Archives for February 2021

Walk-Off (or run-off – or swing-off) Endings that Caught Baseball Roundtable’s Eye

February 26, 2021 by

Here’s another of those Baseball Roundtable blog posts that illustrate how “one thing leads to another” when I start looking into a topi. I recently completed a post on “Pinch-Hit Ultimate Grand Slams” – walk-off Grand Slams when the pinch-hitter’s team needed all four runs to chalk up the victory.  (For that post, click here.) That research led me to look further into game-ending “walk-offs” of all kinds.  Here are a few that I found particularly unique, interesting or historic.

Truly the All-Time WALK-Off

We hear a lot about walk-off home runs, but the Dodgers – on July 2, 2019 – pulled off the ultimate Walk–off.  Los Angeles came into the bottom of the ninth trailing the Diamondbacks 4-3.  Arizona brought in closer Greg Holland, who quickly recorded the first two outs.  The Dodgers were now down to their last out, not knowing they were destined to mount a two-run, game-winning rally without putting the ball in play.

Dodgers’ LF Chris Taylor next faced Holland and put the Dodgers down to their last strike before drawing a full-count count walk. Then Russell Martin pinch hit for pitcher Yimi Garcia and drew a full-count walk. Next up was CF Alex Verdugo, who walked on five pitches.  Then came 1B Matt Beaty, who walked on four pitches – tying the game at three runs apiece.  At this point, the Diamondbacks brought T.J. McFarland to the mound, but the results were pretty much the same. RF Cody Bellinger walked on a 3-2 count, forcing in the winning run on a true walk-off walk.  The entire two-out, five-walk series took 28 pitches.  Game. Set. Match.

A Walk-Off … No, I Mean Run-Off, Victory

PowerOn this August 14, 1958, Vic Power became just the eleventh player in MLB history to steal home twice in one game – a feat that has not been accomplished since.  Not only that, his second steal of home came in the bottom of the tenth inning, giving Power’s Indians a 10-9 win over Detroit – a true run-off, walk-off.

Here’s how that tenth inning went. 1B Mickey Vernon grounded out (Frank Lary was on the mound).  Then, Power (playing third base that day) singled to right (his third hit of the day).  Catcher Russ Nixon followed with another single, Power moving to second.  LF Minnie Minoso grounded to short, with Power moving on to third, Nixon forced at second and Minoso reaching first on the fielder’s choice.  CF Larry Doby was intentionally walked, loading the bases and bringing RF Rocky Colavito (in the midst of a 41-home run, 113 RBI season and with three RBI on the day) to the dish. On the fourth pitch to the Indians’ slugger, Power – who had been scampering up and down the third base line – broke for the plate and ended the game on a “run-off” steal of home.  For more on MLB steals of home, click here.

Power, by the way, was not a very likely candidate to swipe home twice in a game.  Going into that August 14 tilt, he had exactly one stolen base on the season – and he did not steal another bag that season. In fact, in twelve MLB seasons, Power stole just 45 bases (and was caught 35 times).

Kind of a Brummer – in a Good Way

On August 22, 1982, Cardinals’ catcher Glenn Brummer produced a notable walk-/run-off win.  Brummer’s Cardinals were tied with the Giants in the bottom of the 12th inning, with two-outs and a 2-2 count on LF David Green (facing Gary Lavelle). On Lavelle’s fifth pitch to Green, Brummer broke for home, getting in safety (to win the game) on a head first slide. What makes this one memorable (at least to me) is that Brummer stole only four bases (and was thrown out eight times) in his five-season MLB career.

Holy Moses

A total of 35 MLB games have ended with a steal of home. Wally Moses is the only player to accomplish the feat twice – once against the White Sox and once for them.  On August 20, 1940, Moses’ tenth-inning steal of home gave his Philadelphia Athletics a 4-3 win over the White Sox.  Then, on July 7, 1943, his fourteenth-inning swipe of home plate gave his White Sox a 3-2 win over the Red Sox.

You’ll Never see that Again

PuckettOn May 28, 1993, the Cleveland Indians scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to tie the Minnesota Twins at 6-6. With Ted Power pitching, Twins’ 2B Chuck Knoblauch opened the bottom of the ninth inning with a single to center.  That brought Eric Plunk in from the bullpen and he was greeted by a double to left (on a 1-2 pitch) by 1B Dave McCarty.  Knoblauch was held at third.  So, with runners on first and third, one out, the game on the line and the Twins’ best hitter (CF Kirby Puckett) coming up, the Indians decided to follow the traditional strategy – intentionally walking the future Hall of Famer to set up the double play.  Oops! Plunk’s first intentionally high-and-outside pitch got past catcher Junior Ortiz and Knoblauch scampered home with the winning run-off run.  With today’s “wave-em-to-first” intentional walk rule, we’ll never see this ending again.

 

I’ll Take a Pass on That

On August 15, 1970, with the Mets up on the Braves 2-1 and the Braves batting in the bottom of the ninth with one out and the bases loaded, Tom Seaver whiffed Atlanta catcher Blob Tillman. The ball, however, eluded Mets’ catcher Jerry Grote for a passed ball, allowing the tying run (Tony Gonzalez) to score from third base. Grote doubled down on the miscue with an errant throw to the plate, allowing Rico Carty – who had been at second base – to score the winning tally.  So, Atlanta fans got to witness a game-ending, game-winning strikeout. 

 Walking Off a No-No

hillOn August 23, 2017,  only an error by third baseman Logan Forsythe had kept him from tossing nine perfect innings against the Pirates.  After nine frames, he had given up no hits and no walks, while striking out ten (including Pittsburgh 2B Josh Harrison twice).  Unfortunately, over 9 ½ innings, Hills’ teammates did not put any runs up on the score board. Pirate’s starter Trevor Williams had given up no runs – on seven hits and four walks – over eight frames; reliever Felipe Vazquez had pitched a one-hit scoreless ninth; and Juan Nicasio had pitched a 1-2-3 top of the tenth.

Leading off the bottom of the tenth was Harrison (zero-for-three with two strikeouts in the game). Harrison hit a 2-1 pitch for a walk-off, game-winning home run to left – becoming the first player to end an extra-inning no-hitter with a walk-off long ball. (It was his 16th round tripper of the season.  (Lots of qualifiers there, but – as I’ve said before – in baseball we count everything.)  For past post on no-hitters lost late in the game, click here. 

Latest Walk Off Win Ever

The longest game ever to end in walk-off fashion took 25 innings, eight hours and six minutes and two days to complete.  It started on May 8, 1984, with the Brewers facing the White Sox at Comiskey – and seemed about to end twice before the 25th frame finale.

All in a Day’s Work

The longest game (in innings) took place on May 1, 1920 – as the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves played 26 innings (game called due to darkness) to a 1-1 tie. To show how the game has changed, the 26 frames were completed in just under four hours – and both starting pitchers (Joe Oeschger and Leon Cadore) went the distance. 

The Brewers/White Sox game was tied 1-1 going into the ninth. Brewers’ SS   Robin Yount opened the inning against Britt Burns with a double to left. After one out, he stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher Carlton Fisk.  Then, Milwaukee 1B Ted Simmons singled, went to second on a Burns’ wild pitch and scored on a single by LF Ben Oglivie – giving the Brew Crew a two-run lead. In the bottom of the inning, White Sox’ LF Tom Paciorek led off against Rollie Fingers and was safe on an error. Fingers retired the next two batters and the Brewers were one out from the win.  However, Sox’ 2B Julio Cruz delivered an RBI double and CF Rudy Law followed with an RBI single – tying the game at three apiece.  That’s where the score stayed until the end of the seventeenth inning, when it was suspended due to curfew rules.

BrewSox

The game resumed on May 9 and stayed at 3-3 until the top of the 21st, when Oglivie popped a two-out, three-run home run off Ron Reed to give the Brewers a 6-3 edge.  Game over?  Not so fast! In the bottom of the 21st, Law reached on an error and scored on a single by catcher Carlton Fisk (off Chuck Porter).  Marc Hill (now in at 1B) then walked and,  after Dave Stegman (now in at DH) fanned, RF Harold Baines walked and Paciorek delivered a two-run single. That ended the scoring and kept the game knotted, now at 6-6.

There was no more scoring until one-out in the bottom of the 25th, when Baines homered off Porter – giving the win to “reliever” Tom Seaver, who pitched the top of the 25th.  It was the latest-ever MLB walk-off hit.

A few side notes: Carlton Fisk was behind the plate for the ChiSox for all 25 innings (He went three-for-eleven with a walk). Seven different players occupied the number-three spot in the White Sox batting order – although only five had a plate appearance.  Chuck Porter, who took the loss, pitched the final 7 1/3 inning for the Brewers.  For more on this contest some of MLB’s longest game, click here.

By The Numbers

In 1959, the Pirates racked up a single-season record 18 walk-off victories – despite finishing in fourth place, just two games over .500.  That same campaign, they also won a pair of doubleheaders in which they took both games in walk-off fashion.  They are one of five teams to accomplish that feat.

Here’s how they did it.

May 24 – Game One … 2-1 over Reds

The game was scoreless until the top of the ninth, when the Reds tallied once. The Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the inning, winning it on a two-out, walk-off, RBI double by PH Danny Kravitz.

May 24 – Game Two … 5-4 over the Reds

The Pirates scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 4-4. They won it in the tenth on a two-out, walk-off, RBI double by PH Smokey Burgess.

August 30 – Game One … 2-1 over Phillies

The Pirates won this one on a ninth-inning, two-out, RBI single by LF Bob Skinner.

August 30 – Game Two …. 7-6 over the Phillies

The Pirates were down 5-0 in this one at the end of six innings.  They scored one in the seventh; two in the eighth; and two (to tie the game) in the ninth. In the top of the tenth, the Phillies tallied once to take the lead, but the Pirate prevailed on a one-out, two-run double by 1B Dick Stuart in the bottom of the inning.

Side note:  1959 saw Pirates’ reliever Roy Face put up his historic 18-1 (.947 winning percentage, 10 save, 2.70 ERA) season. Nine of his wins came in the Pirates’ 18 walk-off victories.

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“Power”ful Book Ends

May 7, 1957, Vic Power’s Athletics were playing the Orioles in Kansas City.  Power led off the bottom of the first for the A’s – and hit a home run to left off starter Hal Brown – Power’s first long ball of the season. Fast forward to the bottom of the tenth, with the game tied at 2-2.  With one out – and Brown still on the mound – Power hit his second home run of the season (again to left field), giving the A’s a walk-off win and also making Power just the second player to hit a game opening and game-ending home run in the same contest – and he did it with his first two homers or the season.   (For more on players – before and after Power – to open and close a game with a long ball click here.)

LOWO

The Walk-Off Home Run Turned Double

One of the best (and most historic) games ever pitched ended in a walk-off win – but not for the team and pitcher you might expect.

HaddixOn May 26, 1959, Harvey Haddix took the mound against the power-laden Milwaukee Braves (who had won the National League pennant the previous two seasons and came into the game again leading the league).  Haddix retired the first 36 hitters in order – fanning eight, carrying a perfect game into the bottom of the 13th (the longest perfect outing ever).

Unfortunately, the Braves’ Lew Burdette, despite giving up 12 hits and fanning only two, had held the Pirates scoreless. (Like Haddix, Burdette had not issued a single free pass.) Milwaukee 2B Felix Mantilla led off the 13th by reaching on error by Pirates’ third baseman Don Hoak. Slugging 3B Eddie Mathews bunted Mantilla over to second, which led to an intentional walk to RF Hank Aaron, bringing up 1B Joe Adcock.  Adcock rapped a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for what appeared to be a three-run walk-off home run.  However, the Braves, in celebrating the tension-filled victory, forgot how to run the bases. Adcock passed Aaron between second and third and, after some deliberation, Adcock was called out – ultimately changing his three-run homer to a one-run, walk-off double. So, despite 12 perfect innings, Haddix lost the no-hitter, the shutout and the game itself.  But he did etch his name forever into baseball lore; and countless trivia quizzes.

Taking One (or Two) For the Team

On September 15, 2020, the Cubs came up in the bottom of the ninth tied with the Indians at five runs apiece.  The Indians brought Oliver Perez in for the save and he retired the first batter – LF Ian Happ – on a fly out to RF. Next 3B Kris Bryant walked on a 3-2 pitch (in an eight-pitch at bat). Then, 1B Anthony Rizzo singled Bryant to third.  That brought on Nick Wittgren to face DH Wilson Contreras, who was hit by a 1-1 pitch – loading the bases.  On the very next pitch, PH Cameron Maybin was hit by a Wittgren pitch – leading to walk/hit-off 6-5 Cubs win.

Jim Thome holds the MLB career record for walk-off home runs at 13.

Inside-Out(side)

This post started with the research on pinch-hit “Ultimate Grand Slams” – walk-off Grand Slams hit when your team is down three runs.  In that research, I came across a couple of non-pinch Ultimate Slams that interested me – one inside the park and one that went out of the field of play.

ClementeThe first occurred on July 25, 1956.   The Pirates entered the bottom of the ninth of a game against the Cubs trailing 8-5. With Turk Lown on the mound for the Cubs, the Pirates loaded the bases on two walks and a single.  The Cubs then went to Jim Brosnan to face 21-year-old Roberto Clemente, who hit Brosnan’s first pitch over left fielder Jim King’s head. The line drive struck the fence, rebounding along the outfield warning track. The three base runners scampered home, tying the score.  As Clemente approached third base, coach Bobby Bragan was putting up the “stop” sign – which the speeding Clemente ignored – ultimately sliding home with the winning walk-/run-off tally in a 9-8 win. In the process, he became, and still is, the only player with a inside-the-park Ultimate Grand Slam. Clemente, by the way, is reported to have paid a $25 fine for running through the stop sign.,

Now for one that left the field of play.  Have to go with the well-known and historic Giants’ 5-4 win over Dodgers in the 1951 pennant-deciding playoff game. In that one, the Giants trailed 4-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. With Don Newcombe on the mound, the Giants started the ninth with a single by SS Al Dark, a single by RF Don Mueller, a foul pop out by LF Monte Irvin and run-scoring double by 1B Whitey Lockman.  Ralph Branca came on to pitch and 3B Bobby Thomson hit his second pitch for a three-run, walk-off home run – and, of course, the Giants ticket to the World Series.

What a Way to Win a World Series

Okay, we all know about Bill Mazeroski’s tenth-inning, Game-Seven home run (off Ralph Terry) that gave the Pirates a walk-off 10-9 win and the 1960 World Series title.  Why is it here?  Because it gave the Pirates the Series’ despite the fact that, over the seven games, they were out hit by the Yankees; .338 to .256; 91 hits to 60; ten home runs to four – and were outscored 55 to 27. In the Series, the Pirates pitching staff put up a 7.11 ERA, to 3.54 for the Yankees.  For more detail on this exciting World Series, click here.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; MLB.com

WE HAVE A WINNER!   BBRT’S LATEST PRIZE PACK.

Rick from Fargo, North Dakota is the winner of Baseball Roundtable’s latest prize pack.  (Watch BBRT posts for future drawings.)  Rick is receiving: 1) A complete 1984 Topps baseball card set; 2) a Twins 40th Anniversary Tony Oliva bobblehead; 3) an autographed 8 x 10 of Tony Oliva; 4) a Magnum Comics Mickey Mantle First Edition comic book (with commemorative Mantle card); and 5) a first edition copy of “Quotable Baseball Fanatics.” 

 

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He’ll Do In A Pinch – Baseball Roundtable Goes Deep … into the Pinch-hitting Record Book

February 19, 2021 by

The Name Game 

PhilleyIn 1958, Dave Philley – of the  Philadelphia Phillies – ran off a string of eight consecutive pinch hits … still the most consecutive pinch hits in a single MLB season.   The streak started on September 9 and stretched through the Phillies’ final game of the season (September 28). In those eight pinch-hitting appearances, Philley collected five singles, two doubles and one home run – driving in nine runs.  Ironically, he started three games in right field during the streak – and went just one-for-twelve (a single), with one walk and one RBI.  In the 1958 season, Philley hit .409 as a pinch hitter (18-for-44, with five walks, five doubles, one home run and 11 RBI.  In non-pinch roles, he went 46-for-163 (.282), with six doubles, four triples, two home runs and 20 RBI.

Philley’s record of eight consecutive pinch hits in a season was tied by the Mets’ 39-year-old Rusty Staub in 1983. In a stretch from June 11 through June 26 that season, Staub went eight-for-eight as a pinch hitter – with two doubles, one home run and seven RBI. As a pinch hitter that season, Staub went 24-for-81, with three home runs, 25 RBI, 10 walks and just six strikeouts. (Staub’s 25 RBI give him a share of the MLB single-season pinch-RBI record – with Joe Cronin (Red Sox, 1943) and Jerry Lynch (Reds, 1981) In non-pinch roles, Staub went 10-for-34 (.294), with no homers and three RBI.  In the final three seasons of his 23-season MLB career, Staub was used primarily as a pinch batsman.  He appeared in 236 games – 223 as a pinch hitter. Staub, a six-time All Star , collected 2,716 career hits (.279), with 292 home runs and 1,466 RBI. As a pinch hitter, he was 99-for-358 (.277) with eight home runs, 92 RBI and 49 walks.

But, I‘ve digressed – back to Dave Philley. Other pinch-hitting records he also holds are the American League single-season record for pinch-hit at bats (72) and pinch hits (24).  Both set with the Orioles in 1961.  In his career, Philley hit 300 as a pinch hitter 92-for-307.

A Portent of Things to Come

BrownOn June 19, 1963, Tigers’ rookie Gates Brown had his first MLB at bat.  It came as a pinch hitter (against the Red Sox’ Bob Heffner), leading off the top of the fourth inning, with the Tigers down 4-1. (Brown was hitting for pitcher Don Mossi). It was a fairly inconsequential at bat (the Tigers lost 9-2), except for the fact that Brown joined the club of players delivering a pinch-hit homer in their first MLB at bat.  It also was a portent of things to come, as Brown went on to set (and still holds) the American League record for career pinch-hit at bats (414) pinch hits (107) and pinch-hit home runs (16).

The overall MLB records for career pinch-hit at bats (804) and pinch hits (212) belong to Lenny Harris.  In his 18-season MLB career (1988-2005). Harris delivered pinch hits for the Reds, Dodgers, Mets, Giants, Rockies, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cubs and Marlins. 

One “Grand” Opening Salvo

On August 31, 2005, Marlins’ rookie Jeremy Hermida came to bat against Cardinals’ reliever Alberto Reyes with The Fish down 10-0.  It would seem a bit of a “no pressure” situation for a first trip to the plate – except that the bases were loaded (no outs). Hermida took a 1-1 fastball over the left field wall – becoming the first (and still  only)  player to hit a pinch-hit Grand Slam in their first plate appearance. To date, Hermida also is one of only four players to hit a Grand Slam in their first at bat.

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Put Me in Coach – I’m Ready to Hit

In 2017, 43-year-old Ichiro Suzuki was winding down a career that saw him record ten seasons of 200+ base hits.  At this point, he was with the Marlins and was an offensive weapon coming off the bench.  That season Ichiro appeared in 136 games – an MLB single-season record 109 as a pinch hitter.  He also logged a single-season record 100 pinch-hit at bats, collecting 27 hits for a .270 average.

Well, That’s Rich

ReeseRich Reese only hit 52 home runs in his 10-season MLB career (1964-73) – and just three of those were Grand Slams – but that performance still got him into the long-ball record books.  All three of Reese ‘s Grand Slam home runs were as a pinch hitter.  This puts him in a tie with Ben Broussard, Willie McCovey and Ron Northey for the most pinch-hit Grand Slams in a career.  Reese’s MLB career stretched from 1964-73 (all but part of the 1973 with the Twins). He hit .253-52-245 in 866 games. His best season was 1869, when he hit .322-16-69 in 132 games.

Seventh-Heaven … or Making those Long Balls Count

HansenIn 2000, Dodgers’ utility player Dave Hansen hit .289, with eight home runs and 26 RBI – but still the season was one for the record books.  Seven of Hansen’s eight long balls came in a pinch-hitting role, setting a new single-season record for pinch-hit home runs. Three of Hansen’s seven pinch-hit home runs came in the seventh inning, two in the eighth and two in the ninth and six of the seven either tied the game (four) or gave the Dodgers the lead (two). In each case, Hansen was hitting in the nine-hole – six times for the pitcher and once for a pinch-hitter (for the pitcher), who had been announced, but was pulled when the opposing manager made a pitching change.

In 2000, Hansen was in the tenth of his eventual 15 MLB seasons. That campaign, he had a total of 147 plate appearances (in 102 games), with 65 of those PA’s coming as a pinch hitter.  He went .273-7-14 in that role, adding ten walks for a .385 on-base percentage. In 82 non-pinch-hitting plate appearances, he hit ,303-1-12, with 16 walks (.439 OBP).

Hansen’s MLB career stretched from 1990 through 2005 (Dodger, Cubs, Padres, Mariners). He appeared in 1,230 games, starting just 341. He retired with a stat line of .260-35-222; .234-15-81 as a pinch hitter.  Hansen made appearances defensively at 3B, 1B, LF, SS and 2B.

Well, That Didn’t Last Long

Dave Hansen set a new MLB single-season record of eight pinch-hit home runs during the 2000 season.  However, his sole possession of that mark didn’t last long.  The very next season, a 24-year-old Pirate rookie 1B/C named Craig Wilson collected a pinch-hit home run for his very first major league hit (May 1 against the Giants). Wilson went on to collect six more pinch-hit round trippers (out of a total of 13 home runs) in his rookie season – tying Hansen’s all-time mark. Wilson finished the 2001 season with a stat line of .310-13-32 in 88 games. He appeared 43 times as a pinch-hitter, going .294 (10-for-34) with 11 RBI and seven walks in that role.  Wilson’s pinch-hit homers came in the fifth (one), sixth (two), seventh (one), eighth (two) and ninth (one) innings – four of the long balls gave the Pirates the lead and one was a walk-off homer.

Craig Wilson had a total of ten pinch hits in 2001, seven of them for home runs.

Wilson played seven MLB seasons (2001-2007 … Pirates, Yankees, Braves), hitting .262-99-292. As a pinch hitter, he hit .213-12-25, with 12 walks in 124 plate appearances. After hitting .310 as a rookie (88 games), he never reached .270 again.  His best season was 2004, when he hit .264-29-82 in 155 games for Pittsburgh.

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—-Pinch Hitters with Ultimate (or even Ultra Ultimate) Grand Slams—-

Ah, the beauty of the “Ultimate Grand Slam” – a walk-off, game-winning Grand Slam coming when your team is down by three runs. And, for BBRT, there is the “Ultra” Ultimate Grand Slam – a walk-off Grand Slam with your squad down by three runs and down to it last out.  Let’s look at those spectacular long  balls and the players who hit them.   First, those that make the BBRT “Ultra” list … coming with two outs in the final frame.  There are three.

Carl Taylor, Cardinals, August 11, 1970

The Cardinals were trailing the Padres 10-6 going into the bottom of the ninth on that August 11 evening. Singles to three of the first four batters cut the margin to three tallies. Two batters later (a fielder’s choice and a walk) – with two out and the bases loaded – Carl Taylor was called upon to pinch hit for Cardinals’ pitcher Harry Parker.  His walk-off Grand Slam (off Ron Herbel) to deep left gave the Cardinals an 11-10 win.  It was the C/OF’s sixth and final home run of the 1970 season, in which he went .249-6-45. Taylor played six MLB seasons (1968-73), going .266-10-115.  After the game, Taylor told reporters it was his first Grand Slam ever “even in Little League.”)

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A Tidy Set of Bookends

Carl Taylor’s “Ultra” Ultimate Grand Slam (for the Cardinals) was his last major league home run (despite playing three more MLB seasons). It came off Padres’ pitcher Ron Herbel. Coincidentally, Taylor also hit his first MLB home run off Herbel on May 25, 1969. At the time, Taylor was with the Pirates and Herbel with the Giants.

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Roger Freed, Cardinals, May 1, 1979

Roger Freed gets credit for the only extra inning Ultimate Grand Slam – and there’s a good chance a lot of the hometown crowd missed the big blow. The Astros and Cardinals were tied 3-3 at the end of nine and the Houston erupted for three runs in the top of the eleventh inning (No doubt, sending some St. Louis fans heading for the exits). The Redbirds, however, put together a single and two walks (interrupted by a pair of strikeouts) to load the bases for pinch hitter Roger Freed (hitting for LF Jerry Murphy). Freed then touched Joe Sambito for a two-out, walk-off game-winning Grand Slam for a 7-6 Cardinals’ victory.  It was one of only two home runs Freed would hit that season, when the 1B/OF put up a .258-2-8 stat line. Freed appeared in 34 games that season – 33 as a pinch hitter. (He started one game at 1B – his last in MLB- and went two-for-four with a double and toe RBI.)

Minor League MVP

Roger Freed was selected as the International League Most Valuable Player (.334-24-130 for the Rochester Red Wings) in 1970 and the American Association Most Valuable Player (.309-42-102 for the Denver Bears) in 1976. 

Freed played eight MLB seasons (1970-72, 1974, 1976-79), hitting .245-22-109 in 344 games. Despite the .245 career average, he hit for a .398 average (33-for-83 in 49 games) for the Cardinals in 1977. That season, he hit .395 (9-for-23) as a pinch-hitter. Freed was a career .269 hitter in the pinch.

Dave Bote, Cubs, August 12, 2018

On August 12, 2018, the Cubs came into the bottom of the ninth trailing the Washington Nationals 3-0 – having been handcuffed by Max Scherzer (three hits, one walk and 11 whiffs in seven innings) and Koda Glover (one hit in the eighth). The Nationals brought in Ryan Madson to pitch – and then things got a little wild.  Madson got 2B Ben Zobrist out on a grounder to first to open the inning, then gave up a single to RF Jason Heyward. He then hit CF Albert Almora on an 0-1 pitch, got LF Kyle Schwarber on a foul pop and hit C Wilson Contreras on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases. The Cubs brought in rookie infielder Dave Bote to pinch hit for pitcher Justin Wilson and, with a 2-2 count (the Cubs down to their last strike), Bote took a mid-90s fastball to deep center for an “Ultra” Ultimate Slam- giving the Cubs a walk-off 4-3 victory. At the time of his Ultimate Grand slam, Bote was hitting .329, with three home runs (including the Slam). He hit just .176, with three home runs the rest of the way – to finish the season at .239-6-33.

Bote, a utility infielder, has played three MLB seasons (2018-20), hitting .240-24-103.  As a pinch hitter, however, he has excelled. Through his first three seasons, Bote is .342-2-14, with six walks in 45 games as a pinch hitter (444 on-base percentage).

Now for the Ultimate Grand Slams that came with less than two out. 

Sammy Byrd, Reds, May 23, 1936

Sammy Byrd came up in the bottom of the ninth (pinch-hitting for pitcher Don Brennan) against the Pirates’ Cy Blanton with his Reds down 3-0, no outs and the bases loaded – and delivered a walk-off Grand Slam for a 4-3 win. (Byrd was the third pinch hitter used by the Reds that inning.) Byrd would hit only one more home run in his MLB career (1929-36), during which the outfielder put up a .274-38-220 stat line. As a pinch hitter, he went .284-2-24 in 115 games.

Jack Phillips, Pirates, July 8, 1950

Jack Phillips came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth (pinch hitting for pitcher Murry Dickson) against the Cardinals’ Harry Brecheen with his Pirates down 6-3, the bases loaded and one out. He homered to left-center to give the Pirates a 7-6 walk-off win. Phillips played nine MLB seasons (1947-52, 1955-57) – never appearing in more than 70 games in a campaign.  Observers did say Phillips had a brush with greatness, indicating his Ultimate Grand Slam tipped off the end of Stan Musial;s outstretched glove as it cleared the left field fence. Phillips, primarily a backup corner infielder, played a total of 343 MLB games, going .283-9-101.  In that 1953 season, Phillips played in 69 games, hitting .293-5-34. The home runs and RBI were career highs.

Brooks Conrad, Braves, May 20, 2010

Brooks Conrad’s pinch-hit Ultimate Grand Slam was part quite a remarkable Braves’ comeback. Atlanta entered the bottom of the ninth of its May 20, 2010 game against the Reds trailing by a 9-3 score.  With Mike Lincoln on the mound for Cincy, the Braves inning went like this: 1B Troy Glaus-single; LF Eric Hinske – single; SS Yunel Escobar – single (loading the bases); CF Nate McLouth – two-run single.  At this point, Nick Masset replaced Lincoln on the mound and quickly walked C David Ross.   Martin Prado (2B) then reached on an error, scoring Escobar and leaving the bases loaded and the Braves trailing by three.  Enter pitcher Arthur Rhodes, who fanned RF Jason Heyward on a 3-2 pitch. The Reds then brought in Francisco Cordero to face Conrad, who was hitting for pitcher Craig Kimbrel. On a 2-2  offering, Conrad delivered a long fly to left field that bounced off LF Laynce Nix’s glove and into the stands for an Ultimate Slam – topping a seven-run ninth inning rally and giving the Braves a 10-9 walk-off win.  (Notably, Conrad would deliver a second pinch-hit Grand Slam in the 2010 season – in the eighth inning of a July 24 game against the Marlins).

Conrad (a utility infielder) played 293 games in six MLB seasons (2008-2012, 2014). He averaged .200 over 460 at bats (164 of them as a pinch hitter), with 19 home runs and 73 RBI.  The 2010 season, when he notched those two pinch-hit Grand Slams, was his best in the majors – .250-8-33 (all career highs) in 103 games. Those two 2010 pinch-hit Grand Slam were the only Grand Slams of his career.

Brian Bogusevic, Astros, August 16, 2011

Brian Bogusevic (Do you have his baseball card?) came to the plate against the Cubs’ Carlos Marmol in the bottom of the ninth inning (August 16, 2011), with Bogusevic’s Astros trailing 5-2, with one out and the bases loaded. He was hitting for pitcher Aneury Rodriguez – and he delivered, popping a 2-2 pitch out of the park (left-center) for a 6-5 walk-off Astros’ win.  Bogusevic, an outfielder, played in five MLB seasons (2010-13, 2015). He hit .238-19-67 in 321 games. That Ultimate Slam was his only career Grand Slam. He had a solid season in the pinch in 2011, going 10-for-33 (.303) with one home run and five RBI. On the season, he was .287-4-15 in 87 games.

Mound Movement

Brian Bogusevic was the 24th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft (Astros) – as a pitcher. He went 14-21, 5.09 in four minor-league seasons before being converted to the outfield.  In three years at Tulane University (159 games), he was a two-way standout – going 25-11, 3.65 on the mound and .330-14-129 at the plate.

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It Doesn’t Matter Who You Hit It For – as Long as You Hit It

No one had more pinch-hit home runs in a career than Matt Stairs – with 23. Stairs pinch-hit long balls for the A’s, Brewers, Pirates, Royals, Tigers, Blue Jays, Phillies and Padres. Stairs enjoyed a 19-season MLB career – going .262-265-899 in 1,895 games.

Smokey Just Smokin’ ‘Em

No player racked up more pinch-hit RBI than Forrest “Smokey” Burgess.  Over his 18 MLB seasons (1949, 1951-67 … Cubs, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, White Sox). Burgess drove in 146 runs in 589 appearances as a pinch-hitter (.285 average, 16 home runs). An All Star catcher in six seasons,Burgess played 1,691 career games, hitting .295, with 126 home runs and 673 RBI.

Smokey Burgess led National catchers in fielding percentage in three seasons.

Rack ‘Em Up Coach

In 1995, the Rockies’ Johnny Vander Wal came to the plate 85 times as a pinch hitter. He collected 28 hits (seven doubles, one triple and four home runs) and 12 walks (.389 average and .471 on-base percentage).  His 28 pinch-hit safeties are the MLB single-season record. Vander Wal played 14 MLB seasons (1991-2004), going 261-97-430. As a pinch hitter, he hit.236-17-95.  Of his 3,166 career plate appearances, 624 (19.7 percent) were as a pinch-hitter.

Don’t want anything to Do with That

In 1999, the Mets’ Matt Franco appeared in 122 games – 80 as a pinch hitter. In 25 percent of those pinch plate appearances, he drew a free pass (the MLB single-season record for a pinch batter).  This despite a .235 1999 batting average and a .237 average as a pinch hitter that season.   Franco played in eight MLB seasons (1995-2000, 2002-03). He hit .267-22-117 in 661 games. In 399 games as a pinch hitter, he hit .238-7-51.

A Better “Eye” Off the Bench?

In 1999, Matt Franco drew 20 free passes in 80 plate appearances as a pinch hitter and just eight walks in 81 plate appearances as  at bats in a non-pinch-hitting role.

That’s Clearly Above Average

Baseball-Almanac.com credits the Met’s Ed Kranepool with the highest-ever season pinch-hitting average (among players with at least 30 pinch at bats in the season).  In 1974, Kranepool hit .486 (17-for-35) – with three doubles, one triple and one home run – as a pinch hitter. For his career, Kranepool was .277-6-55 (.270 average) with 36 walks in 370 appearances as a pinch hitter. Kranepool played in 18 MLB seasons (1962-79), all with the Mets.  He hit .261-118-614 in 1,853 games.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; MLB.com.

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Baseball Roundtable “Who’s Your Daddy?” Series … Lefty Grove Edition

February 5, 2021 by

Tex Vache … Perfect Against Lefty Grove 

Boston Red Sox outfielder  Ernest Lewis “Tex” Vache faced Hall of Fame southpaw Lefty Grove just four times in his MLB career – but went four-for-four (three singles and a double) – the most hits against Grove of any player to put up a 1.000 batting average against him. 

Vache (who served on a U.S. Navy minesweeper in World War I and left the Navy in 1919) did not  make his professional (minor-league)  debut until age 31 and made his first MLB roster in 1925 (at age 35). Vache played just one MLB season, hitting .313-3-48 in 110 games for the Red Sox.   After the season,Vache was traded to the Tigers, who then sent him on to Fort Worth of the Texas League. (Vache eventually played the 1926 season with the Pacific Coast League Mission Bells, hitting .302 in 88 games).  He toiled in the minor leagues until 1929, but never appeared in the majors again (most often attributed to his age and fielding issues.) 

From Ted Vache’s one-season MLB career, we segue into the Lefty Grove Edition of  the Baseball Roundtable’s “Who’s Your Daddy?” series.

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Who’s Your Daddy?  What’s it all about?

In this series, BBRT presents lineups of players who performed unexpectedly well against baseball’s top pitchers. (An explanation of the inspiration behind the Who’s Your Daddy? series can be found the end of this post.)  As always, I would stress that the pitchers included in the Who’s Your Daddy? series are among the “best in the business.”  They are selected not because of the players who performed well against them, but rather because success among hitters when they were on the mound was the exception rather than the rule.  We’ve looked at pitchers from a wide range of eras – from Bob Feller to Nolan Ryan to Max Scherzer.  We going even farther back in this post – to the players who seemed to be able to deal with the offerings of Hall of Famer Robert Moses “Lefty” Grove.

Before we get started on this edition, focusing on the Hall of Fame southpaw, here are links to the previous editions of this series:

  • Nolan Ryan, click here.
  • Sandy Koufax, click here. 
  • Pedro Martinez, click here.
  • Bob Gibson, click here. 
  • Randy Johnson, click here. 
  • Greg Maddux, click here. 
  • Justin Verlander, click here. 
  • Bob Feller, click here. 
  • Roger Clemens, click here. 
  • Max Scherzer, click here. 
  • Tom Seaver, click here.
  • Mariano Rivera, click here. 
  • Warren Spahn, click here. 

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lefty Grove photo

Photo by rchdj10

Lefty Grove – considered by many to be the best left-handed pitcher of all time – was known for having a white-hot fastball and a red-hot temper.

Grove finished his 17-season (1925-41) MLB career with 300 wins and a .680 winning percentage (141 losses). The six-time All Star (remember, the first All Star Game took place in 1935) led the American League in wins four times, winning percentage five times, earned run average nine times, complete games three times, shutouts three times and strikeouts seven times.

Going deeper, Grove also led the league in WHIP five times, strikeouts per nine innings five times and strikeouts-to-walks ratio seven times. His nine ERA titles are the most all time.

I’ll Take Grove for the Win

Lefty Grove’s .680 winning percentage is the best among pitchers with 300 or more MLB victories.

Grove won 20 or more games in seven seasons and threw 20 or more complete games in nine campaigns. He was 4-2, 1.75 in eight World Series appearances (five starts).

MVP-MVP

Lefty Grove was the 1931 American League MVP, when he went 31-4, 2.06 for the Philadelphia Athletics – winning one of his two pitching Triple Crowns (Wins-ERA-Strikeouts). That season, he ran off a sixteen-decision winning streak (June 8-August 19), during which he started 14 games and relieved in four (two saves), He notched 13 complete games (with a 2.30 ERA in that span).  The streak was broken on August 23, when Grove lost a 1-0 complete game to Dick Coffman and the St. Louis Browns.  (Coffman pitched a three-hit shutout.) After that tough loss, Grove went on to win his next six decisions – during which he threw five complete games in six starts and notched an even stringier 1.61 ERA.

grove 2Grove did not get his first taste of organized ball until he was 19 (town ball), where he quickly earned a reputation for dispatching hitters via the strikeout, He was signed at the age of 20 by the Class D Martinsburg Mountaineers – and went 3-3, 1.68, with 60 strikeouts in 59 innings before the International League (Double-A) Baltimore Orioles came calling. That season, Grove went 12-2, 3.80 at Baltimore, where he stayed until 1924. (From 1920-24, he went 111-39, 2.90 in the minors.) Before the 1925 season, Grove was purchased from the Orioles by the Philadelphia Athletics for $100,600 (just under $1.5 million in today’s dollars) and started his MLB career in 1925.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Still, Grove didn’t dominate every hitter who stepped into the batter’s box.   There were these batmen:

 

 

Career HighsGove

Note on chart: Baseball-References indicates game logs before 1973 are not complete. In the chart above, game logs (versus Grove) are missing for Charlie Gehringer (four games); Hank Greenberg (two games); Fred Schulte (one game); and Billy Rogell (three games).  Throughout this post, I have noted instances of incomplete game logs. 

Now, let’s take a look at the Lefty Grove “Who’s Your Daddy?” position-by-position line up.

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Catcher – Rollie Hemsley (.353 average)

In 1938, a season in which Lefty Grove went 14-4 and had the American League’s lowest qualifying earned run average at 3.08, Indians’ catcher Rollie Hemsley faced him in just one game (June 27). At the time, Grove was 11-2 on the season with a 2.98 earned run average. Hemsley, batting in the eight-hole, came into the game hitting .215 on the season and had played in just 20 the team’s first 58 contests. In the course of the game, Hemsley would go four-for-four (a double and three singles), raising his average 46 points.  In the eight seasons he faced Grove, Hemsley hit .333 or better in four.

Hemsley

The Right Place at the Right Time

Rollie Hemsley caught Bob Feller’s (April 16, 1940) Opening Day no-hitter – the only Opening Day No-No in MLB history. That, of course, makes Hemsley the only MLB player to catch an Opening Day no-hitter. Hemsley also had two of the Indians’ six hits and drove in the game’s only run with a two-out, fourth-inning triple. Side note:  Hemsley did gain some notoriety as Feller’s “personal catcher.”

Hemsley played 19 major league seasons (1928-44 … missing 1945 due to military service). He suited up for the Pirates, Cubs, Reds, Browns, Indians, Yankees and Phillies. (Hemsley played in 100 or more games in just six of those 19 seasons.) He was a five-time All Star, with a final career stat line of .262-31-555. His best season was 1934, when he hit .309, with 31 doubles, seven triples, two home runs, 52 RBI and six steals for the Saint Louis Browns.  (The average, triples, RBI and steals were all career highs.)

Honorable Mention: Rick Ferrell, a career .281 hitter, hit .313, with one home run and ten RBI in 29 games versus Grove. Note: Two games (logs) versus Grove are missing from Ferrell’s totals.

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First Base – Hank Greenberg (nine home runs, 33 RBI)

Hank Greenberg’s nine home runs versus Lefty Grove tied him for the most career long balls against the Hall of Fame southpaw.  The others with nine dingers against Grove are Yankee stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Greenberg, however, faced Grove in 38 fewer games than Gehrig and 13 fewer games than Ruth. Greenberg’s 32 RBI versus Grove also trail only Gehrig (45) and Ruth (33).

Greeberg

As noted earlier, two games (logs) versus Grove are missing from Greenberg’s totals.

Tea (me up) – for Two…

Hank Greenberg is one of only six players with a season of 60 or more doubles.  Here they are: Earl Webb (1931 – 67 doubles); George Burns (1926 – 64 doubles); Joe Medwick (1936 – 64 doubles); Hank Greenberg (1934 – 63 doubles); Paul Waner (1932 – 62 doubles); Charlie Gehringer (1936 – 60 doubles).

Greenberg played 13 MLB seasons (1933-47, missing 1942-44 for military service). He played all but his final season with the Tigers … suiting up for the Pirates in 1947. The Hall of Famer was a career .313 hitter (.412 on-base percentage), with 331 home runs, 1,274 RBI and 1,046 runs scored.  Greenberg was a two-time AL Most Valuable Player and a four-time All Star. He led the American League in home runs four times (a high of 58 in 1938), RBI four times (topping 100 in seven seasons), doubles twice (topping 40 five times) and runs scored once (with 100+ in six seasons). His best season could be called for either 1937 (.337-40-184) or 1938 (.315-58-147). Take your pick.

All or Nothing

On September 21, 21, 1937, Hank Greenberg had a truly “all or nothing” game against Grove. He came to the plate five times versus the Hall of Fame southpaw and went: strikeout; strikeout;  two-run home run; three-run home run; strikeout.  (It was one of two multi-home games Greenberg had against Grove.)  Grove, by the way, went the distance in a 12-7 Red Sox win over Greenberg’s Tigers – giving up seven runs (four earned).

Honorable Mention: Lou Gehrig hit .306 against Grove over his career.  In addition, Gehrig’s nine home runs tied for the most career long balls versus Grove (with Babe Ruth and Hank Greenberg, pretty good company); his 45 RBI against Grove were the highest of any hitter; his twelve doubles third; his 66 hits second; and his 26 walks first. Still, Greenberg gets this spot in the lineup for having done his damage in far fewer games and plate appearances.  Consider:  Gehrig’s slugging percentage against Grove was .551 to Greenberg’s .632 and his .380 on-base percentage versus Grove trailed Greenberg’s .395).  In addition, Greenberg had more walks (18) than strikeouts (14) versus Grove, while Gehrig fanned 47 times (versus 26 walks) versus Lefty.

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Second Base – Aaron Ward (.342 average/.409 on-base percentage.

Aaron Ward reached Lefty Grove for a .342 average and .409 on-base percentage in 17 games – getting off to a good start by collecting a bases-loaded walk and a three-run home run in his two plate appearances in his  first game against Grove (May 4, 1925 (Grove’s rookie campaign.)   In three seasons facing Grove, Ward (a .268 career hitter) put up averages of .313, .333 and .368.Ward

Note: One game (log) is missing from Ward’s totals versus Grove.

House the Ruth Built

It may have been “The House the Ruth Built,” but the first Yankee to collect a hit in the original  Yankee Stadium was second baseman Aaron Ward – a single to lead off the third inning. (The first hit, overall, was off the bat of Red Sox’ first baseman George Burns in the top of the second.  Side note: The Yankees, behind Bob Shawkey’s complete game, won 4-1 – and Babe Ruth hit the first home run in the new ballpark, a three-run shot in the bottom of the third inning.

Ward played 12 MLB seasons (1917-1928), the first ten with the Yankees and then one season each with the White Sox and Indians.  Known as one the best fielders of his era, Ward played in 1,059 games, hitting .268 with 50 home runs and 446 RBI. In 1923, he led AL second baseman in fielding percentage and assists and was second in both putouts and double plays.  He also led the league in assists in 1923 and was in the top-three AL second basemen in fielding percentage four times. His best offensive season was 1922, when he hit .284 with 10 home runs and 81 RBI.

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Third Base – Ken Keltner  (.419, three home runs)

Ken Keltner hit .419, with power, in nine games versus Grove. His batting average was the fifth-highest among players with at least 25 at bats versus Grove and his .871 slugging percentage was tops among that group.  Keltner had only one hit in his first seven at bats (first two games) versus Grove – and went 12-for-24 in his next seven contests against him.

Keltner

Keltner played 13 MLB seasons (1937-50, missing 1945 due to military service).  He played all but his final season with the Indians.  Keltner, a seven-time All Star and one of the slickest fielding third basemen of his time, was a career .276 hitter (1,526 games), with 163 home runs and 852 RBI. His best campaign was 1946, when he went ..297-31-119 (with career highs in home runs and RBI).  He twice topped 100 RBI and hit a high of .325 in 1939. Keltner led American League third basemen in double plays five times, assist four times, fielding percentage three times and putouts once.

The Culprit

Joe DiMaggio often referred to Keltner as “The Culprit.” On July 17. The Yankees were playing the Indians in Cleveland and DiMaggio was looking to extend his record-setting hitting streak to 57 games.  He went zero-for-three (with a walk) in that game and two of the three outs were the result of exceptional backhand grabs (and throws) on sharp ground balls down the third baseline – Keltner’s territory.  (DiMaggio, by the way, famously hit safely in his first sixteen games after the streak was halted.)

Honorable Mention: Ben Chapman suited up against Lefty Grove in 35 games between 1930 and 1940, picking up 33 hits in 100 at bats (.330), with six doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBI.

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Shortstop Lyn Lary (.338 average)

Lyn Lary, a .269 career hitter over 12 MLB seasons, hit .338 in 30 games against Lefty Grove. He also drew ten walks against Grove, for a .414 career on-base percentage.Lary

Lary played 12 MLB seasons (1929-40), taking the field for the Yankees, Indians, Senators, Browns, Dodgers and Cardinals. He played 1,302 games, hitting .269 with 38 home runs, 526 RBI, 805 runs and 162 stolen bases. His best season was for the 1931 Yankees, when he .280, with 10 long balls, 107 RBI and 100 runs scored in 155 games.

One for the Bombers

Lyn Lary drove in 107 runs for the Yankees in 1931 – still the most RBI in a season ever for a Yankee shortstop. (Derek Jeter is second with 102 in 1999.) In his first three season in the major leagues – Yankees … 1929-31 – Lary hit .289-18-185 in 352 games.

Over his career, Lary scored 100 or more runs in three seasons, stole 20+ bases in four seasons (leading the AL with 37 steals in 1936) and hit .280 or higher in five campaigns.

Honorable Mention: Luke Appling (.324-0-14 in 39 games against Grove). Note: Two games (logs) are missing from Appling’s totals versus Grove.

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Outfield – Harry Heilmann (33 hits – 11 for extra bases – and a .440 average)

Harry Heilmann hit .440 against Lefty Grove, second only to Tris Speaker’s .444 among hitters with at least 25 at bats against the Hall of Fame lefty. Heilmann also tied for the fifth-most regular season home runs versus Grove and had the second-highest on-base percentage and second-highest slugging percentage (again among those with at least 25 at bats versus Grove).  Heilmann drops to fourth in batting average and on-base percentage if you drop the qualifying at bats to twenty.  In the five seasons he faced Grove (1925-20), Heilmann hit under .400 against him only once (.278 in 1928) and hit .500 or better in three seasons.

Heilmann

Note: Three games (logs) are missing from Heilmann’s totals versus Grove.

Heilmann played 17 MLB season (1914, 1916-29 for the Tigers and 1930 and 1932 for the Reds). The Hall of Famer collected 2,660 hits for a .342 average – winning four batting titles along the way (and hitting a high of .403 in 1932.).  Heilmann’s  final line was .342-183-1,543. He led the AL in hits once (and topped 200 hits in four seasons); led the league in RBI once (with 100+ RBI eight times); topped the AL in doubles once (with 40 or more two-baggers in eight seasons); scored 100+ ruins in four seasons; stole 10+ bases in four; and recorded double digits in triples nine times.

Just Your Oddly AVERAGE Guy

In the seven seasons from 1921-1927, Harry Heilmann hit .380, with 104 home runs, 815 RBI and 727 runs scored. He won the American League batting title in each odd-numbered years during that span.

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Outfield – Babe Ruth (Nine homers, .311 average)

Babe Ruth tied Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg for the most home runs against Lefty Grove (nine) and only Gehrig drove in more runs against Grove (45) than Ruth (33) – and Ruth put up this numbers in 25 fewer games and 97 fewer at bats against Grove than Gehrig. While Grove held Ruth below his .342 career average, the Bambino hit a respectable .311 versus Lefty. Ruth had a pair of multiple home run games against Grove.

Ruth

Ouch:

In 1933, Babe Ruth blasted off to a good start against Lefty Grove, homering in his first two at bats against him. He came to the plate against Grove 15 more times that season and collected just one hit (a single) and one walk, while fanning eight times and getting the ball out of the infield just twice (his lone single and a fly out to RF).  To be fair, Ruth did go eight-for-eighteen (.444) against Grove in 1926.

What can’t you say about the Babe?  He put up a .342-714-2,214 line, and recorded a record 12 home run crowns (11 seasons of 40 or more long balls); eight times led the league in runs scored (12 season of 100+); five times topped the league in RBI (11 season of 100+); led his league 11 time in walks; and captured one batting crown.

  • In 1920, Babe Ruth popped 54 home runs for the Yankees – more than any other TEAM in the American League.
  • Babe Ruth put up a 0.87 World Series earned run average, giving up just three runs in 31 WS innings pitched. His World Series batting average (in 41 games) was .326.
  • In 1918, Babe Ruth led the American league in home runs (11) and hit an even .300, while also gong 13-7, 2.22 and tossing 18 complete games (19 starts) as a pitcher.
  • Babe Ruth broke the all -time MLB Home run record in three straight seasons (1919-1920-1921).
  • Babe Ruth still holds the record for the longest mound outing in a World Series game – going 14 innings in a 2-1 complete-game win (for Boston) in the 1916 World Series.

Comparing Strong Left Arms

Babe Ruth’s pitching skills mirrored those of Lefty Grove.  Ruth was 94-46, for a .671 winning percentage, just shy of Grove’s .680.  Ruth completed 72.7 percent of his 147 starts, while Grove finished 65.2 percent of his 457 starting assignments.  Ruth did put up a 2.28 ERA to Groves’ 3.06 – but Ruth pitched primarily before the live ball ERA.  When you look at their earned run averages versus standards of their time, Grove has a bit of an edge.   Grove did hold a notable edge in strikeouts averaging 5.2 per nine innings to Ruth’s 3.6 whiffs per nine innings.  Note: Ruth was a two-time 20-game winner and topped the American league in ERA, complete games and shutouts once each (in just three seasons of more than 20 starts).

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Outfield – Al Simmons (.436 average).

Al Simmons .436 average against Grove is the fifth-highest among hitters with at least 20 at bats versus Grove (if you set the bar at 25 at bats, he moves up to third.)  Among those with at least 20 at bats against Grove, Simmons’  .691 slugging percentage is the fourth-highest and his .466 on-base percentage ranks fifth. In addition, Simmons drove in 14 runs against Grove in just 17 games. Simmons faced Grove in six seasons (1933-38) and hit .357 or better versus Grove in all of those campaigns.  In 1936, he went .467 (seven-for-fifteen) versus Grove, with two home runs and six RBI in five contests.

Simmons

Note: Two games (logs) are missing from Simmons’ totals versus Grove.

Simmons played in 20 MLB seasons (1924-41, 1943-44), playing for the Athletics, White Sox, Senators, Braves, Red Sox and Reds.  He complied a .334 career average, hitting .300+ in 13 full seasons and winning a pair of batting titles (.381 in 1930 and .390 in 1931). The three-time All Star led the league in hits twice (collecting 200 or more safeties in six seasons), runs scored once (topping 100 runs in six seasons) and RBI once (topping 100 in 12 seasons). He had four seasons of 40+ doubles, seven season with double-digits in triples and three seasons of 30+ home runs. His best campaign was 1931, when he hit .381, with 36 home runs, 165 RBI and 152 runs scored in 138 games.  His career stat line was .334-307-1,828, with 1,507 runs scored.

That’s Right!

Al Simmons’ 253 base hits in 1925 are the most ever for a right-handed hitter and the fifth-most all-time behind lefty swingers Ichiro Suzuki (262 in 2004), George Sisler (257 in 1920),  Lefty O’Doul (254 in 1929) and Bill Terry 254 in 1930).

Honorable Mentions:  Honorable mentions in the outfield include: Tris Speaker, who hit .444-0-7 in eight games against Grove (and who needed more games or a bit more power to crack this lineup);  Joe DiMaggio (.361-2-10 in 22 games versus Grove); and Harry Rice (.324-3-15 in 29 games against Grove. Note: Three games (logs) are missing from Rice’s totals versus Grove.

Joe D Finds His Grove Groove

In 1939, when Lefty Grove went 15-4 with an AL-best 2.54 earned run average, Joe DiMaggio raked him for nine hits in five games (a nifty .692 average), with two doubles, one home run, two walks and just one whiff.  That season, the Yankee Clipper led the American League with a .381 average.

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Pitcher – Jimmie DeShong

Righty Jimmy DeShong (47-44, 5.08 in seven MLB seasons) found himself on the mound and at the plate against Lefty Grove just twice in his career.   He took the loss in both games – but, the career .198 hitter acquitted himself well at the plate, going three-for-six (all singles).  In DeShong’s best season (1936), he went 18-10, 4.63 for the Washington Senators.

DeShong

A Big Oh-Fer

Pitcher Red Faber set the record for futility against Lefty Grove. Faber faced Grove 16 times and drew one walk, while fanning 12 times (without getting a single hit.)  Two other players, Johnny Allen (pitcher) and Dick Bartell (shortstop) also managed to put up a .000 average in 16 plate appearances against Lefty. 

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Who’s Your Daddy?  The Inspiration.

On September 24, 2004, in the middle of a tight pennant race, the Yankees handed future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez and the Boston Red Sox a tough 6-4 loss.  Martinez went 7 1/3 innings giving up nine hits and five earned runs.  The game came just five days after (in his previous start) Martinez had lasted just five frames against the Bronx Bombers (eight hits, eight earned runs) in a 16-7 loss.

After that second loss, Martinez candidly commented, “What can I say? I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.”  Little did he know that his comment – and a Yankee fans’ chant of “Who’s your daddy?” would follow him into future starts in New York (all the way to his final MLB start – against the Yankees for the Phillies – in Game Six of the 2009 World Series.)

The concept of “Who’s your daddy?” became the inspiration for Baseball Roundtable to take a look at the players who “had the number” of some of MLB’s premier pitchers.  Again, you can find links to the previous “editions” of “Who’s Your Daddy?” near the top of this post. 

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Primary Resource:  Baseball Reference.com; MLB.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; New England Historical Society.

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts