Westcott: Why Philadelphia breeds a major league attitude
From SABR member Rich Westcott at the Philadelphia Inquirer on November 26, 2012:
It was another feather in the cap of Philadelphia-area baseball when the 2012 major league Rookie of the Year awards were announced last week.
Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was a unanimous winner in the American League, and Todd Frazier of the Cincinnati Reds captured third place in the National League voting. Both are products of South Jersey; Trout grew up in Millville, Frazier in Point Pleasant.
The performances of Trout, also a leading candidate for his league’s Most Valuable Player award, and Frazier contributed heavily to what has been a banner year for local baseball players. Valley Forge’s Mike Piazza is on the ballot for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Germantown native Bucky Walters is listed on the hall’s “pre-integration era” ballot. Ryan Vogelsong, who was raised in Coatesville, had another stellar season with the San Francisco Giants, and won three games in the post-season. And 49-year-old Jamie Moyer of Sellersville became the oldest pitcher in baseball history to win a game.
These achievements ably demonstrate that this region takes a backseat to none when it comes to developing baseball talent.
Since 2000, 32 players from the area have performed in the big leagues. Since the start of the 20th century, nearly 350 major leaguers, from short-timers to superstars, have come from Philadelphia, its four Pennsylvania suburban counties, or South Jersey.
Read the full article here: http://articles.philly.com/2012-11-26/news/35348861_1_mickey-vernon-american-league-bobby-shantz
Originally published: November 30, 2012. Last Updated: November 30, 2012.