Using Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Batting Event Finder, for the Post-Season, and setting it for "Strikeouts, World Series, Game 7, Innings 7-to-end, with the Bases Loaded" tells us that, today, still, there's only been one time in baseball history where a batter, in Game 7 of the World Series, has struck out with the bases loaded, during innings 7 or later:  October 10, 1926 - when Pete Alexander fanned Tony Lazzeri on a curveball.

Including Tony, there have been 29 batters who faced this situation in a World Series.  The last one was Luis Gonzalez in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

As a Yankees fan, boy, do I wish that Luis had tied Tony for this "record" on that day.

In 1961, MLB switched from 154-game schedule to a 162-game schedule. I started this post because I was curious to see whether it was easier to get 200 hits with the longer schedule.

For starters, I wanted to calculate the cumulative batting averages for all of MLB for those two eras. To distinguish, I'm calling 1901-1961 the "154 era" meaning 154-game seasons (although I don't think they played 154 in the very early 1900s) and 1961-present the "162 era." From the season-to-season totals pages, we can get all the data and then use Excel to calculate totals.

Ok, so hold your breath for some big numbers. In the 154 era (1901 to 1950) there were a total of 1,336,891 hits in 5,037,614 at-bats, for a cumulative batting average of .265. In the 162 era (1961 to present) there were a total of 1,694,459 hits in 6,530,478 at-bats, for a cumulative batting average of .259.

Now, 6 points of batting average isn't much difference, although with more than 5 million at-bats in each era, it's certainly a real and statistically significant difference. Still, over the course of 600 at bats, a 6 point difference is only a matter of 3 more hits.

As far as players getting at least 200 hits in a season, it's been done 266 times in the 154 era but just 197 times in the 162 era.

It's pretty clear, then, that getting 200 hits was more common in the 154-era than in the present era. Sure, the 154 era covers 60 seasons while the 162 era covers just 47 seasons. But, there are so many more teams and players now that the percentage of players getting 200-hit seasons was significantly higher in the 154 era.
By the way, adding up the numbers for all the 200+ hit seasons yields cumulative batting averages of .349 (56487 for 161770) for the 154 era and .326 (41195 for 126087) for the 162 era.

Using the PI Team Batting Event Finder we can find games that ended when a batter reached on error (ROE.)

Check here for how it's done.

Here are the 5 times it's happened so far in 2007:

   Yr#    G# Date          Batter            Tm   Opp Pitcher           Score       Inn RoB Out Cnt Pit RBI Play Desc.
+-------+---+-------------+-----------------+---+----+-----------------+-----------+---+---+---+---+---+---+-------------------------+
       1   1 2007-04-03    Chris Iannetta    COL  ARI Jose Valverde     tied   3-3  b11 -2-   2 0-1   2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (Ground Ball); Tulowitzki Scores/unER/No RBI
       2   1 2007-07-26    Josh Fields       CHW  DET Zach Miner        tied   3-3  b 9 1--   0 1-1   3   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw) (Bunt); Podsednik Scores/unER/No RBI; Fields to 2B
       3   1 2007-08-10    Cory Sullivan     COL  CHC Ryan Dempster     down   2-6  b 9 ---   2 2-2   5   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (throw) (Ground Ball); Sullivan out at 2B/2B-SS
       4   1 2007-08-24    Kazuo Matsui      COL  WSN Jon Rauch         tied   5-5  b 9 -23   2 1-1   3   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E6 (Ground Ball); Hawpe Scores/unER/No RBI; Torrealba to 3B
       5   1 2007-09-17    Jason Bartlett    MIN  TEX Joaquin Benoit    tied   4-4  b 9 -2-   2 1-0   2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E4 (Pop Fly); Ford Scores/No RBI/unER

You have to think for just half a second to realize that all these games are won by the home team, since the visiting team can never win in walk-off (game-ending event) fashion.

I'm surprised that only one of these plays was on a bunt. As was discussed in a post by Steve, three World Series games have ended on an error on a play involving a bunt. And what the heck happened a few days ago...a failed pop up to the second baseman? Here's the story.

I'll also list the times a game has ended on an ROE from recent years:

Here's 2006:

   Yr#    G# Date          Batter            Tm   Opp Pitcher           Score       Inn RoB Out Cnt Pit RBI Play Desc.
+-------+---+-------------+-----------------+---+----+-----------------+-----------+---+---+---+---+---+---+-------------------------+
       1   1 2006-05-01    Paul Lo Duca      NYM  WSN Gary Majewski     tied   1-1  b 9 12-   1 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (Ground Ball); Chavez Scores/No RBI/unER; Reyes to 3B
       2   1 2006-05-06    Jason Kendall     OAK  TBD Tyler Walker      tied   2-2  b 9 -2-   2 1-2   4   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (Ground Ball); Payton Scores/unER/No RBI
       3   1 2006-05-09    Bobby Abreu       PHI  NYM Aaron Heilman     tied   4-4  b 9 123   2 2-1   4   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (Ground Ball); Dellucci Scores/unER/No RBI; Rollins to 3B; Utley to 2B
       4   1 2006-05-16    Damian Miller     MIL  PHI Ryan Franklin     tied   2-2  b 9 12-   0 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (Ground Ball); Hall Scores/No RBI/unER; Koskie to 2B
       5   1 2006-05-20    Craig Monroe      DET  CIN Dave Weathers     tied   6-6  b10 1-3   2 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E6 (Ground Ball); Guillen Scores/unER/No RBI; Young to 2B
       6   1 2006-06-14    Jeremy Hermida    FLA  ATL Mike Remlinger    tied   5-5  b10 12-   0 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (Ground Ball); Abercrombie Scores/No RBI/unER; Aguila to 2B
       7   1 2006-06-28    David Eckstein    STL  CLE Bob Wickman       tied   4-4  b 9 --3   2 1-0   2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E6 (Ground Ball); Miles Scores/unER/No RBI

No bunts at all there. All ground balls to the pitcher, SS, or 3B.

   Yr#    G# Date          Batter            Tm   Opp Pitcher           Score       Inn RoB Out Cnt Pit RBI Play Desc.
+-------+---+-------------+-----------------+---+----+-----------------+-----------+---+---+---+---+---+---+-------------------------+
       1   1 2005-04-16    Marco Scutaro     OAK  LAA Scot Shields      tied   0-0  b10 1--   0 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw)/Sacrifice Bunt; Swisher Scores/unER/No RBI; Scutaro to 2B
       2   1 2005-05-22    Luis Rodriguez    MIN  MIL Matt Wise         tied   5-5  b11 123   1 0-1   2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E4/attempted forceout (Ground Ball); Ford Scores/No RBI/unER; Cuddyer to 3B; Stewart to 2B
       3   1 2005-08-06    Nick Punto        MIN  BOS Mike Timlin       tied   3-3  b 9 -2-   0 0-0   1   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw)/Sacrifice Bunt; Cuddyer Scores/unER/No RBI
       4   1 2005-09-18    Dave Roberts      SDP  WSN Joey Eischen      tied   1-1  b 9 12-   0 3-1   5   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E1 (throw)/Sacrifice Bunt; Olivo Scores/unER/No RBI; Fick to 2B

More errors by the pitcher, but this time three bunts as well.

   Yr#    G# Date          Batter            Tm   Opp Pitcher           Score       Inn RoB Out Cnt Pit RBI Play Desc.
+-------+---+-------------+-----------------+---+----+-----------------+-----------+---+---+---+---+---+---+-------------------------+
       1   1 2004-05-26    Keith Ginter      MIL  LAD Duaner Sanchez    tied   1-1  b12 12-   0 1-1   3   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (throw)/Sacrifice Bunt; Jenkins Scores/No RBI/unER; Overbay to 3B
       2   1 2004-06-22    Mark Loretta      SDP  ARI Mike Koplove      tied   1-1  b10 12-   1 0-1   2   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E4/attempted forceout (Ground Ball); Greene Scores/unER/No RBI; Burroughs to 2B
       3   1 2004-09-24    Mark Loretta      SDP  ARI Greg Aquino       tied   5-5  b 9 123   1 2-2   6   0 *ENDED GAME*:Reached on E5 (Ground Ball); Greene Scores/unER/No RBI; Vazquez to 3B; Payton to 2B

So Mark Loretta was the batter in two such games in 2004, both against Arizona, and Khalil Green scored the winning run both times. That's surprising given that Greene entered both the games a few batters before Loretta (once he was HBP and once he pinch ran. Loretta was the batter one other time when he reached on error to end the game: see here.

In a shocking bit of frivolity, this game between Boston and Baltimore a couple of weeks ago featured opposing pitchers whose names sound the same but are spelled differently.

The starter for the Red Sox was Jon Lester, who has overcome off-season cancer to pitch again in the majors this year. Daniel Cabrera started for the Orioles, but was relieved by Jon Leicester, whose last name is pronounced like "Lester." (Those of you familiar with Leicester Square in London will be familiar with its pronunciation.)

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other two baseball players with exact homophonic names (except those that are actually spelled the same, such as Chris Young and Chris Young,) much less two players pitching for opposing sides in the same game.

But surely you readers out there can think of some other examples? Please comment.

When this link updates tomorrow, you'll see that the Yankees having just used 10 pitchers in a game is a franchise record. Oddly enough, even just 9 would have been the record.

Previous high of 8:

  Cnt Date          Tm   Opp GmReslt  IP   H  R ER BB SO HR Pit Str IR IS  BF  AB 2B 3B IBB HBP SH SF GDP SB CS Pk **Ptchrs**   ERA
+----+-------------+---+----+-------+----+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+--+--+--+----------+------+
    1 2007-09-21    NYY  TOR L  4-5  14   10  5  4  3 13  2 212 142  0  0  55  51  1  0   0   1  0  0   1  1  0  0        8     2.57 
    2 2007-04-14    NYY  OAK W  4-3  13    7  3  0  4  5  0 197 120  2  0  52  47  2  0   0   0  0  1   1  1  0  0        8     0.00 
    3 2005-09-27    NYY  BAL L  9-17  8   14 17 17  9  5  3 222 126  8  4  48  37  4  0   0   1  0  1   0  1  0  1        8    19.12 
    4 1996-09-21    NYY  BOS W 12-11 10   14 11 11  6  6  1 178 105  8  2  51  41  6  1   2   3  1  0   2  3  0  0        8     9.90 
    5 1970-08-09(2) NYY  BAL L  9-12 11   15 12 11  4  9  3          3  2  52  47  3  0   0   0  1  0   1  0  0  0        8     9.00 

All but one were in extra innings, which is understandable.

Josh Beckett just became the first pitcher in MLB to win 20 in 2007.  He also has 194.7 IP on the year.  How many pitchers have ended the year with at least 20 wins but under 200 IP?  Well  . . .

He might end up being the third.  Of course he's still got a start left.  All he needs is to get shelled or pull an elbow ligament.  C'mon, Josh!  Do it for history!  Wrench that shoulder!

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about the trade between Minnesota and Philadelphia that saw them swap Eric Milton for Carlos Silva and Nick Punto. That was a pretty bad trade for Philly, and I added that Punto has been an effective player for the Twins. I might have spoken to soon on that, though. While he had a pretty good season in 2006, his numbers this year are verging on historically terrible.

Here are the seasons with the lowest slugging percentage in the last 20 years for players with at least 450 at bats:

 Cnt Player             **SLG**   AB Year Age Tm  Lg  G   PA  R   H  2B 3B HR RBI  BB IBB  SO HBP  SH  SF GDP  SB CS   BA   OBP   OPS  Positions
+----+-----------------+---------+---+----+---+---+--+---+---+---+---+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--+-----+-----+-----+---------+
    1 Alfredo Griffin      .254   461 1990  32 LAD NL 141 502  38  97 11  3  1  35  29  11  65   2   6   4   5   6  3  .210  .258  .512 *6
    2 Billy Ripken         .258   512 1988  23 BAL AL 150 559  52 106 18  1  2  34  33   0  63   5   6   3  14   8  2  .207  .260  .518 *4/5
    3 Felix Fermin         .260   484 1989  25 CLE AL 156 562  50 115  9  1  0  21  41   0  27   4  32   1  15   6  4  .238  .302  .562 *6/4
    4 Nick Punto           .269   450 2007  29 MIN AL 143 512  51  95 17  3  1  23  54   1  81   0   5   3   7  16  6  .211  .294  .563 *564
    5 Jose Lind            .269   468 1992  28 PIT NL 135 506  38 110 14  1  0  39  26  12  29   1   7   4  14   3  1  .235  .275  .544 *4
    6 Gerald Young         .276   533 1989  24 HOU NL 146 620  71 124 17  3  0  38  74   4  60   2   6   5   7  34 25  .233  .326  .602 *8
    7 Gary Pettis          .277   458 1988  30 DET AL 129 512  65  96 14  4  3  36  47   0  85   1   6   0   3  44 10  .210  .285  .562 *8
    8 Jose Uribe           .280   453 1989  30 SFG NL 151 497  34 100 12  6  1  30  34  12  74   0   6   4   7   6  6  .221  .273  .553 *6
    9 Jose Lind            .289   578 1989  25 PIT NL 153 637  52 134 21  3  2  48  39   7  64   2  13   5  13  15  1  .232  .280  .569 *4
   10 Omar Vizquel         .291   491 2007  40 SFG NL 137 551  49 116 17  2  2  41  42   6  48   1  14   3  12  14  6  .236  .296  .587 *6
   11 Brad Ausmus          .291   450 2003  34 HOU NL 143 509  43 103 12  2  4  47  46   1  66   4   4   5   8   5  3  .229  .303  .594 *2
   12 Rafael Santana       .294   480 1988  30 NYY AL 148 521  50 115 12  1  4  38  33   0  61   1   5   2  17   1  2  .240  .289  .583 *6
   13 Mike Caruso          .297   529 1999  22 CHW AL 136 564  60 132 11  4  2  35  20   0  36   3  11   1   6  12 14  .250  .280  .577 *6
   14 Jody Reed            .297   495 1996  33 SDP NL 146 568  45 121 20  0  2  49  59   8  53   3   5   6  15   2  5  .244  .325  .622 *4
   15 Darren Lewis         .297   472 1995  27 TOT NL 132 527  66 118 13  3  1  24  34   0  57   8  12   1   9  32 18  .250  .311  .608 *8
   16 Eric Yelding         .297   511 1990  25 HOU NL 142 559  69 130  9  5  1  28  39   1  87   0   4   5  11  64 25  .254  .305  .602 *8674/95
   17 Delino DeShields     .298   581 1996  27 LAD NL 154 642  75 130 12  8  5  41  53   7 124   1   2   5  12  48 11  .224  .288  .586 *4
   18 Omar Vizquel         .298   560 1993  26 SEA AL 158 630  68 143 14  2  2  31  50   2  71   4  13   3   7  12 14  .255  .319  .617 *6
   19 Rey Ordonez          .299   505 1998  26 NYM NL 153 548  46 124 20  2  1  42  23   7  60   1  15   4  11   3  6  .246  .278  .577 *6
   20 Brian Hunter         .301   539 1999  28 TOT AL 139 589  79 125 13  6  4  34  37   0  91   2   4   7   8  44  8  .232  .280  .581 *78

Punto comes in at #4, without much chance of moving any higher on this list given how little of the season remains. His .563 OPS is also remarkably low (8th lowest for the same search criteria) and his OPS+ is just 52.

Note that another 2007 season made the list, that of Omar Vizquel. He made #18 in 1993 as well. When Vizquel first came up with Seattle, he had the reputation of being all-field and no-hit, which is proven out by the fact that he posted 4 seasons in his first 5 with an OPS+ under 70. As recently as 2002, he had a league-average OPS, and until this year stayed fairly steady with an average of about 87 OPS+.

Random note of interest: After the 1993 season, Vizquel was traded in part for #3 on this list, Felix Fermin.

As a general baseball fan, I'd really like to see Kansas City become a competitive team once again. That region is great for baseball, and a lot of great bits of MLB history have happened there.

I'm thoroughly encouraged by Kansas City's pitching staff.

First of all, everybody laughed when KC picked up Gil Meche. Well, he's got an ERA+ of 129, has pitched 202 innings, and has put together one of the most solid seasons for a Royals starting pitcher in a long time. Brian Bannister (who I didn't know until just now is the son of Floyd Bannister) has been equally solid, and together they make a great 1-2 punch.

Now, add that Zack Greinke made his best all-time career start last night, and he might be back on track to becoming another solid starter.

KC's relief pitching has also been good. As of today, here are the splits for relief pitching in the American League. Altogether they've got the 6th best AL ERA and allowed the 3rd-fewest walks with the 2nd-most strikeouts.

My feeling is that solid pitching is a lot more important than hitting, because it's significantly easier to either develop (from within) or attract (as free agents) good hitting, especially with a good young pitching staff. Ultimately they'll need both to be successful, but I think they're pretty close to having the more difficult one nailed.

This comes at the request of a reader.

When has a pitcher: 1) had an above average ERA, 2) lost over two-thirds of his decisions, while 3) working as a starting pitcher.

Sort for guys with an ERA+ of 100 or better, with winning percentages .333 or lower, while starting at least 20 games.

I'll sort by name so you can find guys who got screwed more than once.

It's happened 136, so about once every year.

Guys who got screwed more an once: Masato Yoshii, Tully Sparks, Rollie Naylor, Bill Hill, Pink Hawley, Ned Garvin, and George Bell.  Yoshii's the only guy to have this happen to him twice in the last 85 years.

For a more extreme version, here's guys with losing records with ERA+s of 150 or better.  Many of them, especially the older ones, gave up a disproportionately large number of unearned runs.

In my travels as a baseball fan, I have come across just one pitcher in history who pitched at least one inning and recorded all of his outs by strikeout. Can you name him?

I was reminded of this when someone mentioned how Kevin Seitzer recorded one out as a pitcher and struck out Carlos Martinez.

If you have no clue, try using the PI Pitching Season Finder.