Issue #470
The goal with The Baseball Buffet series is to provide the best daily dose of relevant baseball info in a smart-brevity format (mostly short bullets, getting to the point, with quick analysis/insights.) Think of it like what baseball fans of a certain age would look forward to in their morning newspaper’s sports section each day!
⚾ Welcome! ⚾
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, there are a lot of relief pitchers on the free agent market—over 100 in fact. But its still interesting to see several of the bigger relief names coming off the board early during this offseason. The latest appears to be Devin Williams, as Anthony DiComo wrote that multiple sources are saying he is signing a three-year deal with the Mets for $45 million.
DiComo also noted that the Mets still have interest in resigning their closer Edwin Díaz if they can, which would mean Williams would be primarily their expensive setup man and closer insurance in case of injury to Díaz. That might be the best approach, as relying on Williams as their closer brings some uncertainty, since his season for the cross-town Yankees was pretty rocky last year. He had a 4.79 ERA over 67 appearances, and its not like he was roughed up only in the first half or second half, as he had a 4.58 ERA and 5.06 ERA in those parts of the year, respectively. He had a good stretch in June (0.93 ERA over 10 appearances), and did OK to finish the year (3.72 ERA with 14 K in his final 9.2 IP). But otherwise he was just not his old self at all, especially struggling on the road (5.93 ERA) vs. at home (3.69 ERA).
That said, his old self was outstanding, so obviously the Mets are hopeful he can get back to some of that greatness. From 2020-2024 for the Brewers he had a 1.70 ERA, a 0.977 WHIP, and 361 K in 222 IP. And he was a setup man for part of those years, so he has been capable of putting up outstanding results in both late-inning relief roles.
Lastly, regarding Williams’ numbers last year, DiComo noted: “A look under the hood reveals that Williams actually had some bad luck last season. His FIP was more than two runs lower than his ERA, at 2.68. And his expected ERA was 3.04. The hard-hit rate against him -- while a career high -- wasn’t alarmingly high, at 35.7%.”
Today’s Trivia Question
One of today’s Birthday Boys is C/DH Gary Sánchez. I remember him having that short but outstanding rookie season with the Yankees in 2016, with 20 HR in only 53 games. He came in second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting that year. Can you name the other Yankees’ rookie who came in second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting after also hitting 20+ HR in less than half a season in the majors?
Holiday gift idea… Baseball Socks!
I usually find colored socks pretty boring. So when I have to wear them, I like to wear baseball-themed ones. If you have baseball fans in your life to buy holiday gifts for… perhaps a set of socks would be a good fit? This is a set of 8 with vibrant colors, baseball imagery, and even baseball messages on the bottom… see them at Amazon!
On this day in baseball history…
Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. Unless otherwise noted, the descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.
📅 On December 2…
1948: Stan Musial wins the NL MVP Award after nearly winning the Triple Crown. “Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals is named National League Most Valuable Player. In one of the best seasons ever, Musial led the NL in batting average (.365), runs (135), RBI (131), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18) and slugging (.702). His 39 home runs were one short of Johnny Mize and Ralph Kiner.”
1971: Eight trades are made involving 30 players. “Major league teams engineer eight trades, involving a total of 30 players. In the biggest trades, P Doyle Alexander is sent by the Dodgers along with P Bob O'Brien, C Sergio Robles, and OF Royle Stillman to the Orioles, for OF Frank Robinson and P Pete Richert. After acquiring Robinson, the Dodgers send 1B Dick Allen to the White Sox for P Tommy John and IF Steve Huntz. The White Sox also send IF Rich McKinney to the Yankees in exchange for P Stan Bahnsen as the Yankees get IF Bernie Allen from the Rangers in a deal for two pitching prospects. Finally, 1B John Mayberry is sent by the Astros to the Royals in a four-player transaction.”
1974: Cowhide can now be used. “At the Major League Winter Meetings in New Orleans, LA, the Rules Committee institutes several changes; among the changes is one permitting the use of cowhide, rather than just horsehide, in the manufacture of baseballs.”
1981: Valenzuela wins the NL Rookie of the Year Award. “Following the strike-shortened season, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela becomes the third consecutive Dodgers player to be named National League Rookie of the Year. The Mexican lefthander posted a 13-7 record with a 2.48 ERA and led the NL in strikeouts (180), games started (25), complete games (11), shutouts (8) and innings pitched (192 1/3).”
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Deacon White (1847-1939)
Hall of Famer
20-year major league career, spanning from 1871-1890, playing for Cleveland and Boston of the National Association, and then seven different clubs in the NL
An early star, mostly played C and 3B, with some time at 1B and the OF
Won two batting titles with a .367 average in 1875 and a .387 mark in 1877, when he also led the NL in hits, triples, and RBI.
Didn't have much power, with only 24 HR in 6,973 PA, and only had 10+ triples three times as well
Overall had 1,140 runs, a .312/.346/.393 slash line, and a 127 OPS+
Darryl Kile (1968-2002)
12-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1991-2002, for the Astros, Rockies, and Cardinals
Three-time All-Star, including in 1997 when he posted a 19-7 record, 205 K, and a 2.57 ERA
Died suddenly of coronary artery disease at the age of 33, the first active major league player to die during the regular season since 1979 (Thurman Munson who died in a plane crash)
Overall had a 133-119 record, 4.12 ERA, and 104 ERA+
Pedro Borbón (1946-2012)
12-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1969-1980, mostly with the Reds
Was a key member of the bullpen for the Big Red Machine's run including their World Series championships in 1975 and 1976.
Usually shared end-of-game duties, with 11-18 saves four times
Overall had 80 saves, a 3.52 ERA, and a 101 ERA+
Father of Pedro Borbón who was a major league pitcher for nine seasons, spanning from 1992-2003
Gary Sánchez (1992)
So far has had an 11-year major league career, starting with the Yankees for seven years, then spending time with five other clubs, mostly as a catcher and DH
Came in second in the 2016 Rookie of the Year vote even though he only played in 53 games. He managed 20 HR, 42 RBI, and a .299 average during that brief call-up.
Was an All-Star in 2017 with a .278 average, 33 HR, and 90 RBI in 122 games. Was an All-Star again in 2019 with 34 HR, though a lower .232 average in 106 games.
Had limited time with the Orioles in 2025 with 5 HR and a .231 average in 30 games, and is currently a free agent.
Overall so far has 189 HR, a .224/.309/.461 slash line, and a 107 OPS+
In addition to Gary Sanchez, a currently active player who was born on December 2 is TBR Bryan Baker.
New Baseball Books!
The following are some new titles that were published in November / December, 2025.
Here's the Pitch 2026
edited by Dan Schlossberg, with foreword by Jayson Stark
Publisher: ACTA Publications
204 pages
November 15, 2025
Baseball's Most Outrageous Promotions: From Wedlock and Headlock Day to Disco Demolition Night
by Joseph Natalicchio
Publisher: McFarland
254 pages
December 3, 2025
Black Baseball's Heyday: Capturing an Era in Art and Words
by Denny Dressman
Publisher: McFarland
189 pages
December 3, 2025
Baseball Legends
by Scott Reeves
Publisher: Sona Books
144 pages
December 2, 2025
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of the new features I’m starting up during the offseason is a baseball-related quote of the day. These will include quotes by players or managers that are insightful or funny, and interesting quotes from others about the game itself. I’ll try to mix it up over time.
Today I went and found some good quotes from baseball players on the topics of perseverance and resilience:
"It's not what you achieve, it's what you overcome. That's what defines your career." - Carlton Fisk
"People out there said I was too small. It's those kinds of moments that pushed me to be where I'm at right now." – Tim Lincecum
"You may not think you're going to make it. You may want to quit. But if you keep your eye on the ball, you can accomplish anything." – Hank Aaron
"You can’t get real happy or real depressed when you play baseball. Baseball is a great sport in that it offers a player a lot of opportunities for atonement." – Mike Piazza
"I feel that the most important requirement in success is learning to overcome failure. You must learn to tolerate it, but never accept it." – Reggie Jackson
Today’s Trivia Answer
While Gary Sánchez had 20 HR in only 53 games in 2016, Kevin Maas had 21 HR in a somewhat longer 79 games in 1990. He too came in second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting (Sandy Alomar took the honors that year).
Good Reads
Here I am providing one or more links to baseball articles I’ve enjoyed recently, whether by writers at MLB.com or elsewhere.
Dodgers' World Series repeat leads list of Capital One Plays of the Year, by Brent Maguire at MLB, 11/29/2025
6 candidates to make the bullpen-to-rotation leap, by Brent Maguire at MLB, 12/1/2025
Former MLB reliever drawing serious interest after dominating KBO, by David Adler at MLB, 12/1/2025
From perfect games to iconic home runs, these are the Yankees' 10 best on-field moments, by Bryan Hoch at MLB, 12/1/2025
See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!
How did you like this edition of Now Taking the Field?
Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.
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