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When Dan Szymborsi’s
2021 ZiPS projections came out for the Blue Jays back in November, one of the interesting things in addition to the actual forecasts themselves is the #1 player comp. In particular, especially for some of the younger players, some of the comps really stuck out to me for various reasons. I thought I’d dig into them a little deeper, and having looked at core hitters yesterday, we’ll finish with pitchers and circle back to a few other hitters as well.
Hyun-Jin Ryu Herb Pennock
This is an interesting comp, in the sense that Pennock was a dead ball era lefty who pitched very little before his age 25 season, mostly as a swingman. Then he had a 10 year run as a frontline starting pitcher in the 1920s (84 ERA-), though his average of 237 innings a year was well short of what aces in the day generally pitched. Likewise, Ryu has been excellent but not piled up the innings at the major league level.
Welcome to This Day in
Yankees History. With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training any day now, these daily posts will highlight two or three key moments in Yankees history on a given date, as well as recognize players born on the day. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with us!
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50 Years Ago
The Yankees make history by hiring former Cardinals All-Star first baseman Bill White to their broadcast team. White became the first African-American play-by-play broadcaster in Major League history. Usually paired with Phil Rizzuto and Frank Messer on Channel 11, White called Yankees games for 18 years until being named National League president in 1989. For a generation of Yankees fans, White became a staple of their fandom.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Yankees and Red Sox made a trade earlier this week, with Adam Ottavino and prospect Frank German going to Boston in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
It was the first deal the two rivals have made since 2014 and just the fourth in the last 35 years. They don’t do business with each other often. However at one point, they did, and did so a lot. From 1903 to 1948, the teams made 34 deals. From 1918 to January 1923, they made nine, several of which involved players going to the Yankees who then proved key to their first World Series titles. One of them was for Babe Ruth, which is still probably the most high profile trade in baseball history.
Welcome to This Day in Yankees History. The New Year is upon us, and the winter hot stove continues to percolate. These daily posts will highlight two or three key moments in Yankees history on a given date, as well as recognize players born on the day. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane with us!
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98 Years Ago
While it wasn’t as big as the one made by the teams for that Babe Ruth guy, the Yankees and Red Sox made a deal on this day in 1923 that only benefited one team.
Coming off two World Series losses, the Yankees added to their rotation by trading three players and $50,000 to Boston for Herb Pennock. After starting his career badly in Philadelphia, Pennock became an average but inconsistent pitcher with the Red Sox. The Yankees picked him up ahead of the 1923 season, and his career immediately turned around.