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'We captured the imagination': Why Big Red Machine secured unique sports, cultural legacy
George Foster tensed when he heard the strange voice, and braced for the worst. 'You ruined my life,' the man said. Foster had his head down, putting baseballs and 8-by-10 photos on a table where he and other former baseball stars prepared for an autograph-signing fundraiser during a spring training game in Arizona a few years ago. Advertisement 'I thought, 'I better move back and remember my karate moves. Did I beat this guy up or something?' " said Foster, who learned hand-to-hand combat technique from his brother, who taught it in the military. No, the man said. 'You beat my Dodgers.' "Oh, that." That. The Big Red Machine. They still remember. They'll probably never forget. No matter where they grew up watching baseball. And 50 years later, as nearly all of the surviving members from that iconic team conclude a weekend-long celebration at Great American Ball Park, their legacy remains as unique and intact for its cultural impact on a sport and a city as it does for its staying power. Advertisement Never mind the historic dominance of perhaps the greatest lineup ever assembled. 'We captured the imagination,' said Johnny Bench, the Hall of Fame catcher. Bench recalled the last Big Red Machine reunion just a few years ago. The mural of the Big Red Machine mural inside the Great American Ball Pa 'You had grandfathers bringing the fathers and the fathers bringing the kids,' he said. 'So you had three generations of people coming to the park. And the people that lived our past, they were crying. Because it took them to their childhood and their memories. 'You saw the tears. You saw what it meant to so many people,' Bench said. 'We listen to music and we listen to the golden oldies. I guess we were the golden oldies in that way.' Advertisement Classic. Harmonic. Hit parade of all hit parades. The Big Red Machine that dominated much of 1970s baseball certainly hits all of those golden-oldies notes. But its legacy reaches far beyond that, then and now, for a unique confluence of time and place. Opportunity and vision. Sports and mainstream celebrity. More: Why greatest catcher in MLB history Johnny Bench 'didn't reach the level I could have' 'I cried': How Tony Perez defined rise and fall of Big Red Machine Original baseball cards of the 1975 Big Red Machine Big Red Machine legacy rivals any in MLB history General manager Bob Howsam put his roster together in the last era of true dynasties, the back-to-back championships of 1975 and '76 coming in the final two seasons before free agency. Advertisement They won their division five times from 1970 to 1976, finished second with 98 wins once, played in four World Series in that span, and had four players win six NL MVP awards from '70 to '77 (with 14 top-5 finishes overall in that stretch). And they did it in the place where baseball's professional roots run deepest, the only place that hosts an Opening Day parade for its baseball team and considers that day a city holiday. 'It's an amazing story. It's an amazing team,' Bench said. 'I mean, it's just, like, wow, why can't you make a story out of the greatness of our team? And if we don't pass somebody's muster test, that's fine. That's what opinions are for.' The greatness of the Big Red Machine tells only a fraction of the story of why its legacy resonates with Reds fans, rival fans and even non-fans five decades later. Advertisement 'It doesn't just resonate with people that are fans of baseball. It resonates with big leaguers,' said Reds broadcaster Jeff Brantley, the former All-Star closer who led the league with 44 saves for the 1996 Reds. 'That's a whole different kind of 'resonate.' ' The stars of the Big Red Machine were known by more than only the hard-core baseball fans, as seen here with Johnny Bench signing autographs for fans during the Republic Airlines Floyd Cramer Celebrity Golf tournament in 1984. It's a legacy amplified by the all-time scandal that followed the all-time greatness of that team: the 36-year saga of hometown hero Pete Rose's lifetime ban from baseball for gambling on baseball and his posthumous reinstatement last month. It's a legacy that includes an all-time actual MLB legacy in Ken Griffey Jr. growing up in the Riverfront Stadium shadows of that team with his brother, Craig, and All-Star dad, and then growing into an inner-circle Hall of Fame centerfielder. Advertisement It's a legacy that 50 years later rivals any team in MLB history, any sports story in local history, and any cultural phenomenon in the region since Skyline Chili or the Roebling Bridge – the names Johnny Bench and Pete Rose becoming so ubiquitous in the national baseball scene that they transcended sports into mainstream American consciousness the way Joe Namath and Willie Mays did before them. Lasting cultural impact transcends baseball In Cincinnati, few names in or out of sports carry the same weight all these years later. 'I would say Joe Burrow is probably there,' said Reds reliever Brent Suter, an Archbishop Moeller grad whose grandfather was a police officer in Blue Ash. 'Sarah Jessica Parker, Carmen Electra maybe, just in terms of notoriety. They're right up there with the biggest celebrities.' Advertisement Johnny Bench. Carmen Electra. Pete Rose. Sarah Jessica Parker. Joe Morgan, Joe Burrow. Tony Perez, Jerry Springer, George Foster, Dave Concepcion, Doris Day, Sparky Anderson, Steven Spielberg. It was baseball culture that spilled into popular culture because of the celebrity that spilled into local and regional culture because they played everyday all summer and lived in the community. It was impact. 'Impact on a city, impact on the game of baseball,' Suter said. 'Not to mention Ken Griffey Sr., who was a great player in his own right and had a son who's maybe the best centerfielder of all-time.' Advertisement Legacy. The Big Red Machine is still the last National League team to win back-to-back World Series, with the Dodgers spending more than $300 million on payroll this year to try to end that reign. Those Reds had three Hall of Fame players, a Hall of Fame manager, baseball's Hit King (who may one day join the others in the Hall), four league MVPs, seven All-Stars in their eight-man lineup and five guys with a combined 26 Gold Gloves. Their heavyweight greatness in their moment was undisputed. 'There were so many different ways that we could beat you,' Foster said. 'With our legs, with our gloves, with our bats, with our speed,' Foster said. 'Whatever you needed we had on that team. Whatever you needed to be done, we had a guy that could do it.' Advertisement Bench said they drew big crowds just for the magnitude of batting were baseball rock stars wherever went. 'We were intimidating,' Foster said. 'We'd go to Dodger Stadium and fans would talk, and then they'd see us come out for (batting practice), and it was like E.F. Hutton. Everybody listens. We go out there, and it would get quiet.' Until they started taking BP. 'I remember in San Diego, Gaylord Perry told his pitchers not to watch us take batting practice,' Foster said. 'We noticed them watching so we started launching. Rose. Bench. Morgan. So now the pitchers were intimidated.' Yes, that Gaylord Perry. The two-time Cy Young winner and Hall of Fame spitballer. The veteran who in 1971 helped precipitate Foster's trade to Cincinnati when he confronted the young slugger for taking extra BP with the pitchers. Advertisement 'Somehow my bat got underneath his chin,' Foster said. 'I didn't know how it got there.' He was traded quickly after the incident in one of the best trades in Reds history. Or, as Foster heard it from a Giants fan who recognized him a few years ago: 'You're the worst trade in Giants history!' Bench keeps display of autographed balls from the Big Red Machine in his Florida home. 'Big Red Machine went out to humiliate you' They still remember. That might be the biggest thing 50 years later. Just how deep and lasting the impression those players made was. 'We set the standard,' Bench said. Just ask the other pitchers in the league. 'They were a different team than every other team I ever faced,' said former Cy Young winner Steve Stone, who faced the Reds nine times from 1971 through '76 and never beat them (0-4,4.89 ERA). 'There were certain teams that if they get up 6-0, maybe they beat you 6-2. If the Big Red Machine got up 6-0, they tried to beat you 12-0. There was never any wasted at-bats.' Advertisement Stone pitched in both leagues during his 12-year career and faced the Oakland dynasty in 1973 during its three-year run of championships and later the 1977-78 Yankees champions. 'A lot of those teams could beat you,' Stone said. 'The Big Red Machine went out to humiliate you.' With stars at every position, Stone added. 'Not stars but Hall of Famers.' Who was comparable? Who might have been better? Not the '27 Yankees of Ruthian lore, Perez said. 'The Yankees in those days were a great team,' Perez said. 'But in those days you didn't have the great defense. You needed hitters and pitching. That's all. It's hard to catch the ball with the gloves they used to use.' Advertisement During this recent conversation in the living room of his Miami bayside condo, Perez gestures across the room toward the figurines of the Big Red Machine lineup that he keeps on a top shelf. 'But our team,' he said, 'you go through the lineup, that one there, and you can see everything you need to win a ballgame. Anything. You had defense. Speed. Offense. Anything. 'And we had pitching. We didn't have pitching to win 20 games or something like that. But they were great. The bullpen was great. The starters were great.' 'Not only was that lineup relentless,' said All-Star Rick Monday, who joined the arch-rival Dodgers in 1977, 'but defensively they beat you, too.' Advertisement Stone called Davey Concepcion one of the most underrated players in the game, an athletic shortstop with five Gold Glove who mastered the skip throw to first, using the hard turf at newly opened Riverfront Stadium to his advantage. In fact, that Reds 'Great Eight' lineup of Rose, Morgan, Bench, Perez, Foster, Griffey, Concepcion and Cesar Geronimo had higher cumulative WAR (wins above replacement), according to than the 1927 Murderer's Row Yankees of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs and Bob Meusel. The Big Red Machine lineup and 15-game winner Gary Nolan. Cincinnati Reds once prototype for best talent in sports Anyone who wants to win a baseball trivia contest at their next sports-bro party should quiz the room on who the catcher and third baseman were on the '27 Yankees. Advertisement (Bench's and Rose's counterparts were Pat Collins and Joe Dugan). Anybody else? 'Maybe the Dodgers teams (of the 1950s) with Duke Snider and them,' Pete Rose said last year during a long conversation with the Enquirer. 'But Duke was the only left-hand hitter on that team. The rest of them were all right-handed hitters. (Pee Wee) Reese, (Carl) Furillo, (Roy) Campanella).' Anybody else? Sure, maybe. But consider this in any historical comparison: Not only did the Big Red Machine rise to dominance in a post-integration, pre-steroids moment, but as a percentage of MLB players, Black American levels were at their highest in the 1970s, more than 20 percent of the league in some of those seasons (more than double today's numbers). The percentage of Latin American players reached double digits in the '70s and grew steadily through the decade. Advertisement And the young adults of the 1970s were the kids of the '50s and '60s, when baseball was still king in American sports. Bottom line: For the first time – and the last time, so far – the greatest athletes in the Western Hemisphere disproportionately played baseball compared to other sports. And the Reds were the prototype model for the best of the best of that rich pool of talent. So if it seems like they had the greatest lineup of all-time, maybe they did. 'Look in the dictionary for 'the greatest team ever,' ' Bench said. 'We'll be listed.' Perez at his home in Miami, with figurines of the Big Red Machine lineup, World Series trophies and personal awards over his shoulder. MLB free agency dismantles Big Red Machine dynasty Two months and a day after the Reds beat the Red Sox 4-3 in Game 7 of an epic World Series, arbitrator Peter Seitz rendered a landmark decision that opened the door to free agency. He ruled that a player who refused to sign a standard one-year contract containing the 'reserve clause' that owners had used for decades to retain perpetual club control over players would be deemed a free agent at the end of that season. Advertisement 'A lot of guys took 20 percent pay cuts in '76,' said Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, referring to the maximum one-year cut a team was allowed to impose. MLB litigated the ruling, but the following August – as the Machine was rolling at the top of the game to another championship – a deal was struck with the players union to create the free agent system that continues into this day and age of $350 million payrolls and $765 million outfielders. Within months, the Big Red Machine began to be dismantled – first with the November trade to Montreal of Perez and then the free agency departure of ace Don Gullett. Foster, Rose were gone not long after. And the era of dynasties in places like Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were over. Advertisement The Reds' eight-man lineup of MVPs and All-Stars made a total of $877,000 in salaries in 1975 (roughly the equivalent of $5.3 million today). Economically, the Big Red Machine had found itself in a sweet spot historically just ahead of free agency. 'That's why it lasted so long,' Griffey said. 'All of us played at least six or seven years with the same team.' But the top of the Reds organization knew it would be a quick descent from the greatest heights in franchise history as soon as the free agency pact was struck with the union. Even in the earliest days of adjusting to free agency, the Reds quickly pivoted away from some of their higher priced veterans and built a future around the new business strategy. And never sustained more than three or four years of high-level success at a time again. Advertisement 'Bob Howsam in '76 had said that,' Foster said. ' 'You won't see a team like this together again. I think nobody else will equal what we have.' 'I didn't realize he was going to start breaking up the team.' Big Red Machine payroll be today? 'Priceless' Never mind that a market like Cincinnati could never see another team with the star power and veteran success it had in the 1970s. It's doubtful anyone could afford to put together the equivalent of that team again – as much as the mega-spending Dodgers and New York teams might try. 'Would you try to pay us?' Bench said. How much would it even cost? Advertisement 'A lot – $400 million?' Palmer said. Even the almighty Dodgers' almighty dollars might not stretch that far. 'Yes, they would,' Palmer said. 'You know what they'd do. It would be deferred money.' On the other hand, that $400 million estimate might be on the low side, considering the $51 million a year Juan Soto just got from the Mets on his record 15-year deal, or the $40 million Aaron Judge and Alex Bregman each makes this season. Imagine paying just the hitters on that Big Red Machine team in today's economy. Foster: "The word is 'priceless.' " Pete Rose hugs George Foster after Foster scores the pennant-clinching run on a wild pitch in 1972. Legendary players remained presence in Cincinnati Barry Larkin, the Reds' Hall of Fame shortstop on the 1990 championship team, was a kid in Cincinnati dreaming on that Big Red Machine in the 1970s. Advertisement 'I remember my mom one time telling me she went to the bank,' said Larkin, who then dropped his voice to a whisper, 'and she saw George Foster.' Larkin laughed. 'I saw George Foster,' Larkin said in a whisper again, imitating his mom's reverence. 'It was a big deal.' Forget economics. Forget baseball history. The legacy of the Big Red Machine and all those household names on the city with the annual Opening Day parade was about their impact on the community. It was a big deal. And 50 years later it still is. Rose is from Cincinnati. Foster still lives there. Morgan was a Reds broadcaster and a baseball operations advisor until until his death in 2020. Rose and Bench went into business together with a car dealership while teammates and hosted the local Pete and Johnny Show in the 1980s. WKRP in Cincinnati debuted in 1978 with a lead actor from Dayton (Gary Sandy) often wearing a Reds jacket he scored from The Enquirer, and Sparky Anderson guest-starring in an episode. It was baseball culture that spilled into popular culture because of the celebrity that spilled into local and regional culture because they played everyday all summer and lived in the community. 'You used to see the biggest players in the country on the street,' said Jim Tarbell, the longtime civic leader and businessman, who by mayoral proclamation is also known as 'Mr. Cincinnati.' 'You'd see Morgan and Johnny Bench. You'd see them at the grocery story,' Tarbell said. 'You talk about hometown. It was the epitome of hometown, that period. Civic pride at that time I think was just overwhelming.' Thanks in large part to a certain group of bigger-than-life baseball players in the provincial river city at the crossroads of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. A phenomenon of national celebrity? Something that brought the spotlight on the city culturally? A landmark event or person, place or thing that significant in a moment in time for Cincinnati? 'I'm not sure there's anything quite as unique,' Tarbell said. Bench and Perez celebrate after winning the 1972 National League Championship Series. Impacting generations of players from Cincinnati Larkin is quick to bring up that team when asked why the Cincinnati area has disproportionately produced as many major leaguers as it has compared to other regions of the country – including David Justice, Kyle Schwarber, Andrew Benintendi, Larkin and Suter since that team roamed the city's streets. Suter recalls a family story his dad tells of his grandpa helping Perez's wife, Pituka, with a car problem in his duties as a Blue Ash cop. 'As a thank you, Tony Perez had my dad and his family down there to Riverfront, and they were in the tunnel after the game,' Suter said, 'and Tony came out and introduced them to Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, George Foster – all the guys. He was 10 years old. You talk about star-struck.' You talk about impact. In local sports, Oscar Robertson was a three-time national player of the year on the UC basketball team in the late 1950s and later an MVP for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960s. 'I wouldn't compare life on the street then to the way it was with the Big Red Machine,' Tarbell said. The Bengals have been to three Super Bowls but haven't won any, and Burrow is a bona fide national figure. But no. 'There isn't any in our lifetime that rivals that,' Tarbell, 82, said. Beyond sports, as a cultural phenomenon in the city? There's the region's Underground Railroad legacy. The shift to a charter system of governance in the post Boss Cox era a century ago. WKRP in Cincinnati? You start to get the idea of how unique the Big Red Machine legacy on the city's landscape might be for its national notoriety and lasting impact. Tarbell takes a few moments to consider what compares. 'In terms of culture, Fountain Square. She's still there,' Tarbell said. And they still remember. Fifty years later. 'It's a long time,' Perez said. And it's yesterday for those who were there the night the champagne poured in Boston. 'I can still see and feel the moment of walking in the clubhouse in '75,' Bench said, 'and seeing Merv (Rettenmund), (Terry) Crowley, (Bill) Plummer and Doug (Flynn), and just sitting there on the side. Just reveling in the whole excitement that was happening with the champagne flowing and Pat Zachry with a grin from ear to year. And from (clubhouse manager) Bernie Stowe and from (trainer) Bill Cooper. 'I mean it was the thing. It was like 25 players. No matter what you did, if you hit three home runs or 50 home runs, you were a world champion. The trainers, the equipment men, the coaches. I mean, (coaches) George Scherger and Alex Grammas and Larry Shepard – I mean, the emotion they were experiencing.' And then Bench compared it to stories he'd heard about families from Boston who lived thousands of miles away sharing the 2004 curse-busting World Series celebration with their kids. 'The emotional side of it is not just for us,' Bench said. 'It was for the thousands and the millions of fans that we created for the Big Red Machine.' This story is part of an ongoing Enquirer series this summer examining the legacy of the Big Red Machine 50 years after the first of back-to-back World Series titles. This story is part of an ongoing summer series This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big Red Machine has lasting cultural impact on city, baseball
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2 days ago
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MLB Reacts to Cal Raleigh Announcement Amid Historic Season
MLB Reacts to Cal Raleigh Announcement Amid Historic Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's been a very up-and-down season for the Seattle Mariners, who currently have a plus 11 run differential and a 41-39 record, putting them in second place in the American League West. Advertisement However, one completely dominant player is Cal Raleigh, as his 32 home runs are the most for a catcher in MLB history before the All-Star break, crushing the previous record holder, Johnny Bench, who had 28 in 1970. Now, his power will be on full display as on Friday, Raleigh announced in an Instagram post that he will be participating in the Home Run Derby, scheduled to take place on July 14. That news quickly caught the attention of MLB, which posted its reaction on X, saying "BIG DUMPER IN THE DERBY." It's certainly a well-deserved honor for Raleigh, as his 32 home runs also lead all of MLB, while the next closest players are New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who each have 28. Advertisement The home runs aren't his only impressive stat either, as Raleigh's appeared in 79 games, racking up 295 at-bats, 81 hits, 58 runs scored, 69 RBIs and 47 walks while slashing .275/.380/.651 with a 1.031 OPS. Raleigh also advanced to Phase 2 of All-Star voting after leading all AL catchers in votes through Phase 1, which is a big deal considering he's never participated in an All-Star Game before, with this year's set to be played on July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta. Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) will participate in the Home Run Derby. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images That may not be the only accolade Raleigh takes home this year, though, as ESPN BET currently gives him the second-best odds (+450) to win AL MVP, which is something no member of the Mariners has won since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Advertisement Related: Chicago Cubs Reportedly Making Calls to Trade for Former Cy Young Award-Winning Pitcher This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
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7 days ago
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MLB's best catcher Cal Raleigh smashes records. His biggest fan? The GOAT backstop.
PHOENIX — They met for the first time last November, and now 3,229 miles away, Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench can't keep his eyes off him. He watches him on TV. He scours the box scores looking for his name. He checks out the latest stats. Advertisement Bench, considered the greatest all-around catcher in baseball history with his 14 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, two MVPs and two World Series championships, is mesmerized these days by a young man in Seattle who could become the next, well, Johnny Bench. He is a modern-day combination of Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza (427 homers) and future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina (nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves). The name is Cal Raleigh, the Seattle Mariners' switch-hitting catcher. He's not only the premier power-hitting catcher in the game today, tied for the major-league lead with 26 homers entering June 15, but also is the game's best defensive catcher. Raleigh, who has produced the most home runs by a catcher in his first four seasons in baseball history, also won the Gold Glove and the Platinum Gold award last year as the top defensive player in the American League, regardless of position. Advertisement Raleigh, 28, has taken the torch from 35-year-old Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez (five-time Gold Glove winner, five-time Silver Slugger) as the game's finest all-around catcher. Cal Raleigh celebrates a home run against the Twins. He already is on his way to carving a spot in the record books. He became the first catcher to hit 20 home runs before June 1, and is just two homers behind Bench for producing the most by a catcher before the All-Star break (28 HR in 1970). He's on pace to smash Perez's record of 48 homers for a catcher. He'll soon join Piazza, Bench and Roy Campanella as the only catchers to hit 30 or more homers in three consecutive years. 'Believe me, I'm paying close attention," Bench tells USA TODAY Sports from his Jupiter, Florida, home. 'I love watching him hit, seeing him go the other way while trying to get guys in from second and third. I love watching him throw, and unlike some guys you see, he's not afraid to throw. I love watching him call a game. I love watching him drive in runs. Advertisement 'I love watching everything he does, it's just so impressive." Bench started closely following Raleigh when they met at the Rawlings Gold Glove dinner in New York last November. They sat at the same table. And they talked. And talked. Raleigh listened. And Bench talked some more. 'He's such a nice young man," Bench says, 'and for him to win his first Gold Glove will just give him more confidence. I call it inner-conceit. You're better than the situation. You're better than the opposing pitcher you're facing. You're better than the batter you're trying to get out. 'Guys like him have come along maybe 14, 15 times in the history of the game." Advertisement Raleigh, who has been in the big leagues for 3 ½ years, breaks into a smile hearing Bench's praise. You kidding? Johnny Bench is raving about him? He still can't believe he got to sit next to Bench during the luncheon, stunned the legend even knew who he was, and blown away by the advice he provided. 'That was so cool. He's definitely one of a kind," Raleigh says. 'He was awesome. Old school. Knows baseball. Loves to talk about it. 'There were a lot of stories. He was really adamant about as you get older, taking care of yourself as a catcher. So he was giving me stuff on that. But then the big thing was runners in scoring position, what he was trying to do as a hitter, telling me he was taught to get runs in, and be an RBI guy. Those are the two things that stuck with me, slowing it down, not trying to do too much, and just getting those runs in. He was big on those two things." Now, Raleigh has Bench beaming with pride. Raleigh has played in all but one Mariners game this season. He would be perhaps be the MVP favorite if not for Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's ridiculous year. Advertisement 'I don't know about that," Raleigh says. 'I'm a huge fan of [Kansas City Royals shortstop] Bobby Witt. I think he's one of the best players in baseball. What he can do, how he can impact the game, the guy is unbelievable." Then again, what Raleigh is doing deserves the same hype. He has 26 homers and 53 RBIs, to go along with 44 runs, 11 doubles, seven stolen bases, a .376 on-base percentage and .998 OPS. He has 13 homers and 40 RBIs with runners on base. 'That's what [former Mariners third baseman] Kyle Seager always told me, too," Raleigh says. 'He was really a big RBI guy. That's an important thing that people don't realize. Can you drive in runs? That's a huge part of the game. Walks are great, but driving in runs win games." Cal Raleigh won the AL Platinum GLove award in 2024. Says Mariners All-Star center fielder Julio Rodriguez: 'When he's getting his pitches, he's not missing them. Whenever someone throws a fastball, and he's looking for it, it's gone. It's pretty amazing what he's doing." Advertisement And, then, there's the Gold Glove defense, throwing out the most runners trying to steal in back-to-back years for the first time since Hall of Famer Gary Carter in 1982-83, and a mastermind behind the plate. 'It's cool to see the progression because coming out of college," Mariners backup catcher Mitch Garver Says, 'he was really more of a bat-first catcher, and really revamped his whole catching style over the last few years. We saw the rewards last year with the way he was able to receive the ball better. I think it improved his blocking and his throwing as well. 'Here he is, close to 30 homers already, still catching five or six times a week, and is able to do what he does with the staff and produce offensively is just amazing to see. We're playing in a ballpark that's not easy to hit in, and he's making it look easy. He's hitting balls above his head, hitting balls that are almost about to bounce, and staying locked in behind the plate." Says Mariners veteran starter Luis Castillo: 'He's so very good for us, just having that confidence that we have in him. He does so much for us helping the team win defensively, offensively, everything. But the big thing for the pitchers is the confidence for us to throw the pitch that we want, but also the confidence in him to throw the pitch that he wants, too." Advertisement Raleigh is hardly satisfied with just becoming the greatest hitting catcher in the game. He also wants to be the best behind the plate. 'What kid didn't love Yadi (Molina) coming up?" Raleigh says. 'You wanted to be him. You wanted to be that guy. He was so good in every aspect of the game. Calling a game, blocking, receiving, throwing guys out, back-picking, everything. He was amazing. When he was back there, it was a whole different game. It was special. It was different." Raleigh is getting those same rave reviews as Molina, not only what he does on the field night after night, behind the plate and at the plate, but also in the clubhouse. 'He's a very smart player, very understanding, very professional," Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez says, 'but I don't think people give him the credit for being a great leader and what he does for everyone in this clubhouse. He's a true superstar. He's putting up numbers nobody else is doing. If he did this anywhere else in the country, people would be blown away. Advertisement 'Oh yeah, and he's got good hair, too." Raleigh couldn't care less about appearing in commercials. He doesn't need fans hanging out for hours outside the team hotel on the road for pictures and autographs. He doesn't even need MLB officials to beg him to be in their Home Run Derby, with Raleigh already volunteering. He's still waiting on the call. 'I think the last time I did a Home Run Derby was in the High-A Cal League,'' Raleigh said. 'I don't think I made it out of the first round. But if they invite me, why wouldn't you want to do something like that? It'd be pretty cool to do something like that one day." Who knows, maybe the Derby will let everyone know that MLB's best catcher plays in Seattle. He received a six-year, $105 million extension this spring, hopefully long enough to be the one to help lead the Mariners to where they've never gone before: the World Series. Advertisement 'This city is amazing," Raleigh said. 'The people are amazing. The Mariners fans are amazing. It's the only place I've ever known, and it's hopefully the only place I've ever known. I just look really forward to what's to come, and hopefully get these guys in the World Series because these last two seasons have been extremely disappointing.'' The Mariners, 34-34, have been to the postseason just once since 2001, and those who are still in the organization – like Mariners manager Dan Wilson – can tell you just how electric the city became when the Mariners reached the postseason in 1995. They were in the playoffs four times in seven years with future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. Edgar Martinez, Ichiro Suzuki and Randy Johnson. 'For Cal, it comes from in here with him," Wilson says, tapping his chest. 'He's got a lot of heart, a lot of desire, and a lot of determination. He wants to win in the worst way. He wants to be out there every day and compete. His at-bats are just so good, the way he receives, the way he blocks, the way he throws, the way he handles our pitching staff. He just does it all, but what really shines through is his desire to win." Says Mariners hitting coach Kevin Seitzer: 'He's very intense, very focused, quiet, soft-spoken, but he's not afraid to share his mind. The stuff that comes out of his mouth is really rock solid. What can you say, he's a freakin' pro." Advertisement It's why the Mariners didn't hesitate investing $105 million in him before he was eligible for arbitration. Who knows, he could wind up on the Mariners' Mount Rushmore one day, already hitting more home runs than any Mariner but Griffey this quickly in his career. 'Nothing really changes, but it's nice to know that you're going to be somewhere for a long period of time," Raleigh says, 'especially where you want to be. It probably did ease my mind a little bit in the sense that I know I can just go out and play, enjoy it, and win as many games as we can, and get us to October. 'That's what you play for. That's what you constantly remind yourself. We're playing for something bigger come October, something that you'll never forget. Something the city will never forget." Something like the night of Sept. 30, 2022, when it was his ninth-inning, walk-off homer that finally ended the Mariners' 21-year playoff drought. Advertisement 'That's what I want more than anything," he says. Raleigh pauses, takes a deep breath, and says: 'Only this time, in October." Around the basepaths – The Arizona Diamondbacks, who could be the epicenter of the trade deadline, are getting swarmed with calls from rival GMs with hopes they can land the piece to get them into October. The D-backs have starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez and first baseman Josh Naylor, along with relievers Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks, all pending free agents who could be available. The Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants are keeping a close eye on those power hitters, while virtually every contender is looking at their pitching. Advertisement One little problem. The D-backs (35-34) still are contenders. As long as the D-backs still have a legitimate shot, they are making it clear they are not interested in breaking up the band. – GMs who have spoken to Atlanta recently are convinced that Alex Anthopoulos has zero interest in giving up players for prospects at the trade deadline. – The Chicago White Sox were thrilled getting veteran starter Aaron Civale from the Milwaukee Brewers for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who had been demoted to the minors a month ago. Still, they won't have Civale in uniform long. They plan to trade him at the July 31 deadline, believing they could get at least a couple of mid-tier prospects in return. Advertisement – If the Brewers become convinced Vaughn could return to being an everyday first baseman, veteran Rhys Hoskins could be a valuable chip at the trade deadline. – Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara is starting to look like himself again after undergoing Tommy John surgery, with his fastball (97.6-mph) and command returning just in time to get traded. Alcantara, who's yielding a 1.50 ERA in his last two starts compared to 8.47 in his first 11 starts, should be the No. 1 trade piece on the market. The Dodgers, who have plenty of prospects, are one of the teams lurking. – The Dodgers are encouraged, and awfully tempted, but aren't planning to use Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher until after the All-Star break. Advertisement – The Pirates believe they could get a healthy return for veteran starter Andrew Heaney at the trade deadline. Heaney (3-5, 3.33 ERA) has made every start this season and has pitched at least five innings in 12 of his 14 starts, going into the seventh inning six times. – The Rockies could shop reliever Jake Bird, who should be their All-Star representative with his 2.06 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 39⅓ innings, and even nine-year veteran infielder Ryan McMahon at the trade deadline. – You think the Phillies would love to find a center fielder at the deadline? Their center fielders have a .609 OPS, which would rank the lowest at the position in franchise history. – MLB is hosting the Draft Combine once again in Phoenix this week while teams are cruelly reminded that nothing is ever guaranteed in the draft. Advertisement All you have to do is look at this past week: The Houston Astros dumped Forrest Whitley, the 17th pick of the 2016 draft, while the Chicago White Sox gave up on first baseman Andrew Vaughn, the third pick in 2019. – Paul Skenes has made 15 starts this season. He has given up 19 earned runs for a 1.78 ERA. He has only four victories. He is the first pitcher in MLB history to have a sub-1.80 ERA over a 15-game stretch and have fewer than five victories, according to Codify Baseball. In Skenes' career, spanning 38 starts, he has given up just 48 earned runs for a 1.89 ERA. – When San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb (6-5, 2.58 ERA) suffocated the Los Angeles Dodgers' powerful offense on Friday night, it was his seventh start this season of at least seven innings. Advertisement The entire Dodgers rotation has two starts of seven innings. Webb, in fact, has already tied the franchise record with at least three starts of 10 or more strikeouts and no walks, and it's still June. – It may be a century later, but the Boston Red Sox at least are getting a little payback from selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The Yankees traded minor-league catcher Carlos Narváez during the winter to Boston for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz. Narváez, who spent nine years in the Yankees organization but had only six games of big-league experience, was a long shot to even make the opening-day roster. Advertisement Today, he is their everyday catcher, not only exhibiting fabulous defense, but hitting .280 with six homers. He was the hero with his walk-off Friday night against the Yankees. 'He's been a revelation,' Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet told reporters. 'You talk to him and you forget that he's still classified as a rookie. It's really special, he really calls games like he's been doing it for 10 years in the show and his at-bats at the plate late in crunch time, he just never gives in.' – The Chicago Cubs bullpen has four players who are older than 36 years old and five who weren't on their opening day roster. It's also the same bullpen that has yielded a major-league leading 0.90 ERA since May 14, according to Fangraphs. Advertisement – Atlanta rookie Drake Baldwin not only is on the verge of becoming the first African-American everyday catcher since Charles Johnson, but just could be the best hockey player in baseball. Baldwin, who grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, was also a hockey star in high school, leading the state with 43 goals as a junior and was a finalist for Wisconsin Player of the Year as a senior. – Kudos to Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who told The Athletic's Matt Gelb that he plans to retire after the 2027 season to spend time with his family. – Just how dominant is Tarik Skubal? He has thrown 90.1 innings this season, and hasn't permitted a run in 79 of them, yielding a 1.99 ERA and a 0.808 WHIP. Advertisement He's on pace to become the first pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young awards since Pedro Martinez in 1999-2000. Oh, and he's a free agent after the 2026 season, too. – The best free agent signing of the winter may be Griffin Canning of the Mets. The Mets didn't even bother making an offer for Corbin Burnes ($210 million) or Blake Snell ($182 million), but believed in Canning, signing him to a one-year, $4.25 million contract. He is now having the best season of his career, going 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA after going 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA last year with the Angels, giving up the most runs (99) by any AL pitcher. Advertisement Meanwhile, Burnes is out for this year and most of next season undergoing Tommy John surgery. And Snell has made only two starts. – The Yankees have four 1-0 victories this season, already their most since 1976, according to research extraordinaire Bill Chuck. – The Yankees are bidding to become the first playoff team since the 2006 Mets to have two starting infielders at the age of 36 or older (Paul Goldschmidt and DJ LeMahieu), according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. – The A's will have their official groundbreaking ceremony June 23 in Las Vegas at the former Tropicana Hotel site. The ceremony will be at 8 a.m. before temperatures hit 105 by noon. – Don Kelly certainly is showing why the Boston Red Sox nearly hired him as manager a few years ago. He took over a Pirates team that was 12-26, and they since have gone 17-16 entering Saturday. – Yes, those are the Rays, who revolutionized using openers, who have still used only five starters this entire season, throwing the most innings with the most quality starts. They lead the major leagues in innings, averaging 5.2 innings per start, throwing at least five innings in 88% of their starts. – The Angels are hanging in the AL West race, but if things change, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson and closer Kenley Jansen will attract plenty of interest. – Don't look now, but Yankees castoff Gleyber Torres of the Detroit Tigers could be the American League's staring second baseman at the All-Star Game. He's hitting .271 with a .778 OPS, best among AL second basemen. – The Red Sox's seven walk-off victories this season already has equaled their franchise with 3 ½ months left to play. – Torii Hunter, the nine-time Gold Glove outfielder, came up with a nickname for Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke after his unreal catch to rob Nolan Schanuel of the Angels of a home run by elevating his body over the left-field fence. 'Elastic man," Hunter says. 'The way he climbed that wall and stretched and caught that ball, you got to have some rubber in you.' – The Texas Rangers' offense is starting to surge with the hiring of hitting coach Bret Boone. They scored five or more runs in just eight of their first 35 games before Boone's arrival. Since the hiring of Boone, they have scored five or more runs in 13 of the 36 games. The Rangers (35-36) still remain quite dangerous in the AL West. – The Los Angeles Angels can never be accused of not giving their minor leaguers or young players a fair shot. They just called up second baseman Christian Moore, their first round pick of a year ago, who played only 79 minor league games. The Angels now have eight of their former first-round picks on their active roster, none who spent more than 100 games in the minors, and all 25 or younger. – Do you realize the Cleveland Guardians have not lost a game since 2023 when leading after eight innings, going 112-0? They are the only team to remain undefeated since opening day of the 2024 season, according to Codify Baseball. – The Savannah Bananas may look like all fun and games, but apparently it can be a bit dangerous. Former All-Star first baseman Sean Casey tore his hamstring running the bases in a Bananas game, and former 20-game winner Adam Wainwright injured his arm training to pitch in one of the games. Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mariners' Cal Raleigh making history. His biggest fan? Johnny Bench
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Week 12 Hot or Not: Records were set!
As the temperatures rise, so does the level of competition. MLB's 12th week was record-breaking and filled with excitement, as the All-Star voting amps up and midseason approaches. From June 15-21, feuds and drama reached boiling points on both coasts, while the Midwest teams kept their heads down and continued to grind. AL West Hot: Cal Raleigh surpass Johnny Bench's home run record in the first half of the season Raleigh has been the best catcher in baseball all season, and that's because of his slug. Big Dumper has a .639 slugging percentage with 29 home runs, and his 29th home run was record-breaking. His 419-foot bomb on June 20 passed Johnny Bench's record for the most dingers by a primary catcher, and his 30th one on June 21 broke the record for most home runs by a switch-hitter before the All-Star break. Oh yeah, and on Sunday he hit yet another long ball. Simply put, Raleigh has been a monster this year. Advertisement Not: Brandon Walter fumbles against the Angels Walter's fourth season start against Los Angeles didn't go as planned. After nearly pitching a shutout against Minnesota earlier in the week, Walter surrendered nine hits, seven runs, and two home runs to the Halos. Although he pitched six full frames and nearly 100 pitches, Houston's No. 5 starter couldn't tame the division rivals, who are becoming more competitive with every game they play. AL Central Hot: Carlos Estévez claims baseball's saves lead The Royals closer dethroned Robert Suárez for the most saves in the league. Estévez took advantage of Suárez's three-game suspension for intentionally hitting Shohei Ohtani on June 20 when Kansas City traveled to San Diego. With a 6-4 lead, Estévez narrowly secured his 22nd save of the year after giving up a solo home run to Manny Machado in the ninth. Not: White Sox skid inches them closer to last in the league The South Side is regressing again. They finally snapped their eight-game losing streak, but their weak offense still dragged Chicago's record to 24-53. The White Sox recorded a -14 run differential with the lowest point of the week being Shane Smith's six runs allowed in 4 ⅓ innings against the Cardinals, eventually forcing a position player pitching to finish their 12-2 loss. The White Sox are now only seven games ahead of the Rockies for last place in MLB. AL East Hot: It's the summer of Gunnar (Henderson) Henderson's bat has heated up this month. He batted .381 with five runs, three RBIs, and four walks last week. While he didn't send any balls over the fence, Henderson's patience and consistency at the plate kept him from striking out more than once in his 18 at-bats. While his April was quite slow, Henderson has sufficiently made up for lost time this month. Advertisement Not: Rafael Devers' trade rattles Boston's lineup Trading Rafael Devers shook up Red Sox fans and players, too. Boston's lineup delivered a paltry .171 batting average and .310 slugging percentage. Although the Red Sox pulled off four wins despite only scoring 16 runs in six games, it's clear that the front office politics have sufficiently shaken up Boston. A win is a win, but Boston's executives have a lot of work and explaining to do to their fans and themselves on how they shipped their third superstar to the West Coast. NL West Hot: Eugenio Suárez can't stop hitting home runs Suárez is gaining ground on the home run leaderboard. Last week, he mashed five dingers, scoring a home run in four consecutive games. Two of them were hit against the Rockies in Arizona's 14-8 triumphant slugfest. Suárez's home run total now sits at 25, tied with Shohei Ohtani for third-most in the league. Not: Dylan Cease's poor outing against Los Angeles raises questions about his reliability Cease has had a bumpy season, with mostly serviceable but not stellar outings, but last week he pitched his second-worst game of the season. While he managed to last five innings, Cease gave up six runs off of five hits and a walk to the Dodgers. His nine strikeouts shouldn't go unrecognized, but his five-run fourth inning killed all momentum the Padres gained with their 1-0 lead. Cease's pitching has been unpredictable, as seen by his polar opposite starts within one week against the Dodgers and Royals, and he should continue to be considered an unreliable starter. NL Central Hot: Jacob Misiorowski sets a league record in his second MLB game Brewers top pitching prospect Misiorowski couldn't have asked for a better start to his baseball career. After allowing no hits in his debut, he held the Twins to one hit, two runs, and six strikeouts in Milwaukee's outstanding 17-6 triumph. Misiorowski set a league record by not allowing a single hit in the first 11 innings of his career, and at this pace it likely won't be the only record he sets. Advertisement Not: Pittsburgh's offense sits in idle The Pirates didn't have enough gas in the tank to outscore the Tigers or Rangers. Hitters slashed .203/.262/.262, failing to score more than three runs in any game outside of a 8-4 victory in the Motor City. Although the offense was weak across the board, Oneil Cruz particularly struggled, going 3-for-21 all week. Beginning the season, the Pirates offense didn't wow anyone on paper, and they have yet to impress on the field for more than a handful of games at a time. NL East Hot: Chris Sale continues to stun batters He's now on the injured list with a broken rib, but the veteran southpaw pitched a gem against the Mets. He nearly pitched the entire game, shutting out New York in 8 ⅔ innings with only five hits and a walk forfeited, along with seven strikeouts. The 2024 NL Cy Young winner lowered his season ERA to 2.52 and raised his strikeout total to 114 with his eighth quality start this year. Not: Francisco Lindor chills out Lindor's struggles are representative of the Mets' seven-game losing streak. Lindor went nearly hitless last week, finally reaching base on something more than a walk on June 21. His cold streak seemingly appeared overnight, as the veteran shortstop's slash line dropped from .282/.351/.485 to .267/.340/.463 within a week. Thankfully, Lindor came back with a boom at the end of the week. More from
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22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raleigh slams another homer in last game of the series against the Cubs
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit his 31st home run on Sunday in an away game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. The home run came at the top of the first inning in the last game of the series against the Cubs. Advertisement This marks the fourth home run for Raleigh in three days during this series. The Mariners won the game 14-6, with additional home runs from Donovan Solano and Dominic Canzone hitting two homers each. The series has been very successful for Raleigh. In Friday's game, he became the first catcher to hit the most home runs, passing Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who set the record in 1970. On Saturday, he became the second Mariner to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break, joining Ken Griffey Jr, who did it twice. It is also the 14th time in Major League Baseball (MLB) history that a player has reached 30 home runs before the end of June. Mariners will start their next series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday at 4:40 p.m.
