Archives for April 2021

Photo by Keith Allison

On this date (April 21) in 2012, the White Sox’ Philip Humber threw what is arguably the most unlikely perfect game in MLB to date – as his White Sox topped the Mariners 4-0 in Seattle. In the game, Humber fanned nine and did not reach a three-ball count on any batter until the bottom of the ninth, when he recorded a pair of swinging strikeouts on 3-2 pitches.

Why does BBRT see this “perfecto” as so unlikely?  For one thing it was the only complete game in Humber’s eight-season MLB career. In addition, if you look at his overall numbers, his 15 career wins (versus 23 losses) are the fewest career victories of any of MLB’s 23 perfect game pitchers – and his 5.11 career earned run average is the highest among those hurlers. (See chart at the end of this post.) Further, in that 2012 season, Humber went 5-5 with a 6.44 ERA.

As long as we are on the topic of perfect games, here are a few additional tidbits.

• No pitcher threw fewer pitches than the Indians’ Addie Joss, who needed just 74 pitches to complete nine perfect frames against the White Sox in a 1-0 win on October 2, 1908. Notably, Joss may not have had the best “stuff” from the mound that day. Ed Walsh, who started and tossed an eight-inning complete game for the White Sox gave up just one run on four hits – while fanning 15 batters to Joss’ three.
• A little competition is apparently a solid motivator. Eight of MLB’s 23 perfect games have ended in a 1-0 score – the most common perfect-game outcome.
• Eleven perfect games have seen the winning pitcher strike out ten or more batters – with Sandy Koufax (September 9, 1965) and Matt Cain (June 13, 2012) sharing the record at 14 whiffs.
• The most pitches thrown in a perfect game is 125 – by the Giants’ Matt Cain in his 10-0 perfect-game win over the Astros on June 13, 2012. The high pitch count is mainly attributable top Cain’s 14 strikeouts (he only went to a three-ball count on four batters in the game).  The Giants’s ten tallies, by the way, are the most ever by a team in a game in which their starter was perfect.
• John (Monte) Ward (perfect game on June 17, 1880) appeared as a pitcher in just seven of his 17 MLB seasons and in just 293 of his 1,827 MLB games. He also appeared at 2B, SS, 3B and OF.
• Charlie Robertson holds the record for tossing a perfect game the earliest in his career. His April 30, 1922 perfect outing came in just his fourth career game and third career start.
• Since 1900, the largest attendance record at a perfects game is 64,519 – for Don Larsen’s perfecto in the 1956 World Series. The smallest recorded crowd at a perfect outing is 8,375 for Mike Witt’s perfect game (for the Angels) on September 30, 1984.
• The youngest pitcher to toss a perfect game is John Ward, who was just twenty when he fashioned a perfect game for the Providence Grays (a 5-0 win over the Buffalo Bisons) on June 17, 1880.
• The oldest pitcher to complete a perfect outing was 40-year-old Randy Johnson (May 18, 2004).
• Catfish Hunter had three hits and three RBI at the plate the day he retired 27 consecutive batters from the mound (May 8, 1968).
• Len Barker (May 15, 1981) threw the first perfect game with a designated hitter in the lineup.
• David Cone (Yankees verso Expos – July 18, 1999) threw the first perfect game in inter-league play.

Baseball Roundtable Disclaimer:  The MLB records referenced in this (and previous) posts have the potential to change as Major League Baseball recognizes and incorporates Negro League records from 1920-46 into the MLB record book.

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

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Baseball Roundtable Disclaimer:  The MLB records referenced in this (and previous) posts have the potential to change as Major League Baseball recognizes and incorporates Negro League records from 1920-46 into the MLB record book.

Carlos Rodon – Photo by rchdj10

I began the day seeking inspiration for a topic for this post – and was immediately drawn to yesterday’s (April 14, 2021) no-hitter by White Sox’ southpaw Carlos Rodon.  As readers know, when I begin digging into a baseball topic, my mind can wander and “one thing often leads to another.”  Rodon’s no-no took me on  a journey of inspiration that did not lead in the direction I expected.

Here’s kind of how my though process went.

First, there was the fact that this was the second no-hitter this April.  Turns out that ties the record for April no-hitters, but it’s been done eight times. Maybe a topic if the record is broken over the next couple of weeks.

Philip Humber – Photo by Keith Allison

Then, I latched on to the fact that the no-hitter came in what was just Carlos Rodon’s second MLB complete game.  Then again, in April of 2012 (April 9), the White Sox’ Philip Humber threw not  just a no-hitter, but a perfect game, in the first-and-only complete-game in his eight-season MLB career.   Time to keep looking.

Next , I noted that Rodon lost a perfect game – on a hit batsman with one out in the ninth and final inning. (Rodon completed the no-hitter for an 8-0 win.) Plunking an opposing hitter – a tough way to lose a perfecto, even if you save the no-hitter.  Well, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer (on June 20, 2015) had a perfect game with two outs and two strikes on the batter in the ninth, when he plunked Pirates’ pinch-hitter Jose Tabata on a 2-2 pitch (in a tough eight-pitch at bat). Like Rodon, he completed the no-hitter (for a 6-0 win). I’d already written about that one, so I kept looking.

Plunking the Pitcher – Ouch.

On July 4, 1980, The Giants’ George “Hooks” Wiltse (Guess what his signature pitch was?) had a perfect game going with two outs in the top of the ninth and two strikes (a 2-2 count) on the batter  – Phillies’ starting pitcher George McQuillan.  On that 2-2 pitch, Wiltse hit McQuillan – ending the perfecto.  (Umpire Cy Rigler later said he missed the call on a 1-2 pitch to McQuillan and should have rung him up).  Wiltse retired the next batter, but his day was not done – since the score was 0-0.  The Giants (and Wiltse) eventually won in ten frames and Wiltse recorded a ten-inning no-hitter. Nickname note:  Hooks Wiltse’s brother – Lewis “Snake” Wiltse – also pitched in the major leagues. 

At this point, my mind wondered to hit batsmen and to a game earlier in the week (April 13), when the Pirates topped the Padres in Pittsburgh by an 8-4 score. The game featured 20 hits, 17 walks, three wild pitches and seven hit batsmen.  Maybe there was inspiration there? Those seven hit batters sent Baseball Roundtable to the record books, where I learned that the record for hit batsmen (both teams) in a single game is nine (Washington Senators versus Pittsburgh Pirates on May 9, 1896) – and the post-1900 record is eight (Cubs versus Reds on July 27, 2020). In that game, the victims were:  Cubs – Anthony Rizzo (twice), Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, and Albert Amora; Reds – Curt Casili, Jesse Winker and Freddy Galvis.  Still not quite the inspiration I needed. So, my mind (and research) wandered further.

I discovered that while 56 players have hit two home runs in an inning (five of them twice), only eight players have been hit by a pitch twice in one frame.  That was it! In this post,  I’d like to look at those who share that painful record – as well as a few other HBP tidbits.

—–Players Hit by A Pitch Twice in One Inning—–

Willard Schmidt, Reds … April 26, 1959

Ironically, the first MLB player to be hit by a pitch twice in one inning was a pitcher – and one who was on the mound for just two-thirds of an inning in that game and in the batter’s box in only one inning. Willard Schmidt replaced Reds’ starter Joe Nuxhall with two on, one out and the Braves ahead 3-0 in the top of the second.  (Nuxhall had just walked two batters in a row.) Schmidt got Braves’ C Del Crandall to hit into a double play to end the inning.

After Reds’ SS Roy McMillan led off the bottom of the third with a single off Lew Burdette, Schmidt was hit by a Burdette offering. Two pitchers and six runs later, Schmidt found himself facing reliever Bob Rush with two on and two out.  Rush hit Schmidt with a pitch, loading the bases and then retired 2B Johnny Temple to end the inning.  After Braves’ SS Johnny Logan singled to open the top of the fourth, Schmidt was replaced by Orlando Pena. Schmidt the way, was one of eight Reds’ pitchers used in the 11-10 Reds’ win.  (The Braves used six, including Warren Spahn, who took the loss in relief.)  Schmidt went 31-29, 3.93 in seven MLB seasons. As a batter he was .163-0-7 and was hit by a pitch just four times – three in 1959.

Frank Thomas, Mets … April 29, 1962

Frank Thomas (not the “Big Hurt” Thomas) suffered a hurtful afternoon as his Mets topped the Phillies 8-0 in New York.  Thomas was in LF batting cleanup. In the seven-run fourth inning, Thomas first faced Phillies’ starter Art Mahaffey with one on and no out. To this point, Mahaffey had been cruising, with the only damage one by Thomas.  In the first two frames, Mahaffey had given up just one hit and fanned four.  The only hit was a home run by Thomas. In his second plate appearance versus Mahaffey,  Thomas was hit by a pitch. By the time the lineup made a full turn, Mahaffey was gone, the Mets were up 8-0 and Frank Sullivan was on the mound for Philadelphia.  To make a long story short, Thomas was plunked again. Thomas ended the day one-for-two with two runs scored and one RBI. He ended the season .266-34-94, with eight HBP’s.  Over his career (16 MLB seasons), Thomas was .266-286-962, with 51 HBPs, leading the league with ten HBP in 1954. In his record-tying HBP game, no other batter was hit.

Andres Galarraga, Rockies … July 12, 1996

The Rockies topped the Padres 13-12 (in Colorado) in the game in which Andres Galarraga was plunked twice in one inning.  Galarraga was playing 1B and batting sixth.  He came up with one out and no one on in the bottom of the seventh,  with the Rockies trailing 9-2. Reliever Bryce Florie hit him with an 0-2 pitch, which would prove to be the start of an 11-run rally. By the time, Galarraga came to the plate again, there was still only one out, the Padres were on their third pitcher of the frame and nine runs had crossed the plate. This time, Galarraga was hit on a 0-0 pitch from Willie Blair. The Rockies would go on to send five more batters to the plate before the half inning ended. Galarraga finished the game one-for-two, with two runs scored and one RBI. He finished the season with a .304 average, a league-leading 47 home runs and a league-topping 150 RBI. He was hit by a pitch 17 times. For his 19-season MLB career, Galarraga was .288-399-1,424 – and was hit by a pitch 179 times (leading the league twice).  In his record-tying game, Rockies’ pitchers also notched two HBPs.

Brady Anderson, Orioles … May 23, 1999

Anderson’s punishing afternoon began as he led off the very first inning of an Orioles’ 15-6 victory over the Rangers (in Baltimore). The Orioles’ CF was plunked by Rangers’ started Mike Morgan to open the bottom of a ten-run first frame. Three singles, two doubles, a walk, a sacrifice fly and a fly out later (not necessarily in that order), Anderson faced Morgan for a second time and was plunked a second time, ending Morgan’s day. There was, by the way, no retaliation. Anderson was the only batter hit in the contest. Anderson ended the day one-for-three, with two runs scored and one RBI. He finished the season with a .263-13-66 stat line and was hit by a pitch ten times. In his 15-season MLB career, Anderson would be plunked 154 times, leading the league in that category three times.

Mike Hessman, Tigers …. September 8, 2008

Hessman was playing third and batting eighth in the Tigers’ 14-8 win over the A’s in Detroit. He led off the bottom of what would be a six-run second inning and was hit by a 1-2 pitch from A’s starter Gio Gonzalez. He came up later in the inning with Josh Outman on the mound and was plunked again, this time on an 0-2 pitch. There were four HBPs in the game – three by the A’s and one by the Tigers. Hessman was one-for-three in the contest, with a home run, two runs scored and one RBI. He finished the season hitting .296-5-7 in just 12 games. The two September 8 HBP that gave him a share of the record were his only plunkings of the season.  Hessman played 109 MLB games over five seasons – going .188-14-33, with a total of five HBPs.

Jose Guillen, Giants … September 23, 2010

Guillen started in RF, batting sixth, as the Giants defeated the Cubs 13-0 in Chicago.  It was pretty much total domination behind seven shutout innings from Madison Bumgarner (seven hits, one walk, nine strikeouts).  Overall, Giants’ pitchers fanned 12 and walked one, while Cub’s hurlers walked three, three fanned five and gave up four home runs (among the Giants 19 hits) to the Cubs’ seven safeties. Guillen was the only batter hit in the game. Guillen’s plunkings came in the nine-run second. He led off the inning by getting hit on a 1-1 pitch from starter Ryan Dempster, whose inning then went home run, strikeout, single, double, RBI single, strikeout, RBI single, run-scoring wild pitch, walk – and then the second plunking of Guillen (on the first pitch of this plate appearance). That ended Dempster’s day. Thomas Diamond (good baseball name) came on and immediately gave up a Grand Slam to SS Juan Uribe.  Guillen finished the game one-for-one with two runs scored. He finished the season (the last of his 14 MLB campaigns) at .258-19-77, with 14 HBPs.  For his career, Guillen was .270-214-887 and was hit 145 times, leading the league once.

David DeJesus, Cubs, … June 18, 2012

David DeJesus led ff and played CF when the Cubs topped the Dodgers 12-3 on June 12, 2012. He led off the Cubs’ six-run seventh inning by getting hit on a 2-1 pitch from reliever Will Ohman. When DeJesus’ turn at the plate came around again, the Cubs had scored six times and Hector Santiago was on the mound.  He hit DeJesus with a 2-2 offering. Those were the only two HBPs in the game.  For the contest, DeJesus was zero-for-three with a run scored.  He finished the season, .263-9-50, with nine HBP.  For his 13-season MLB career, DeJesus was .275-99-573, with 103 HBP, leading the AL with 23 in 2007.

Brandon Moss, A’s …  April 25, 2014

Moss was playing LF and batting in the five-hole as the A’s topped the Astros 12-5 in Houston – and he almost escaped that evening’s game unscathed.  His two-HBP inning started as he led off the top of the ninth (against reliever Josh Fields, who had just entered the game) with the game knotted at 5-5. In that first ninth-inning plate appearance, Fields hit Moss on a 1-2 pitch. By the time, Moss came up again in the inning, seven runs were in and Anthony Bass was on the mound.  Bass hit Moss on an 0-2 pitch.  (It’s surprising how many of the plunkings among these record sharers came with two strikes on the batter.) Moss finished the game two-for-four with one run scored. He finished the season at .234-25-81, with ten HBP’s.  In an 11-season MLB career, Moss hit .237, with 160 home runs, 473 RBI and 36 HBP. One other batter was hit in Moss’ record-tying game (Jason Castro of the Astros).

A few other HBP Tidbits:

• The MLB career record for hit-by-pitch goes to Hughie Jennings (who played 17 seasons between 1891 and 1918 – and was plunked 287 times). He led the league in HBP five times and was hit an MLB-record 51 times in 1896.
• The post-1900 record for HBP belongs to Craig Biggio – hit 285 times in a 20-season career (1988-2007). Like Jennings, he led his league in HBP five times.
• No MLB player led the league in HBP in more seasons than Minnie Minoso, who topped the AL in plunkings ten times in a 17-season MLB career.
• Ron Hunt holds the MLB record for consecutive seasons leading the league in HBP at seven (1968-74).
• Ron Hunt was hit fifty times in 1971, the only player post-1900 to be hit more than 37 times in a season – and the only MLB player other than Hughie Jennings to be plunked 50 or more times in a campaign (Jennings – 51 in 1896).
• Twenty-six players have been hit by a pitch three times in a game – three of those have suffered this punishment more than once.  A few notable names that have been plunked three times in a game include: Bill Freehan, Nomar Garciaparra, Nap Lajoie, Sherm Lollar,  Mel Ott, Manny Ramirez.  (For Minnesota readers, Corey Koskie and Craig Kuscik make this list.)

Coming in the future, a look at HBP stats from the pitchers’ point of view.

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

So, how did Moon “best” Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks? In the NL Rookie of the Year balloting, Moon emerged the winner with 71 percent of the vote – followed by Ernie Banks (17 percent), Gene Conley (8 percent) and Hank Aaron (4 percent). 

Later in his career, Moon would gain (positive) notoriety for his “Moon Shots”- home runs launched (for the Dodgers)  into the left field seats at the LA Coliseum (were the transplanted Dodgers played from 1958-61).  The Coliseum clearly was not an ideal location for baseball – with its 440-foot distance to right-center and 250-foot distance (with a 40-foot high screen) down the left field line. It was 300-feet down the right-field line, but the fence angled out quickly to 400-foot-plus distances. A left-handed hitter, Moon adjusted his swing to hit looping fly balls off of or over that left field screen – popularly termed “Moon Shots” by fans and media.

Closing It Out in Minnesota

For BBRT’s Minnesota readers, Wally Moon’s final major-leaguer plate appearance came against the Twins’ Mudcat Grant   at Metropolitan Stadium on October 13, 1965 (Game Six of the 1965 World Series). Moon pinch hit and grounded out second-to-first.) That, of course, is the game in which Grant pitched a complete-game six-hitter (one run surrendered) and also knocked a three-run home run. (More #WhyIHateTheDH). 

A 24-Hour Turn Around … 20 hits for a Loss – No Hits for a Win

On this date (April 12) in 1992, the Cleveland failed to get a single hit against the Reed Sox in the opening game of a Sunday doubleheader (remember those?) – and yet came away with the win.  What makes this just a little zany is that the day before – the Indians’ 1992 home opener – the Indians collected 20 hits off the Red Sox’ pitching staff and lost.

Matt Young … Eight no-hit innings for the loss.

Here’s how it all went down.  Let’s start with the April 12 victory.  Matt Young started for the Red Sox, while Charles Nagy took the mound for the Indians. Young pitched an eight-inning complete game – holding the Indians without a hit and fanning seven.

Unfortunately, Young walked seven – which led to two earned runs and a 2-1 Red Sox loss. In fact, the very first batter Young faced scored.  Cleveland CF Kenny Loft0n led off the bottom of the first with a four-pitch walk (a portent of things to come). While DH Glenallen Hill was at the plate (ultimately striking out), Lofton stole second and third. He then scored as Carlos Baerga was safe at first on an error by Red Sox SS Luis Rivera.  In the third inning, the Indians pushed across a second run as Young walked Mark Lewis and Lofton (again) on a total of nine pitches.  The Lofton was forced at second on a Hill ground out – sending Lewis to third. Lewis then scored on a grounder to short by Baerga.  Lofton, by the way, was a thorn in Young’s  side all afternoon. He walked again in the fifth inning – and, just like in the first frame, stole second and third – giving him three walks and four steals in the game.

The Red Sox only run came in the top of the fourth inning on a single by CF Ellis Burks, a walk to 1B Mo Vaughn and an RBI single by  SS Luis Rivera.  Winning pitcher Nagy went seven innings, gave up eight hits and one run, while walking four and fanning ten. Brad Arnsberg and Derek Lilliquist each tossed an inning of scoreless relief.

So, the Indians collected no hits, but still got a win.  This just a day after the Indians’ home opener, when they collected 20 hits (to the Red Sox’ 14) and suffered a 7-5 loss.  That one went 19 innings with the Red Sox winning on a two-run home run by SS Tim Naehring (one of only three homers he would hit that year). A few side notes, in this game:  14 pitchers were used; Carlos Baerga had six hits, but no RBI an just one run scored; Mo Vaughn, Jody Reed and Naehring homered for Boston; there were a total of 16 walks and 29 strikeouts.

Okay, so the Cleveland hoe season starts with a game in which the Indians smack 20 hits and take a loss, followed by a game in which no Cleveland batter this safety and they get a win.  What more could happen?  Well, in game two of that April 12 doubleheader, Roger Clemens held the Indians to just two singles s in a 3-0 Boston win. That gave the Indians the  MLB record for the fewest hits ever in a doubleheader – yet they still got a split.  Side note:  The Red Sox had nine hits in this game and, as with the Indians, they were all singles.

For a look at the last single-admission double header I ever was privileged to attend, as well as stories on MLB’s 32-inning doubleheader, the only pitcher to throw complete-game shutouts in both ends of the same twin bill, the team that played nine consecutive doubleheaders and more … click here.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Ah, back in the ballpark.  I attended my first MLB game since the October 7, 2019 Twins/Yankees Playoff Game – a contest I had to leave in the second inning due to an Atrial Fibrillation incident that sent me to a five-hour Emergency Room visit.  But, that’s a story for another day.  Today it’s the joy of being back in the ballpark.

A few observations about the day and season and then, in honor of the return of fans to MLB parks, a look back at one of my earliest Baseball Roundtable posts – “Why I Love Baseball.”

So, how about a look at yesterday’s game?  First, given COVID attendance limits (with seasons ticket holders getting preference) and the timing of my second Pfizer vaccine, I was not able to get to Opening Day this season.  It’s long been my strategy to make sure I get to Opening Day and the final day of the season (and others along the way, of course) – a strategy designed to guarantee me the fewest possible days without baseball in the off season.  I did miss the Opening Day “hoopla” – team intros, fireworks, celebrity National Anthem performance, flyovers and the like.  However, thanks to a good friend and fellow fan (Connie), I was able to score good seats for yesterday’s second Twins home game of the season.

Now, we (I went with another good friend, Scott), arrived at the ballpark about an hour before game time.  My bad. I gauged my expected drive time and parking search by past experience (crowds of 35,000-40,000).  With COVID-era attendance of just under 10,000, getting to the park was a lot less time-consuming.  Getting through the gate with e-tickets on my phone was also a snap; just scan them and walk on in. It was convenient, but I have to admit, I miss the old stiff paper tickets – with their graphics and “memory value.”

Once in the park, I picked up the Twins free scorecard (Note: If you keep score and prefer to use you own scorebook, pick up a scorecard anyway.  It’s is a great way to have players’ names and numbers at your fingertips – and it’s FREE.)

Nothing like a dog and a beer at the ballpark. Photo by permanently scatterbrained

On the way to my seat, I stopped for my first ball park sausage (a Polish), I like to get my snacking in before the game (and my score-keeping) starts.  Okay, it wasn’t a gourmet treat (and there are some of those at Target Field), but as Humphrey Bogart was once quoted “A hot dog at the ballpark beats roast beer at the Ritz.”  Side note:  1) Some sources quote Bogart as comparing “steak” at the Ritz to a dog at the game, but I found many more citing “roast beef.” 2) This quote may be expiring, you can get roast beef and/or steak at MLB parks these days. 3) I know I should have started the season with a hot dog, but when you name is Karpinski, you have to upgrade to a Polish.

It was a chilly day at Target Field although: 1) Mid- to high-40’s is not that chilly for Minnesotans. 2) The green grass, sound of the crowd and the game, smiling children (and adults) and live interactions were heartwarming enough to counteract the weather.

As for the game, my Twins lost 4-3 in ten innings.  I did, however, get to see a tight and exciting game; a two-run home run from the apparently ageless Nelson Cruz; my first 6-4-3 double play (the 6-4-3 and 4-6-3 twin killings are my favorite baseball plays); the speed of Byron Buxton turn what looked like a fairly routine ground out into an infield single, with an advance to second on a misguided, rushed throw to first; and three stolen bases.  On the other side of the coin, I also saw two of my least favorite current baseball rules come into play – the wave -‘em-to-first intentional walk and the opening of extra innings with a runner on second.

–———————-Let’s Get This Party Started————————

Clearly, the baseball spirits are committed to making up for 2020’s short, strange and (for many fans) somewhat lost season.  Here were are just ten days into the new season and not only have we seen fans back in the ball park.  We’ve seen:

• The season’ first no-hitter of the season (April 9 by the Padres’ Joe Musgrove) – which was also just one hit batsman away from a perfect game and the very first no-hitter in Padres’ history.
• A rookie, Rule-Five Draft pick – Detroit ‘s Akil Baddoo – hit a home run on the very first MLB pitch he ever saw, smack his first Grand Slam and collect his first, walk-off game winning hit – all in his first three MLB games.
• Another rookie, the White Sox Yermin Mercedes – collect eight hits (five singles, two doubles and a home runs) in his first eight at bats of the season. (He had one previous MLB at bat, a ground out, in 2020.) Just a few days later, in just his sixth game of the season and seventh MLB game, Mercedes thrilled fans with a 485-foot home run – the longest HR of the MLB season thus far.
• Reds’ outfielder Tim Locastro stealing two bases in two tries – giving him 28 stolen bases in 28 career (2017-2012, 154 games) attempts; setting the record for the most consecutive stolen base attempts to start an MLB career.
• Trey Mancini’s 427-foot home run (April 10) – not just his first long ball of the season, but his first since returning to the Orioles after a bout with Stage Three colon cancer.  (Mancini missed the 2020 season.)
• The Angels’ pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani starting on the mound on April 4 against the White Sox, throwing nine pitches of 100+ mph and fanning seven in 4 2/3 innings and popping a 451-foot home run ( his second dinger of the season) – to give himself a lead in the bottom of the first.

I could go on, but you get the idea.  Once again, baseball is giving fans the opportunity to see something special during every game.   So, Let’s enjoy.

And, with that, I’d like to open my season by revisiting  the ten reasons I love the national pastime.

———TEN REASONS I LOVE BASEBALL———

1.  Baseball comes along every spring – a new beginning – accompanied by sunshine and optimism.

Opening Day … A Gift Waiting to be Opened!

Baseball is the harbinger of better times.  It signifies the end of winter (not a small thing if you’re from Minnesota) and the coming of spring – a season of rebirth, new life and abundant optimism.   Each season, you start with a clean slate.   Last year’s successes can still be savored, but last year’s failures can be set aside (although rival fans may try to refresh your memory), replaced by hope and anticipation.   On Opening Day, in our hearts, we can all be in contention.

People ask me what I do in winter, when there’s no baseball. 

I’ll tell you what I do.  I stare out the window and wait for spring.

 Honus Wagner, Hall of Famer

 2.  The pace of the game invites contemplation.

Between innings, between batters or pitchers, and even between pitches, baseball leaves us time to contemplate what just occurred, speculate on what might happen next and even share those thoughts with nearby spectators.  Baseball is indeed a thinking person’s game.

3.  Baseball is timeless and, ultimately, fair in the offering of opportunity.

The clock doesn’t run out.  There is no coin flip to determine who gets the ball first in sudden death overtime.  No matter what the score, your team gets its 27 outs and an equal opportunity to secure victory.  What could be more fair?   And then there is the prospect of endless “extra” innings, bonus baseball for FREE.

When I was young my heroes didn’t wear capes or cowboy hat. They wore stirrups and baseball caps. Many still do.

4.  Plays and players are distinct (in space and time).

Baseball, while a game of inches, is also a game of considerable space.   The players are not gathered along an offensive line or elbow-to-elbow under a basket. They are widely spaced, each with his own area of responsibility and each acting (as part of a continuing play) in their own time frame.  (The first baseman can’t catch the ball, for example, until after the shortstop throws it.)   This enable fans to follow, understand  and analyze each play (maybe not always accurately) in detail.   And, baseball’s distinct spacing and timing makes it possible to see the game even when you are not there.  A lot of people grinned at President Gerald Ford’s comment that he “watched a lot of baseball on the radio.”  In my view, he was spot on.  You can see baseball on the radio – you can create a “visual” of the game in your mind with minimal description.    That’s why on summer nights, in parks, backyards and garages across the country, you’ll find radios tuned to the national pastime.

 5. The scorecard.

Can there be anything more satisfying than keeping an accurate scorecard at the ball park?  It serves so many purposes.  The keeping of a scorecard ensures your attention to the happenings on the field.

Photo by mwlguide

Maintaining the score card also makes you, in a way understandable only to fellow fans, more a part of the game.   That magical combination of names, numbers and symbols also enables you to go back and check the progress of the game at any time.  “Oh, Johnson’s up next.  He’s walked and grounded out twice.”  It’s also a conversation starter, when the fan in the row behind you asks, “How many strikeouts does Ryan have today?”   And, it leaves you (if you choose to keep it) with a permanent record of the game, allowing you to replay it in your mind (or share it with others) at will.  Ultimately, a well-kept score card enhances the game experience and offers a true post-game sense of accomplishment.

6.  The long season.

Baseball, so many have pointed out, is a marathon rather than a sprint.  It’s a long season with ample opportunity to prove yourself and lots of chances to redeem yourself.  For fans, the long season also represents a test of your passion for the game.  Endurance is part of the nature of the true baseball fan.  And, and in the end, the rigors of a 162-game season prove your mettle and that of your team.   Not only that, but like a true friend … baseball is there for you every day.

 7.  Baseball invites, encourages, even demands , conversation.

Reason number two hinted at the importance of conversation, noting that the pace of the game offers time to contemplate the action (past and future) and share those thoughts with others.   I love that about the game, but I also love the fact that whenever baseball fans gather, their passion comes out in conversation – and they find plenty to talk about:

•  Statistics,  statistics, statistics.  Baseball and its fans will count anything.  Did you know that Yankee Jim Bouton’s hat flew off 37 times in his 2-1, complete-game victory over the Cardinals in game three of the 1964 World Series?  More seriously, statistics are part of a common language and shared passion that bring baseball fans together in spirited conversation.  As best-selling author Pat Conroy observed “Baseball fans love numbers.  They love to swirl them around in their mouths like Bordeaux wine.”  I agree, to the fan, statistics are intoxicating.

• Stories, stories, stories.  Baseball and its fans celebrate the game’s history.  And, I’m not talking just about statistics.  I’m talking about the stories that give this great game color, character and characters.  Ty Cobb sharpening his spikes on the dugout steps, Babe Ruth’s called shot, Louis Tiant’s wind-up, Willie Mays’ basket catch, Dock Ellis’s LSD-fueled no-hitter.

• Trivia, trivia, trivia.  This may fall close to the “stories, stories , stories” category, but fans cherish the trivia that surrounds our national pastime – whether that trivia is iconic or ironic.  For example, it’s ironic that the iconic Babe Ruth holds the best winning percentage against the Yankees of any pitcher with 15 or more decision against them (17-5, .773). And, it’s ironic that the more recent player to steal home twice in one game (Vic Power, August 14, 1958) did it in a season when he only stole a total of three bases).  Then there is the iconic performance of Ralph Kiner, who led the NL in home runs as a rookie in 1948 – and successfully defended that title in each of the next six seasons – the most consecutive home runs titles by any major leaguer ever.

Basically, I took a long time to say I love the fact that baseball fans will talk with passion about something that happened in today’s game, yesterday’s game, over time or even in a game that took place on May 30, 1894 (Bobby Lowe of the Boston Beaneaters records MLB’s first four-homer game).  And, as a bonus, all this conversation – all the statistics, stories and trivia – make the games, moments within the games and the characters of the game (heroes, goats and mere participants) as timeless as baseball itself.

I am looking forward to the time when fans will be again be able  to again meet and trade baseball facts and opinions in close quarters. 

 8.  The box score. 

Today’s box score – a thing of beauty.

BBRT editor’s  mother used to refer to an accordion as “an orchestra in a box.”  That’s how I view the daily box score – the symphony of a game recorded in a space one-column wide by four inches deep.   Some would say the box score reduces the game to statistics, I would say it elevates the game to history.  What do you want to know about the contest?   Who played where, when?  At bats, hits, stolen bases, strikeouts, errors, caught stealing, time, attendance, even the umpires’ names?   It’s all there and more – so much information, captured for baseball fans in a compact and orderly space.  I am, of course, dating myself here, but during baseball season, the morning newspaper, through its box scores, is a treasure trove of information for baseball fans.  (In today’s game, baseball-reference.com provides all that information and more.)

 9. The irony of a team game made up of individual performances.

While baseball and baseball fans live for individual statistics and, while the spacing of the players drives individual accountability, the game is, ironically, deeply dependent on the concept of “team.”

Consider the offense.  Unlike other sports , where you can deliver victory by giving the ball or puck – time and time again (particularly as the clock runs down) –  to your best runner, skater, receiver or shooter, in baseball, your line-up determines who will be “on the spot” and at the plate when the game is on the line.  It may be your .230-hitting second basemen, rather than your .320-hitting outfielder.  Yet, even as the team depends on the hitter, he is totally alone in his individual battle with the pitcher.  And, achieving individual statistics that signify exceptional performance also demands a sense of team.  You don’t score 100 runs without a team mate to drive you in (although the statistic remains your measure of performance) …  and, you don’t drive in 100 runs if no one gets on base in front of you.   And, can you think of any other sport that keeps track of – and honors – the team-oriented “sacrifice.”

On defense, the story is the same.  A ground ball pitcher, for example, needs a good infield behind him to optimize his statistical presence in the “win” column.  And the six-four-three double play requires masterful teamwork as well as individual performance –  duly recorded in the record books as an assist for the shortstop, a putout and an assist for the second baseman and a put out for the first baseman.  Then there is the outfield assist – a perfect throw from a right fielder to nail a runner at third earns an assist – even if the third baseman drops the ball and earns an error.  Two individual results (one good / one bad) highlighted, but without the necessary team work – a good play on both ends – a negative outcome in terms of the game.

Ultimately, baseball is a game of individual accomplishments that must be connected by the thread of “team” to produce a positive outcome.

10. Baseball’s assault on the senses.  (Indoor ballparks fall a bit short here).

The sight of a blue sky and bright sun above the ballpark or a full moon over a black sky above a well-lit stadium.  The feel of the warm sun or a crisp evening breeze.  The scent of freshly mowed grass or steaming hot dogs.  The taste of cold beer and peanuts.  The sound of the crack of the bat, the cheers (or moans) of the crowd, the musical pitch of the vendors.  Even the taste of today’s ballpark gourmet offerings.

Baseball assaults all the senses ―  in  a good way.  

Now, I could go on and on, there are lots more reasons to love this game: its combination of conformity (all infields are laid out the same) and individualism (outfield configurations not so much); its contributions to culture (literature and movies); its strategy (hit-and-run, run-and-hit, sacrifice bunts, infield / outfield positioning, pitching changes, etc.); triples; the 6-4-3 double play; knuckleballs; and more.  But to protect myself – and BBRT’s readers – I’ve limited myself to ten.   I probably could have saved a lot of time and words  had I just started with this so-perfect comment from sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, “The other sports are just sports.  Baseball is love.”  That says it all.

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.