Tag: Brad Lidge

World Series to feature pair of Notre Dame baseball standouts

World Series hopes and predictions?

The 2022 World Series will feature the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies as the Fall Classic gets underway on Friday night.  It’s the Astros’ fourth trip in the last six years, having won it all in 2017 while the Phillies are making their first trip since 2009 when they fell to the Yankees.

The Astros will feature designated hitter [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] who was dealt from the Orioles at this year’s trade deadline.  In 51 games with Houston this regular season, Mancini struggled to a .176 batting average, .622 OPS, and hit eight home runs.  He’s 0-12 with a walk and hit-by-pitch this postseason.

Phillies outfielder [autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] hit .260 this regular season with six homers.  He’s 2-10 this postseason with a double and RBI for the National League champions.

Mancini starred at Notre Dame from 2011-2013 while Vierling did so from 2016-18.  Whichever wins will become just the third former Notre Dame player to win a World Series crown since [autotag]Brad Lidge[/autotag] did so with the Phillies in 2008, as they’ll join[autotag] A.J. Pollock[/autotag] who did so with the Dodgers in 2020.

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Notre Dame Product A.J. Pollock is World Series Champion with Dodgers

For the first time since Brad Lidge with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, a former Notre Dame player has won a World Series title.

For the first time since Brad Lidge with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, a former Notre Dame player has won a World Series title. That player is Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder A.J. Pollock, whose team won its first championship since 1988 on Tuesday. Though he had only one double and one walk in seven plate appearances during the Fall Classic, he’ll surely take a ring in his second season in Los Angeles.

Pollock’s seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks included an All-Star selection and Gold Glove in 2015. After reaching the playoffs only once during that time, he took his talents to Chavez Ravine for a four-year, $55 million deal beginning in 2019. During the pandemic-shortened regular season, he tied with Mookie Betts for the team lead in home runs with 16. He also posted a slash line of .276/.314/.566 and had 34 RBIs over 55 games.

Congratulations to A.J. for playing a role in making the City of Angels the city of champions in 2020.

Notre Dame’s Five First Round MLB Draft Picks

Notre Dame isn’t known to be a baseball powerhouse but has had it’s share of big-time prospects. Here are their all-time first round picks.

As you’re all well aware, no sports of late leaves us craving anything that has to do with sports. That meant some people spent Wednesday night watching the MLB Draft, something some probably never would have considered doing previously.

No Notre Dame players were selected, not that any were expected to be, but Notre Dame has had a handful of baseball players have their names called in the first round of the MLB Draft before.

Before I tell you who, can you guess any of the five?

First – the third catcher ever drafted…

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Notre Dame Baseball Alumni Gather on SiriusXM Podcast Episode

This pandemic has resulted in reunions and interviews of all sorts.

This pandemic has resulted in reunions and interviews of all sorts. One of the least likely has come in the form of a podcast episode featuring Notre Dame baseball alumni who were part of the program at different times. One edition of the SiriusXM podcast “Sports From the Sidelines” aired on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday. The episode, appropriately entitled “Three-Run Domer” featured Craig Counsell, Brad Lidge, Cavan Biggio and Pat Connaughton, all of whom represent the program at different times.

There was no shortage of topics during the 47-minute conversation. Counsell, who mentioned how rare it was for the football team to lose during his time at Notre Dame, said it is imperative for MLB to start playing so that college football has a chance to do the same. The Milwaukee Brewers manager can’t see college football kicking off if his own sport isn’t in action.

On a lighter note, Connaughton hasn’t forgotten about baseball. In fact, even as his Milwaukee Bucks wait to see if they’ll have a chance to compete for a 2020 NBA championship, he hasn’t shaken the thought that he might give professional baseball a shot like Michael Jordan and Tim Tebow before him. He didn’t necessarily say he would leave basketball behind like MJ and Tebow left their respective sports, but it’s practically a given he would do that if he was serious about baseball.

If you’re a SiriusXM subscriber, you can go to the service’s website and listen to this episode on demand. You’re not doing much else being stuck at home. Hear what these Domers have to say about their time representing the gold and blue.