Archives for February 2024

With Spring Training Games in full swing and the 2024 MLB season just around then corner, it seems a good time to again  reflect on ten reasons why I love this game.

Opening Day … A Gift Waiting to be Opened!

1. Baseball comes along every spring, accompanied by sunshine and optimism.

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.

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

The clock doesn’t run out.  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 “extra” innings, bonus baseball for FREE.

3. 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.  (On a groundout, for example, the first baseman can’t catch the ball until after the shortstop throws it.)   This enables 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 past time.

4. The scorecard.

Scorecards piling up.

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.  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.

5. The long season.

Baseball, as 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.

6. The pace of the game invites contemplation.

Although the relatively new pitch clock has altered this perception a bit, baseball still offers a “pace of game” that invites contemplation. Between innings, between batters, during pitching changes, sometimes even during a plate appearance, 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.

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

Reason number six 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 also talking about the stories that give this great game color, character and characters – from Rube Waddell’s zaniness to Joe DiMaggio’s elegance or from Rickey Henderson’s baserunning bravado to Hamon Killibrew’s stoic power.  And, there also are moments in time that mark hardball history, like Ty Cobb sharpening his spikes on the dugout steps, Babe Ruth’s called shot, Willie Mays’ basket catch, Dock Ellis’ 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 past time – whether that trivia is iconic or ironic.  For example, it’s ironic that iconic Yankee slugger Babe Ruth holds the best winning percentage against the Yankees of any pitcher with 15 or more decision against them (17-5, .773) or that the Bambino stole home more times than base-stealing icon Ricky Henderson.

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 August 4, 1947.  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.

8. The box score.

Today’s box score – a thing of beauty.

My 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.

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 .220-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 and the third baseman a putout.

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.  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 you 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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From Bob Feller to Nolan Ryan and Joey Jay to Jamie Moyer, Baseball Roundtable looks t some mound accomplishments for the “ages,” as I wait for the first Spring Training box scores.

YOUTH WILL BE SERVED

Youth was never served (on the diamond) quite like it was for hard-throwing teenager Bob Feller.  As the chart below shows, if you make a list of the youngest pitchers to fan ten or more batters in an MLB game, Bob Feller holds the first nine positions.

How remarkable was “Feller’s Feat” at the time?  Consider that, in Feller’s rookie season, MLB pitchers averaged 3.5 strikeouts per nine innings and there were only 24 double-digit strikeout games notched by MLB pitchers. Feller, who had yet to graduate from high school, had four of them.  By comparison, in 2023 there were an average of 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings and there were 225 games in which a pitcher recorded ten or more whiffs.

Note:  For this post, Baseball Roundtable is using Modern Era (post-1900) National League and American League statistics.  An explanation of the reasoning behind that decision can be found at the end of this post.

Photo: 2003 Topps All Time Favorites

Feller’s four double-digit-strikeout games in 1936 were second only to the six by Van Lingle Mungo (gotta love that name) of the Dodgers. Mungo, however, had 37 starts that season, while Feller (who made his first start on August 23) had just eight. (In his first start, Feller threw a complete game, in a 4-1 win over the Browns.  He gave up just six hits and one-run, while walking four and fanning 15. He faced 11 batters (including pitchers and pinch hitters) in the game and fanned nine of them at least once.  Before that first start, Feller had pitched in six games, going a total of eight innings, giving up 11 hits and seven runs, walking eight and fanning seven. Starting seemed to agree with him more.

Four weeks and four starts later, Feller fanned 17 Athletics in a Cleveland 5-2 win over Philadelphia – setting (at the time) the American League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game and tying the MLB mark., (Both since broken.)  Side note:  Intimidation may have played a role in that win.   “Rapid Robert” walked nine and hit a batter in that game, whole giving up just two hits.  For more about Feller, as well as a look at a lineup of batters who fared well against “The Heater from Van Meter,” check out the Bob Feller edition of the Roundtable’s “Who’s You Daddy?” series.  Just click here.

Bob Feller had 51 double-digit strikeout games in his career, 16 before his 20^th birthday.

Now, if you go 20 games deep in your look at the youngest pitchers to record ten strikeouts in a game, you’ll find:

• Bob Feller – ten times;
• Gary Nolan – five times;
• Bert Blyleven – twice;
• Felix Hernandez;
• Dwight Gooden; and
• Harry Harper.

Bob Feller threw three no hitters in his MLB career.

Hall of Famer Feller pitched in 18 MLB seasons (1936-41, 1945-56), all for the Indians.  He went 266-162, 3.25 and lead the AL in victories six times and strikeouts seven times. If he hadn’t lost three prime years to military service (WWII), he very likely would be among MLB’s 300-gamer winners.

I’d be remiss here if I didn’t give a shout out to Gary Nolan – the only pitcher other than Feller to crack the top ten list (above). Nolan was a teenage phenom and first-round draft choice (Reds), lucky 13^th overall, in 1966. He had won more than 30 games as a high schooler, leading his high school team to three straight league titles. He also led his American Legion team to three state titles and had had games of 23 and 25 strikeouts for the squad.

Photo: Hostess via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nolan started his professional career in 1966, going a combined 14-8, 2.58 with 229 strikeouts in 176 innings at Rookie- and A-Ball. In 1967,  about six weeks before his 19^th birthday, he made his MLB debut in a start for the Reds (versus the Astros) in Cincinnati.  His first MLB inning went: SS Sonny Jackson (strikeout); RF Jim Landis (strikeout): 2B Joe Morgan (walk); CF Jimmy Wynn (strikeout). Nolan got the win, going 7 1/3 innings, (six hits, three runs, two walks, eight whiffs), as the Reds prevailed 7-3.  In his very next outing, he made the double-digit strikeout list.  Facing the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Nolan got a no-decision, going nine innings, giving up eight hits and one run, while walking two and fanning 12.  Over the course of his rookie season, he would record one fifteen-strikeout game, three twelve-whiff games and one ten-strikeout contest.

Say Hey, Willie

On June 7 of his rookie season, Gary Nolan notched 15 whiffs in 7 2/3 innings of a 4-3 Reds’  loss to the Giants. Nolan left with the game tied at 3-3.  At that point, he had faced Giants’ star Willie Mays four times in the game and fanned him four times. (One of just four, four-whiff games in Mays’ career.)

Nolan finished his rookie season at 14-8, 2,58, with 206 strikeouts in 226 2/3 innings.  Since 1901, only Dwight Gooden (276) and Bob Feller (240) have fanned more batters in a “teenage” season.  For those who like to know such things,  Amos Rusie holds the All-time record for strikeouts in a teenage season at 341 (in 548 2.3 innings) for the 1890 Giants.

 Nolan, who faced arm and shoulder issues during his career, pitched in ten MLB seasons (1967-73, 1975-77), almost all with the Reds  (245 appearances with the Reds, five with the Angels).  He went 110-70, 3.08, with 1,039 strikeouts in 1,674 2/3 innings.  He was an All star in 1972, when he went 15-5, 1.99 in 25 starts. Ironically, his highest strikeout ratio (8.2 per nine innings) came in his rookie season. (Nolan did suffer a shoulder injury the following spring.)  Over his career, he had four seasons of 15 or more wins.

OLD GUYS RULE

When you look at the oldest hurlers with ten-strikeout games, as you might expect Nolan Ryan (here’s that second Nolan, mentioned in the header) and Randy Johnson dominate the chart. Ryan has seven of the top ten spots, and is the only MLB pitcher with a ten-whiff game after his 45^th birthday.  Johnson’s last double-digit strikeout game came 18 days before his 45^th birthday. For the Nolan Ryan edition of “Who’s Your Daddy?,” click here.  For Randy Johnson, click here.

You have to go down to number 13 before you find anyone not named Ryan or Johnson on this “Old Guys Rule” list – and that would be Gaylord Perry, with an 11-tsrikeout game at age 43 years-243 days.

Looking at the top twenty, you would see:

• Nolan Ryan – 14 times,
• Randy Johnson – four times; and
• Gaylord Perry – twice.

I went all the way down to number 50 and found:

• Nolan Ryan – 34 times
• Randy Johnson – seven times;
• Roger Clemens – four times;
• Gaylord Perry – twice;
• Rich Hill;
• Steve Carlton; and
• Johnny Niggerling.

Johnny Niggeling, the least familiar name on this list, tossed a 13-inning, 12-strikeout game for the Washington Senators on June 15, 1945 – at the age of 41 years-340 days (which puts him at 48 in the top 50). He gave up nine hits, two walks and four runs in a 4-4 tie with the Red Sox.   Knuckleballer Niggeling made his MLB debut at age 34, in his ninth professional season. He went on to pitch in nine MLB seasons (1938-46 … Senators, Browns, Reds, Braves) and went 64-69, 3.22. He had just five double-digit strikeout games – four of them after his 40^th birthday.

Nolan Ryan had 215 double-digit strikeout games (the MLB record), with 53 after turning forty.  Randy  Johnson had 212 double-digit whiff contests, with 23 after turning 40.

 Of course, with Baseball Roundtable #OneTningAlwaysLeadsToAnother.

Delving into the youngest and oldest pitchers to record double-digit strikeout games, led me to consider the youngest and oldest pitcher to record a shutout.

Youngest Pitchers to Throw an MLB Shutout

Photo: 1958 Topps

The Youngest pitcher to throw a (Modern Era) shutout is the Reds’ Joe (we called him J0ey) Jay at 18 years-36 days of age.  Jay was signed right out of high school by the Braves in 1953 and (under the bonus rule of the time) because of the amount of his bonus had to be kept on the Brave’s major-league roster for at least two seasons or be exposed to the waiver wire. The youngster (players in his situations were often referred to as “bonus babies”) rode the bench most of the season.  As of mid-September, he had made just one MLB appearance – two-innings of scoreless relief in a 10-0 Braves loss to the Phillies on July 21.  On September 20, with the pennant race pretty much resolved, the Braves gave the teenager his second MLB appearance and his first start. He responded with a seven-inning (rain-shortened, but official) shutout – becoming the youngest MLB pitcher in the Modern Era to complete a whitewashing.  As you might expect the “bonus baby” rule somewhat dampened Jay’s development.  In 1953-54, he appeared in just 18 games (two starts) and went 2-0, 4.18. In 1955-57, Jay spent most of his time in the minor leagues and a 17-10, 3.31 record at Triple-A Wichita in 1957 set him up for a full-time return to the majors in 1958. Jay went on to complete a 13-season MLB career (1953-55, 1957-66 … Braves, Reds), going 99-91, 3.77. For the Reds, he went 21-10, 3.53 in 1961 (his lone All-Star campaign) and 21-14, 3.76 in 1962.

Joey Jay was he first former Little Leaguer to make the major leagues.

The youngest player to throw nine-inning shutouts was Lew Krausse, Jr. of the 1961 Kansas City Athletics.

Lew Krausse, Jr.’s father, Lew Krausse, Sr.,  pitched for the Athletics in 1931 and 1932, going 5-1, 4.50. It was Krausse Senior who signed Krausse Junior to his MLB contract.

Krausse Jr.  went straight from high school to the majors.  In his first professional mound appearance (ten days after his high school graduation) on June 16, 1961, Krausse pitched three-hit shutout over the Angels.  He finished that season at 2-5, 4.85 in 12 appearances (eight starts).

Graduating With Honors

Research by Society for American Baseball Research member Larry DeFillipo shows that in his last two high school seasons, Lew Krause, Jr. went 13-1, 0.09, fanning just over 20 hitters per nine innings. (And yes, that ERA is 0.09.)

Control issues and elbow surgery delayed Krause’s MLB progress and it wasn’t until 1966 that he found a full-time spot on the A’s staff, going 14-9, 2.99. He ultimately pitched in 12 MLB seasons (Athletics, Brewers, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves), going 68-91. 4.00

There have been (since 1901) 57 shutouts thrown by teenagers, just nine of those by 18-year-olds. Of those nine, only Von McDaniel and Gary Nolan have two shutouts as 18-year-olds.

The leaders in shutouts before a twentieth birthday:

Smokey Joe Wood – five;

Gary Nolan – five;

Pete Schneider – three;

Dwight Gooden – three;

Oldest MLB Pitcher (Modern Era) to Throw a Shutout

Photo: Chamber of Fear on Flickr (Original version)  UCinternational (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Jamie Moyer threw his first MLB shutout for the Cubs (a a 24-yer-old) on August 16, 1986. Twenty-four seasons later, on May 7, 2010, while with Phillies, he shutout the Braves in a 7-0 win in Philadelphia.  At 47 years-170 days of age, it made him the oldest pitcher to record an MLB shutout (Modern Era).  Moyer, by the way, threw only ten shutouts in his 25-season ML:B career (1986-91, 1993-2010, 2013 … Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners, Phillies, Rockies). Moyer retired with a 269-209, 4.25 record over 696 games (638 starts). He won ten or more games in 15 seasons and was twice a 20-game winner (21-7, 3.27 in 2003 and 20-6, 3.43 in 2001 – both for the Mariners).

There have been 169 shutouts thrown by pitchers forty years old or older.  Here are the leaders:

Cy Young – 15;

Jack Quinn – 12;

Warren Spahn – 12;

Phil Niekro – 11;

Early Wynn – seven;

Nolan Ryan – seven;

Johnny Niggeling – seven; and

Dennis Martinez – seven.

Note: This post looks at leaders from the NL and AL in the Modern Era (post-1900) due partially to the availability and reliability of pre-1900 box scores/game logs and player birth dates.  Further, pre-1900 rules changes make 1901 a logical break when looking at pitchers’ performance.  For example, prior to 1888, a walk required, at varying times, nine, eight, six or five errant pitches. Prior to 1893, the pitching distance was notably less than today’s 60’6” (45-feet, 50-feet and 55-feet, six-inches at times). Foul balls began being counted as strikes in the NL in 1901 and the AL in 1903.  

A second note on the charts.  They may change as Negro League game statistics from 1920-48 are further documented and incorporator into the LB record books.

Primary resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; The aaseballCube.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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

Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply Top 66 Baseball Sites list.  For the full list, click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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

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Well, here are some more Baseball Roundtable musings, as we wait for Spring Training to open. This time it’s rare occurrences and oddities (unicorns, if you will) in some way relate to getting on base or on-base percentage.  I hope you find them interesting and entertaining.

Bryce Harper and an Unblemished Hot-Pink Bat

Photo: Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

It was Mother’s Day (May 8) 2016 and the Nationals were facing the steaking Cubs at Wrigley Field. (The Cubs were 23-6 and were on a six-game wining streak.)  Bryce Harper was batting in the three-hole and playing right field.

Like most players that day, he was using a special hot-pink Mother’s Day bat.  Little did he know that he would never even swing that stick over the thirteen innings of play that afternoon – or that he was about to become the first (still only) player with seven plate appearances in a game and not a single at bat.  And, to make this more of an MLB unicorn, Harper would reach base in every plate appearance for a 1.000 on-base percentage making him the first (still only) MLB player with seven plate appearances in a game, a 1.000 OBP for the game and not a single at bat.  (Yes, in baseball, we count everything.)

It went like this:

• First Inning – One on, one out … Four-pitch walk off Cubs’ starter Jake Arrieta;
• Third Inning – One out, no one on … Five-pitch walk (one called strike) off Arrieta;
• Fourth Inning –Two runners on, two outs, score knotted 1-1 … Intentional Walk from Arrieta (the only IBB Arrieta would issue all season);
• Sixth Inning – One on, one out, Nationals up 3-1 … Hit by the first pitch from Trevor Cahill;
• Eighth Inning – No one on, score tied three apiece … Five-pitch walk from Cahill (one called strike);
• Tenth Inning – Two on, two out, score still 3-3 … Intentional Walk from Adam Warren;
• Twelfth Inning – Two on, two out, 3-3 score – Intentional walk from Justin Grimm.

(The Cubbies, by the way, won the game in the bottom of the 13^th on a solo, walk-off home run by Javier Baez.

So, Harper came to the plate seven times, got on base seven times, saw 27 pitches (just two strikes) and never swung the bat. In that May 8, 2016 game, Harper also tied the MLB record for the most walks in a game (six).

An In-Post Diversion (more #OneThingLeadsToAnother)

Of the players with six walks in a game only Jimmie Foxx accumulated six walks in just six plate appearances and only Foxx did it in a nine-inning contest.  It happened in a 12-8 Red Sox win over the Saint Louis Browns on June 16, 1938. The Hall of Famer came into the game hitting .350-19-71 over 49 games. (Some places report it at .349.) He finished the season at .349-50-175, leading the league in average and RBI. Over his career, Foxx was a nine-time All Star, Triple Crown winner and three-time MVP.  

In the four-game Nationals/Cubs Series (May 5-8, 2016), Chicago clearly wanted little to do with Harper – no matter what color his bat. In 19 plate appearances, they walked Harper 13 times and hit him once. He ended up with one hit in four at bats for the series (he had a sacrifice fly) – which the Cubs swept.

In his first 12 MLB seasons, Harper, still active, has hit .281-306-889. He was the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year (his age-19 season), going .270-22-59, with 18 steals.  He has been an All Star in seven seasons and he NL Most Valuable Player twice (2015 Nationals & 2021 Phillies).

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As always, at the Baseball roundtable, “one thing seems to lead lead to another.”

The Most Time on Base in A Game (9) – With Ties to a 1.000 On-Base Percentage

Max Carey Photo: Bain News Service, publisher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Max Carey

On July 7, 1922 – Pirates’ CF Max Carey came to the plate nine times in a Pittsburgh 9-8, 18-inning loss to the Giants (in Pittsburgh). Carey collected six hits (five singles and a double) and drew three walks.  In the process, he set a (still standing) record for times on base in a single game and also set the record for most plate appearances for a batter with a 1.000 on-bae percentage for the game. Carey, a Hall of Famer, played 20 MLB seasons (1910-29 … Pirates, Dodgers) and hit .285-70-802, with 1,545 runs scored and 738 steals.  He led the league in stolen bases ten times.

Stan Hack

On August 9, 1942, in the first game of a Sunday Twin Bill (Remember those?), Cubs’ 3B Stan Hack tied Max Carey’s record for most times on base in a single game (nine) and set the record for the most plate appearances in an MLB game in which the batter had a 1.000 on-base percentage.

Hack came to the plate ten times in a 10-8 Cubs’ 18-inning win over the Reds. He collected five hits (four singles and a double) and drew four walks.  Although he had a 1.000 OBP for the game, unlike Max Carey (above), Hack did not reach base in every plate appearance. He also had a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Hack played 16 MLB seasons (1932-47), all for the Cubs.  He hit .301-57-642, with 1,239 runs scored and 165 steals for his career, hitting .300 or higher in seven seasons. He led the NL in hits in 1940 and 1941.

Johnny Burnett

On July 10, 1932, Indians’ SS Johnny Burnett tied the record for times on base in a single game and did it without the benefit of a single free pass – setting the (still standing) MLB record for base bits in an MLB game at nine. In 11 plate appearances, Burnett collected nine hits (seven singles and two doubles), as the Indians lost to the Athletics 18-17 in 18 innings.

Burnett played nine MLB season seasons (1927-35 … Indians, Browns), hitting .284-9-213. 1932 was one of just two seasons in which he played at least 100 games (129). He went .297-4-53. Over his career, Burnett played 263 games at SS, 132 at 3B, 105 at 2B, one in LF and one in RF. Burnett’s nine-hit game came during a 12-game hitting streak (July 4-14), during which he hit .417 (25-for-60), with 21 singles and four doubles (just two walks).

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This Little Piggy Went to First Base – Eight Times

Thanks to some in depth research by Trent McCotter, we know that on June 18, 1893, as the Reds topped the Louisville Colonels 30-12 in Cincinnati, Fred “Piggy” Ward set a record for a nine-inning game by getting on base eight times – and he did it in eight plate appearances.  As McCotter reports. “Although newspaper accounts of the specifics of the game are scant due to Cincinnati scoring 30 runs, all sources agree Ward was two-for-two with five walks and a hit-by-pitch.”  Ward played in six National League seasons (1883, 1889, 1891-94 … Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington). He went .286-1-90, with 172 runs scored in 221 games.

Most Hits In A Nine Inning Game – Seven

Wilbert Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, June 10, 1892

Photo: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/wilbert-robinson/, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Baltimore Orioles’ catcher Wilbert Robinson seems an unlikely candidate to collect seven hits in a nine-inning game. Robinson was a .273 hitter over 17 MLB seasons (1886-1902).  Coming in to the 1892 season, his career average was .226 and in 1892, he hit .267 for the campaign.

On the day of his seven-hit performance, Robinson was catching and batting eighth in the Orioles’ lineup. The Orioles apparently had on their hitting shoes that day, as they led the St, Lous Browns 25-2 by the end of the sixth inning – eventually winning 25-7.

Robinson’s day:

First Inning – Single; Second Inning – Single; Third Inning – Single; Fourth Inning – Double; Fifth Inning – Single; Seventh Inning – Single; Ninth Inning – Single.

While Robinson scored just one run in the contest, he drove in a (then-record) 11 runs in his seven-hit game.  In his 89 other 1892 appearances, he drove in 35 runs.

Robinson was inducted into to the Baseball Hall of Fame – as a manager – in 1945. In 19 managerial seasons, his teams went 1,399-1,398. He won a pair of pennants (1916 and 1920) with the Brooklyn Robins. As a player, Robinson hit .273-18-722, with 637 runs scored and 196 stolen bases over 17 seasons (1,371 games).

Picking Up The Pace

In the first six years of his MLB career (1886-91, with the Philadelphia Athletics and Baltimore Orioles of the American Association), Robinson hit .226-9-205, with 107 steals (in 479 games).  From 1892 through 1902 (Baltimore and St. Louis in the NL and Baltimore in the AL), he hit an even.300, with nine homers and 517 RBI in 892 games. He topped .300 in five of those 11 campaigns.

Rennie Stennett, Pittsburgh Pirates – September 16, 1975

Photo: Hostess via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Wilbert Robinson seven-hit record would stand alone for more than 80 years.  Then on September 16, 1975 – as the Pirates topped the Cubs 22-0 in Chicago – Pittsburgh leadoff hitter and 2B Rennie Stennett would go seven-for-seven. That day, Stennett tied an MLB record by collecting two hits in one inning twice in the same game.

Stennett’s day went:

First Inning – Lead-off double off Rich Reuschel and an RBI single off Tom Dettore. Stennett scored on a single by 3B Richie Hebner and later in the inning on a single by 1B Willie Stargell.

Third Inning – One out Single off Dettore. Stennett scored on a Hebner home run.

Fifth Inning – Leadoff double off Dettore and an RBI-single off Oscar Zamora. Stennett scored a run on a single by CF Al Oliver.

Seventh Inning – Leadoff single off Buddy Schultz, later scoring on a single by RF Dave Parker.

Eighth Inning – Two-out triple off Paul Reuschel.

In the game, Stennett scored five times and drove in two.

Brotherly Love

In Rennie Stennett’s seven-for-seven, nine-inning game, he collected his first hit of the game off Ric Reuschel and his final (and seventh) hit off the game off Paul Reuschel.

Stennett came into the game hitting .279 on the season (138 games).  He raised his average to .287 that day – and would finish the season sat .286-7-62, with 89 runs scored.

Stennett played in 11 MLB seasons (1971-81 … Pirates, Giants), hitting .274-41-432 in 1,237 games. He was signed as an amateur free-agent (out of Panama) in 1969 and called up to the Pirates in 1971, after hitting .344 at Triple- A. He made his MLB debut July 10 and hit .353-over 50 games for the Pirates that season.

Also, a Lucky Seven-for-Seven

The Tigers Cesar Gutierrez also had a seven-for-seven day – on June 21, 1970 against the Indians.  His Lucky Seven came in a 12-ining 9-8 Tigers’ victory.

Two Hits In A Single Inning – A Rare Occurrence

In the paragraphs on Rennie Stennett’s seven-hit, nine-inning game, it was  noted that Stennett tied an MLB record with two hits in an inning twice in one game. Statistics from before 1900 can be a bit sketchy, but since 1900, three additional players have officially recorded two hits in an inning twice in a game.  Here they are:

Max Carey, June 22, 1925

On June 22, 1925 – as his Pirates topped the Cardinals 24-6 in St. Louis – CF and leadoff hitter Max Carey went four-for-five with four singles, a walk, a hit by pitch, four runs scored and one RBI.  Carey got his day off to a good start, opening the game with a single off Flint Rhem. Later in the initial inning, with the Pirates already up 6-0, Carey collected a second single off Rhem (knocking him from the game).  In his next at bat, in the third inning, Carey was hit-by-a pitch (Johnny Stuart). Carey then grounded out off Stuart in the fifth and walked off Stuart in the seventh before collecting a pair of singles off Stuart in a ten-run Pirates’ eighth.  Carey’s career numbers have already been discussed earlier in this post.

Johnny Hodapp, July 29, 1928

On July 29, 1928, as the Indians rapped the Yankees 24-6 in Cleveland, Cleveland 3B and cleanup hitter Johnny Hodapp went five-for-seven, with a double, four runs scored and four RBI. In the game, Hodapp collected two hits in the second and sixth innings.

Hodapp led off the second inning with a single off Wilcy Moore and, later in the inning, delivered an RBI single off Hank Johnson (making the score 15-1). The inning ended with Cleveland holding a 17-1 lead.

It quieted down over the next three frames, but – as Cleveland added six runs in the sixth – Hodapp singled off Johnson to open the inning and had a two-out RBI single (off Archie Campbell) to cap the scoring.

Hodapp played nine MLB seasons (1925-27 … Indians, White Sox, Red Sox), going .311-28-429 in 791 games (He played in 100 or more games in just four campaigns, suffering a broken ankle in 1926, knee injury in 1929 and more knee issues in 1931.)  In his final MLB season – for the 1933 Red Sox – at ag 27, Hodapp hit .312-3-54 in 115 games.

A Season In The Sun

In 1930, Johnny Hodapp played in 154 games (19.4 percent his MLB career total) and led the AL in base hits with 225 and doubles with 51, while hitting .354, with nine home runs, 121 RBI and 111 runs scored.   That stellar season represented 25.6 percent of his career MLB hits, 29.4 percent of his runs scored; 28.2 percent of his RBI; 30.2 percent of his doubles; and 32.1 percent of his home runs.

Sherm Lollar   April 23, 1955

Photo: Jay Publishing via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

On April 23, 1955, as his White Sox drubbed the Athletics 29-6 in Kansas City, Chicago catcher Sherm Lollar, batting eighth, went five-for-six, with two-home runs, a walk, four runs scored and five RBI.  It was a career day for the career .264 hitter.  Lollar also tied an MLB record by collecting two hits in one inning twice in the game. He led off the second inning with a home run off Bobby Shantz and, later that frame, added a two-run single off Lee Wheat (making the score 9-3). He led off the sixth inning (the White Sox were up 16-6 by this time) with a single off Moe Burtschy and, later that inning, added an RBI single off Bob Spicer.  Lollar played 18 MLB seasons (1946-63 … Indians, Yankees, Browns and White Sox). He was an All Star in seven seasons and a three-time Gold Glover.  His final stat line was .264-155-808.

Primary Resources for this post:  Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; “Consecutive times Reaching Base: Ted Williams Dethroned by an Unlikely Record Holder,” by Trent McCotter, 2006 Baseball Research Journal (Society for American Baseball Research); “June 10, 1892: Seven hits in seven tries for Wilbert Robinson,” by Jimmy Keenan (Society for American Baseball Research).

A BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE REQUEST … I COULD USE YOUR INPUT

As some of you may be aware, Facebook recently has removed considerable number of my posts (as far back as 2018) from my own FB Page and from FB pages of baseball-focused groups I belong to. Those posts typically included a synopsis of or highlights from a Baseball Roundtable blog article and a link to the article.  (It is an important method I use to notify fellow baseball fans of new posts.) The links seem to be the issue for Facebook, as Facebook now seems to reject new posts that include a link to the blog site or to a specific article on the blog.  Note: the blog site at baseballroundtable.com is not affected, nor are new post notifications on X (formerly twitter) – just the notification Facebook posts.

I am confident the removals are in error and have appealed the removals multiple times in multiple appeal avenues provide by FB, but have received no reply.  The process is daunting.

To aid in my response, I have developed a brief survey that addresses the FB Guidelines that FB says it “looks like” the removed content violated. Reader responses will help me better understand/appeal/respond to this situation.  The more responses, the better prepared I will be to continue my appeal FB’s actions or correct any issues that surface.

I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to respond. This is the only time I will post the survey link here.  (I will call for responses once more from members of the baseball -focused Facebook groups I post with.)

Note:  The survey is anonymous. I will receive no information regarding any respondents.  Click here to access the survey.

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Each year, since 2014, Baseball Roundtable has announced a John Paciorek Award (JPA) honoree. The JPA recognizes players who have had short, sometimes very short, major-league careers, but whose accomplishments, nonetheless, deserve recognition.  Past winners have included:  a player who collected at least one base hit in every MLB game he played; a player whose every MLB hit (three in nine career at bats) was a home run;  a player who had only one MLB at bat, but earned  a World Series ring and a Purple Heart;  a war hero who pitched in the majors on one leg; and much more.  There are links to the bios of past honorees later in this post.

(Note: Information on John Paciorek’s career – the inspiration for the JPA – can be found at the end of this post. Paciorek’s day in the sun constitutes arguably the best one-game MLB career ever.)

This year’s John Paciorek Award honoree is 5′-5″, 155-lb. outfielder Irv Waldron, whose MLB career lasted just one season (1901) and who still holds the record for base hits (186), runs scored (102) and total bases (226) by a player who played just one MLB campaign.   In fact in his “first-and-only” major-league season, the “bats-left/throws-right” outfielder led the American League in games, at bats, plate appearances – and finished sixth in times on base and  seventh in total bases

A Leap, But Not Too Far

In 1901, Irv Waldron made his “jump” from the minor leagues to the majors without changing cities, teams or even leagues.

Waldron got a late start on his MLB career making the big leagues with the American League Milwaukee Brewers after after six minor-league campaigns (Pawtucket Phenoms, St. Joseph Saints, Milwaukee Brewers/Creams).  He was pretty comfortable with the AL Brewers.  He had played with the Brewers/Creams in the Western League from 1898-1899) and also as part of the the renamed American League (still a minor league) in 1900.  The AL was designated a major league in 1901, making Waldron’s record-setting “one-and-only” season possible.  In 1900, when the American League was still considered a minor-league, Waldron hit .294 for the Brewers. In 1901, Waldron (in the now major-league American League) was hitting .297 when he was released by the Brewers in early July (July 7) and immediately (July 8) signed by the Senators. As of July 7 , Milwaukee was in last place (22-41) and the Senators were in fifth place (26-26).

Let’s Multi-Task

During the 1901 AL season, Waldron had 56 multi-hit games, including six games of at least four bits. On April 28, in just his fourth MLB game (a Brewers 12-11 loss in Detroit), he collected three singles, two doubles, scored once and drove in three in six at bats. During his lone MLB season, Waldron had three hitting streaks of at least ten games. 

In 1902, Waldron found himself back in A-Ball (Kansas City Blue Stockings of the Western League),  where he hit .322 in 132 games). He played in the minors  for nine seasons after his one MLB year (1902-1906, 1908-11), suiting up for the KC Blue Stockings, San Francisco Seals, Denver Grizzlies, Lincoln Railsplitters, Utica Utes, Scranton Miners and Meridian White Ribbons. Not a lot has been written or documented about Waldron’s quick departure from the majors.  A 2014 article (Why Irv Waldron may have left the majors) by Graham Womack (baseballpastandpresent.com) offers some interesting and plausible insights.  He notes that Waldron did have some defensive issues (third in errors by an outfielder in that 1901 season) and that,  in those early years of baseball, players (even with a “flaw or two”) could often make better money in the minors than in the majors.  There was also that attraction of playing in the sunny West, even if it meant the minor leagues.  Consider 2021 JPA honoree pitcher Henry Schmidt, who, in his lone MLB season (1903), went 22-13 for the NL Brooklyn Superbas (Dodges).  Schmidt then turned down Brooklyn’s contract offer and signed with the Oakland Oaks of the then Class-A Pacific Coast League (becoming the only MLB pitcher whose only major-league season was a 20-win campaign).

More #InBaseballWeCountEverything … Or Sometimes Short Can Be Sweet

Some fun research by Christopher Pellerito shows that with his one-season of 186 hits, Irv Waldron has the third-highest average number of hits per season among MLB players who have finished their careers – trailing  just Kirby Puckett (192.0 hits per season over 12 seasons) and George Sisler (187.5 hits per season over 15 campaigns). Waldron’s 186 outdistances such luminaries as Pete Rose (177.3); Ty Cobb (174,5); and Ichiro Suzuki (171.6).  

Finally, some Baseball Roundtable “one things leads to another.” 

In putting together his post, I came across this tidbit. In Irv Waldron’s first MLB game – on April 25, 1901 – he led off and played RF for the Milwaukee Brewers versus the Tigers in Detroit.  In that game, he was on the field for the greatest ninth-inning comeback in MLB history. Trailing 13-4 in the bottom of the ninth,  the Tigers scored ten runs in the bottom of the inning on ten hits (five doubles), one walk,  one wild pitch and one Milwaukee error.

Primary Resources: baseball-reference.com.

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Here’s a look at – and links to – past JPA Award honorees:

2014 – Brian Scott Dallimore

In his first start (not his first game) for the 2004 Giants, Dallimore had two singles, a Grand Slam (his first MLB hit and only MLB home run), a walk and a hit by pitch.  For the full JPA take on Dallimore’s 27- game MLB career, click here.

2015 – Roy Gleason

Gleason played in just eight MLB games, had a double in his only MLB at bat – but also earned a World Series ring (1963) and a Purple Heart. Ultimately, he was the only ballplayer with MLB experience to serve on the front lines in Vietnam. For the full JPA take on Gleason, click here. Note: Gleason’s life is detailed in the book “Lost in the Sun – Roy Gleason’s Odyssey from the Outfield to the Battlefield.”

2016 – John Allen Miller

Miller played just 32 MLB games (during the 1966 and 1969 seasons), taking the field (at 1B/LF/3B/2B) for the Yankees and Dodgers. Miller collected ten hits in 61 MLB at bats (.164 average) and hit just two home runs – but he made those long balls count – becoming one of just two players in MLB history to homer in their first and final official appearances in a major-league batter’s box. For more on Miller, click here.

2017 – Chris Saenz

RHP Chris Saenz’ big day came on April 24, 2004 – when he was called up from Double-A Huntsville (where he was 1-1, 3.86) to make a spot start against the Saint Louis Cardinals, whose powerful lineup included the likes of Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders.   The rookie went six innings, giving up just two hits, three walks and no runs, while fanning seven. Two days after this debut, he was on his way back to Huntsville, where he suffered an elbow injury and never returned to the majors. Statistics before 1900 can be sketchy, but baseball-reference.com shows that Saenz is the only pitcher to complete a one-game MLB career of at least five innings pitched, without giving up a single run (earned or unearned). For more details on this JPA honoree, click here.

2018 – Keith McDonald

McDonald’s MLB career (Cardinals 2000-2001) covered just eight games and 11 plate appearances (nine at bats) and three hits – but he made them count.  All of McDonald’s safeties were home runs – making him the only MLB player with more than one career hit who can look back on major league career in which his every hit was a home run. .For the full story, click here.

2019 – Harley Hisner

Hisner’s MLB tenure encompassed the day of September 30, 1951. That’s when the 24-year-old righty faced the New York Yankees – and a lineup that included five future Hall of Famers: Mickey Mantle in RF; Joe DiMaggio in CF; Phil Rizzuto at SS; Johnny Mize at 1B; and Yogi Berra behind the plate. In his very first MLB inning, Hisner faced five batters, four of them future Hall of Famers, and gave up two singles and no runs.  His place in history? One of those singles was Joe DiMaggio’s last MLB safety. For more on Hisner and his ongoing involvement in and love of the game (he went on to earn the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association Colin Lister Award for “dedication to the game of baseball and its historic legacy,” click here.

2020 – Bert Shepard

Shepard set aside his baseball mound dreams in 1943 – after four minor-league seasons – to enlist in the U.S. Army, where he became a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot. Shepard was shot down on his 34th combat mission and, while a prisoner of war, his wounds resulted in the amputation of his right leg below the knee.  Upon his release (a prisoner exchange), Shepard did not surrender his dreams and fought his way to the major leagues. He made one major-league appearance (for the Washington Senators), pitching 5 1/3 innings of three-hit, one-run ball.  While Shepard’s MLB career consisted of that sole appearance, he did continue to pitch, coach and manage in minor leagues – and his story proved an inspiration for disabled veterans.  For more of Bert Shepard story, click here.

2021 – Henry Schmidt

Henry Martin Schmidt didn’t make it to the big leagues until eight seasons after his professional (minor-league) debut.  In fact, he was just two months shy of his 30th birthday when he first took the major-league mound.   Why did it take so long?  Simple answer – location.  He had considerable difficulty “locating” his pitches.  While it took a long time for Schmidt to make it to the major leagues, it didn’t take him long to leave MLB. He lasted just one season – and is the only pitcher in MLB history who was a 20-game winner in his only major league season. Why was his MLB career so short? Simple answer – location.  He did not care for the geographic “location” of major-league baseball. For more on Henry Schmidt’s unusual career, click here.

2022 – Karl Spooner

Southpaw Spooner holds a share of the record for strikeouts in an MLB debut (15) and also threw complete-game shutouts in each of his first two starts.  After earning a late September (1954) call-up (to the Dodgers), the 23-year-old rookie was thrown right into the fire – starting on September 26 against the league-leading and Dodgers’ chief rival Giants.  His  27 strikeouts in his first two appearances also remain an MLB record.   A shoulder injury suffered in 1955 Spring Training cut Spooner’s career short. He  didn’t get his first start of the 1955 season until May 15 and finished the season, his last in the major leagues, 8-6, 3.65 in 29 games (14 starts).   Spooner pitched for three more seasons in the minors, but never recaptured 1954 glory.  For the full Karl Spooner story, click here.

2023 – Glenn Williams

Williams had a 13-game major-league career – all in June of 2005 and all with the Minnesota Twins.  Over his 13-games in “The Show,” Williams hit a robust .425 and collected at least one hit in every game he played.  Williams holds the MLB record for the longest MLB career for a player who was never held hitless in any MLB game he appeared in.  For the full Glenn William story, click here.

—–INSPIRATION FOR THE JPA—–

John Paciorek – signed out of Saint Ladislaus High School in Hamtramck, Michigan (where he had starred in football, basketball and baseball) – appeared in his first major-league game on the final day of the 1963 season (September 29) at the age of 18.  The 6’ 1”, 200-pound outfielder had spent the 1963 season with Class-A Modesto Colts. The Colts’ parent club, the Houston Colt .45s (that was the current Astros’ franchise name back then), was suffering through a difficult season. The team was 65-96 going into that final game.  Looking to the future, Houston had, in fact, fielded an all-rookie lineup (average age 19) on September 27. Youth was still being served two days later when John Paciorek started his first MLB game. The results were surprising – and worthy of recognition.

Playing right field and batting seventh in a 13-4 win over the NY Mets, Paciorek ended up with three hits and two walks in five plate appearances, with four runs scored and three runs batted in.  Perhaps equally surprising is that it was not only Paciorek’s first major-league appearance, it was to be his only MLB appearance.  Back pain the following spring, followed by surgery (he played 49 minor league games in 1964 and missed all of the 1965 season), put an end to his MLB playing days. (Paciorek did play in four more minor-league seasons.)  Still, you will find John Paciorek in the Baseball Encyclopedia and his is arguably the greatest one-game MLB career ever.  Among one-gamers, he holds the record for times on base and runs scored, and shares the record for batting average, on base percentage and RBIs.

Paciorek, by the way, went on to become a high school teacher and multi-sport coach and is the author of the books (Plato and Socrates – Baseball’s Wisest Fans;  The Principles of Baseball: And All There Is To Know About Hitting; and If I Knew Then What I Know Now. You also can enjoy Paciorek’s prose (and expertise) at his blog “Paciorek’s Principles of Perfect Practice” by clicking here. You can find out even more about Paciorek in Steven Wagner’s 2015 book Perfect: The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball’s Greatest One-Game Wonder.

A final note. John Paciorek’s insight into the national pastime should come as no surprise. Paciorek comes from a true “baseball family.”  He was the first born of eight siblings and was followed to the big leagues by younger brothers Jim and Tom Paciorek.  (Like John, Jim’s MLB career was short – 48 games for the Brewers in 1987. Brother Tom, however, achieved a .282 average over an 18-season MLB career.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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