
Issue #576
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! ⚾
The World Baseball Classic tournament continued today, though with only three games this time (here are the current standings too):
Canada 7, Cuba 2 - TEX SP Cal Quantrill pitched well for Canada with 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, and then former major leaguer James Paxton was outstanding in relief with 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. MIA SS Otto Lopez went 2-4 with a walk and 2 RBI, and KCR 3B Abraham Toro went 3-5 with a HR and a double.
Italy 9, Mexico 1 - PHI SP Aaron Nola did well for Italy with 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, and KCR 1B Vinnie Pasquantino led their offense by going 3-4 with a walk and 3 solo homers (a first in WBC history).
Dominican Republic 7, Venezuela 5 - KCR 3B Maikel Garcia went 4-4 with a walk, a double, and 2 runs for Venezuela, but their pitchers couldn’t contain the first four hitters in the DR lineup: SDP RF Fernando Tatis Jr. was 2-5 with a 3-run HR, AZ 2B Ketel Marte was 2-5 with a HR and 2 runs, NYM LF Juan Soto was 2-4 with a walk and a 2-run HR, and TOR 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 3-4 with a walk and a HR.
Those games conclude the Pool Play round, with the following eight teams now advancing:
Canada (3-1 in Pool A)
Puerto Rico (3-1 in Pool A)
Italy (4-0 in Pool B)
USA (3-1 in Pool B)
Japan (4-0 in Pool C)
Korea (2-2 in Pool C)
Dominican Republic (4-0 in Pool D)
Venezuela (3-1 in Pool D)
The next WBC games are on Friday, with Korea facing Dominican Republic, and the United States playing Canada.
Then per usual there were many regular Spring Training games yesterday too, so here are the highlights that caught my eye (and here is a link to all of the games from yesterday):
BAL SP Kyle Bradish did well with 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
PIT SP Noah Davis had 5 K in 4.2 IP and was doing really well until finally giving up a 3-run HR to BAL LF Taylor Ward in the fifth
WSN SP Cade Cavalli did well with 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, and was also named Washington’s opening day starter.
MIN SP Taj Bradley stretched out to five innings and did very well with 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K
TBR SS Ben Williamson went 2-3 with a 3-run HR, and TBR SP Nick Martinez pitched well with 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
ATL 1B Matt Olson went 2-3 with a HR, his third of the spring. ATL SP Spencer Strider did well with 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
HOU SP Tatsuya Imai did well with 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, and so did HOU pitcher Spencer Arrighetti who had 6 K in 3 IP, with 1 H, 1 ER, and 1 BB.
Three Astros’ batters hit homers, including RF Zach Cole, DH Jose Altuve, and 3B Isaac Paredes.
MIA SP Max Meyer had 6 K in 3 IP, with 1 H, 0 ER, and 1 BB. MIA LF Heriberto Hernández hit his third HR of the spring.
CHC SP Colin Rea struggled against the Royals with 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, giving up three HR. Overall Kansas City’s batters hit five homers, including one each from DH Luca Tresh, C Elias Díaz, 3B Peyton Wilson, 1B Brett Squires, and C Blake Mitchell.
21-year-old CHC 3B Pedro Ramirez hit a grand slam, and CHC 2B Nico Hoerner hit his first HR of the spring.
SFG SP Tyler Mahle walked three batters, but otherwise did well with 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K.
KCR SP Bailey Falter gave up a lot of hits with 3 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, and 0 K
CHW SP Anthony Kay did well with 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 4 K, while CHW LF Austin Hays went 3-4 with a HR, a double, and 3 RBI, and CHW SS Colson Montgomery went 2-4 with a HR and 2 doubles
LAA SP Alek Manoah, who is competing for a rotation spot, had a rough outing with 4 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, while LAA RF Jo Adell went 2-3 with a HR, 2 RBI, and 2 runs
CIN SP Andrew Abbott had 5 K in 3.2 IP, but also allowed 6 H, 2 ER, and 2 BB, including a HR to MIL DH Gary Sánchez, his first of the spring
MIL SP Robert Gasser had 4 K in 2.2 IP, but also allowed 5 H and 4 ER, including three homers to 2B Matt McLain (3-3 on the day), RF Noelvi Marte, and C Jose Trevino.
ATH SP Luis Morales did fairly well with 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, but the big show was the A’s hitters who tallied 14 hits, including LF Tyler Soderstrom going 2-4 with a HR and a double, 3B Max Muncy going 3-3 with a walk, a HR, a double, and 4 runs, plus homers by C Shea Langeliers, 2B Andy Ibáñez, and DH Brent Rooker.
SEA SS Brock Rodden went 2-2 with his 2nd HR of the spring, and SEA 2B Cole Young went 3-5 with a double and his fourth HR
COL LF Charlie Condon went 2-4 with 2 doubles, COL 1B Trey Johnston went 2-3, with a walk, a triple, a double, and 3 RBI, and Colorado had three homers by 2B Adael Amador, DH Braxton Fulford, and RF GJ Hill
NYY SP Cam Schlittler had 6 K in 3.2 IP, with 2 H, 1 ER, and 0 BB, while NYY pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange did well in relief with 4 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Meanwhile, NYY DH Giancarlo Stanton went 2-3 with 2 HR, and the Yankees also had homers from RF Cole Gabrielson and SS Jonathan Ornelas.
Today’s Trivia Question
One of the great things about baseball and its rich history is that there is no end to things you can learn that make you say "Huh! How about that." Today's set of Birthday Boys (see below) is pretty loaded, and in particular has lots of guys who had strong combinations of speed and power. Raúl Mondesi had six 20 HR / 20 SB seasons, Darryl Strawberry had five, Jim Wynn had three, Dale Murphy had two, and Steve Finley did it once.
How many of the six players who had more 20/20 seasons than Mondesi's six can you name? (Hint: two guys did it ten times each, one did it nine times, and three players did it seven times.)
Trivia answers are always provided towards the bottom of each issue of The Baseball Buffet.
On this day in baseball history…
Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. All quoted descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.
📅 On March 12…
1903: The team that will become the Yankees is approved. “The New York Highlanders are approved as new members of the American League. They take over the spot left open by the dissolution of the Baltimore Orioles.”
1946: Smokey Joe Williams dies at 69. “Negro Leagues pitching star Smokey Joe Williams dies in New York City at the age of 69. According to some sources, Williams won 41 games in 1914. Williams will win election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.”
1973: Frankie Frisch dies at 74. “Hall of Fame member Frankie Frisch dies in Wilmington, Delaware, at the age of 74. Frisch batted .316 over a 19-year career. As player-manager for the St. Louis Cardinals, he led the team to the 1934 World Championship.”
1980: Chuck Klein and Tom Yawkey are elected to the Hall of Fame. “Slugging outfielder Chuck Klein and former Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Klein batted .320 over a 17-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Yawkey becomes the first Hall of Fame owner who never served as a player, manager, or general manager during his career.”
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

Row 1: Dale Murphy, Darryl Strawberry, Jimmy Wynn, Steve Finley, Johnny Callison
Row 2: Raúl Mondesi, Vern Law, Denny Lyons, Leroy Matlock
Dale Murphy (1956)
First-round draft pick (5th overall) in 1974 by the Braves
18-year major league career, spanning from 1976-1993, mostly with the Braves and spending his final four seasons with the Phillies and then Rockies
Came up as a catcher, but quickly switched to 1B and then CF where he excelled defensively, winning five consecutive Gold Glove Awards
Seven-time All-Star, including in 1982 and 1983 when he won consecutive NL MVP Awards
Had 20+ HR twelve times, leading the NL with 36 HR in 1984 and 37 HR in 1985, and then having a career-high 44 HR in 1987
Was a 30/30 HR/SB man in 1983 and also had a career-high 131 runs and 121 RBI that year
Was very durable during the middle of his career, playing in 740 consecutive games for the Braves from September 1981 through July 1986
Overall had 398 HR, 161 SB, 1,266 RBI, a .265/.346/.469 slash line, and a 121 OPS+
Darryl Strawberry (1962)
Overall #1 draft pick in 1980 taken by the Mets
17-year major league career, spanning from 1983-1999, mostly with the Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees
Was NL Rookie of the Year in 1983 after batting .257 with 26 HR and 19 SB
Eight-time All-Star as a RF
Had 20+ HR ten times, with a career-high of 39 HR in both 1987 and when he led the NL in 1988
Had 20+ SB five times, with a high of 36 SB in 1987
Overall had 335 HR, 221 SB, 1,000 RBI, a .259/.357/.505 slash line, and a 138 OPS+
Jimmy Wynn (1942-2020)
15-year major league career, spanning from 1963-1977, mostly with the Astros and Dodgers
Three-time All-Star
Had 20+ HR eight times with a high of 37 HR in 1967
Had 20+ SB three times, with a high of 43 SB in 1965
Had 100+ walks six times, leading the NL with 148 BB in 1969 and 127 BB in 1976
According to Wikipedia, "Wynn was nicknamed 'The Toy Cannon' because his bat was described as having a lot of 'pop' for his small size."
Overall had 291 HR, 225 SB, a .250/.366/.436 slash line, and a 129 OPS+
Steve Finley (1965)
19-year major league career, spanning from 1989-2007, mostly with the Orioles, Astros, Padres, and Diamondbacks
Two-time All-Star, and won five Gold Glove Awards in CF
Had 20+ HR seven times, with a high of 36 HR in 2004
Had 20+ SB five times, with a high of 44 SB in 1992
Had 100+ runs five times, with a high of 126 runs in 1996
Overall had 304 HR, 320 SB, 1,443 runs, a .271/.332/.442 slash line, and a 104 OPS+
Johnny Callison (1939-2006)
16-year major league career, spanning from 1958-1973, spending ten years with the Phillies, and two years each with the White Sox, Cubs, and Yankees
Was an All-Star in three seasons, and was a good defensive RF
Had 20+ HR four times, with a high of 31 HR in 1964 and 32 HR in 1965
Led the NL in triples twice, and doubles once
Overall had 226 HR, a .264/.331/.441 slash line, and a 115 OPS+
Raúl Mondesi (1971)
13-year major league career, spanning from 1993-2005, playing his first seven seasons with the Dodgers, and the rest spread across six other clubs
Was NL Rookie of the Year in 1994 after batting .306, with 16 HR and 11 SB in 112 games
Was an All-Star in 1995, and won two Gold Glove Awards in RF
Had 20+ HR nine times, and 20+ SB six times, with career highs of 33 HR and 36 SB, both in 1999
Overall had 271 HR, 229 SB, a .273/.331/.485 slash line, and a 113 OPS+
Vern Law (1930)
16-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1950-1967 (missing 1952-53 for military service), all with the Pirates
Had a 18-9 record and 2.98 ERA in 1959, and then was an All-Star in 1960 and won the NL Cy Young Award with a 20-9 record and 3.08 ERA, leading the NL with 18 complete games
Started three games in the World Series in 1960, winning two of them and posted a 3.44 ERA to help the Pirates win the championship against the Yankees
Overall had a 162-147 record, a 3.77 ERA, and 101 ERA+
Denny Lyons (1866-1929)
13-year major league career, spanning from 1885-1897, playing 3B for five different clubs in the American Association and National League
Hit .367 with 43 doubles, 14 triples, 128 runs, 102 RBI, and 73 SB in his first full season in 1887
Hit .329 with 135 runs in 1889, and then batted .354 in 1890
Overall had 224 SB, 933 runs, a .310/.407/.442 slash line, and a 140 OPS+
Leroy Matlock (1907-1968)
10-year major league pitching career in the Negro Leagues, spanning from 1929-1938, playing for four different clubs
Three-time All-Star
According to the data available at baseball-reference.com, he led his league in wins twice, and in ERA once with a 1.52 mark in 1935
Overall had a 53-28 (.654) record, a 3.82 ERA, and a 118 ERA+
Currently active players who were born on March 12 include ATH Nick Kurtz, CHW Luisangel Acuña, MIA Max Meyer, TBR Cole Sulser, and BAL Bryan Ramos.
New Baseball Books!
The following are some books that are newly published in March, 2026:
The Greatest New York Yankees by Uniform Number
by Paul Russell Semendinger
Artemesia Publishing, LLC
236 pages
March 17, 2026
The 50 Greatest Players in New York Mets History
by Robert W. Cohen
Lyons Press
352 pages
March 3, 2026
Baseballisms: A Murderers' Row of Metaphors and Idioms
by Leonard Skonecki
McFarland
334 pages
March 19, 2026
Baseball America 2026 Almanac
by The Editors at Baseball America
528 pages
March 10, 2026
Baseball America 2026 Prospect Handbook
by The Editors at Baseball America
512 pages
March 17, 2026
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today’s Birthday Boys (see above) is Dale Murphy, so here are several quotes from him:
"I don't think any of us have really grown up, because we've been doing the same thing since we were 8 years old."
"Whether I'm hitting .100 or .300, I have resolved to at least enjoy every game."
"You can make it to AAA ball on talent only. It's difficult but it can be done. But to make it to the big leagues, you HAVE to be coachable."
"It's critical that the manager has the respect of players so he can make the moves that he feels is appropriate without having somebody go to the papers. They respect you. So you respect them back."
"I miss baseball."
Today’s Trivia Answer
Here are the six players who had seven or more 20 HR / 20 SB seasons:
10 - Barry Bonds
10 - Bobby Bonds
9 - Bobby Abreu (… his birthday was yesterday!)
7 - José Ramírez (active, so could climb this list)
7 - Carlos Beltran
7 - Eric Davis
As noted, Raúl Mondesi, one of today's Birthday Boys, did it six times, tied with Álex Rodríguez, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays.
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.
Basallo ROY? Griffin 20/20? Here are 30 prospect predictions for '26, by Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis, and Jonathan Mayo at MLB
Facts, stats from homer-happy final day of Classic pool play, by Sarah Langs at MLB, 3/12/2026
Saluting MLB's elder statesmen: The 10 oldest players in 2026, by Will Leitch at MLB, 3/11/2026
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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