![]() The Mariners celebrated on Saturday with “Salute to the Negro Leagues” day, wearing jerseys from the Seattle Steelheads from the 1940s. The Buffalo Soldiers, an African-American Army unit formed after the Civil War at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, presented the colors. The Diamondbacks marked the occasion by hosting a workshop featuring former Arizona outfielder Scott Hairston, pitcher Steve Randolph and infielder Junior Spivey for 34 high school baseball players. “Lift Every Voice” was also performed in Oakland before the Athletics’ game against the Phillies and in Friday's game between Arizona and Cleveland. WWE announcer Samantha Irvin performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black National Anthem, as well as the “Star-Spangled Banner.” On Monday, an exhibit from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, “Barrier Breakers: From Jackie to Pumpsie,” will open at nearby Emerson College. The last team in the major leagues to integrate their roster, the Red Sox were among the teams marking the June 19 holiday this weekend. “But things have changed and it’s like a miracle.” Just understand that his height is what it is, and there's more than 100 years of history working against him.“It wasn’t always comfortable for me to come to Fenway Park, because sometimes I would hear people called names,” said Haith, who designed the red-and-blue Juneteenth flag with the exploding white star that was first raised in the Boston neighborhood of Roxbury in 1979. Maybe his size will not prevent him from driving balls into the bullpen or popping them over the Green Monster. Maybe Yoshida's swing will produce power in the big leagues, even though players generally see their home run numbers decrease after leaving Japan. "You can talk about the risk that goes along with it but we also see upside, especially seeing in particular this year, the power come out and the ability to let loose that power when it fits the situation, and also to make sure to put the ball in play when it fits the situation and the ability he demonstrated to do that in all kinds of different spots." "The way the swing works and the way that he sees the ball, those things do tend to translate really well in whatever environment a player is in. "There is a foundation here to be able to do some things and handle an at-bat a certain way," Bloom said. Over seven seasons in Japan, the 29-year-old walked four times for every three strikeouts. Still, the Red Sox liked Yoshida's complete package enough to make him their most expensive addition of the offseason. Other than wrapping one around Pesky's Pole, there are no cheap homers to right field here. It's 380 feet to straightaway right field and 420 to the triangle in center. Making matters worse, Fenway Park isn't exactly kind to left-handed pull hitters. But the Red Sox have five years and $90 million riding on the likelihood that he is, and that's no small risk. That's not to say Yoshida can't be the exception. Red Sox' recent success fueled by former top prospects No one did it between Morgan in 1977 and Calhoun in 2019. Legendary Yankees catcher Yogi Berra did it 11 times, and fellow Hall of Famer Joe Morgan turned the trick four times for the Reds in the 1970s. Expanding our view beyond the Red Sox, only eight such players have recorded even 20 homers in a season, though two of them - Baltimore's Cedric Mullens and Texas's Willie Calhoun - have done so in the last three years. They don't exist.īrock Holt is the franchise record holder for homers in one season by a left-handed hitter of Yoshida's stature, with seven. If no left-handed hitters that size are springing to mind with a history of power production in Fenway Park, there's a reason for that. Should Red Sox pursue Ha-Seong Kim in trade with Padres? While those numbers are encouraging, these aren't: 5-foot-8. Yoshida hit 21 homers in Japan last season, three years after setting a career-high of 29. "Power came out," noted chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Known primarily for his contact skills and low strikeout rates in Japan, Yoshida intrigued Red Sox brass with an ability to drive the ball from the left side. He'll have to overcome one major physical disadvantage to do it. The Red Sox didn't sign Masataka Yoshida because they believe he's the next Ichiro, but because they hope he'll hit for power.
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