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Usurped From His Throne

Posted by Raphy on December 23, 2009

Yesterday, the reigning MLB sacrifice hit king was traded to a league in which he will hardly get to bat. In 2009, Vazquez had 20 SH in only 91 PA, the third highest percentage ever for anyone with at least 20 SH. Here are the leaders.

Rk Player PA SH Year Age Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SF BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
1 Urban Shocker 84 20 1927 36 NYY AL 31 54 6 13 1 0 0 10 7 0 12 3 0 .241 .359 .259 .619 *1
2 Roy Oswalt 90 20 2006 28 HOU NL 35 66 3 10 1 0 1 8 4 0 15 0 0 .152 .200 .212 .412 *1
3 Javier Vazquez 91 20 2009 32 ATL NL 37 68 6 12 3 0 0 3 3 0 14 0 0 .176 .211 .221 .432 *1
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/23/2009.

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Shocker played at a time when sacrifice flies were counted as SH, but given his extra-base hit total, I doubt that this was the case.

Posted in Season Finders | No Comments »

Most times getting 1-hit in a season

Posted by Andy on December 23, 2009

The Rangers tied a post-1954 record this past season for most games getting at most 1 hit:

Rk Tm Year #Matching W L
1 TEX 2009 4 0 4 Ind. Games
2 SDP 2001 4 0 4 Ind. Games
3 STL 1991 4 1 3 Ind. Games
4 CAL 1986 4 1 3 Ind. Games
5 SFG 1986 4 1 3 Ind. Games
6 PHI 1972 4 0 4 Ind. Games
7 CHC 1965 4 0 4 Ind. Games
8 NYM 1965 4 0 4 Ind. Games
9 WSA 1965 4 0 4 Ind. Games
10 WSA 1963 4 0 4 Ind. Games
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2009.

There are some bad, bad teams in there, but that does not include the five most recent teams on the list. That's kind of surprising, since these days there's so much offense that I'd think only the really bad teams would get one-hit so often. But I guess that 4 games is too small of a sample for such general trends to apply.

Here are the post-1954 teams to get no-hit twice in a season:

Rk Tm Year #Matching W L
1 SDP 2001 2 0 2 Ind. Games
2 COL 1996 2 0 2 Ind. Games
3 CAL 1977 2 0 2 Ind. Games
4 DET 1973 2 0 2 Ind. Games
5 CIN 1971 2 0 2 Ind. Games
6 DET 1967 2 1 1 Ind. Games
7 CHC 1965 2 0 2 Ind. Games
8 PHI 1960 2 0 2 Ind. Games
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2009.

Note that the 1967 Tigers won one of those games. This was the famous game against the Orioles that we've discussed on this blog a few times. The Tigers scored 2 runs in the 9th inning on a few walks, a wild pitch, and a fielder's choice.

Posted in Game Finders | No Comments »

Best Total Bases / Outs Made ratios

Posted by Andy on December 22, 2009

I got curious to see what players have the rest ratio of total bases in a season vs. outs made in that same season.

After playing around with the parameters, it seems that 0.8 is an exceptionally good ratio, meaning a player racks up a number of total bases that is 80% of his total outs made.

Here are the players from the last 3 seasons to achieve the 0.8 ratio in a qualified batting season:

Rk Player Year TB Out Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP GDP BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
1 Albert Pujols 2009 374 409 STL 160 700 568 124 186 45 1 47 135 115 64 9 23 .327 .443 .658 1.101 *3/D
2 Joe Mauer 2009 307 346 MIN 138 606 523 94 191 30 1 28 96 76 63 2 13 .365 .444 .587 1.031 *2D
3 Prince Fielder 2009 356 431 MIL 162 719 591 103 177 35 3 46 141 110 138 9 14 .299 .412 .602 1.014 *3
4 Joey Votto 2009 266 327 CIN 131 544 469 82 151 38 1 25 84 70 106 4 8 .322 .414 .567 .981 *3
5 Derrek Lee 2009 308 381 CHC 141 615 532 91 163 36 2 35 111 76 109 3 12 .306 .393 .579 .972 *3/D
6 Albert Pujols 2008 342 356 STL 148 641 524 100 187 44 0 37 116 104 54 5 16 .357 .462 .653 1.114 *3/D4
7 Ryan Ludwick 2008 318 389 STL 152 617 538 104 161 40 3 37 113 62 146 8 8 .299 .375 .591 .966 *978
8 Chipper Jones 2008 252 292 ATL 128 534 439 82 160 24 1 22 75 90 61 1 13 .364 .470 .574 1.044 *5/D
9 Manny Ramirez 2008 332 386 TOT 153 654 552 102 183 36 1 37 121 87 124 11 17 .332 .430 .601 1.031 *7D
10 Carlos Pena 2007 307 359 TBD 148 612 490 99 138 29 1 46 121 103 142 10 7 .282 .411 .627 1.037 *3/D
11 Chase Utley 2007 300 362 PHI 132 613 530 104 176 48 5 22 103 50 89 25 7 .332 .410 .566 .976 *4/3
12 Alex Rodriguez 2007 376 419 NYY 158 708 583 143 183 31 0 54 156 95 120 21 15 .314 .422 .645 1.067 *5/D
13 Prince Fielder 2007 354 419 MIL 158 681 573 109 165 35 2 50 119 90 121 14 9 .288 .395 .618 1.013 *3/D
14 Magglio Ordonez 2007 354 400 DET 157 678 595 117 216 54 0 28 139 76 79 2 20 .363 .434 .595 1.029 *9D
15 Matt Holliday 2007 386 447 COL 158 713 636 120 216 50 6 36 137 63 126 10 23 .340 .405 .607 1.012 *7/D
16 David Ortiz 2007 341 384 BOS 149 667 549 116 182 52 1 35 117 111 103 4 16 .332 .445 .621 1.066 *D/3
17 Chipper Jones 2007 310 362 ATL 134 600 513 108 173 42 4 29 102 82 75 0 21 .337 .425 .604 1.029 *5/D6
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2009.

It seems that most of these guys make the list due to very high OBP as well as lots of extra-base hits. Some players were also helped by low GIDP totals, which shaves a few outs off that total. I find it interesting that the strikeout totals are all over the map.

Putting the ratio at 1.0 (meaning seasons where a player's total bases matched or exceeded his total outs) yields these 65 qualified seasons:

Rk Player Year TB Out Age Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP GDP BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
1 Barry Bonds 2004 303 244 39 SFG 147 617 373 129 135 27 3 45 101 232 41 9 5 .362 .609 .812 1.422 *7/D
2 Albert Pujols 2003 394 393 23 STL 157 685 591 137 212 51 1 43 124 79 65 10 13 .359 .439 .667 1.106 *73/D
3 Barry Bonds 2003 292 264 38 SFG 130 550 390 111 133 22 1 45 90 148 58 10 7 .341 .529 .749 1.278 *7/D
4 Barry Bonds 2002 322 260 37 SFG 143 612 403 117 149 31 2 46 110 198 47 9 4 .370 .582 .799 1.381 *7/D
5 Barry Bonds 2001 411 328 36 SFG 153 664 476 129 156 32 2 73 137 177 93 9 5 .328 .515 .863 1.379 *7/D
6 Sammy Sosa 2001 425 396 32 CHC 160 711 577 146 189 34 5 64 160 116 153 6 6 .328 .437 .737 1.174 *9
7 Todd Helton 2000 405 379 26 COL 160 697 580 138 216 59 2 42 147 103 61 4 12 .372 .463 .698 1.162 *3
8 Manny Ramirez 2000 306 295 28 CLE 118 532 439 92 154 34 2 38 122 86 117 3 9 .351 .457 .697 1.154 *9D
9 Larry Walker 1999 311 288 32 COL 127 513 438 108 166 26 4 37 115 57 52 12 12 .379 .458 .710 1.168 *9/D
10 Mark McGwire 1998 383 365 34 STL 155 681 509 130 152 21 0 70 147 162 155 6 8 .299 .470 .752 1.222 *3
11 Larry Walker 1997 409 383 30 COL 153 664 568 143 208 46 4 49 130 78 90 14 15 .366 .452 .720 1.172 *9/38D
12 Mark McGwire 1996 309 305 32 OAK 130 548 423 104 132 21 0 52 113 116 112 8 14 .312 .467 .730 1.198 *3D
13 Jeff Bagwell 1994 300 269 26 HOU 110 479 400 104 147 32 2 39 116 65 65 4 12 .368 .451 .750 1.201 *3/9
14 Albert Belle 1994 294 276 27 CLE 106 480 412 90 147 35 2 36 101 58 71 5 5 .357 .438 .714 1.152 *7/D
15 Frank Thomas 1994 291 276 26 CHW 113 517 399 106 141 34 1 38 101 109 61 2 15 .353 .487 .729 1.217 *3D
16 George Brett 1980 298 291 27 KCR 117 515 449 87 175 33 9 24 118 58 22 1 11 .390 .454 .664 1.118 *5/3
17 Ted Williams 1957 307 269 38 BOS 132 546 420 96 163 28 1 38 87 119 43 5 11 .388 .526 .731 1.257 *7
18 Mickey Mantle 1957 315 309 25 NYY 144 623 474 121 173 28 6 34 94 146 75 0 5 .365 .512 .665 1.177 *8
19 Mickey Mantle 1956 376 350 24 NYY 150 652 533 132 188 22 5 52 130 112 99 2 4 .353 .464 .705 1.169 *8
20 Stan Musial 1948 429 399 27 STL 155 694 611 135 230 46 18 39 131 79 34 3 18 .376 .450 .702 1.152 987/3
21 Ted Williams 1941 335 285 22 BOS 143 606 456 135 185 33 3 37 120 147 27 3 10 .406 .553 .735 1.287 *7/9
22 Joe DiMaggio 1939 310 297 24 NYY 120 524 462 108 176 32 6 30 126 52 20 4 11 .381 .448 .671 1.119 *8
23 Jimmie Foxx 1939 324 319 31 BOS 124 563 467 130 168 31 10 35 105 89 72 2 17 .360 .464 .694 1.158 *3/1
24 Jimmie Foxx 1938 398 372 30 BOS 149 685 565 139 197 33 9 50 175 119 76 0 0 .349 .462 .704 1.166 *3
25 Hank Greenberg 1937 397 397 26 DET 154 701 594 137 200 49 14 40 183 102 101 3 0 .337 .436 .668 1.105 *3
Rk Player Year TB Out Age Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP GDP BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
26 Joe DiMaggio 1937 418 406 22 NYY 151 692 621 151 215 35 15 46 167 64 37 5 0 .346 .412 .673 1.085 *8
27 Lou Gehrig 1936 403 378 33 NYY 155 719 579 167 205 37 7 49 152 130 46 7 0 .354 .478 .696 1.174 *3
28 Earl Averill 1936 385 385 34 CLE 152 682 614 136 232 39 15 28 126 65 35 1 0 .378 .438 .627 1.065 *8
29 Lou Gehrig 1934 409 374 31 NYY 154 690 579 128 210 40 6 49 165 109 31 2 0 .363 .465 .706 1.172 *3/6
30 Jimmie Foxx 1933 403 371 25 PHA 149 670 573 125 204 37 9 48 163 96 93 1 0 .356 .449 .703 1.153 *3/6
31 Jimmie Foxx 1932 438 379 24 PHA 154 701 585 151 213 33 9 58 169 116 96 0 0 .364 .469 .749 1.218 *35
32 Al Simmons 1931 329 316 29 PHA 128 563 513 105 200 37 13 22 128 47 45 3 0 .390 .444 .641 1.085 *7/8
33 Babe Ruth 1931 374 339 36 NYY 145 663 534 149 199 31 3 46 163 128 51 1 0 .373 .495 .700 1.195 *97/3
34 Bill Terry 1930 392 379 31 NYG 154 710 633 139 254 39 15 23 129 57 33 1 0 .401 .452 .619 1.071 *3
35 Chuck Klein 1930 445 398 25 PHI 156 719 648 158 250 59 8 40 170 54 50 4 0 .386 .436 .687 1.123 *9
36 Al Simmons 1930 392 345 28 PHA 138 611 554 152 211 41 16 36 165 39 34 1 0 .381 .423 .708 1.130 *7/8
37 Babe Ruth 1930 379 342 35 NYY 145 676 518 150 186 28 9 49 153 136 61 1 0 .359 .493 .732 1.225 *97/1
38 Lou Gehrig 1930 419 375 27 NYY 154 703 581 143 220 42 17 41 174 101 63 3 0 .379 .473 .721 1.194 *3/7
39 Babe Herman 1930 416 373 27 BRO 153 699 614 143 241 48 11 35 130 66 56 4 0 .393 .455 .678 1.132 *9
40 Hack Wilson 1930 423 377 30 CHC 155 709 585 146 208 35 6 56 191 105 84 1 0 .356 .454 .723 1.177 *8
41 Rogers Hornsby 1929 409 373 33 CHC 156 712 602 156 229 47 8 39 149 87 65 1 0 .380 .459 .679 1.139 *4
42 Babe Ruth 1929 348 330 34 NYY 135 587 499 121 172 26 6 46 154 72 60 3 0 .345 .430 .697 1.128 *97
43 Al Simmons 1929 373 371 27 PHA 143 629 581 114 212 41 9 34 157 31 38 1 0 .365 .398 .642 1.040 *7
44 Chuck Klein 1929 405 397 24 PHI 149 679 616 126 219 45 6 43 145 54 61 0 0 .356 .407 .657 1.065 *98
45 Lefty O'Doul 1929 397 384 32 PHI 154 731 638 152 254 35 6 32 122 76 19 4 0 .398 .465 .622 1.087 *79
46 Babe Ruth 1928 380 368 33 NYY 154 684 536 163 173 29 8 54 142 137 87 3 0 .323 .463 .709 1.172 *97
47 Lou Gehrig 1928 364 363 25 NYY 154 677 562 139 210 47 13 27 142 95 69 4 0 .374 .467 .648 1.115 *3
48 Rogers Hornsby 1928 307 298 32 BSN 140 619 486 99 188 42 7 21 94 107 41 1 0 .387 .498 .632 1.130 *4
49 Harry Heilmann 1927 311 309 32 DET 141 596 505 106 201 50 9 14 120 72 16 2 0 .398 .475 .616 1.091 *9
50 Lou Gehrig 1927 447 374 24 NYY 155 717 584 149 218 52 18 47 175 109 84 3 0 .373 .474 .765 1.240 *3
Rk Player Year TB Out Age Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO HBP GDP BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
51 Babe Ruth 1927 417 354 32 NYY 151 691 540 158 192 29 8 60 164 137 89 0 0 .356 .486 .772 1.258 *97
52 Al Simmons 1927 262 249 25 PHA 106 458 406 86 159 36 11 15 108 31 30 1 0 .392 .436 .645 1.081 *87/9
53 Babe Ruth 1926 365 320 31 NYY 152 652 495 139 184 30 5 47 150 144 76 3 0 .372 .516 .737 1.253 *79/3
54 Rogers Hornsby 1925 381 304 29 STL 138 605 504 133 203 41 10 39 143 83 39 2 0 .403 .489 .756 1.245 *4
55 Rogers Hornsby 1924 373 321 28 STL 143 640 536 121 227 43 14 25 94 89 32 2 0 .424 .507 .696 1.203 *4
56 Babe Ruth 1924 391 342 29 NYY 153 681 529 143 200 39 7 46 121 142 81 4 0 .378 .513 .739 1.252 *97/8
57 Harry Heilmann 1923 331 320 28 DET 144 626 524 121 211 44 11 18 115 74 40 5 0 .403 .481 .632 1.113 *93/7
58 Babe Ruth 1923 399 338 28 NYY 152 699 522 151 205 45 13 41 131 170 93 4 0 .393 .545 .764 1.309 97/83
59 Rogers Hornsby 1922 450 385 26 STL 154 704 623 141 250 46 14 42 152 65 50 1 0 .401 .459 .722 1.181 *4
60 Rogers Hornsby 1921 378 370 25 STL 154 674 592 131 235 44 18 21 126 60 48 7 0 .397 .458 .639 1.097 *4/7653
61 Babe Ruth 1921 457 349 26 NYY 152 693 540 177 204 44 16 59 171 145 81 4 0 .378 .512 .846 1.359 *78/13
62 Babe Ruth 1920 388 299 25 NYY 142 615 457 158 172 36 9 54 137 150 80 3 0 .376 .533 .849 1.382 *978/31
63 George Sisler 1920 399 391 27 SLB 154 692 631 137 257 49 18 19 122 46 19 2 0 .407 .449 .632 1.082 *3/1
64 Ty Cobb 1911 367 343 24 DET 146 654 591 147 248 47 24 8 127 44 0 8 0 .420 .467 .621 1.088 *8
65 Nap Lajoie 1901 350 312 26 PHA 131 582 544 145 232 48 14 14 125 24 0 13 0 .426 .463 .643 1.106 *46
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/22/2009.

So these are all seasons with very high OBP and SLG. Like many searches of this type, we see very little since the 1950s except for George Brett's incredible 1980 and a bunch of seasons from the Steroids Era.

Incidentally, the best such qualified seasons since 1901 ranked by TB/outs ratio are Babe Ruth in 1921 (1.309), Barry Bonds in 2001 (1.253), Bonds in 2004 (1.242), Ruth in 1920 (1.298), Bonds in 2002 (1.238), and Rogers Hornsby in 1925 (1.253.)

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments »

The Greatest Post-Season Road Warriors Of All-Time?

Posted by Steve Lombardi on December 21, 2009

A simple but fun list via Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Post-Season Game Finder...

...most post-season road games won by a team in a given year. Here's the leader board:

Rk Tm Year #Matching W L  
1 NYY 1996 8 8 0 Ind. Games
2 NYY 2000 6 6 0 Ind. Games
3 FLA 2003 6 6 0 Ind. Games
4 CHW 2005 6 6 0 Ind. Games
5 BOS 2004 6 6 0 Ind. Games
6 TOR 1993 5 5 0 Ind. Games
7 STL 2006 5 5 0 Ind. Games
8 SFG 2002 5 5 0 Ind. Games
9 PIT 1979 5 5 0 Ind. Games
10 NYY 1999 5 5 0 Ind. Games
11 NYY 2003 5 5 0 Ind. Games
12 NYY 1998 5 5 0 Ind. Games
13 FLA 1997 5 5 0 Ind. Games
14 CLE 1997 5 5 0 Ind. Games
15 BAL 1983 5 5 0 Ind. Games
16 ATL 1996 5 5 0 Ind. Games
17 ATL 1995 5 5 0 Ind. Games
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/21/2009.

 

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Yes, since the playoffs were expanded in 1995, it's hard for a pre-1995 team to have a chance here. Nonetheless, what the 1996 Yankees did in October is impressive - getting 8 of the required 11 wins needed (for a ring) on the road. And, what about those teams that won 5 post-season road games in a year and who didn't win a ring that season? Yeah, 2002 Giants, 2003 Yankees, 1997 Indians and 1996 Braves and ...I'm looking at you!

Posted in Game Finders | 5 Comments »

Fill-in-the-Blanks: False Starts

Posted by Raphy on December 21, 2009

One of the most intriguing aspects of PI is the ability to find obscure oddities that have occurred throughout the history of baseball (or at least in the retrosheet era). As intriguing as this is, it can also be quite maddening, as it if often difficult to find the story behind the numbers. Today I present you with one such case and ask for your help in filling in the blanks.

When a starter takes the mound, it is  rare (actually less rare than I would have guessed - around 1 in every 353 starts since 1954) for him to leave without retiring a batter. I assume that there are basically four  reasons a starter would leave without retiring a batter. The most obvious is ineffectiveness. However, a starter can also be pulled for health reasons, a long rain delay or  an  ejection. I guess that it is also possible (although highly unusual) for a manager to start a  pitcher just to face a hitter or two to gain a match-up advantage.

Since 1954, there have been 4 games in which both starting pitchers failed to retire batter.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Game Finders | 7 Comments »

Punching Out The Lights In The Post-Season

Posted by Steve Lombardi on December 20, 2009

Back when I was in Little League - and this is way back there...circa 1974-75...you never wanted to be the guy to make the last out in a game. Worse...you never, ever, wanted to be the guy making the last out of a game via a strikeout. (Keep in mind, this was way before the days where Run Expectancy Tables were widely known...suggesting that a strikeout "out" was no worse, for the most part, than another other "out.") It was just a terrible feeling to have to walk back to the dugout...with your bat in hand...as the other team began to whoop it up. (Yeah, I speak from experience here...as it happened to me...at least once or twice.)

I wonder how big leaguers feel about this? I'm sure, over the grind of a full season, it's not a happy-time for them (if this happens). But, I would also bet it rolls off their back, somewhat, too. But, what about the post-season, where the stakes are higher? How about in the final game of a post-season series? To that end, I used Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Post-Season Event Finder to list all post-season batter strikeouts where that out was the last out of a series. Here's the list:

Cr# Gm# Date Series Gm# Batter Tm Opp Pitcher Score Inn RoB Out Pit(cnt) RBI Play Description
1 1 1903-10-13 WS 8 Honus Wagner PIT @BOS Bill Dinneen down 0-3 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
2 1 1925-10-15 WS 7 Goose Goslin WSH @PIT Red Oldham down 7-9 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
3 1 1933-10-07 WS 5 Joe Kuhel WSH NYG Dolf Luque down 3-4 b10 12- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
4 1 1944-10-09 WS 6 Mike Chartak SLB @STL Ted Wilks down 1-3 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
5 1 1949-10-09 WS 5 Gil Hodges BRO NYY Joe Page down 6-10 b 9 12- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
6 1 1950-10-07 WS 4 Stan Lopata PHI @NYY Allie Reynolds down 2-5 t 9 12- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
7 1 1956-10-10 WS 7 Jackie Robinson BRO NYY Johnny Kucks down 0-9 b 9 1-- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
8 1 1965-10-14 WS 7 Bob Allison MIN LAD Sandy Koufax down 0-2 b 9 1-- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
9 1 1967-10-12 WS 7 George Scott BOS STL Bob Gibson down 2-7 b 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
10 1 1971-10-05 ALCS 3 Curt Blefary OAK BAL Jim Palmer down 3-5 b 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
11 1 1974-10-09 ALCS 4 Don Baylor BAL OAK Rollie Fingers down 1-2 b 9 12- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
12 1 1974-10-09 NLCS 4 Richie Hebner PIT @LAD Mike Marshall down 1-12 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
13 1 1977-10-08 NLCS 4 Bake McBride PHI LAD Tommy John down 1-4 b 9 --- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
14 1 1979-10-05 NLCS 3 Cesar Geronimo CIN @PIT Bert Blyleven down 1-7 t 9 --- 2 6 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
15 1 1979-10-06 ALCS 4 Brian Downing CAL BAL Scott McGregor down 0-8 b 9 1-- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
16 1 1980-10-10 ALCS 3 Willie Randolph NYY KCR Dan Quisenberry down 2-4 b 9 --- 2 6 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
17 1 1980-10-21 WS 6 Willie Wilson KCR @PHI Tug McGraw down 1-4 t 9 123 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
18 1 1981-10-09 ALDS 3 John Wathan KCR @OAK Dave Beard down 1-4 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
19 1 1981-10-11 NLDS 5 Dave Roberts HOU @LAD Jerry Reuss down 0-4 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
20 1 1982-10-20 WS 7 Gorman Thomas MIL @STL Bruce Sutter down 3-6 t 9 --- 2 10 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
21 1 1983-10-08 ALCS 4 Tom Paciorek CHW BAL Tippy Martinez down 0-3 b10 1-- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
22 1 1983-10-08 NLCS 4 Bill Russell LAD @PHI Al Holland down 2-7 t 9 -2- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
23 1 1986-10-15 ALCS 7 Jerry Narron CAL @BOS Calvin Schiraldi down 1-8 t 9 --- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
24 1 1986-10-15 NLCS 6 Kevin Bass HOU NYM Jesse Orosco down 6-7 b16 12- 2 6 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
25 1 1986-10-27 WS 7 Marty Barrett BOS @NYM Jesse Orosco down 5-8 t 9 --- 2 6 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
26 1 1988-10-12 NLCS 7 Howard Johnson NYM @LAD Orel Hershiser down 0-6 t 9 -2- 2 7 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
27 1 1988-10-20 WS 5 Tony Phillips OAK LAD Orel Hershiser down 2-5 b 9 --3 2 6 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
28 1 1989-10-08 ALCS 5 Junior Felix TOR OAK Dennis Eckersley down 3-4 b 9 --- 2 7 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
29 1 1990-10-12 NLCS 6 Don Slaught PIT @CIN Randy Myers down 1-2 t 9 1-- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
30 1 1993-10-13 NLCS 6 Bill Pecota ATL @PHI Mitch Williams down 3-6 t 9 --- 2 6 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
31 1 1995-10-07 NLDS 4 John Vander Wal COL @ATL Alejandro Pena down 4-10 t 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
32 1 1995-10-14 NLCS 4 Reggie Sanders CIN @ATL Mark Wohlers down 0-6 t 9 --- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
33 1 1996-10-05 ALDS 4 Omar Vizquel CLE BAL Randy Myers down 3-4 b12 --- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
34 1 1996-10-05 ALDS 4 Dean Palmer TEX NYY John Wetteland down 4-6 b 9 12- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
35 1 1997-10-15 ALCS 6 Roberto Alomar BAL CLE Jose Mesa down 0-1 b11 1-- 2 7 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
36 1 1998-10-03 ALDS 4 Darren Bragg BOS CLE Mike Jackson down 1-2 b 9 --- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
37 1 1999-10-11 ALDS 5 Omar Vizquel CLE BOS Pedro Martinez down 8-12 b 9 --- 2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout
38 1 2000-10-07 NLDS 3 Paul Bako ATL STL Dave Veres down 1-7 b 9 --- 2 5 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
39 1 2001-10-15 ALDS 5 Eric Byrnes OAK @NYY Mariano Rivera down 3-5 t 9 --- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
40 1 2003-10-05 NLDS 5 Andruw Jones ATL CHC Joe Borowski down 1-5 b 9 --- 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
41 1 2003-10-06 ALDS 5 Terrence Long OAK BOS Derek Lowe down 3-4 b 9 123 2 4 (1-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
42 1 2004-10-10 NLDS 4 Alex Cora LAD STL Jason Isringhaus down 2-6 b 9 -2- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
43 1 2006-10-19 NLCS 7 Carlos Beltran NYM STL Adam Wainwright down 1-3 b 9 123 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Looking
44 1 2006-10-27 WS 5 Brandon Inge DET @STL Adam Wainwright down 2-4 t 9 1-3 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
45 1 2007-10-08 ALDS 4 Jorge Posada NYY CLE Joe Borowski down 4-6 b 9 --- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
46 1 2007-10-28 WS 4 Seth Smith COL BOS Jonathan Papelbo down 3-4 b 9 --- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
47 1 2008-10-04 NLDS 3 Alfonso Soriano CHC @LAD Jonathan Broxton down 1-3 t 9 --- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
48 1 2008-10-06 ALDS 4 Ken Griffey CHW TBR Grant Balfour down 2-6 b 9 --- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
49 1 2008-10-27 WS 5 Eric Hinske TBR @PHI Brad Lidge down 3-4 t 9 -2- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
50 1 2009-10-10 NLDS 3 Rick Ankiel STL LAD Jonathan Broxton down 1-5 b 9 -2- 2 3 (0-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
51 1 2009-10-12 NLDS 4 Troy Tulowitzki COL PHI Brad Lidge down 4-5 b 9 12- 2 5 (2-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
52 1 2009-10-25 ALCS 6 Gary Matthews LAA @NYY Mariano Rivera down 2-5 t 9 --- 2 6 (3-2) 0 *ENDED GAME*:Strikeout Swinging
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/20/2009.

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There's some "brand names" on this list. And, note that Jesse Orosco, Orel Hershiser and Adam Wainwright ended two post-season series in the same year by getting a batter to strikeout. Granted, sure, this could only happen from 1969 forward. But, that's still pretty cool that only three pitchers have done this twice in the same post-season.

Posted in Event Finders | 18 Comments »

Dueling Aces

Posted by Raphy on December 20, 2009

In the history of major league baseball there have been only 2 seasons which featured multiple players that made at least 25 starts and had an ERA+ of at least 200.

In 1997 (coincidentally the year after Clemens left the Red Sox and the year before Pedro joined the team) Roger Clemens posted an ERA+ and of 221 and Pedro Martinez an ERA+ of 219. The Blue Jays and Expos met that season, but Clemens' and Martinez's starts did not line up. (The both hooked up in pitching duels vs. the other's team on back to back days, but not against each other.)

92 years earlier, Christy Mathewson and  Ed Reulbach paired up to initiate the club. Mathewson posted an ERA+ of 230 and the rookie Reulbach posted an ERA+ of 209. On August 10, 1905  the pitchers crossed paths in a match-up between the young phenom and the established star.  The pitchers did not disappoint, hooking up in a beauty. Mathewson struck out 6 while allowing only 1 walk and  3 singles. Ruelbach  also struck out 6 while allowing just 4 singles. Unfortunately for Reulbach, one of the singles followed a couple of errors and the Giants scored the decisive,  unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. You can read more about the game and see the box score in this article from the New York Times.

Posted in Season Finders | 5 Comments »

Ain’t 108 Great?

Posted by Steve Lombardi on December 19, 2009

There are 108 stitches on a baseball. Taking that number, let's have some fun with Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index...

How many players, since 1901, have had exactly 108 plate appearances in their career? The answer:

Rk     PA From To Age G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS Pos Tm
1 Elmer Yoter   108 1921 1928 21-28 36 96 5 24 2 2 0 12 9 0 12 0 3 0 0 0 0 .250 .314 .313 .627 /*5 PHA-CLE-CHC
2 Tim Unroe   108 1995 2000 24-29 79 95 13 21 3 0 3 11 11 0 32 1 1 0 0 2 1 .221 .308 .347 .656 /39574D MIL-ANA-ATL
3 Leo Sutherland   108 1980 1981 22-23 45 101 15 25 3 0 0 5 4 1 12 0 2 1 2 6 2 .248 .274 .277 .551 /78 CHW
4 Rick Stelmaszek   108 1971 1974 22-25 60 88 4 15 3 0 1 10 17 0 18 0 2 1 3 0 0 .170 .302 .239 .541 /*2 WSA-TOT-CHC
5 Larry Pape   108 1909 1912 25-28 51 102 6 20 3 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 .196 .219 .225 .445 /*1 BOS
6 Dan Osinski   108 1962 1970 28-36 324 98 5 12 1 0 0 4 2 0 28 2 5 1 0 0 0 .122 .155 .133 .288 *1 TOT-LAA-MLN-BOS-CHW-HOU
7 Jim Lindsey   108 1922 1937 24-39 177 97 6 18 1 1 0 6 1 0 23 0 10 0 0 0 0 .186 .194 .216 .410 *1 CLE-STL-TOT-BRO
8 Pete LePine   108 1902 1902 25-25 30 96 8 20 3 2 1 19 8 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 .208 .276 .313 .589 /*93 DET
9 John Hiller   108 1965 1980 22-37 546 101 2 11 1 0 0 4 3 0 34 0 4 0 1 0 0 .109 .135 .119 .253 *1 DET
10 Jack Hammond   108 1915 1922 24-31 45 99 13 22 2 1 0 4 2 0 19 0 7 0 0 0 1 .222 .238 .263 .500 /*4 CLE-TOT
11 Geremi Gonzalez   108 1997 2006 22-31 132 86 2 10 1 0 0 3 4 0 28 0 18 0 1 0 0 .116 .156 .128 .283 *1 CHC-TBD-BOS-TOT
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/19/2009.
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And, how many pitchers have faced exactly 108 batters in their career, since 1901? That answer:

Rk       From To Age G GS CG SHO GF W L W-L% SV IP H R ER BB SO ERA ERA+ HR BF IBB HBP BK WP Tm
1 Lefty Scott     1945 1945 29-29 8 2 0 0 3 0 2 .000 0 22.1 29 13 11 12 5 4.43 87 1 108   0 0 1 PHI
2 Ken Penner     1916 1929 20-33 9 2 0 0 3 1 1 .500 0 25.1 28 17 10 10 8 3.55 107 1 108   0 0 0 CLE-CHC
3 Edwin Moreno     2009 2009 28-28 19 0 0 0 5 1 3 .250 0 22.1 28 13 12 15 15 4.84 76 3 108 3 2 0 0 SDP
4 Spike Merena     1934 1934 24-24 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 .333 0 24.2 20 8 8 16 7 2.92 162 2 108   1 0 1 BOS
5 Red Bullock     1936 1936 24-24 12 2 0 0 3 0 2 .000 0 16.2 19 32 26 37 7 14.04 36 0 108   0 0 5 PHA
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/19/2009.
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Since 1901, how many batters have reached base exactly 108 times in their big league career? Here's the list:

Rk     TOB From To Age G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS Pos Tm
1 Les Sweetland   108 1927 1931 25-29 183 325 287 38 78 15 2 0 34 29 0 55 1 8 0 0 0 0 .272 .341 .338 .679 *1 PHI-CHC
2 Tom Seaton   108 1912 1917 24-29 232 493 451 44 84 12 6 4 32 24 0 163 0 18 0 0 8 0 .186 .227 .266 .493 *1 PHI-BTT-TOT-CHC
3 Mike Scott   108 1979 1991 24-36 348 743 653 33 81 14 0 2 45 27 0 279 0 59 4 9 2 1 .124 .158 .155 .313 *1 NYM-HOU
4 Fritz Peterson   108 1966 1976 24-34 355 603 515 31 82 15 1 2 31 24 0 144 2 59 3 3 0 0 .159 .199 .204 .402 *1 NYY-CLE-TEX
5 Al Moran   108 1963 1964 24-25 135 395 353 28 69 5 2 1 27 38 1 62 1 1 2 7 3 7 .195 .274 .229 .504 *6/5 NYM
6 Mike Laga   108 1982 1990 22-30 188 449 423 39 84 18 0 16 55 22 3 115 2 0 2 6 1 0 .199 .241 .355 .595 *3/D DET-TOT-STL-SFG
7 Bud Hafey   108 1935 1939 22-26 123 398 366 53 78 19 3 10 33 30 0 91 0 2 0 11 2 0 .213 .273 .363 .636 /8971 TOT-PIT
8 Paul Foytack   108 1953 1964 22-33 314 530 461 34 82 7 0 1 35 25 0 126 1 43 0 11 1 1 .178 .222 .200 .421 *1 DET-TOT-LAA
9 Buck Etchison   108 1943 1944 28-29 119 369 327 32 72 19 0 8 35 35 0 52 1 6 0 6 1 0 .220 .298 .352 .649 /*3 BSN
10 John Dodge   108 1912 1913 23-24 127 451 418 38 90 9 8 4 48 16 0 45 2 15 0 0 13 0 .215 .248 .304 .552 *5/46 PHI-TOT
11 Jack Conway   108 1941 1948 22-29 128 394 359 35 80 10 3 1 27 28 0 54 0 7 0 10 2 2 .223 .279 .276 .555 /*465 CLE-NYG
12 Ray Burris   108 1973 1987 22-36 490 586 502 30 76 11 3 1 27 31 0 160 1 50 2 3 0 3 .151 .201 .191 .393 *1 CHC-NYY-TOT-NYM-MON-OAK-MIL-STL
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/19/2009.
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Lastly, since 1901, how many pitchers, in their major league career, have retired exactly 108 batters? Here they are:

Rk     IP From To Age G GS CG SHO GF W L W-L% SV H R ER BB SO ERA ERA+ HR BF IBB HBP BK WP Tm
1 Colby Ward   36.0 1990 1990 26-26 22 0 0 0 7 1 3 .250 1 31 17 17 21 23 4.25 92 3 158 4 1 0 6 CLE
2 Brian Snyder   36.0 1985 1989 27-31 17 6 0 0 6 1 2 .333 1 46 30 27 21 24 6.75 62 3 172 2 1 2 4 SEA-OAK
3 Mark Malaska   36.0 2003 2004 25-26 41 0 0 0 11 3 2 .600 0 34 18 15 24 29 3.75 124 2 163 4 2 0 0 TBD-BOS
4 John Leister   36.0 1987 1990 26-29 10 7 0 0 1 0 2 .000 0 56 36 34 16 19 8.50 53 9 175 1 0 0 1 BOS
5 Emiliano Fruto   36.0 2006 2006 22-22 23 0 0 0 6 2 2 .500 1 34 24 22 24 34 5.50 80 4 165 1 2 0 4 SEA
6 Horacio Estrada   36.0 1999 2001 23-25 15 4 0 0 6 4 1 .800 0 48 31 30 25 22 7.50 62 10 181 4 3 0 3 MIL-COL
7 Al Epperly   36.0 1938 1950 20-32 14 4 1 0 5 2 0 1.000 0 42 19 16 20 13 4.00 97 2 166   0 0 3 CHC-BRO
8 Steve Ellsworth   36.0 1988 1988 27-27 8 7 0 0 0 1 6 .143 0 47 29 27 16 16 6.75 61 7 168 1 1 0 1 BOS
9 Brad Cornett   36.0 1994 1995 25-26 14 4 0 0 2 1 3 .250 0 49 31 28 14 26 7.00 68 2 166 2 4 0 3 TOR
10 Ralph Buxton   36.0 1938 1949 24-35 19 0 0 0 10 0 2 .000 2 34 20 17 21 23 4.25 100 4 156   0 0 0 PHA-NYY
11 Jim Blackburn   36.0 1948 1951 24-27 18 0 0 0 5 0 2 .000 0 46 25 22 16 11 5.50 71 4 166   2 0 0 CIN
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/19/2009.
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There are some "fun" names on these lists, huh? Elmer Yoter, Tim Unroe, Pete LePine, Spike Merena, Red Bullock, Paul Foytack, Buck Etchison, Emiliano Fruto, Al Epperly, etc. They just sound like ol' time "ball players," don't they?

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Posted in Season Finders | 5 Comments »

Playing Dress Up In The Tools Of Ignorance

Posted by Steve Lombardi on December 18, 2009

How many catchers, since 1901, have posted seasons in the big leagues where they've had 200+ PA at age 20 or younger? Actually, it's not been that many...via Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Batting Season Finder...here's the list:

Rk Player OPS+ PA 6 Year Age Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS BA OBP SLG OPS Pos
1 Butch Wynegar 109 622 1976 20 MIN AL 149 534 58 139 21 2 10 69 79 7 63 2 4 3 14 0 0 .260 .356 .363 .719 *2D
2 Johnny Bench 117 607 1968 20 CIN NL 154 564 67 155 40 2 15 82 31 8 96 2 2 8 14 1 5 .275 .311 .433 .743 *2
3 Ivan Rodriguez 87 454 1992 20 TEX AL 123 420 39 109 16 1 8 37 24 2 73 1 7 2 15 0 0 .260 .300 .360 .659 *2
4 Ray Schalk 80 445 1913 20 CHW AL 129 401 38 98 15 5 1 38 27 0 36 3 14 0 0 14 0 .244 .297 .314 .611 *2
5 Joe Torre 104 441 1961 20 MLN NL 113 406 40 113 21 4 10 42 28 4 60 4 2 1 10 3 5 .278 .330 .424 .754 *2
6 Bob Didier 77 397 1969 20 ATL NL 114 352 30 90 16 1 0 32 34 5 39 0 11 0 5 1 3 .256 .321 .307 .628 *2
7 Frank Snyder 70 355 1914 20 STL NL 100 326 19 75 15 4 1 25 13 0 28 1 15 0 0 1 0 .230 .262 .310 .572 *2
8 Mickey O'Neil 95 343 1920 20 BSN NL 112 304 19 86 5 4 0 28 21 0 20 5 13 0 0 4 4 .283 .339 .326 .665 *2/4
9 Ted Simmons 74 324 1970 20 STL NL 82 284 29 69 8 2 3 24 37 5 37 2 0 1 5 2 2 .243 .333 .317 .650 *2
10 Ivan Rodriguez 75 288 1991 19 TEX AL 88 280 24 74 16 0 3 27 5 0 42 0 2 1 10 0 1 .264 .276 .354 .630 *2
11 Del Crandall 52 274 1950 20 BSN NL 79 255 21 56 11 0 4 37 13 0 24 0 6 0 6 0 0 .220 .257 .310 .567 *2/3
12 Frankie Hayes 63 271 1934 19 PHA AL 92 248 24 56 10 0 6 30 20 0 44 1 2 0 0 2 1 .226 .286 .339 .625 *2
13 Del Crandall 80 239 1949 19 BSN NL 67 228 21 60 10 1 4 34 9 0 18 0 2 0 8 2 0 .263 .291 .368 .660 *2
14 Joe Garagiola 73 235 1946 20 STL NL 74 211 21 50 4 1 3 22 23 0 25 0 1 0 4 0 0 .237 .312 .308 .620 *2
15 Rene Lachemann 86 235 1965 20 KCA AL 92 216 20 49 7 1 9 29 12 3 57 0 4 3 4 0 0 .227 .264 .394 .658 *2
16 Steve O'Neill 47 233 1912 20 CLE AL 69 215 17 49 4 0 0 14 12 0 0 1 5 0 0 2 0 .228 .272 .247 .518 *2
17 Buck Martinez 63 214 1969 20 KCR AL 72 205 14 47 6 1 4 23 8 2 25 0 1 0 4 0 0 .229 .258 .327 .585 *2/9
18 Ed Sweeney 93 200 1909 20 NYY AL 67 176 19 47 3 0 0 21 16 0 0 0 8 0 0 3 0 .267 .328 .284 .612 *2/3
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/18/2009.

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It's an interesting list. The first thing that jumps out to me is how many of these "men" stayed in the game after their playing career albeit as a manager or coach in the big or minor leagues - or had some sort of career in the media covering baseball. The second thing that jumps out at me is that only two of these guys have done "this" since 1976 and we've seen no one do it since 1992. Pretty rare stuff these days...

Posted in Season Finders | 2 Comments »

Trivia Time – Roving Hall of Famers

Posted by Raphy on December 17, 2009

EDIT: The original question posted here was phrased using a search since 1901. I have revised it to include all players since 1871.

A quick search of the Season Batting Finder reveals that there are 229 members of the Hall-of-Fame who batted in the major leagues. Of those 229,  215 played at least 50% of their career games at a single position (OF positions are counted separately when available), 14 did not. 2 of the 14, Whitey Herzog and Dick Williams, were elected as managers.

Can you name the 12 8 12 HOF players who didn't play at least 50% of their games at any one position (4 2 4were 19th century players) ?


Posted in Season Finders | 19 Comments »