Tag: trey mancini

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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=27097]

Two former Notre Dame players on move at trade deadline

Neither player has done much in 2023.

The MLB trade deadline officially has passed, and that meant two former Notre Dame players were off their respective teams. One player is heading to another team, and the other’s future is in limbo. Neither player has been particularly good this season.

[autotag]AJ Pollock[/autotag] was acquired by the San Francisco Giants from the Seattle Mariners, landing him on his fifth team in 12 MLB seasons. Pollock currently is on the injured list with a strained left hamstring but could be activated soon despite a career-worst slash line of .173/.225/.323. The playoff-contending Giants need some outfield depth to offset the temporary loss of the injured Mike Yastrzemski.

Meanwhile, [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] has been designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs to make room for Jeimer Candelario, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals. Mancini has been the Cubs’ primary first baseman for much of the season, but he also has had an off year. His slash line is .234/.299/.336, and his four home runs are by far the fewest he’s hit in any full season.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Kyle Hamilton throws out first pitch at Orioles game

It wasn’t thrown hard but it was certainly over the plate

It was a Notre Dame connection on Tuesday night at Camden Yards in Baltimore when Ravens first round draft pick [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] threw out the first pitch ahead of the Orioles home game against the Washington Nationals.

Hamilton wasn’t the only Domer participating however as former Notre Dame baseball star and current Oriole [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] caught the first pitch.  You can check out Hamilton’s toss below,

Hopefully Hamilton brings more luck to the Ravens this year than he did the Orioles as they fell 3-0 and recorded just three hits in the contest.

Related:

[lawrence-related id=28560,55735,55723]

[listicle id=55787]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Top 10 Notre Dame baseball players according to ChatGPT

How many of these players do you recognize?

So Notre Dame will not make the College World Series for a second straight season. In fact, it didn’t make the NCAA Tournament at all. So what are Irish fans left to do? Look into the past, of course.

Not long ago, we took the liberty of asking ChatGPT, the AI information bot that supposedly is threatening to put all of us writers out of work, its opinion on Notre Dame athletic history. Specifically, we asked it to rank what it believed were the top 10 Notre Dame football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball players. Now, we’re bringing it back to seek its opinion about Irish baseball players.

Keep in mind that ChatGPT gives this disclaimer:

“As an AI, I don’t have access to real-time information or the ability to provide subjective opinions. However, I can tell you about some notable baseball players who have had successful careers at the University of Notre Dame. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive and does not rank them in any particular order.”

There’s also this:

“Please note that this is not an exhaustive or ranked list, and there have been many other talented baseball players who have represented the University of Notre Dame.”

So with all of that said, let’s see who ChatGPT came up with. Please note that some of these have been edited to remove inaccurate or outdated information:

Former Notre Dame Baseball star Trey Mancini to sign with Chicago Cubs

The former Irish star will be much closer to South Bend

It looks like former [autotag]Notre Dame Baseball[/autotag] star [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] is coming back to the Midwest. After starring in South Bend, he was selected in the 8th round of the [autotag]2013 MLB Draft[/autotag] by the [autotag]Baltimore Orioles[/autotag].

Mancini would make him MLB debut just three years later, hitting a home run in his second at-bat. The homers would continue as he would become just the third player in MLB history to homer in his first three professional starts.

In March of 2020, Mancini would leave spring training due to a non-baseball medical procedure. Just a month later he would announce that he has stage 3 colon cancer and would miss the entire season.

In November of the same year, he would be given the diagnosis of being cancer free. Mancini would then make his return to the Orioles in 2021 and was named the [autotag]American League Comeback Player of the Year[/autotag]. He would then be traded to the [autotag]Houston Astros[/autotag] where he would win a [autotag]World Series[/autotag] title this past fall.

Mancini would then become a free agent and until today had gone unsigned. The [autotag]Chicago Cubs[/autotag], according to [autotag]ESPN’s Jesse Rogers[/autotag], have agreed to a two-year deal with an opt out clause and a return to the Midwest.

[lawrence-related id=38342]

[lawrence-related id=64000,58807]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

Trey Mancini plays first in Houston Astros’ World Series clincher

A great night for the former Irish slugger.

With Yuli Gurriel off the Houston Astros’ World Series roster because of an injury, Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] was the next man up. He was the Astros’ starting first baseman in Game 6, and he played the whole game. That means he was on the field during the final out of the Astros’ 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, giving them their second championship in six years.

As a bonus for Mancini, he singled to lead off the third inning, giving him his only hit in 21 at-bats this postseason. He didn’t stay on the bases for long as he promptly was thrown out at second base on a fielder’s choice. Still, it’s unlikely he cares about that as much as the partying he’ll be doing for the next few days.

[autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] started for the Phillies in center field and recorded one walk in two plate appearances before being pulled for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. He finished the post season hitting 2 for 13.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.

Trey Mancini is late substitute for Astros in Game 5 World Series win

Mancini shows more value with his glove than his bat.

Once again, Notre Dame alumni were absent from both starting lineups of a World Series contest. That changed in the eighth inning en route to a 3-2 Houston Astros win, giving them a 3-2 series lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. With two outs, [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] was called on to pinch-hit for Yuli Gurriel, but he struck out to end the inning, bringing him to 0 for 18 in the postseason. However, he stayed in the game to take over at first base.

Mancini was much more productive with his glove. He fielded Kyle Schwarber’s ground ball and recorded the unassisted third out in the bottom of the eighth, snuffing out a Phillies rally that had produced one run. Then, he got the final putout of the ninth and the game when Nick Castellanos grounded out to shortstop Jeremy Pena.

[autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] did not appear for the Phillies at all. He has not played since he appeared as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning of Game 3, when Mancini flied out to him.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.

Notre Dame alumni sidelined for World Series no-hitter

Big game, but no former Irish played in it.

Game 4 of the 2022 World Series will be remembered forever. After getting six no-hit innings from starting pitcher Cristian Javier, the Houston Astros used three relievers to complete the first combined no-hitter in World Series history and the Fall Classic’s first no-hitter in any form since Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956. The 5-0 win tied the series at two wins apiece.

Just like Game 3, neither the Astros’ [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag], nor the Phillies’ [autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] were penciled into their respective teams’ starting lineup. This time, there would be no late-inning substitutions. Both of them rode the pine for the entirety of this historic game. So while there was Notre Dame representation in both dugouts, you won’t see it in the box score.

The good news for Mancini and Vierling is that the Astros’ victory means a Game 6 is guaranteed. The bad news is it’s hard to see either of them suddenly playing a major role in the series’ outcome. Then again, we’ve seen crazier things in baseball.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.

Trey Mancini flies out to Matt Vierling in ninth inning of Game 3

If you blinked, you missed it.

For eight innings of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 7-0 Game 3 win over the Houston Astros, Notre Dame alumni were nowhere to be seen. Neither the Astros’ [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag], nor the Phillies’ [autotag]Matt Vierling[/autotag] were in their respective teams’ starting lineup. The idea that the two would intersect at all during this year’s World Series seemed to be fading. Then, it all changed.

With the game pretty much decided, Vierling entered right field as a defensive substitute in the ninth inning. Then, with one out, Mancini was called upon as a pinch hitter. That’s when the moment Irish fans were waiting for happened. On a 3-1 count, Mancini hit a fly ball to right, and Vierling was there to catch it.

No, it wasn’t a very exciting play, and it’s unlikely anyone will remember it. What people care about more is that Vierling is two wins away from a World Series title, and Mancini is 0 for 17 so far in his first postseason. Still, for one brief moment on baseball’s biggest stage, the Irish alumni came together.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.

Notre Dame representation silent again in Game 2 of World Series

Still nothing to see here.

Game 2 of the World Series featured a slightly different script from Game 1. The Houston Astros scored three runs in the first inning, and this time, that was all the runs they needed to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-2. The series now is tied at a victory apiece as it heads to the City of Brotherly Love for the next three games.

One thing that didn’t change from Game 1? No impact from the two former Notre Dame players. One night after being lifted for a pinch hitter, [autotag]Trey Mancini[/autotag] did not appear for the Astros. [autotag]Chris Vierling[/autotag] started in center field for the Phillies but went 0 for 2 and left two men on base before being pinch-hit for in the seventh inning.

Irish fans should be lucky at least one more game will be played as it provides more potential opportunities for Mancini and Vierling to contribute. Whether they actually will contribute remains to be seen and also depends on their respective managers’ faith in them.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz1mmy7gev0xbr player_id=none image=https://fightingirishwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Listen to Geoffrey’s World Series history podcast: “Then There Were Two: A History of the World Series”.