Sunday Notes: Jake Burger Is a Diehard Tottenham Fan Watching the World Cup

Like many of us, Jake Burger is tuning in to as many World Cup matches as his schedule allows. The Texas Rangers first baseman is a big fan of “the beautiful game,” and has been for well over a decade. Moreover, it isn’t just the US national team that captures his attention. Burger is an ardent supporter of Tottenham Hotspur, one of the more prominent sides in the English Premier League.

How and when did the 30-year-old St. Louis native come to embrace a team based in North London?

“I became a Spurs fan probably around 2011-2012,” Burger told me. “Gareth Bale and Luka Modrić were my two favorite players. It kind of started with me playing [the FIFA video game] and knowing a lot of those names. Modrić was a wizard out there. Bale, too. Then, obviously, Harry Kane came over to Spurs and I became a big fan of his. They kind of went on a run when Mauricio Pochettino came in [as manager], so following them just became more a part of my life.

“In 2019, I got to go over there to the new stadium and watch a game,” Burger added. “They played Bournemouth and won 3-2. I went over with Ryan Burr and Jimmy Lambert, who were in the White Sox organization with me, and we saw a few other matches, as well. Lambert is a Liverpool fan, and Burr a Man City fan, so along with the Tottenham game we went to a Manchester Derby and a Merseyside Derby; we saw Liverpool play Everton.”

Being a Tottenham fan this past season was anything but easy. Had they lost their final match, they would have been relegated from England’s top league for the first time in nearly 50 years. Much to the relief of Spurs supporters everywhere, they defeated Everton 1-0 to remain safe.

“It was definitely nail-biting,” Burger said of the last-day results, which saw West Ham drop down to the second tier. “I was confident, but it is still going to be nerve-racking any time you’re battling relegation. Any time you support a team, you’re going to love them to death to the very end, so it was unfortunate how the season went overall, but with [new manager] Roberto De Zerbi there, I think it will change the culture a little bit. He’ll bring some of that energy that Pochettino brought when he came in.”

The energy that the World Cup brings every four years is felt around the globe, and Burger is hoping to experience it up close when England plays Croatia this coming Wednesday at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington. The Rangers have an off day, which will allow the soccer-loving slugger to attend if he can procure tickets. And while an opportunity to see the US team play live probably won’t present itself, he will continue to follow as closely as possible.

“I’m definitely excited for them,” said Burger, who bashed his 100th big-league home run yesterday afternoon. “Pochettino being there [as the US manager] gets my spirits even higher. It was a great win against Paraguay. I obviously didn’t get to watch, because we were playing, but from the highlights it looked like it was a high-energy game for the United States. It looked fun.”

———

RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Gene Richards went 12 for 18 against Preston Hanna.

David Freese went 11 for 23 against Bud Norris.

Brooks Robinson went 10 for 13 against Ed Sprague.

Freddie Freeman went 9 for 16 against Ian Kennedy.

Matt Adams went 8 for 12 against Tyson Ross.

———

Skip Schumaker played as recently as 2015, so it’s not entirely surprising that he went head-to-head against a pair of veteran pitchers now under his direction. He had success against both of them. The 46-year-old Texas Rangers manager went 2-for-3 with a double against Jacob deGrom, and 3-for-9 with a double against Nathan Eovaldi.

What does he remember about those matchups?

“deGrom, one jam shot,” Schumaker told me. “[Another], the left fielder fell. A great swing. It was like a bad-read, dive, double. A single or a double. But that was one of the hits.

“With Evo, it was a different time,” continued Schumaker, who played mostly for the St. Louis Cardinals over an 11-year career. “He was throwing different pitches. If he threw the split that he’s throwing right now, I’d have zero chance. So, it was just kind of trying to beat him to the spot, because he threw so hard. Evo was just a power pitcher. It felt like he was a closer as a starter, for seven innings. My at-bats were not barrels.”

Upon hanging up his spikes, Schumaker spent six years with the Padres, initially in the front office and then as a coach on the big-league staff. deGrom came into his own during that time, winning back-to-back Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019.

“In San Diego, deGrom was so good that if anybody got on first base, it was a hit-and-run,” recalled Schumaker. “Everybody. It didn’t matter who you were. The first pitch. We knew that we had to create action, and force action, because it’s either going to be a strikeout or a weak-contact double play. We actually beat them 1-0. That’s how dominant he was. The fact that he’s still doing it right now is insane to me.”

As for the combined 5-for-12 success he had against the veteran hurlers 10-plus years ago, they certainly know about it. Not that the manager goes into more detail than necessary when the subject is broached.

“I just mention the stats.” Schumaker said with a smile.

———

A quiz:

Charlie Hough has the most wins, strikeouts, and complete games in Texas Rangers franchise history. Which Rangers pitcher has logged the most shutouts? (A hint: he spent six seasons in Texas and is better known for his success with another team.)

The answer can be found below.

———

NEWS NOTES

SABR has published a new book about the Cape Cod League. More information can be found here.

Trayce Thompson signed with the independent Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends earlier this week. The erstwhile MLB outfielder played for Great Britain in this year’s WBC and was recently with the Mexican League’s Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos.

Mike Johnson, a right-hander who appeared in 18 games for the San Diego Padres in 1974, died back on May 20 at age 75. The native of Slayton, Minnesota was on the losing end of his two decisions and posted a 4.64 ERA. Originally in the Cincinnati Reds system, he went 10-4 with a 1.82 ERA for the Double-A Eastern League’s Trois-Rivieres Aigles in 1971.

Wes Gardner, a right-hander whose career spanned the 1984-1991 seasons, died on June 10 at age 65. Originally with the New York Mets, Gardner spent five of his eight campaigns with the Boston Red Sox, with whom he made 142 of his 189 appearances, logged all but one of his 18 wins, and 12 of his 14 saves. He played for both the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals in his final MLB season.

———

The answer to the quiz is Fergie Jenkins, who logged 17 shutouts while wearing a Rangers uniform. The Hall of Famer played in Texas in 1974 and 1975, and again from 1978-1981. His glory years came with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he had six straight seasons with 20 or more wins and won a Cy Young Award.

———

The Baltimore Orioles aren’t one of this season’s bunt-happy teams, nor are they averse to laying one down. With 10 sacrifice hits and six bunt hits, they are roughly middle of the pack in both categories.

Craig Albernaz’s thoughts on the small-ball staple, which is seemingly making a comeback after becoming somewhat of a lost art?

“It’s very challenging,” the Orioles manager recently told a small group of reporters. “Bunting is not as easy as everyone thinks it is. [That’s] from experience. I bunted a lot in my professional career, which talks a lot about my offensive prowess. But bunting is hard. You can dial up the machine, you can do a bunch of training, but nothing replicates a live arm, in-game, with a defense bearing in on you [and] putting down the perfect bunt.

“That’s why, for all our guys, getting those reps in the minor leagues is huge,” added Albernaz, who batted .199 with a .530 OPS during his days as a minor-league catcher. “Just because you hit third in High-A or Double-A doesn’t mean you’re going to hit third in the big leagues right away. So, being willing to bunt, especially left-on-left, you’re able to survive that matchup in a big spot and stay in the game.”

I asked the 43-year-old first-year skipper if bunting has always been hard, or if it has become hard.

“Bunting is extremely difficult now, just with what these pitchers are throwing,” Albernaz replied. “It’s high octane. The movement is ridiculous. You’ve got guys throwing 92-mph splits, 93-mph sliders, cutters. The evolution of the game, where the pitching is, how advanced it’s become. That’s the actual challenging part of bunting. It’s not the actual technique, it’s the pitcher throwing the ball with all this movement and getting your nose in there to get it down. That’s what makes it tough now.”

———

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Teruaki Sato is slashing .356/.436/.671 with 15 home runs and a 238 wRC+ in 257 plate appearances for the Hanshin Tigers. NPB’s most-dominant hitter, the 27-year-old third baseman/outfielder left the yard 40 times last year while logging a 182 wRC+. He is expected to be posted at the conclusion of the current campaign.

Kazuyuki Takemaru is 5-5 with a 2.76 ERA and a 2.72 FIP over 62 innings for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants. A first-round pick in last year’s NPB draft, the 24-year-old, rookie left-hander was the Giants’ opening day starter.

Yonathan Perlaza is slashing .328/.422/.557 with 13 home runs and a 158 wRC+ in 291 plate appearances for the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles. The 27-year-old outfielder from Páramo Tucaní, Venezuela was with the San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate last after previously playing in the Chicago Cubs system.

River Town changed Mexican League teams earlier this week, the 26-year-old outfielder going from Pericos de Puebla to Saraperos de Saltillo. A native of Zachary, Louisiana who played in the Kansas City Royals system from 2021-2024, Town was batting .306 at the time he was moved.

Hungary’s Jánossomorja Rascals beat Lithuania’s Utenos Titanai 5–2 to win the 2026 European Federation Cup Qualifier title. Jánossomorja’s Martin Morua, a 19-year-old, two-way player, was named tourney MVP after throwing eight-and-two thirds scoreless innings and driving in nine runs over four games.

———

A random obscure former player snapshot:

Cotton Nash played in just 13 MLB games, three with the Chicago White Sox in 1967, and 10 with the Minnesota Twins across the 1969-1970 seasons. Originally signed by the Los Angeles Angels in 1964 out of the University of Kentucky, he was later swapped to the South Side club in exchange for Moose Skowron. Nash recorded just three big-league hits, one of them off of Tommy John.

His claim to fame was on the hardwood. The Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer at the conclusion of his collegiate career, Nash went on to play for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and San Francisco Warriors, as well as for the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels. His teammates on the court included Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. On the diamond, they included Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, and Harmon Killebrew.

———

FARM NOTES

The Lansing Lugnuts scored nine runs in the eighth inning last night, but that wasn’t nearly enough as the Athletics’ High-A affiliate fell to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins) by an outlandish score of 23-15. The Kernels’ 30-hit attack was led by Jay Thomason (6-for-6) and Marek Houston (5-for-6), the latter a 22-year-old shortstop who was drafted 16th overall last year out of Wake Forest University. No. 7 on our Twins Top Prospects list with a 45 FV, Hosuton is slashing ,326/.394/,460.

The Palm Beach Cardinals (Low-A St. Louis) outhit the St. Lucie Mets 20-1 on Wednesday in a 17-0 shellacking of the New York affiliate. Ryan Mitchell, a 19-year-old outfielder who is No. 13 on our Cardinals Top Prospects list with a 40+ FV, went yard with the sacks juiced for one of his club’s four round-trippers. Mitchell has a 110 wRC+ on the season.

On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (High-A Brewers) rallied with three in the eighth, one in the ninth, two in the tenth, and one final run in the eleventh to walk off the Great Lakes Loons (Dodgers) by a score of 10-9. Josh Adamczewski, a 21-year-old infielder/outfielder who is ranked ninth in the Milwaukee system, went 3-for-5 with a two-bagger and a pair of RBIs. Adamczewski is slashing .331/.467/.591 with nine home runs and a 161 wRC+ in 200 plate appearances.

Zach Root has a 1.55 ERA, a 2.82 FIP, and a 38.1% strikeout rate over 29 innings for the Loons. Drafted 40th overall by the Dodgers last year out of the University of Arkansas, the 22-year-old southpaw came into the season ranked 16th in the LA system with a 40+ FV.

Joseph Dzierwa is 6-2 with a 2.31 ERA, a 2.37 ERA, and a 31.19% strikeout rate over 62-and-a-third innings between High-A Frederick and Double-A Chesapeake. Drafted in the second round last year out of Michigan State University, the 22-year-old left-hander is No. 12 on our Baltimore Orioles Top Prospects list with a 45 FV.

———

Jacob Misiorowski produced one of the most overpowering pitching performances in MLB history on Friday. One year to the day after debuting with the Milwaukee Brewers, the 24-year-old right-hander fanned 15 batters and didn’t issue a walk over nine one-hit innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. The lone baserunner was promptly erased on a double play.

I had the pleasure of being on hand for a not-dissimilar outing on April 22, 2014. Pitching for the Miami Marlins, 21-year-old José Fernández punched out 14 Atlanta Braves batters over eight shutout frames, walking none and allowing three hits, one of the infield variety. The outing, which came one year and 15 days after his MLB debut, saw Fernández surrender a single to the first hitter he faced, then promptly induce a double play. With the exception of an E-5, no Braves batter subsequently reached base until the eighth inning. Twice he struck out the side.

The parallels include their strike totals. Of the 95 pitches Misiorowski threw, 74 were strikes, and he elicited 22 whiffs and 16 called strikes. Of the 109 pitches Fernández threw, 77 were strikes, and he elicited 26 whiffs and 20 called strikes.

Misiorowski’s performance is the more impressive of the two, but not by a wide margin. Feráández — God rest his soul — was truly brilliant on that Atlanta evening. I’ve stated previously that it is probably the most impressive outing I’ve seen live.

———

LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Rick Sweet is approaching the record for most wins by a minor-league manager. Tyler Kepner wrote about the 73-year-old Nashville Sounds skipper for The Athletic.

An umpire’s decision not to rule Ernie Clement out for taking liberties on the base paths stirred controversy. Joshua Rodriguez delved into the play at Foundations on the Field.

The San Francisco Giants held their annual Pride Night on Friday, and four of the five pitchers who took the mound for them wore caps that were disrespectful of the occasion. Brady Klopfer offered his opinion of their actions at McCovey Chronicles.

The Giants’ Spanish-language broadcaster crew — one of just four to cover all 162 of their team’s games — was relegated to limited-view area of the press box on a recent visit to Wrigley Field. John Shea has the story at The San Francisco Standard.

Sports Info Solutions‘ Mark Simon talked to Dusty Baker about analytics before there were analytics, and much more.

———

RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

Sal Stewart has made 30 ABS challenges this season, the most of any player. The Cincinnati Reds rookie has had 20 successful challenges, also the most of any player.

A pair of Washington Nationals teammates have had far different challenge results. CJ Abrams is a perfect 7-for-7, while James Wood is just 3-for-15. Woods’s 12 unsuccessful challenges are the most in the majors.

Mike Trout has a 1.000 batting average against 114 different pitchers, and a .000 batting average against 483 different pitchers. In terms of most at-bats for each extreme, Trout went 4-for-4 versus Barry Zito and 0-for-13 versus Hyun Jin Ryu.

Dennis Rasmussen pitched in 256 games and allowed 1,424 hits, including 175 home runs, as well as 673 earned runs. Kyle Kendrick pitched in 255 games and allowed 1,424 hits, including 177 home runs, as well as 671 earned runs.

On today’s date in 1997, Pedro Martínez fanned 14 batters and allowed just three hits while going the distance as the Montreal Expos blanked the Detroit Tigers 1-0. Rondell White plated Mike Lansing with a sacrifice fly for the game’s lone run, making a hard-luck loser out of Justin Thompson.

On today’s date in 1965, Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jim Maloney tossed 10 no-hit innings against the New York Mets before being taken deep by Johnny Lewis for the game’s only run in the top of the 11th. Maloney finished with 18 strikeouts, as well as the loss.

Warren Spahn fanned 18 batters while taking a loss on today’s date in 1952. The Boston Braves southpaw went all 15 innings as the Chicago Cubs prevailed by a score of 3-1.

Players born on today’s date include Brian Turang, an infielder/outfielder whose MLB career comprised 78 games for the Seattle Mariners across the 1993-1994 seasons. The father of Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang, he totaled 56 hits, one of them a home run off of Jimmy Key at Yankee Stadium.

Also born on today’s date was Johnny Weekly, an outfielder from Waterproof, Louisiana who played in 53 games for the Houston Colt .45s from 1962-1964. The first of his 25 career hits was a home run off of Don Cardwell at Wrigley Field.

Tom Lovett went 30-11 for the National League’s Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 1890. The right-hander from Providence, Rhode Island proceeded to split four decisions against the American Association’s Louisville Colonels in the last 19th-century World Series, which was ultimately decided without a champion being crowned. Each team captured three wins — there was also a tie — and the would-be deciding game was cancelled due to rain and bitter cold.