacent about the coming series, they should be warned. This powerful set of teams did not carry good form to the next round. Only one of the seven previous sweeping teams won the World Series, the 1995 Braves. The others fell short, and three of them were swept themselves." he continues.
Which Game would you like to see over and over again?
This link is a good read. It inlcudes a list of baseball games that the author thinks he would like to watch over and over.
Let's start a list, #BestBaseBallGamesEver and keep adding to it.
Let's start a list, #BestBaseBallGamesEver and keep adding to it.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Happy Birthday Todd Benzinger - Cincy Reds outfielder and answer to a trivia question.
Todd Benzinger was born today. He was a member of the Cincinnati Reds who defeated the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in 1990 in a World Series Sweep. He is the answer to the Trivia Question - Who caught the flyball for the last out of the 1990 World Series Sweep by the Cincinnati Reds?
Baseball Resource - the Baseball Almanac
If you are a fan of baseball, then the Baseball Almanac is a must read. You can also follow them on Twitter -@baseballalmanac.
Owner Ilitch Witnesses Detroit Tigers Sweep White Sox
Our condolences to one of the most liked owners in baseball, Mike Ilitch, who passed away yesterday.
In bad health, the 87-year-old owner of the Tigers attended a game on August 31, 2016 to witness the Detroit Tigers finish a sweep of the White Sox at Comerica Park.
CCBL Hall of Fame To Move To New Facility.
The Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame announced they were moving from their facility On Main Street in Hyannis, MA. http://capecodbaseball.org/news/season/index.html?article_id=2345
Thursday, February 9, 2017
The Cities that Never Sweep!
As we review opportunities for teams to exercise their World Series Sweep Bragging Rights, we've come upon a list of eight teams who have yet to experience the thrill of a World Series Sweep. In fact, they haven't won a World Series! They are: the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals.
The Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals have never played in a World Series.
The Houston Astros may hold the record for WS futility. Founded in 1962 as the Houston 45s, they played in the WS in 2005 and were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
The Colorado Rockies were swept by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 in their only World Series appearance.
The Tampa Bay Rays played in the 2008 World Series losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games.
The San Diego Padres played in two World Series with limited success. In 1984 they lost to the Detroit Tigers in a five game series and in 1998 were swept by the NY Yankees, who then went on to complete a consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.
The Texas Rangers played in the World Series for two consecutive years, 2010 and 2011 losing both.
The San Francisco Giants won 4-1 in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals won in seven games in 2011.
The Seattle Mariners and Washington Nationals have never played in a World Series.
The Houston Astros may hold the record for WS futility. Founded in 1962 as the Houston 45s, they played in the WS in 2005 and were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
The Colorado Rockies were swept by the Boston Red Sox in 2007 in their only World Series appearance.
The Tampa Bay Rays played in the 2008 World Series losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games.
The San Diego Padres played in two World Series with limited success. In 1984 they lost to the Detroit Tigers in a five game series and in 1998 were swept by the NY Yankees, who then went on to complete a consecutive World Series Sweep in 1999.
The Texas Rangers played in the World Series for two consecutive years, 2010 and 2011 losing both.
The San Francisco Giants won 4-1 in 2010 and the St. Louis Cardinals won in seven games in 2011.
World Series Champions List
Mentioned a site for a list of world series champs a few posts back. Here is an updated list courtesy of MIStupid.com.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Chicago Cubs Provide the First World Series Sweep in the MLB Modern Era
In 1907, the Chicago Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers to achieve baseball's first World Series Sweep.
Strong pitching from the Cubs staff who fashioned a 0.75 ERA for the four game series and good defense from the DP trio of "Tinkers to Evans to Chance" propelled the Cubs over a Detroit team
led by a phenom named Ty Cobb who lead the AL in hitting.
Having suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago White Sox in the previous year's 1906 World Series this Cubs' sweep was sweet.
It was also to be followed by a consecutive WS victory in 1908 for the Cubs. Unfortuantely for fans it would be more than a century before the Cubs next WS win..
In 2016, the Cubs won the World Series by beating the Cleveland Indians in a seven game thriller.
Strong pitching from the Cubs staff who fashioned a 0.75 ERA for the four game series and good defense from the DP trio of "Tinkers to Evans to Chance" propelled the Cubs over a Detroit team
led by a phenom named Ty Cobb who lead the AL in hitting.
Having suffered an embarrassing loss to the Chicago White Sox in the previous year's 1906 World Series this Cubs' sweep was sweet.
It was also to be followed by a consecutive WS victory in 1908 for the Cubs. Unfortuantely for fans it would be more than a century before the Cubs next WS win..
In 2016, the Cubs won the World Series by beating the Cleveland Indians in a seven game thriller.
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| Photo courtesy of Tom Parsons |
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