I found this Kyle Schwarber bio on iuhoosiers.com from 2014. He wore jersey #10 for the Indiana Hoosiers before switching to #12 for the Cubs, Red Sox, Nats, and currently the Phillies. He might have asked to continue with #10 in Chicago, but the uniform number was retired in honor of Ron Santo back in 2003.
“Selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft (fourth overall) by the Chicago Cubs, the highest draft pick in Indiana baseball history … Two-time First Team All-American and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honoree … In IU history, ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.607), sixth in home runs (40), eighth in hits (238) and tied for eighth in triples (12) and runs (182) … All-Big Ten honors all three years … for career batted .341 in 180 games played.”
2014 – JUNIOR
“Johnny Bench Award Finalist … First Team All-American (Baseball America and Perfect Game), Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger, NCBWA and ABCA/Rawlings) … First Team All-Big Ten … Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Big Ten All-Tournament Team … on Big Ten charts, ranked first in slugging percentage (.659), on base percentage (.464), runs scored (66), home runs (14), total bases (153), walks (44) and total plate appearances (280), tied for first in triples (6), second in hits (83), third in batting average (.358), fifth in RBI (48), tied for fifth in doubles (16) and sixth in at bats (232) … In IU single-season history, ranked tied for tenth in runs (66) … Big Ten Player of the Week (March 3) … reached base in all five plate appearances in win at No. 9 Louisville … accounted for eight runs in two-game sweep in Louisville … team-high 23 games with multiple hits, including three contests with career-high four hits … in four NCAA Regional games, recorded 10 hits, seven RBI, one double, one triple and two home runs.”
2013 – SOPHOMORE
” Selected as the best catcher in the country by Perfect Game and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, earning First Team All-America honors from both entities … named a Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper … chosen as the NCBWA’s District V Player of the Year … also picked up First Team honors for both the ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Region and All-Big Ten squads … paired with Sam Travis to become only college teammates to compete for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team over the summer … led the Big Ten with 18 homeruns (3rd nationally), 65 runs (13th), 152 total bases (16th), .647 slugging percentage (19th), .456 OBP and 42 walks … his .366 average, 54 RBI and 86 hits each ranked third in the conference … the 18-homer total is slotted sixth all-time in school history … fielded .989 on the season … earned a spot on both the All-Big Ten Tournament and All-NCAA Bloomington Regional teams … CollegeBaseballInsider.com’s Central Regional Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week on March 11 after destroying Florida for 10 hits, four RBI and four runs scored in a road series victory … racked up seven hits, six runs and four RBI in series sweep at Iowa … blasted a no-doubt homer in the bottom of the 10th vs. Michigan, setting up a walk-off win for IU later in the inning … went on a 10-game postseason hitting streak which included four long-balls, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored and 14 total base knocks … clobbered a pair of cloud-scraping homers in an 8-6 win at Nebraska on the Big Ten Network … whacked homeruns in back-to-back games four different times, including twice in the postseason … Indiana went 46-13 (.780) in games he started and 3-3 (.500) in games an injury held him out of the starting lineup … an Academic All-Big Ten selection.”
2012 – FRESHMAN
“Tabbed as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper … voted All-Big Ten second team catcher … unanimous selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman squad … three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree (Mar. 5/Apr. 30/May 21) … ranked in the conference’s top-10 of seven offensive categories: five triples (2nd), 51 runs (t-4th), 47 RBI (t-5th), 118 total bases (t-5th), 15 doubles (t-6th), eight homeruns (t-7th) and a .513 slugging percentage (9th) … threw out 27 attempted base stealers, second-most in the Big Ten … added nine stolen bases, a .300 batting average and .390 on-base percentage … numbers exploded in Big Ten play; hitting .376, slugging .624 and reaching base at a .464 clip during conference action … stroked nine doubles against Big Ten foes, the seventh-most in school history … started all 60 games, 54 behind the dish and six in the corner outfield … second on the team with 21 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI games … batted .364 (24 of 66) with runners in scoring position … drove in four runs three times, including a grand slam at East Tennessee State … scored one or more runs in 12 consecutive games during late April/early May … scored at least once in 35 of 60 games.”
HIGH SCHOOL
“Led the Greater Miami Conference with a .474 batting average, eight homeruns and .643 on-base percentage as a senior … also recorded 28 RBI and 11 stolen bases in his league’s Co-Player-of-the-Year-winning season … four-time team MVP … a second team All-Ohio linebacker selection.”
PERSONAL
“The son of Greg and Donna Schwarber … has a brother, Jamin, and three sisters, Alicia, Kelly and Lindsey … born on March 5, 1993 … majoring in Recreational Sports Management. He was born in Middletown, Ohio and played for Middletown High, same school as I.U basketball’s Butch Carter.”
Jose Altuve has added to his postseason legacy, cracking his 26th playoff HR (a 3-run blast) in the ninth, leading the defending Champion Astros to a 3-2 series margin over the Texas Rangers. This was after Texas had won the first two games. Talk about “clutch” in his quest for “Mr. October” status. (See Post #2418). He moves within 3 of all-time post-season HR leader Manny Ramirez, tarnished by two suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Moments later, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies put one over the right center wall to surpass fellow left-handed sluggers Reggie Jackson and Mickey Mantle in the post-season Home Run Derby, his 19th from that side of the plate and fourth of in this year’s NLCS, all in the lead-off position, another record. In addition, Kyle ties right-handers Albert Puljos and George Springer, surpassing Carlos Correa and Nelson Cruz, establishing himself as a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate.
Schwarber can it the long ball and the dribbler off the end of the bat that led to the first run in game 5. The question then became can the Phillies hold on to the early lead for once or will the DBacks stage another comeback? It’s an understatement that reliever Craig Kimbrel has been a disappointment as he was for the Cubs and White Sox whenever I watched him pitch. I would doubt he gets another chance in this series if Manager Rob Thomson wants to keep his job.
In the top of the 6th, Kyle Schwarber, wearing uniform #12, hit another bomb, his 5th of the NLCS and 20th overall, tying Derek Jeter. Harper matched it later in the inning, after stealing home in the first and joining Randy Arozarena as the only two players in history to do both in the same postseason game. These are “Mr. October” feats above and beyond Reggie Jackson!
Before this historical moment, I never paid much attention to the #12 jersey that Schwarber wore, unlike my childhood fascination with Sherm Lollar back in the 60s who donned the #10 that I since favored. Both Lollar and Schwarber were catchers, by the way, although Kyle now serves a DH role, and was used by the Cubs as an outfielder. I looked back through some of Schwarbs baseball cards, dating back to the I.U. days (2012-2014 when he hit 40 homers for the Hoosiers and wore #10 like Sherm). His USA Baseball, collegiate national team number was 44 in 2014, the year he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Schwarber may have requested #10 when the Cubbies called him up, but that uniform number was retired in honor of Ron Santo back in 2003.
The Phillies held on to win game five 6-1 and will have two more chances for a World Series spot when they return to Citizens Bank Park. Unlike the previous night when Schwarber’s run-scoring walk should have been the game winner prior to Kimbrel’s blown save, the bullpen did its job. Hopefully, Philly will advance and likely get a second chance against the Astros, allowing Schwarber and Harper more chances to rewrite the record books and ultimately outdo Houston’s esteemed advisor, “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson. There could even be a “Mr. November should this year’s series lasts longer than four games!
This is a post that I hope to continue to expand upon, as Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies becomes the second player to have his own category on my blog, along with Sherm Lollar. Neither of these guys are exactly household names, but they are near and dear to me. I’ve been following Schwarber since his playing days at my alma mater Indiana University. Lollar was a childhood hero. Both played for multiple MLB teams during their respective careers and have won World Series rings, while Schwarbs, as I call him, still has a lot of history to make.
“Mr. October” was the title earned by Reggie Jackson “for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the Athletics and the Yankees. He helped Oakland win five consecutive American League West divisional titles, three straight American League pennants and three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974. He then helped New York win four American League East divisional pennants, three American League pennants and back-to-back World Series titles, in 1977 and 1978. He then assisted the California Angels in their two AL West divisional titles in 1982 and 1986 and served as an advisor to the 2022 World Champion Astros, his 6th title (at Kyle Schwarber’s expense).“
There have been recent references to Kyle Schwarber as the new “Mr. October,” after he tied New York Yankees legends Jackson and Mickey Mantle with 18 post-season home runs following two dingers the other night in Philadelphia, “the most by a left-handed batter in Major League baseball history.” Plus, in his case, there’s more work yet to do with at least two more games yet this month. Plus, Reggie took 77 games and Mickey 65 to reach the 18-mark, while Kyle did it in 60. Schwarber also earned me free Taco Bell food with a rare stolen base in last year’s World Series. (See Post 2186). Kyle is an all-or-nothing hitter with too many strikeouts and a hitting average below the Mendoza level.
Schwarber’s long-ball heroics started eight years ago when he hit a solo homer for the Cubs in his second post-season at bat back in 2015. He also is the sole owner for lead-off dingers with four, after struggling earlier this month in the Divisional round of the playoffs. Jackson hammered three consecutive home runs at Yankee Stadium in the clinching game six of the 1977 World Series. So, the word “clutch” adds immensely to Jackson’s October legend, while Schwarber has been upstaged by his teammate Bryce Harper when it comes to game-winning efforts, so far. This is the downside of serving as a lead-off hitter. Plus, this year’s World Series run for the Phillies could easily extend into next month, so either of these stars could claim “Mr. November.”
Other contenders for “Mr. October” include Manny Ramirez with 29 post-season homers, Jose Altuve (25), Bernie Williams (22), Derek Jeter (20), Albert Pujols & George Springer (19), and Carlos Correa & Nelson Cruz (18), while Randy Arozerena totaled ten during the 2022 season alone. Bernie Williams tops everyone with 80 post-season RBIs, all according to Baseball Reference. To Tell the Truth, will the real “Mr. October” please stand up!
To be continued…..
It’s been a while since I’ve written about Sherm Lollar. Today, August 23, 2024, would have been his 99th birthday. Sadly, he died at the very young age of 53, 46-years ago. I’m at the Louisville Slugger Factory today diligently looking for any signs of his existence but couldn’t find a bat or plaque anywhere. I checked the vault and the wall of signatures but to no avail. I did get to swing an Eloy Jimenez bat, the only current White Sox player with a stock of lumber at the factory. I also tested the weight of bats used by former Cub players Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant, but the heaviest by far was the Babe Ruth model.
They gave us mini bats for taking the tour and we had a penny flattened with the Slugger logo. My wife bought a magnet and an “It’s All About The Wood” t-shirt as additional souvenirs. My good friend Peter Browning had me check out the first custom bat ever made there, with a “Pete” Browning signature from 1884. He was the original “Louisville Slugger” before the company trademarked the name in 1894 “to honor his patronage and capitalize on his fame.” He was also dubbed “The Gladiator” and played for the local semipro team, the Louisville Eclipse, but helped coin the “Pirates” nickname in Pittsburg due to an 1891 player strike when he and several other players were accused of piracy after signing contracts while theoretically under the control of other clubs. He is one of many famous players who should probably be in the Hall of Fame.
I do have a #11 Luis Aparicio Louisville Slugger in my collection and a #35 Frank Thomas manufactured bat from Hoosier, both players enshrined in Cooperstown. I’ve seen bats autographed by Sherm Lollar from Adirondack and H&R (Louisville Slugger parent company Hillerich & Bradsby) for sale on eBay. It’s one of the few items I don’t possess in my Lollar collection of cards, photos, articles, mitts, balls, caps, uniform, and trinkets. Few can probably rival my extensive inventory of memories from his illustrious two-decade plus catching and coaching career with the Indians, Yankees, Browns, White Sox, Orioles, A’s, Iowa Oaks, and Tucson Toros. He’s surely crouched behind Heaven’s Home Plate – Happy Birthday, Sherm!
It’s baseball opening day, so I’m glued to the T.V. and free games from MLB.com. Apparently, it was the earliest ever opener for the Cubs at Wrigley Field, celebrating their 148th season. I have a ticket stub from April 3, 1998, one of the memorable openers for me. The Cubs won 6-2 over the Montreal Expos with Steve Trachsel as the winning pitcher and hitter with two hits while Rod Beck got the save. There were no homers but Sammy Sosa had two errors and got caught stealing. I’m sure the famous ivy vines were just as dead-looking as today with the temperature at 42 windy degrees. I stuffed napkins in my shoes to keep my toes from freezing.
Vladimir Guerrero played right field for the Expos. He was 23-years old that year, while his son, Vladi just turned 24 and is a designated hitter for the Blue Jays. Like father like son, both Canadian stars. I’m watching him play against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, another opening day experience in my life as a baseball fan. That was the inaugural opening of the downtown St. Louis stadium in 2006. However, as a White Sox fan, I can’t say I that I’ve ever started a season there. The Sox play the defending champion Astros this evening.
I drank the White Sox Kool-Aid last year, so I’m not falling into that trap again this year. Let’s just say I have limited expectations for the team, especially without Abreau. Plus, I have no idea how the Cubs will perform with a fully reconstructed lineup, but they did get off to a great start this afternoon by shutting out the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0. Dansby Swanson, former Atlanta Brave, ended the day with three hits in his debut and Marcus Stroman was impressive on the mound, while Michael Fulmer was credited with the save. Fly the “W.” I’m not yet used to no Kyle Hendricks on the opening day roster or Willson Contreras wearing rival red.
Aaron Judge was appropriately the first home run of the season in his very first at-bat, mimicking Roger Maris the season after his Ruth-besting power performance, with Judge ultimately topping both of them with the Yankee record 62-dingers. I have a few Judge cards in my collection along with Adley Rutschman of the Orioles who had a historic 5-5 opener, including a homer. Shohei Ohtani started perhaps his final Angels’ season with 10 K’s in six shutout innings. Another collection favorite, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, sadly went 0-5 against the Rangers.
The Brewers and Cubs rivalry dates back to June 13, 1997. As of today’s victory, the series is now tied at 209-209. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have taken the lead on a Paul Goldschmit single, in their opening day matchup. I’m simply not a fan of the Redbirds after being caught in the midst of obnoxious central Illinois fans for the years we lived in Decatur. They haven’t won a championship in 12-years (I was there), while both the Sox and Cubs can claim more recent greatness (I witnessed both), even though neither team will ever get to that impressive 11-title-mark.
All in all, it was an outstanding Opening Day with the Cubs, Sox, Braves, and Orioles all with wins, while the Cardinals and Brewers lost. My kind of baseball.
Another Wordle streak bit the dust this morning as there were just too many letters that worked instead of the “L” in STALE. STATE, STAVE, STAKE, and STAGE were all unsuccessful, so a new streak will have to wait until tomorrow. Bu the way, I’m not worried about revealing the answer or spoiling someone else’s fun with this daily word game because it will be several days before this gets posted. I’m still at my son’s house and writing this on my phone to be copied and pasted later.
I’m still recovering from my eye surgery, and spent a lazy day yesterday watching TV. It was also a bit lonely with no one home, no dog to take care of, and a cat on my lap. When my son got off work, I ordered Taco Bell for both of us on my new app, and he picked it up on his way home. The app was solely the result of a Kyle Schwarber stolen base in game 1 of the World Series. (See Post #2186). However, it came in handy to efficiently feed both of us last night.
After a sedate 12-hours of watching my favorites like I.U. and Purdue be soundly crushed, Alabama lose in O.T, Illinois fall to the Spartans, and unwanted victories by Notre Dame and Ohio State, I turned to the World Series for more disappointment. Dusty Baker finally won a ring as a manager after falling short leading the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nats. Schwarber, in a losing Phillies effort, belted another homer, walked, and gunned down a runner at second “after further review.” It was getting late, but I was not the slightest bit tired.
I tossed and turned in my grandson’s bed for hours before I finally figured out what was wrong. I had inadvertently ordered a large Mountain Dew Blast instead of a caffeine-free Sierra Mist on the Taco Bell app and was seriously buzzed! I stared at the ceiling, read my book, and worried about silly things that will probably never happen. Finally, I dozed off restlessly and felt out of sorts when daylight rudely forced me out of bed. As a result, I shortened my run and exercise routine to play a losing game of Wordle. I’ll now spend another day with frustrating football and go to bed early in anticipation of another disruptive time change.
Through swollen eyelids, I watched baseball history last night with a Houston Astros combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second no-hitter in a World Series game, the first by Don Larsen of the Yankees in 1956, who was “perfect” against the Brooklyn Dodgers. That record will never be topped. Cristian Javier, Christian Vazquez, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly only gave up three base-on-balls, one was to Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, extending his post-season on-base streak to 11 straight games.
I can remember the buzz around the Don Larsen “Perfecta,” even though I was only 5-years old. I was already into collecting baseball cards at that age and had all the Yankee greats that year. The 1956 Mickey Mantle Topps card alone is now worth thousands of dollars but somehow it got lost or thrown out. Three years later I became a White Sox fan, so those Yankee cards apparently didn’t matter any more. Don Larsen is valued at about $80 and probably went up in value with the exposure from last night’s no-hit feat.
I spent my second straight night in a chair sitting up with ice-packs pressed against my black-and-blue eyes. It made it even tougher to watch Manager Dusty Baker pull Cristian Javier after 6 innings and nine strike outs, taking away his chance of solo heroics. Instead, he shared the honor with four other bullpen mates for a 5-0 victory, tying the series at 2 games each.
My eyelids are now thick lips with Frankenstein-like stitches. I joke that I got a special deal on surgery by waiting until the day after Halloween. I’m also not supposed to exercise, but I did get the minimum mile in both days to extend “The Streak” to 5,058 consecutive days. It was especially difficult the day after surgery as I waited until afternoon and the pain-killers to wear off before lacing up my running shoes. This morning was easier and tomorrow I could be back to normal, hiding behind my cheap sunglasses.
Sherman Lollar of the Chicago White Sox was the very first recipient of a Rawlings Gold Glove at the catcher position. In fact, in its inaugural presentation year of 1957, it was awarded to the best player regardless of league. In subsequent years it has been divided into American and National League position players. Lollar won the award three times while it was one of the few honors never bestowed on Yankee rival Yogi Berra.
“The 2022 winners were announced prior to Tuesday’s Game 3 of the World Series between the Astros and Phillies on “Baseball Tonight” on ESPN2, with a record 14 first-time recipients earning the honor for best defensive player at each position (the old mark was 11, recorded in both 2020 and 1958, the year the award was established to include both Leagues.” For the record, only nine were presented in 1957, the fewest of all.
National League 2022:
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies First: Christian Walker, D-Backs
Second: Brendan Rodgers, Rockies
Shortstop: Dansby Swanson, Braves
Third base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Left field: Ian Happ, Cubs (first Cub at that position)
Center field: Trent Grisham, Padres
Right field: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
Pitcher: Max Fried, Braves
Utility player: Brendan Donovan, Cardinals
American League 2022:
Catcher: Jose Trevino, Yankees
Trevino is the third player in Yankees history to win a Gold Glove Award at the catcher position, joining Thurman Munson (1973-75) and Elston Howard (1963-64). Trevino led all Major League catchers with 21 defensive runs saved, which was also tied for the third-most Defensive Runs Saved in baseball, regardless of position.
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Second base: Andrés Giménez, Guardians
Shortstop: Jeremy Peña, Astros
Third base: Ramón Urías, Orioles
Left field: Steven Kwan, Guardians
Center field: Myles Straw, Guardians
Right field: Kyle Tucker, Astros
Pitcher: Shane Bieber, Guardians
Utility player: D.J. LeMahieu, Yankees
In other baseball notes:
“A managerial search that included candidates such as Joe Espada, Ozzie Guillén and Ron Washington, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol’s candidacy flew a bit under the radar.” It appears that he will be the new White Sox manager for the 2023 season, replacing Tony La Russa at the helm.
I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies has now reached base in ten consecutive Playoff games with a first-inning walk. He was the first to cross the plate last night with Bryce Harper’s 2-run homer. “Schwarbs” then went on to hit a 2-run bomb in the bottom of the 5th, part of a 5-homer Phillies barrage that led to a 7-0 victory over the Astros in Game 3. He was already a “Taco Hero” after stealing a base in Game 1, but has yet to be a candidate for a Gold Glove.
Steal a base…Steal a taco. It’s a Taco Bell promotion and I.U. alum Kyle Schwarber, as a result, is a World Series hero. Schwarber at 6′ 229 lbs. is a slugger not a speedster by any stretch of the imagination. Going from base-to-base with a piano on his back is one description, but who needs to be fast when you can take your time rounding the bases after celebrating another over-the-fence moon shot like Game 1 of the NLCS against Yu Darvish, another former Cub, and the San Diego Padres. Coincidentally, the Topps card of this achievement just arrived in the mail this morning. Hopefully, they will produce another to commemorate the stolen base, although it didn’t really figure in the 6-5 extra innings win. The real hero of the game was J.T. Realmuto with his 10th inning homer that sealed the victory.
Through the years, Mookie Betts, Cameron Maybin, Lorenzo Cain, Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor (Indians), Angel Pagan, Jason Bartlett (Rays), Jacoby Ellsbury, Ozzie Albies, and now Kyle Schwarber have all “secured Taco Bell goodness for everyone who wants to indulge.” In the ten years that the campaign has existed, “teams whose player secures the first stolen base of the World Series are 8-2.” Only the Rays and Indians fell short.
In last night’s Series opener, Schwarber reached first base on an infield single off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu in the top of the seventh and the score tied 5-5. While still nursing a knee injury, he then stole second to move into scoring position with only one out. The successful swipe means a free Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco for anyone that downloads the app. I will, of course, claim my Taco prize!
Note: Schwarber World Series heroics date back to 2016 and the Cubs. (See Post #119)
Clean-up and repairs continue in our neighborhood from the damage left behind by Ian. We’re still waiting on the refrigerator repair person to get our unit going again. In the meantime, we’ve used the new outdoor kitchen and refrigeration drawers to our advantage. Today is “Matinee Monday,” so we’re off to another movie despite all the damage down in that area. The mall parking lot, where the cinema is located in Port Charlotte, is being used as a temporary Civil Defense post. Tuesday night we’ll have the grandkids back for dinner, as we try to reestablish normalcy. Friday night is a Hallo-wine event here in the neighborhood.
It looks like my son and I finally won a Fantasy Football game after three straight losses, while the Bad News Bears hope to do the same on Monday Night Football against the Patriots. The best news of all is that I.U. football gets the week off, so I won’t have to deal with that frustration. The World Series starts this Friday night following a long break due to the fact that the Phillies and the Astros made quick work in their respective Championship Series. I’m gaining new respect for Philadelphia star Bryce Harper after his game-winner, while teammate Kyle Schwarber continues to hit well. Schwarber, who I’ve followed for years with I.U., the Cubs, Nationals, and now Phillies, is probably now my current Major League favorite, so I hope he earns another ring. It doesn’t necessarily make me a life-long Philadelphia fan. However, I also like their cheese steaks!
