Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishments or statistics.

Once again, the usual pair of declaimers: Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am restricting myself to the Modern Era (post-1900) and not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro Leagues from 1920-48 were designated major league.)

Today we’re focusing on nine-inning games in which a starting pitcher fanned a record 20 batters – largely because today is the 39^th anniversary of the first such contest.  On April 29, 1986, the Red Sox’ Roger Clemens fanned 20 batters in a nine-inning, three-hit, 1-0 win over the Mariners (in Boston). Since that time, we have seen three more nine-inning contests that featured 20 strikeouts by the winning pitcher/starter. We’ll get to this in a bit, but I should note here that there was also one 11-inning game in which the starter went nine and fanned 20 batters.

What has always struck me about these 20-whiff games is a unique common denominator. As the chart shows, there was not a single free pass issued by the record-tying hurler in any of the games.

 

Now, you know how The Roundtable likes “unicorns,” so before we go any further, I’d like to drop one into this post.  There has been only one occasion when an MLB pitcher fanned more than 20 batters in a game. On September 12, 1962, Senators’ righty Tom Cheney started on the mound versus the Orioles (in Baltimore). Sixteen innings later, he was still on the mound – striking out Orioles’ pinch-hitter Dick Williams (yes, that Dick Williams) for the final out and his 21^st strikeout (on Cheney’s 228^th pitch) in a 2-1 victory. Sixteen innings and 228 pitches!  Shows how times have changed. Also, a sign of the times, reports are that Cheney chain-smoked cigarettes between innings. In his Society for American Baseball Research article “September 12, 1962: Tom Cheney strikes out a record 21 batters,” Andrew Sharp related a quote from Cheney teammate Chuck Hinton: “That game, he (Cheney) must have gone through three packs of cigarettes.”

The victory ran Cheney’s record on the season to 6-8, 3.01 and he would finish the season at 7-9, 3.17. Cheney  pitched in eight MLB seasons (1957, 1959-64, 1966 … Cardinals, Pirates, Senators), going 19-29, 3.77, with 13 complete games and eight shutouts in 71 starts (155 total appearances). His career was interrupted and cut short by a 1963 elbow injury.  (There has been speculation about the impact on Cheney’s arm of the 228-pitch outing the previous season.)

Now, back to our scheduled programming. Clemens, whose August 29, 1962 accomplishment triggered this post, is a bit of a unicorn himself – the only pitcher with two 20-strikeout, nine-inning games. Oh, and that starter who went nine-innings and fanned 20 in an extra-inning game?  That was Randy Johnson. On May 9, 2001, Johnson started for the Diamondbacks (versus the Reds) in Arizona. After nine innings, he had recorded 20 strikeouts, while giving up one run on three hits.  And, like the other 20-whiff pitchers, he had walked no one. Sadly, for Johnson, the score was knotted at 1-1 and he was relieved in the tenth by Byung-Hyun Kim.  (The Diamondbacks eventually won 4-3 in 11 innings.)

A couple of other tidbits.

• Before Clemens’ record-breaking performance, the mark for strikeouts in a nine-inning game was 19 – shared by Steve Carlton (1969 Cardinals); Tom Seaver (1970 Mets); and Nolan Ryan (1974 Angels).
• Ryan threw four 19-strikeout games in his career – going more than nine innings in three of them (10, 11 and 13 innings). Three of his 19-strikeout games came in 1974.
• The list of players with 19-strikeout games is an impressive one: Nolan Ryan; Randy Johnson; Tom Seaver; Luis Tiant; Steve Carlton; and David Cone.
• Carlton, Ryan and Johnson are the only pitchers to fan 19 batters in a game and take a loss.

Side Note:  Of the ten nineteen-strikeout outings (games of any length) only two have been walk-free.

Primary Resource:  Stathead.com

 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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

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

P 1111

Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishments or statistics.

On March 25, The Roundtable’s Trivial(l) Tidbit Tuesday focused on batters’ accomplishments over their first ten MLB games … most hits, most HRs, most runs, etc. (For that post, click here.)  This week, we’re going to move from the batter’s box to the mound and look at some hurlers’ “mosts” over their first ten MLB starts. I’ll give you the stats on these leaderboards and some background on players on the lists.

Once again, the usual pair of declaimers: Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am restricting myself to the Modern Era (post-1900) and not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro leagues form 1920-48 were designated major leagues.)

Before I get into individual statistical lists, let me just declare Harry Krause the “king” of this post. Krause appears among the top five in nearly all of the categories covered: number-one in shutouts over the first ten MLB starts; number-two in wins; number-two in fewest runs allowed; number-four in innings pitched; and, if they had tracked earned runs in his day, he would be in the top five in earned run average as well.  More on King Krause later, let’s get into the charts, stats and stories.

LOWEST ERA OVER FIRST TEN MLB STARTS

Let’s start with an MLB unicorn and a pretty good trivia question. Which MLB pitcher recorded the lowest earned run average over his first ten starts?  It’s kind of a trick question.  The answer is John Brebbia of the 2022 Giants, who made 76 appearances that season – 65 in relief and eleven as the “designated opener.” Remember when those were really popular? (Still around, but not seen as often.) Brebbia, in fact, made 201 relief appearances before his first “opening/game-starting” assignment. In his ten “starts,” Brebbia pitched ten innings gave up zero runs – for an easily computed 0.00 ERA.

Brebbia remains active (Tigers).  Through 2024, he had played in seven MLB seasons (2017-19, 2021-24), going 15-21, 3.80, with four saves in 354 appearances (21 starts). In those 21 starts, he pitched 22 2/3 innings. This season (as I key this post), the 34-year-old righty has made eight appearances (all in relief), with a 1-0, 1.00 record.

Three other “openers” made this list:

Erik Miller (still active, Giants), who made ten starts and 63 relief appearances as a Giants’ rookie in 2024 – while putting up a 4-5, 3.88 record, with 87 strikeouts over 67 1/3 innings. As I write this, Miller has appeared in nine 2025 games in relief, giving up one run in seven innings.

Shawn Armstrong (still active, Rangers), who made his first “start” in 2022 – in his eighth MLB season and after 192 career relief appearances. Armstrong’s first ten MLB starts were stretched over three seasons.  Through 2024, Armstrong had pitched in 11 MLB seasons (Indians, Mariners, Orioles, Rays, Marlins, Cardinals, Cubs, Rangers), going 11-8, 4.15, with eight saves in 299 games (16 starts). As I key this post, he is 1-0, 3.38 in eight 2025 relief appearances.

Ryne Stanek (still active, Mets) made 29 starts as an opener for the Marlins in 2028 (pitching a total of 40 innings in those starts). Stanek is now in his ninth MLB season (Rays, Marlins, Astros, Mariners, Mets).  Through 2024, his record was 17-17, 3.64, with 11 saves in 402 appearances (56 starts). In those 56 starts, he pitched a total of 83 innings. As I write this, he had made nine relief appearances in 2025, with a 1.08 EERA in 8 1/3 innings.

The Expos’ Steve Rogers is the first traditi0nal starter on this chart. Rogers made it to the big leagues as a 23-year-old in the middle of his third professional season – and got right down to business, giving up just two runs in his first three starts (26 innings, two shutouts). Over his first ten starts, he gave up just 11 earned runs (13 total) in 83 innings for a 1.19 ERA. Rogers went 6-3 over those ten first starts, with his three losses coming by scores of 2-1, 3-1 and 4-2). He finished his rookie campaign at 10-5, 1.54 in 17 starts (seven complete games, three shutouts), finishing second to Gary Matthews (.300-12-58, 17 steals) in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.  Rogers went on to a 13-season MLB career (1973-85 … Expos), going 158-152, 3.17. He was a five-time All Star and won 15 or more games in five seasons.

Cisco Carlos is a bit of a surprise here, after a 3-2, 1.21 record in his first ten MLB starts (1967-68) for the White Sox, he went on to an 11-18 3.72 record (73 games, 36 starts) over four MLB seasons (1967-70 … White Sox, Senators).

Cy Blanton was in his fifth professional season when he got a September call up to the Pirates (1934). He got one start (eight innings, five hits, three runs and a loss). His next MLB appearance would be in April 19, 1935 – and he would twirl a one-hit shutout, as the Pirates beat the Cardinals 3-0 in Pittsburgh. Over his first ten starts, Blanton would go 7-3, 1.23, with nine complete games and two shutouts.  He finished his first full MLB season at 18-13 leading the NL in ERA (2.58) and shutouts (4). The two-time All Star would pitch in the majors for nine years, going 68-71, 3.55.

Fernando Valenzuela. Okay, I would find it hard to believe that anyone reading this post does not know about Fernando-mania which took Los Angeles and MLB by storm in 1981 – when Valenzuela was both Rookie of the Year and the NL Cy Young Award winner (in his age-20 season).  After 10 relief appearances in a 1980 call up to the Dodgers, Valenzuela won a starting role out of Spring Training in 1981.  His very first MLB start was five-hit shutout (a 2-0 win over the Astros) – and he was just getting started. In his first seven starts, he went 7-0, with a 0.29 ERA – six complete games and five shutouts. After ten starts, he was 8-1, 1.24 and he finished the (strike-shortened) season at 13-7, 2.48,  leading the league in starts (25), CG (11), shutouts (8), strikeouts (180) and admirers (countless).  Valenzuela went on to a 17-season MLB career (1980-91, 1993-97 … Dodgers, Angels, Orioles, Phillies, Padres, Cardinals). Note: He played with the Dodgers his first 11 seasons. Valenzuela was a six-time All Star (1981-86) and his final stat line was 173-153, 3.54.

Since MLB didn’t tracks earned versus unearned runs before 1912, I thought it would be fair to include a chart of total runs allowed in a pitchers first ten MLB starts.

Only one new name appears in the top three.

Harry Krause started his streak as 19-year-old rookie – making two starts, among five appearances in 1908.  (Krause was 1-1, in four 1908 appearances, giving up 11 runs in 21 innings pitched, nine in his two starts).  He completed his first-ten-starts streak in 1909 with eight starts in his first 11 appearances. In his first ten MLB starts, he tossed six shutouts and ten complete games. In 94 innings, he gave up just 60 hits and 15 walks (61 strikeouts). As an aside, had the distinction between earned versus unearned runs been made in 1908-09 – and even if all 12 of Krause’s runs over his first ten starts were earned – he would have made the lowest earned run average list with a 1.14 ERA.  In his first full MLB season (1909), the 20-year-old Krause went 18-8, with 16 complete games and seven shutouts. Despite the fast break out of the gate, Krause pitched in just five MLB seasons (1908-1912 … Athletics, Indians), going 36-26 in 85 games (57 starts). Krause did develop a sore arm in 1912 and was sent down to the Double-A Toledo Mud Hens. A native-Californian (San Francisco-born), who began his professional career in the California State League, Krause returned to his home state in 1913 and pitched in the Pacific Coast League until 1929 (winning more than 200 games and earning a spot in the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.)

AT LEAST NINE WINS IN FIRST TEN STARTS

White Sox’ southpaw George “Hooks” Wiltse is the only MLB pitcher to win all ten of his first ten MLB starts, going 10-0, giving up 22 runs in 82 innings.  His ten-start run included eight complete games (two shutouts). The 24-year-old’s streak began after he opened his MLB career with three relief appearances. Wiltse went 13-3, 2.85 in 1904 (24 games/16 starts) and 139-90, 2.47 over a 12-season MLB career (1904-15 … all with Giants except 1915, when he played with Brooklyn of the Federal League). Wiltse was a two-time 20 game winner (23-14 in 1908 and 20-11 in 1909).

“Hooks” Wiltse earned his nickname with an effective, hard-breaking curveball.  Notably, in the realm of nicknames, Hooks’ brother Lewis (also a major leaguer) was known as “Snake” Wiltse for is contorted pitching motion.

 

Here’s a brief look at the pitchers who recorded nine wins in their first ten MLB starting assignments.

Lefty Joe Boehling got an MLB “look-see” with the Nationals in 1912, at gave up four runs over five innings of relief in three games.  He got his first start in June of 1013, after 10 relief appearances (2-0, 4.44). In his first ten starts, he put up a 1.48 ERA.  Boehling pitched in seven MLB seasons (1912-17, 1920 … Nationals, Indians), going 56-50, 2.97. 1913 was his best season (17-7, 2.14).

Paul “Daffy” Dean broke into the major leagues with a bang, recording nine wins in his first ten starts (9-0, 3.61). He finished his debut season at 19-11, 3.43 in 39 appearances, (26 starts) and followed up with a 19-12, 3.37 season in 1935.   Dean suffered a shoulder injury in 1936 and never regained his early form, winning just 12 more MLB games after his first two seasons. He pitched in nine MLB seasons (1934-41, 1943 … Cardinals, Giants), going 50-34, 3.75 in 159 games (87 starts).

Dave “Boo” Ferris played for the Mississippi State University varsity in 1941 and 42 (pitcher/first base) and was signed by the Red Sox in 1942. He played at Class B Greensboro in 1943 (7-7, 2.22), before missing two seasons while in the Army (where he served as a physical training instructor and played military-league baseball). He returned to professional baseball in 1945 and was an instant success, pitching a five-hit shutout in his MLB debut (a 2-0 win over the Athletics), four shutouts in his first six games and going the distance in each of his first ten starts. The 23-year-old finished his inaugural MLB season at 21-10, 2.96, with 26 complete games in 31 starts.  He followed that up with a 25-6, 3.25 season in 1946. Ferriss suffered a serious shoulder injury during the 1947 seasons and pitched just three more seasons.  His final MLB stat line (1945-50 … Red Sox) was 65-30, 3.64.

Mark “The Bird” Fidrych burst on the scene as an energetic and eccentric 21-year-old in 1976 – after just two minor-league campaigns. After two brief relief appearances, he made his first start on May 15 and went the distance in a 2-1 win over the Indians (two-hits, one walk, five strikeouts). In his first ten starts, he went 9-1, 1.87, with nine complete games. (He went eight innings in his only non-complete start.) Fidrych finished his rookie season at 19-9, 2.34, with 24 complete games in 29 starts. During Spring Training 1977, Fidrych suffered a knee injury (that required surgery) while shagging flies. He was back on the mound by late May and pitched well (6-2, 1.83 with seven complete gams in eight starts) until arm issues surfaced early July. He pitched in just three more games that season (going 0-2 and giving up 13 runs in 12 innings). To keep a short story short, Fidrych won just four more MLB games (going 4-6, 5.67 in 1978-80) and finished his MLB career (1976-80 … Tigers) at 29-19, 3.10. His mound antics and early brilliance, however, have assured “The Bird” a sport in baseball lore.

 

MOST SHUTOUtS  SHUTOUT IN FIRST TEN MLB STARTS

Harry Krause leads the way here (see MORE bio information under the Fewest Runs Given Up In First Ten MLB Starts chart. In his first two MLB starts (May 27 and June 12, 1908), Krause was touched up for nine runs in 17 innings.  But he came back with a vengeance in 1909. In his first eight starts of that season, he picked up eight wins, tossed eight complete games, threw six shutouts and gave up a total of three runs over 78 innings. As noted earlier, he finished the 1909 season at 18-6, surrendering just 49 runs in 213 innings. Remember, earned versus unearned runs weren’t officially tracked until 1912.

Russ Ford made his MLB debut with the New York Highlanders (Yankees) on April 28, 1909 – a three-inning relief stint in which he gave up six runs to the Red Sox (part of 12-2 Highlander loss) on four hits, four walks and three hit batsmen.  Not an auspicious beginning. In fact, it got him sent down to the Jersey City Skeeters of the Class A Eastern League, where he went 13-13 in 32 starts. Ford, however, was working on a new pitch that would turn the tide.  He came back   came to the Highlanders with an “emery ball.”  Using a piece of emery board (hidden in his glove), he would scuff the ball on one side which enabled to create a range of baffling breaking pitches. Ford disguised the new offering as a, then legal, spitball.  (The scuffed ball pitch, by the way, was banned in 1915.)

On April 21, 1909, four days before his 27^th birthday, Ford (using his new pitch) threw a shutout for the New York Squad in his first MLB start – a tight 1-0 win over the Athletics in Philadelphia.  He gave up five hits, walked none and fanned nine (a high total for the time).  He went on to throw nine complete games and five shutouts over his first ten games – giving up a total of just 15 runs. Ford picked up eight wins, one loss and one no decision.  Over his first full MLB season, Ford went 26-6, recorded eight shutouts and 29 complete games in 33 starts (36 appearances), fanned 209 batters and gave up only 69 runs in 299 2/3 frames. His 26 wins remain the rookie record (post-1900). Ford pitched in seven MLB seasons (1909-1915 … Yankees and Buffalo of the Federal League), going 100-71 and winning 20 or more games in three seasons.

Fernando Valenzuela (check out is bio info in the Lowest ERA In First Ten MLB Starts section). Suffice it to say, Valenzuela tossed five shutouts (and gave up just two total runs) in his first seven MLB starts (Dodgers, 1981). Included in that run were four games of ten or more strikeouts.  Again, lots more on Fernando in the ERA section.

MOST STRIKEOUTS FIRST TEN STARTS

Kerry Wood made his MLB debut (at age 20) on April 12, 1996 – and he took a loss (lasting 4 2/3 innings giving up four bits, three walks and four runs). He did, however, fan seven batters in his stint – the first step on his way to the top of this list. Over his first ten starts, Wood would go 6-2, 2.79, and would fan 94 batters in just 61 1/3 innings.

Wood went 13-6, 3.40, with 233 strikeouts in 166 2/3 innings in his rookie season (winning the Rookie of the Year award). Wood missed the 1999 season (Tommy John surgery).  He came back and from 2000 through 2005 went 57-48, 3.72 … in 159 games (148 starts), although he was beset by series of injuries (triceps, rotator cuff, knee).  After shoulder surgery in 2005, he returned as a relief pitcher (257 relief appearances and four starts from 2006-2012), saving a career-high 34 games for the Cubs in 2008. Wood pitched in 14 MLB seasons (1998-99, 2000-2012 … Cubs, Indians, Yankees), going 86-75, 3.67, with 63 saves (178 starts/268 relief appearances).

Twenty at Age Twenty

On May 6, 1998, the Cubs Kerry Wood (at age 20 and in just his fifth MLB appearance) threw a one-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Astros. In the game, he did not walk a batter and tied the record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 20. It would be the only game that season when he did not walk a single batter.

Herb Score made his MLB debut, in his fourth professional season, as a 21-year-old in 1955 – when he won the Rookie of The Year award with a 16-10, 2.85 season (leading the AL in strikeouts with 245). In his first ten starts, he went 6-3, 2.89, with five complete games and 92 strikeouts in 81 innings. He followed that up with a 20-9, 2.53 season in 1956, again leading the AL in whiffs with 263.  He started his 1957 season in same form (2-1, 2.04, with 39 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings after four starts).  Then, on May 7, disaster struck.  In the top of the first inning of a start against the Yankees, New York SS Gil McDougald lined a fastball back at Score (that struck him between the nose and right eye) ending Score’s season and, at the time, many thought his career.

Score returned in 1958 and went 2-3, 3.95 with 48 strikeouts in 41 innings over 12 starts before an elbow injury curtailed his season and eventually did end his career.   Some speculated that Score altered his delivery after the line-drive injury, but Score rejected that theory. Whatever the cause, Score was not the same. In 1955-57, he had gone 38-20, 2.64 in 73 games. From 1958 through 1962, he went 17-26, 4.43.  The two-time All Star’s final stat line (1955-62 … Indians, White Sox) was 55-46, 3.36.

Gary Nolan made his debut with the Reds on April 15, 1967 at the age of 18 and picked up a win (against the Astros) with 7 1/3 innings of three-run, six-hit ball (two walks and eight strikeouts). In his first ten starts, he went 3-1, 2.64 with two complete games and one shutout. Nolan pitched in ten MB seasons (1967-73, 1975-77 … all for the Reds, except part of his final season with the Angels). He went 110-70, 3.08, with 45 complete games and 14 shutouts. He was an All Star in 1972, when he went 15-5, 1.99.

Jose DeLeon debuted with the Pirates on July 23, 1983 – picking up a win over the Giants with eight innings of two-run ball (four hits, four walks, nine strikeouts).  When called up, he was 11-6, 3.04 at Triple-A.  In his first ten MLB starts, he went 6-2, 2.37, with 85 strikeouts in 76 innings. He finished the season at 7-3, 2.83 in 15 starts, with 118 strikeouts in 108 innings. DeLeon pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1983-95 … Pirates, White Sox, Cardinals, Phillies, Expos), going 86-119, 3.76 in 415 games (264 starts).

Bob Feller deserves special recognition, he made his MLB debut, as a 17-year-old, on July 19, 1936 (one inning of relief for the Indians versus the Nationals).  He made five more relief appearances before his first MLB start – August 23, versus the St. Louis Browns. It was a pretty good game for a 17-year-old (who would return home to finish high school after the season). Feller threw a complete game, giving up one run on six hits, while walking four and fanning 15. In his first ten starts, Feller went 5-5, 3.38, with 85 strikeouts in just 64 innings.

One for the Books

On September 13, 1936, 17-year-old Bob Feller fanned 17 batters (two hits, two runs, nine walks) in a 5-2 win over the Athletics. The 17 strikeouts tied the MLB record (since broken).

Feller spent his entire MLB career with the Indians – 18 MLB seasons (1936-41, 1945-56, with 3+ years lost to military service). He went 266-162, 3.25 and fanned 2,581 batters in 3,837 innings pitched. The Hall of Famer was an eight-time All Star, six times won 20 or more games in a season (leading the AL in wins each time) and seven times led the AL in strikeouts (348 in 1946).

 

A LITTLE BONUS – THE BIG SIX’S FIRST TEN

Christy “The Big Six” Mathewson – but for one start in 1900 – would have had his name written all over these lists.  September 26, 1900, Mathewson made his first MLB start – and gave up eight runs in an 8-7 Giant’s loss to the Braves. (That season, the 19-year-old Mathewson would go 0-3 and give up 32 runs in 33 2/3 innings over six appearances (one start) with the Giants. Then in 1901, Mathewson went 20-17 for the New York club.  In his fist ten starts that season (career starts 2-11), Mathewson went 8-2, pitched nine complete games, tossed four shutouts and gave up nine total runs in 85 innings.

 

MOST INNINGS PITCHED OVER FIRST TEN MLB STARTS

Ed Reulbach opened his MLB career with an eight-inning, complete game Cubs’ loss to the Giants on May 18, 1950.  He followed up with another complete-game loss. This time, pitching 8 1/3 innings as his Cubs lost to the Superbas 4-3 in Brooklyn. He then won nine straight before his next loss. In his first ten starts, Reulbach pitched eight complete games (three shutouts), but the one that put him at the top of this chart came in his tenth start – on June 24, 1905 (versus the Cardinals). In that one Reulbach, went the distance as his Cubs beat the Cardinals 2-1 in 18 innings (in St. Louis). Surprisingly, that was not the rookie’s best (or even longest) performance of the season. On August 24, 1905, Reulbach went the distance in a 20 innings 2-1 win over the Phillies (in Philadelphia). His mound opponent (Tully Sparks) also went 20 innings that day (and got a loss to show for his body of work). Surprisingly (again), that 20-inning masterpiece also was not Reulbach best day on a major-league mound. (See the highlight below.)

Oh-For-Two, The Hard Way

On September 26, 1908, Ed Reulbach – with his Cubs clinging a slim ½ game lead in the NL Pennant race – became the first (and still only) MLB pitcher to record shutout victories in both ends of a doubleheader. In a twin bill in Brooklyn, he shutout the Superbas 5-0 in Game One (a five-hitter) and came back to shut them down 3-0 in Game Two (a four-hitter).    

Reulbach finished his rookie (age-22) season at 18-14, 1.42, with 28 complete games in 29 starts. Over the next three seasons, he went 19-4, 17-4 and 24-4 – leading the NL in winning percentage each time. He pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1905-17 … Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Newark of the Federal League), going 182-106, 2.28 with 200 complete games (300 starts) and 40 shutouts. He won 16 or more games in seven seasons (20+ twice).

 

Jim “Hippo” Vaughn’s MLB Cup-O-Coffee came in the form of two mid-season relief appearances with the 1908 Highlanders (Yankees), as a 20-year-old, in 1908, giving up one run in 2 1/3 innings. It was back to the minors until Opening Day (April 14) 1910, when he started for the Highlanders and pitched 14 innings in a 4-4 tie with the Red Sox.  Over his first ten MLB starts, Vaughn went 5-1 and gave up just 20 runs (nine complete games, four shutouts). Notably, his nine complete games saw three ending in ties – including one of 14 innings and one of 12.

Vaughn pitched in 13 MLB seasons (1908, 1910-21 … Highlanders, Nationals, Cubs), going 178-137 with 214 complete games and 41 shutouts in 332 starts (390 total appearances).   He won 20 or more games in five seasons. In 1919, he led the NL with 22 wins, a 1.74 ERA, 33 complete games, eight shutouts, 290 1/3 innings pitches and 148 strikeouts

Nate Andrews made his MLB debut with the Cardinals on May 1, 1937 (four innings of relief). He did not make his first MLB start until August 28, 1939 (his eighth career MLB appearance) – going just four innings and giving up seven runs, as his Cardinals lost to the Braves 10-5.  He got his next start on April 25, 1943 (his 24^th MLB appearance) and things went quite a bit better ( a complete games 8-3 win for his Braves over the Giants) .  In his first nine 1943 starts, he tossed seven complete games and went ten or more innings in four. Andrews, bouncing from the majors to the minors and back (He spent only three full campaigns in the majors … 1943-45), pitched in eight MLB seasons (1937, 1939-41, 1943-46 … Cardinals, Indians, Braves, Reds Giants). He went 41-54, 3.46 with 97 starts in 127 appearances. He was an All Star in 1944, when he went 16015, 3.22.

Dave “Boo”  Ferriss … See detail on Ferriss the section on Pitchers With At Least Nine Wins in Their First Ten MLB Starts. Suffice to say here that Ferriss threw ten complete games (one of 14 innings) and four shutouts in his first ten starts.

Harry Krause …  Details on Krause are included in the section on Pitchers With At Least Nine Wins in Their First Ten MLB Starts.  Just to repeat a relevant stat here, his first ten starts included ten complete games and six shutouts

Primary Resources:  Statehead.com; Dave Ferriss SABR Bio by Bill Nowlin; Kerry Wood SABR Bio by Steve Dunn; Russ Ford SABR Bio by T. Kent Morgan and David Jones. 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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

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

P 1110

Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying these weekly presentations of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) I’ve noted in the past that these won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishment or statistics.

Here are usual pair of declaimers: Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am restricting myself to the Modern Era (post-1900) and not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro leagues form 1920-48 were designated major leagues.)

This is one of those “With Baseball Roundtable, one thing always seems to lead to another” tidbits.  What first caught my attention was the fact that, on this date (April 15) in 1959, 23-year-old Bob Gibson made his first-ever MLB mound appearance and gave up a home run to the first MLB batter he ever faced.

Turns out that’s not exactly a rarity.  Since 1900, seventy-nine pitchers have given up a home run to the first MLB batter they faced (18 of those on the first pitch to the first MLB batter they ever faced).  Not rare enough to be a Trivia(l) Tidbit. In rarer air, we find that only two pitchers have given up a home run on to the first MLB batter they faced and gone on to earn a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame – Bob Gibson and Bert Blyleven.  Not quite a unicorn status, but getting close.  We’ll get to Gibson and Blyleven later in the post, but first a look at this Tuesday’s unicorn.

Right-hander Dave Eiland was the first, and is still the only, MLB player, to give up a home run to the first batter he ever faced AND hit a home run in his first MLB plate appearance. Now, there’s a unicorn that likely to last. Eiland made his MLB mound debut with the Yankees, as a 21-year old, on August 3, 1988. He started a game against the Brewers in Milwaukee, and – in the bottom of the first inning – Brewers’ 3B and leadoff hitter Paul Molitor welcomed Eiland to “The Show” with a home run to center on a 1-2 pitch. Eiland was unfazed and went on to pitch seven strong innings (three hits, two walks, three strikeouts and just the one run). He left with a 5-1 lead, but Yankee reliever Dave Righetti gave up five runs in the eighth to give Eiland a no-decision.

Eiland went 5-9, 5.16 over four seasons for the Yankees (bouncing between the minors and majors), before being released by New York and signing with the Padres in January of 1992. During his Yankee tenure, thanks to the Designated Hitter rule (adopted by the AL in 1973), he did not come to the plate.

In 1992, Eiland made his first appearance as a Padre (remember, the NL didn’t adopt the DH rule until 2022), starting against the Dodgers (in San Diego). He got his first MLB plate appearance in the bottom of the second inning, with one on and two out, and took a Bob Ojeda 2-2 pitch to left-center for a two-run home run. It would be the only home run and one of only two career hits for Eiland. (He went 2-for-22 as a hitter over his MLB career.)

Eiland pitched in 10 MLB seasons (1988-93, 1995, 1998-2000 … Yankees, Padres, Devil Rays), going 12-27, 5.74. In 14 minor-league seasons (he spent part of each of his MLB campaigns in the minors), Eiland went 109-58, 3.42.  After retiring from the playing field, Eiland served a pitching coach (at the major-league level for the Yankees, Royals and Mets).

Now back to Gibson and Blyleven.

Bob Gibson

April 15, 1959 was a bit of a taxing day for Gibson. In his first MLB appearance, he came on in the top of the seventh with his Cardinals trailing the Dodgers 3-0. The first batter he faced was Dodgers’ 3B and number-eight hitter, 30-year-old rookie Jim Baxes. Gibson fell behind 2-0 and then – on the first MLB pitch he threw for a strike – Baxes homered to left-center. (Baxes would record just one MLB season – coming after 10 minor-league campaigns – and he would end up .246-17-39 for the Dodges and Indians.) Gibson pitched two innings in the contest (two runs on two hits, no strikeouts). He made two more appearances in April before returning to Triple-A and then was back with the Cardinals in late July – ending the season with a 3-5, 3.33 record for the Redbirds. Gibson split the 1960 season between Omaha and St. Louis, before having his first full season in St. Louis in 1961. And the rest is history.

Gibson went on pitch his way into the Hall of Fame – a two-time Cy Young Award winner, one time NL Most Valuable Player, two-time World Series MVP, nine-time All Star and nine-time Gold Glover.  He pitched in 17 MLB seasons (1959-75 … Cardinals), going 251-174, 2.91 and winning 20 or more games in five campaigns. He threw 255 complete games in 482 starts and his 56 shutouts are 13th all-time. His 3,117 strikeouts rank 16th.

A Different Kind of Ball

A superb all-around athlete, Bob Gibson starred in basketball and baseball at Creighton University and was the first member of the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame (1968). Over the winter of 1957-58, Bob Gibson played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Bert Blyleven

On June 5, 1970, 19-year-old Blyleven made his first MLB appearance – a start for the Twins, against the Senators, in Washington D.C. He had been called up from Triple-A Evansville after an injury to Twins’ starter Luis Tiant. At the time, Blyleven had just 21 minor-league appearances (Rookie-, A- and Triple-A), with an 11-4, 2.27 record).

The first MLB batter Blyleven faced was RF Lee Maye (a veteran in his 12th MLB season).  Maye worked a 3-2 count and then smacked a homer to right. The teenage rookie took the blast in stride, and did not give up another run in his seven innings of work (five hits, one walk, seven strikeouts). He would end the season with a 10-9, 3.18 record for the Twins – and would not appear in a minor-league game again until his final professional season (1992). Blyleven “enjoyed” (he had a reputation as a prankster) a 22-season MLB career (1970-1990, 1992 … Twins, Rangers, Pirates, Indians, Angels), going 287-250, 3.31, with 242 complete games and 60 shutouts in 685 starts. Blyleven was a two-time All Star and ten times won 15 or more games in a season. His 3,701 strikeouts are fifth all-time, his 60 shutouts ninth, his 287 wins 27th and his 4,970 innings pitched 14th. (His 430 home runs surrendered are ninth, his 250 losses tenth).

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame.

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Early this week, a welcome sign of spring appeared in the mail – my 2025 Baseball Reliquary Shrine of the Eternals Ballot – which means I can look forward to some joyous time pondering the character and characters that helped shape the history of our grand game (as presented in the always informative and creative biographies included with the ballot).

I’ll take a look at my choices from this year’s ballot in a bit, but first – for those not familiar with The Baseball Reliquary – a little background.

The Baseball Reliquary is an organization of fans dedicated to the free-spirited celebration of the human side of baseball’s history and heritage. The Reliquary defines itself as “an educational organization dedicated to fostering an appreciation of American art and culture through the context of baseball history and to exploring the national pastimes’ unparalleled creative possibilities.”

Reliquary (rel′ə kwer′ē)

Noun- a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept and displayed for veneration.

While its “home” is at Whittier College (also home to the Institute for Baseball Studies), the Reliquary is more than just a place.  The Reliquary really resides in the hearts of its founders, members, contributors and honorees – who all are important parts of the organization’s joyful (often irreverent, but always well-informed and fan-centric) celebration of all things baseball.  This celebration is fueled through The Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals, collection of historic artifacts, exhibitions and extensive baseball-related research collection – books, periodicals and papers from distinguished authors, historians and journalists.

The Whittier (CA) College Institute for Baseball Studies is the first humanities-based baseball research center associated with a U.S. college or university,

The Shrine of the Eternals

The Shrine of the Eternals is the Reliquary’s best-known element and its honorees include (among others) a one-armed major league outfielder, a pitcher who once threw a no-hitter while high on LSD, a team owner who sent a midget to the plate, a man in a chicken suit, a member of Major League Baseball’s 3,000-hit club, a manager who won eight World Championships, a surgeon whose pioneering work has extended the life of many arms, a cartoon character who pitched his team to more than 1,000 losses, more than one best-selling author, a statistical wizard and a bevy of  “Jims” (Abbott, Bouton, Brosnan, Grant,Piersall). The honorees are each unique in their roles in – and contributions to – the national pastime, but they all share the distinction of having made a significant impact on the game.

It’s a shrine to “our” great game that connects:

• Mark “The Bird” Fidrych and the San Diego Chicken;
• Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Mike Marshall (not to mention Dock Ellis  (Oh, I just did);
• Backstops Bob Uecker and Yogi Berra;
• Moundsmen Luis Tiant and Charlie Brown;
• Outfielders Roberto Clemente and Pete Gray;
• Characters Rube Waddell and Bill “Spaceman” Lee.

This year’s candidates include players like Rube Waddell, Mike Marshall, Julio Franco, Gravy Cravath, Luke Easter and Mamie Johnson; such  luminaries as renowned baseball photographer Charles M. Conlon, WIFFLE(R) Ball inventor David Nelson Mullany and Country Music Hall of Fame member Charlie Pride;  authors W.P. Kinsella and Jack Kerouac;  Morganna “The Kissing Bandit” Roberts; the fictional Annie Savoy; and the dual mother-son candidacy of All American Girls Professional Baseball League star Helen Callaghan and nine-season, major-league utility player Casey Candaele.

You get the idea.

Note: The Reliquary also recognizes distinguished service to baseball by a fan (The Hilda Award) and contributions to the preservation of baseball history (The Tony Salin Award).

Artifacts

The Baseball Reliquary’s Collection of what The Roundtable would term “art-ifacts” is as diverse as its roster of Shrine honorees.  The collection includes (but is “oh-so not limited” to) the Walter O’Malley Tortilla, the Roger Bresnahan Potato, the Eddie Gaedel Jock Strap, a Babe Ruth cigar, a Mother Teresa autographed baseball (a whole case actually), a heat-twisted 45-rpm record from the White Sox’ ill-fated Disco Demolition Night and a San Diego Chicken game-worn costume.

Exhibits

The Baseball Reliquary’s Exhibits have covered such varied topics as Latino and Black baseball history, baseball in foreign policy, baseball literature and art, a celebration of baseball cards, and even the self-defining “Lasordapalooza.”

Join Now 

Sound like an organization you’d like to belong to? Just go to The Baseball Reliquary website – click here.

 

—–THE SHRINE OF THE ETERNALS 2025 BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE BALLOT—–

Now, on to the Shrine of the Eternals. Before I share my ballot, here’s what the Reliquary has to say about this honor.

“Similar in concept to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Shrine of the Eternals differs philosophically in that statistical accomplishment is not the principal criterion for election. The Baseball Reliquary believes that the election of individuals on merits other than statistics and playing ability will offer the opportunity for a deeper understanding and appreciation of baseball than has heretofore been provided by “Halls of Fame” in the more traditional and conservative institutions. 

“Criteria for election shall be: the distinctiveness of play (good or bad); the uniqueness of character and personality; and the imprint that the individual has made on the baseball landscape. Electees, both on and off the diamond, shall have been responsible for developing baseball in one or more of the following ways: through athletic and/or business achievements; in terms of its larger cultural and sociological impact as a mass entertainment; and as an arena for the human imagination.”

Each year, the Baseball Reliquary submits a list of candidates to its members and the top three vote-getters are honored.  Reliquaries can vote for up to nine nominees.

Here’s a look at those who are getting my votes for this year.

Helen Callaghan (1923-92)  & Casey Candaele (1961 –  ) … A Two-Fer

Ah, the sight of a father and son having a game of catch, it’s a part of baseball lore.  For me, it’s time we considered the mother-son (and, hopefully, someday soon, the mother-daughter) baseball connection. (Side note: I fondly remember my mother willingly participating  in a game of catch or a bit of batting practice in the front yard as we waited for the school bus to arrive –  and Hall  of Famer Eddie Mathews once recalled that , in his youth, “My mother used to pitch to me and my father would shag balls.  If I hit one up the middle close to my mother, I’d have some extra chores to to do.  My m0ther was instrumental in making me a pull hitter.”)  It seems the right time to recognize, as noted in the Reliquary ballot booklet,  the “only mother/son combination to play professional baseball.” 

The fact is, I probably would have voted for Callaghan even without the mother-son connection. A superb athlete (in high school she played softball, soccer, roller hockey, basketball, lacrosse, track and field), she was an instant star in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (1944-49). As noted in the Reliquary ballot booklet, as a rookie with the 1944 Minneapolis Millerettes, she hit .287 (second in the league) and swiped 112 bases in 111 games. In 1945, with the Fort Wayne Daisies, she led the league in average, home runs, hits, total bases and doubles – and was second in runs scored and steals.

Her son Casey Candaele followed  in her footsteps.  Candaele played baseball in high School and was part of the 1980 College World Series Champion University of Arizona squad. He played professionally for 17 seasons, nine in the major leagues (.250-11-139 in 754 games), where he appeared in 50 or more game at 2B, 3B, SS, LF and CF). After retiring from the playing field, he served as a coach with the Blue Jays and Mariners and currently manages the Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons. 

Side note: Adding to the worthiness of this vote, Helen Callaghan’s older sister Margaret also played on the Millerettes and their sisterhood and rivalry became part of the basis for the  film “A League of Their Own,” (written by Callaghan’s son/Casey Candaele’s brother) Kelly Candaele.

CHARLES M. CONLON (1868-1945) … Picture Perfect

Charles M. Conlon is responsible for some of the most iconic images from baseball history.  From 1904 to 1942, he documented the course of the national pastime (as a hobby), while working as a proofreader for the New York Evening Telegram (later the World-Telegram). Carrying a large Graflex camera and cumbersome glass plate negatives to the ballpark, Conlon produced at least 30,000 portraits and action photos, capturing history in black and white.

Although his photos appeared regularly in the Spalding and Reach Base Ball Guides, The Sporting News, and Baseball Magazine, Conlon’s contribution to the images and history of the game really came to the fore with the publication of Neal and Constance McCabe’s books: Baseball’s Golden Age: The Photographs of Charles M. Conlon (1993); and The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs (2011).

The McCabes, making the case that Conlon ranks among the masters of documentary photography, asserted: “The ballpark was Conlon’s universe, an inexhaustible source of unforgettable images: a catcher’s mangled hand, a madman kicking up his heels, an umpire lost in thought. He documented baseball obsessively at a time when critics of photography—had they known of his existence—would have questioned his sanity for taking thousands of photographs of so trivial and ephemeral a subject.”

Conlon gets my vote for contributing so significantly to the visual history of the game.

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LUKE EASTER (1915-79) – Scrambling Some Eggs

“Luscious” Luke Easter was one of the most prodigious home run hitters of all time. His titanic blasts were known as “Easter Eggs.” Among his notables, Easter:

• Was the first player to a homer into the farthest reaches of center field in the Polo Grounds;
• Hit the longest home run in the history of old Cleveland Municipal Stadium – clearing the distant right field scoreboard; and
• Was the first player to hit a drive over the CF scoreboard in Buffalo’s Offerman Stadium (at age 42), proving it was no fluke by hitting the second drive to ever to clear the scoreboard just a month later.

Easter began his baseball career in 1937, as an OF/1B and cleanup hitter for the St. Louis Titanium Giants (a company team) – and didn’t play his final game until 27 years later.  Everything about the 6’4”, 240-pound Easter was big – his stature, his bat, his love of the game, his love of life, his relationship with teammates and the fans and, later, even his Buick.

While he began showing his prowess at the plate in the late 1930’s, he really began carving his name into baseball history after getting out of the military in 1943. In 1945, he starred with the barnstorming Cincinnati Crescents (for whom he hit the Polo Grounds home run noted above).

In 1947, he joined the Homestead Grays, where he hit .311, with 10 home runs in 219 at bats.  Research by Society for American Baseball Research member Justin Murphy indicates Easter followed that up by hitting .363 for the Grays and tying teammate Buck Leonard for the Negro National League (NNL) lead in home runs (13) – helping the Grays to the NNL World Series Championship.

In 1949, Easter signed with the Cleveland Indians and made (what was then considered) his major-league debut on August 1 of that season – at age 34 – just the eleventh black player in the major leagues. (MLB has since declared the Negro Leagues from 1920-48 to be major leagues.) While he hit only .222 in 54 games for the Indians, due in part to an injured knee, Easter showed his (already long-proven) power by going .363-25-92 in 80 games at Triple-A San Diego.

Then, in 1950, he hit .280-28-107 in 141 games for the Indians – earning recognition from the Sporting News as the AL’s Most Outstanding Player.  In 1951, he went .270-27-103 for the Tribe and, in 1952, .263-31-97. Age and injuries were already taking their toll, however, and on May 4, 1954, the 38-year-old Easter played his final MLB game.

Ah, but Luscious Luke was not done. He played on in the minor leagues until 1964 – putting up four seasons of 30 or more home runs and 100+ RBI – earning his way into the International League Hall of Fame.

Over his career, Easter also played winter ball in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and Hawaii. A Winter-League star, Easter hit .402 for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican League in 1948-49 (winning league MVP honors); led the Mexican Pacific Coast League (for Hermosillo) in homers in 1954-55; and lead the Puerto Rican Winter League in homers in 1955-56 and 1956-57.

Why does Luke Easter get my vote? Consider that none-other than Bill James rated him the second-best Negro Leagues’ first baseman of all time (behind only Buck Leonard) and Al Rosen (a teammate of Easter on the Indians, as well as a four-time All Star, two-time AL home run leader, 1953 American League MVP and 1989 National Executive of the Year) maintained, “Had Luke come up to the big leagues as a young man, there’s no telling what numbers he would have had.”

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JULIO FRANCO (1958 –) … One For The Ages (Aged?)

If you believe “Old Guys Rule” – Julio Franco should be your king.

Franco is the oldest player to homer in an MLB game. Franco went deep at age 48 years, 254 days, hitting a two-run shot off Arizona’s Randy Johnson as Franco’s Mets topped the Diamondbacks 5-3 on April 26, 2006. In that same game, Franco also became the second-oldest MLB player to steal base – and, thus, the oldest player to homer and steal a base in the same game.

Franco is also the:

• Oldest player to hit a grand slam (46 years, 308 days) – connecting as a pinch hitter for the Atlanta Braves in a 7-2 win over the Marlins on June 27, 2005;
• Oldest player to record a multi-homer game, belting a pair of homers on June 18, 2005 (age 46 years, 299 days), as his Atlanta Braves topped the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Franco started at first base and went two-for-four with two homers and three RBI;
• Oldest player to hit a pinch-hit home run, in the eighth inning of a Mets’ 7-2 win over the Padres at San Diego (April 20, 2006 – 47 years, 240 days);
• Oldest player to steal two bases in a game (and in an inning) – (June 16, 3005 – 46 years, 297 days); and
• Oldest player to be put into a game as a pinch runner (July 29, 2006 – 47 years, 340 days) … he delivered, promptly stealing second base, going to third on an errant throw.

From 1982 to 1994, Franco played primarily as a middle infielder and DH for the Phillies, Indians, Rangers and White Sox – making three All Star teams (MVP of the 1990 All Star Game), earning five Silver Slugger Awards and leading the American League in hitting at .341 for the Rangers in 1991. In that 1991 campaign, Franco collected 201 hits, 15 homers, 78 RBI, 108 runs scored and 36 steals in 45 attempts. At season’s end, he had hit .300+ in five of the previous six seasons – the lone exception being .296 in 1990.

In 1994, when the remainder of the MLB season was lost to a strike, Franco was in the midst of possibly his best campaign.  After 112 games, he was hitting .319, with 138 hits, 20 home runs, 98 RBI, 72 runs scored, and eight steals.  Franco was determined to keep swinging the bat and signed to play in Japan with the Pacific League Chiba Lotte Marines.  In the 1995 Japanese season, Franco hit .306 and won the Pacific League’s equivalent of the Gold Glove at first base.

Franco returned to MLB in 1996, joining the Cleveland Indians, hitting .322-14-76 in 112 games. In August of the following season, the Indians released Franco – who was hitting .284-3-25 at the time. He finished the 1997 campaign with the Brewers, hitting .241 in 14 games with Milwaukee.

In 1998, at age 39, Franco was back in Japan playing for Chiba Lotte; where he hit .290, with 18 home runs and 77 RBI in 131 games. Then, in 1999, he celebrated turning 40 (when most ballplayers are retired or coaching) by hitting for a .423 average in the Mexican League and getting one late-season MLB at bat with Tampa Bay.

As he moved into his forties, Franco was far from finished as a player. He played in South Korea in 2000 (age 41), hitting .327-22-110.  In 2001, the well-traveled batsman was back in the Mexican League (Mexico City Tigers), where stellar play (a .437 average in 110 games) earned him a spot on the Atlanta Braves’ roster in September. Franco hit .300, with three home runs and 11 RBI over the final 5 ½ weeks of the MLB season.

From 2001 to 2007, the ageless wonder – professional hitter and pretty darn good first sacker – played for the Braves and Mets.  From 2001 through 2006 – ages 42 to 47 – Franco averaged .290 over 581 games.  He hit .222 in 55 games in his final MLB season – 2007 with the Mets and Braves.

Even at 49, Franco was not done battering baseballs. In 2008, he could be found at first base with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League (where he hit .250 in 36 games). That season, Franco – after 23 Major League seasons and 30 years after his first professional baseball game – announced his retirement as a player.

Oops? Not so fast. In 2014, at the age of 55, he appeared in seven games for the Fort Worth Cats of the independent United League – going six for 27.   Then in 2015, Franco was signed as player-manager of the Ishikawa Million Stars of the Japanese independent Baseball Challenge League (identified as a semi-pro league).

In 23 MLB seasons, Franco hit .298, with 2,586 hits, 173 homers, 1,285 runs, 1,194 RBI and 281 stolen bases. He also collected 618 minor-league (U.S) hits, 316 in the Mexican League, 286 in Japan, 267 in the Dominican Winter League and 156 in South Korea and six in independent ball (U.S.).

Forever young, Mr. Franco – baseball’s Energizer Bunny – got my vote.

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MAMIE “Peanut” JOHNSON (1935 – 2017) … Playing Big

Mamie Johnson was one of three females to play for the Indianapolis Clowns during the declining days of the Negro Leagues (and the only woman ever to pitch in the Negro Leagues). At 5’3” Johnson looked a little small for the baseball diamond, but she played above her height. Johnson took the mound to the Clowns for three seasons (1953-55), running up a 33-8 record – utilizing a deceptive fastball, curve, change, screwball and knuckleball.   Her exploits are chronicled in the children’s book “A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson,” by Michelle Y. Green.

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W.P. Kinsella (1935-2016) … The Write Stuff

I have to throw my support behind the author who gave us“Shoeless Joe,” which, of course, led to the movie “Field of Dreams” – combining fantasy, the lure of the diamond and a bit of baseball history. What fan does not immediately recognize the phrase “Build it and they will come” or relate to the father-son game of catch that captured the enduring, generation-leaping spirit of the national pastime?    While Shoeless Joe may be Kinsella’s most famous baseball work, he also brought readers the “magic” of the game with such works as  The Iowa Baseball Confederacy, The Thrill of the Grass, Go  The Distance, The Further Adventures of Slugger McBatt, Box Socials. 

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MIKE MARSHALL (1943 – 2021) … Is There A Doctor in The House?

This former major-league reliever (14 seasons … 1967, 1969-81) earned three college degrees, including a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Michigan State University. Kinesiology is the study of muscle movement and Marshall used his knowledge to develop his own exercise program focused on minimizing stress, reducing injury and accelerating recovery time.  While his unorthodox methods, advanced education and outspoken approach often had him at odds with baseball’s traditionalists (and may be part of the reason he pitched for nine teams in 14 seasons), they did get the job done.

The fact is, we never saw a closer quite like Mike Marshall before he came along – and we’re not likely to see one like him again. In 1974, as a Dodger, he put up the granddaddy of all relief seasons – setting the single-season MLB records for appearances with 106 and innings pitched in relief at 208 1/3. He finished the campaign 15-12, with a league-topping 21 saves and a 2.42 ERA.  That season, Marshall was called on to go more than one inning in 74 games (68.5 percent of the time) and he toiled three or more innings 22 times. He also relieved in 13 consecutive regular-season games – an MLB record later tied (1986) by the Rangers’ Dale Mohoric. Marshall’s efforts won him the 1974 Cy Young Award and recognition as The Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year.

Marshall led his league in games pitched four times and saves three times – finishing 97-112, 3.14 with 188 saves.

A true “fireman” from an era when closers came in to put out fires and stayed on the mound to ensure they were no flare ups, Marshall gets my vote for the Shrine.

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DAVID NELSON MULLANY (1908-1990) … A New Meaning To Going Yard

Everyone who has ever swung a plastic bat at a whistling WIFFLE® Ball owes a debt of gratitude to David Mullany.

It all started in 1953, when Mullany saw his 12-year-old son trying to use a plastic golf ball for a game of baseball in their Connecticut backyard. Mullany saw the possibilities (and need) for a ball that could be put in play in a confined area without the risk of damage. He set about developing a light, hollow, plastic ball with eight oblong slots cut into one side (which allowed pitchers to fashion a curve, slider, or knuckleball that could produce a great many a good number of swings and misses or “whiffs.”

Mullany, (by the way played baseball for the University of Connecticut) went on to form WIFFLE® Ball, Inc. in 1954 and was granted a patent for the innovative sphere in 1957.

Has the Wiffle Ball impacted the game and those who play it (particularly in their backyards)?  Well, there has been no change in the basic product over time and more than 60 million wiffle balls have been sold since it came to the market. There are now even Wiffle Ball tournaments and leagues around the country.  More than 60 million Wiffle Balls sold. How many millions of hours of baseball pleasure does that equate to?  Enough for my vote.

In 2017, the WIFFLE® Ball was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.

. ______________________________________

Rube Waddell (1876-1914) … Walk On The Wild Side

Rube Waddell is almost universally recognized as the zaniest player in MLB history (that alone should earn him a spot in the Shrine).  Add the fact that he also was one of the best pitchers (at least when he was focused) in the game and Waddell seems a perfect fit for Reliquary honors.

Waddell was known to:

• Leave a ball game to chase fire engines;
• Miss a game he was scheduled to start because he was fishing or playing marbles with neighborhood kids;
• Bring his outfielders in to sit on the grass and then proceed to fan the side;
• Wrestle alligators in the off-season; and
• Much too frequently do battle with owners and managers.

Waddell simply was more interested in the freedom to enjoy life and do things his way than in money or professional stability.  But, when Waddell was on his game, he was arguably the best pitcher of his time. The 6’1”, 195-lb. lefty led the AL in strikeouts six consecutive seasons (1902-1907) – by a wide margin.

In 1902, Waddell joined the Philadelphia Athletics in June – making his first start on June 26 (with just 86 games left in the season). Waddell proceeded to win 24 games (the league’s second-highest total) against seven losses, with a 2.05 ERA.  Despite his shortened season, he led the AL with 210 strikeouts, fifty more than the runner-up (none other than Cy Young).

In 1904, Waddell set a modern (post-1900) MLB record with 349 strikeouts that stood until 1965.  Waddell, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, finished with a 193-143, 2.16 stat line – leading the AL in strikeouts six times, ERA twice, wins once and complete games once. For more on Waddell, BBRT suggests: “Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist,” by Allan Howard Levy.

Honoring the zaniest player in history – a title it appears Waddell will hold into eternity – just seems right for the Shrine of the Eternals. Rube gets my vote.

A Few Other Candidates, I’d Like To Vote For

There really isn’t room to look at all the 2025 candidates, but here are a few more I would have cast votes for (if I had more than nine votes.)  As we most often hear in late September, “Maybe next year.”

Chet Brewer (1907-1990)

One of the Negro Leagues great moundsmen (consider a 15-2, 1.93 record with the 1929 Kansas City Monarchs), Brewer’s baseball career spanned three decades (1923-53) – playing (per LADodgerTalk.com) in the U.S., Canada, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. However, his legacy was built and after his playing days, when Brewer dedicated himself to working (unpaid) with Los Angeles inner-city you. He organized and funded a youth baseball program in Los Angeles and was known for teaching not only the basic of the game, but imparting the work habits, values and attitudes to help hundreds young men become good citizens. He has been referred to as the “soul of Black baseball in Los Angeles.” Among Brewer-mentored youth to to make it the big leagues were Bobby Tolan, Reggie Smith, Ellis Valentine (and more).

Roy Campanella (1921-93)

  Campanella is a Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, whose career was cut short by a tragic auto accident. Campy was a three-time National League Most Valuable Player and an All Star in eight of his ten National League seasons, as well as in three Negro League Campaigns.  And, his accomplishments are amplified by the fact that he faced the pressure of being among the earliest Black ballplayers to play in the major leagues.

Gravy Cravath (1881-1963)

Cravath was the deal ball era’s “Sultan of Swat. Cravath led the NL in home runs six times. (In 1915, when his 24 home runs led the major leagues, no other player had more than 17 and only nine players hit ten or more.)

Morganna Roberts (1947 – )

Becoming known as “The Kissing Bandit) of baseball, Roberts rushed onto ball fields to plant kisses on more than three dozen major leaguers (including such notables as Cal Ripken, Jr. Johnny Bench, Pete Rose and George Brett), as well as managers, umpires and the San Diego Chicken).  With today’s ballpark security, it is unlikely will see the likes of that again.  Despite her more prominent attributes and qualifications for the Shrine – young folks go ahead and “Google” her – Roberts also became a part-owner of the Utica Blue Sox, was pictured on baseball cards and endorsed her own brand of peanuts.  She also appeared on the Today Show, The Tonight Show.and To Tell The Truth (again, younger fans, Google it).

Bill White (1934 – )

A little of everything for this candidate: Eight-time MLB All Star, seven-time Gold Glover; 18 years as a baseball broadcaster (first Black major-league play-by-play announcer); (first Black) President of the National League.

 

Primary Resources: Baseball Reliquary 2025 Shrine of the Eternals Ballot; Baseball-Reference.com

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P 1108

 

The last time the San Francisco Giants started the same leftfielder on Opening Day in consecutive seasons was 2006-07 (Barry Bonds).  They have , in fact, started 19 different players in LF over the past 19 Opening Days.  No big message here, just thought some readers might like the foll0wing chart.

 

Primary Resources:  Stathead.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

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P 1107

Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishments or statistics. Today’s tidbit is focused on switch hitters and the long ball.

As usual, keep in mind that not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro leagues from 1920-48 were designated major leagues.)

I consider today’s tidbit a “timely” one. On this date (April 8) in 1993, Indians’ 2B Carlos Baerga had an historic day, as Cleveland topped the Yankees 15-5 (in Cleveland). Not only did Baerga enjoy a four-for-five day, but in the nine-run bottom of the seventh, he did something no other major leaguer had done before – the switch-hitting Baerga homered from both the left-handed and right-handed batters’ boxes in the same inning.  

The bottom of the seventh started with Yankee southpaw Steve Howe on the mound and the Indians holding a 6-5 lead.  After a leadoff single by 3B Alvaro Espinoza, Baerga (batting righty) homered to right-center on a 3-2 offering from Howe.   And, the Indians just kept on hitting. By the time Baerga came up again in the frame, the Indians had scored eight runs on seven hits (and one hit batsman); the score was 14-5; the bases were empty (Espinoza had just hit a three-run homer); there were two outs; and right-hander Steve Farr had replaced Howe on the mound. This time, Baerga was in the left-handed batter’s box and he found the second “Steve” he faced in the inning to again be to his liking – knocking another homer to right-center (this time on a 2-0 pitch). That knocked Farr out of the game, and Neal Heaton came on to get the final out of the inning. (Side note: Steves Howe and Farr had combined to surrender eight hits, one HBP, three homers and nine runs in 2/3 of an inning.)  For the game, Baerga was three-for-four with five RBI.

Baerga’s accomplishment remained an MLB unicorn until 2002, when it was tied by Mark Bellhorn. Since that time, Kendry Morales has joined this club of three.  (More of these to in a minute, but first, back to Baerga.)

The two long balls were Baerga’s first of the season (It was just April 8, after all) – in which he would hit 21 long balls (.321-21-114 … ultimately career highs for Baerga across the board).  That season, Baerga would hit 15 home runs in 405 right-handed at bats and six long balls in 214 left-handed at bats.

Baerga played in 14 MLB seasons (1990-99, 2002-05 … Indians, Mets, Padres, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Nationals). His career stat line was .291-134-774, with 731 runs scored and 59 steals.  The three-time All Star hit 20 or more homers twice, drove in 100 or more runs twice and hit .300 or better in five seasons.

Mark Bellhorn matched Baerga’s homers from both side of the plate in one inning on August 29, 2002, as his Cubs topped the Brewers 13-10 in Milwaukee.  Cubs’ SS Alex Gonzalez opened the top of the fourth (a scoreless tie at the time) with a walk off Brewers’ southpaw Andrew Lorraine.  Next up was Bellhorn (playing first base and batting in the six hole). Bellhorn, batting righty, took a 1-0 offering from Lorraine to left-center for a two-run Cubs’ lead. Bellhorn found himself at the plate again in the inning, with the Cubs up 6-0, two-runners on, two outs and righthander Jose Cabrera on the hill. Now batting lefty, Bellhorn hit a 2-2 pitch for a homer to right, expanding the lead to 9-0.

The home runs were Bellhorn’s 22nd and 23rd – in a season in which he would hit a career-high 27 (.258-27-56 in 146 games). For the game, he would go two-for-four, with five RBI. That season, Bellhorn hit 17 home runs in 323 at bats left-handed and 10 home runs in 122 at bats right-handed.  He would have just one other two-homer game in his MLB career.  For his career, he hit 42 homers in 1,462 at bats hitting left-handed and 27 homers in 645 at bats hitting right-handed.

Bellhorn played in 10 MLB seasons (1997-98, 2000-007 … A’s, Cubs, Rockies, Red Sox, Yankees, Pads, Reds), going 230-69-246, with 324 runs scored (in 731 career games).

Kendrys Morales had his two-homer/righty-lefty inning on  July 30, 2012, as his Angels topped the Rangers 15-8 in Texas. The two long balls came in the top of the sixth inning. Morales, at DH and batting cleanup, came up to the plate batting left-handed versus right Roy Oswalt.  Albert Pujols, who had just doubled, was on second with n0 outs and the scored tied at three apiece. Morales untied the game with a two-run home run on a 1-2 pitch. He came up again in the frame with two outs, the Angles up 8-3 and lefty Robbie Ross on the mound.  Batting right-handed, Morales hit a 3-2 pitch for a Grand slam to right-center. Ross ended the game two-for-five with six RBI.  The two homers were his tenth and eleventh of the season (during which he would go .273-22-73).

Morales played 13 MLB seasons (2006-10, 2012-19 … Angels, Mariners, Twins, Royals, Blue Jays, A’s, Yankees), going .265-213-740, with 584 runs in 1,363 games. His best season was 2009, when he hit .306-34-108 for the Angels (all career highs). Over his career, he hit 164 home runs in 3,437 left-handed at bats and just 49 long balls in 1,419 right-handed at bats.  He had 22 multi-homer games.

For those who like to know such things:

• Per Baseball-Almanac.com, there have been 377 instances in which a player homered from both sides of the plate in an MLB game;
• Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher share the record for most regular-season games with homers from both sides of the plate with 14;
• Carlos Beltran and Nick Swisher each homered form both sides of the plate in a game with a record five different MLB teams;
• The Yankees’ Bernie Williams is the only player to homer from both sides of the plate in two post season games (ALDS in 1995 & 1996). Chipper Jones and Milton Bradley did it once each.

Primary Resources:  Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com

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P 1106

Note: MLB began officially tracking pitch counts as a stat in 1988. In this post, I will use statistics from 1988 forward (stathead.com does provide some pre-1988 numbers).  

Tuesday (April Fool’s Day, 2025), Rangers’ righty Nathan Eovaldi pitched a “Maddux” – a shutout of at least nine innings, while throwing fewer than 100 pitches. Eovaldi came in just under the wire, using 99 pitches (four hits, no walks, eight strikeouts) in a 1-0 win over the Reds in Cincinnati).  In the contest, Eovaldi faced 30 batters. In 11 of those instances, the plate appearance lasted two pitches or less (two one-pitch plate appearances.)  Only one batter saw a ball three and only eight saw a ball two.  It was just Eovaldi’s fifth complete game and third shutout in 277 starts over 14 MLB seasons (2011-16, 2018-25 … Dodgers, Marlins, Yankees, Rays, Red Sox, Rangers).  To date, he has a 92-81, 4.04 stat line.  Side note:  It may surprise you to learn that we saw five “Madduxes” in 2024: Max Fried (92 pitches); Joey Estes (92); Tanner Houck; (94); Braxton Garrett (95 pitches); Keider Montero (96).   Since 1988, there have been 327 Madduxes.

Longest Maddux Ever

Roy Halladay threw the only extra-inning Maddux, using 99 pitches in a Blue Jays’ ten-inning 1-0 win over the Tigers on September 6, 2003.  

Now, while Eovaldi’s gem prompted this post, I really want to take a look at the career of Zane Smith – and whether a case can be made for calling Eovaldi’s accomplishment a “Smitty.”   Greg Maddux is clearly the King of the “Madduxes” by volume.  Maddux threw 13 career shutouts that met the criteria. However, he did it over 23 seasons and 740 starts (one every 56.9 starts).   Next on the list is southpaw Zane Smith with seven Maddux-qualifying shutouts – and he did it over 13 seasons and 281 starts (one every 40.1 starts).

Maddux threw his first “Maddux” on April 29, 1990, Smith on September 5 of the same season.

When it comes to “Madduxes” thrown in a season (again looking at stats since 1988), Maddux and Smith are tied at the top of the list with three and Smith did it first (Smith-1991, Maddu -1998).

The fewest pitches Maddux ever thew in a shoutout of at least nine innings was 84 (July 2, 1997 versus the Yankees).  For Smith, it was 89 (May 29, 1991 versus the Cardinals.

Fewest Pitches in a Maddux

Jon Lieber of the Cubs threw the fewest pitches in a shutout of at least nine innings (since 1988) at 78 – in a 3-0 win over the Reds (May 24, 2001). Lieber tossed a one-hitter, with one walk and two strikeouts. Thanks to two double plays, he faced the minimum 27 batters – and retired seven on the first pitch of the plate appearance. As an aside, with one out in the ninth, Lieber had tossed just 65 pitches, but then gave up a six-pitch walk, before getting the final batter to ground into a double play on the seventh pitch of the at bat.

A few other tidbits:

• There were more Madduxes thrown in 1988 (25) than in any other season. By comparison, we’ve seen a total of 23 Madduxes since 2018.
• 13 of the 327 Madduxes tossed since 1988 have been no-hitters another 29 were one hitters.
• The fewest number of pitches thrown in a no-hitter  in the pitch-tracking era is 88 – by Yankee David Cone in a 6-0 win over the Expos on July 7, 2018. He fanned ten in that contest.
• The first officially tracked Maddux (before the term was coined) was thrown by Roger Clemens, who shut out the Brewers on 94 pitches in a 4-0 Red Sox win on April 24, 1988.
• Strikeouts use a lot of pitches. Still, the most strikeouts in a Maddux are 12: The Phillies’ Cliff Lee (April 14, 2011) and Indians’ Carlos Carrasco (September 17, 2014).  Note: Stathead does show a 12-strikeout Maddux by Sandy Koufax in 1964). 
• Jamie Moyer threw four Madduxes … with the first and last coming 18 seasons apart (1988 & 2006). He is the oldest pitcher to toss a Maddux (again pitch counts have been officially tracked since 1988) at 43-years-196 days of age.

Getting a Maddux the Hard Way

The most hits allowed in a Maddux are 11.  The Twins’ Carlos Silva gave up 11 hits and two walks in a 10-0, 99-pitch win over the Angels on August 3, 2004. His effort was aided by six double plays.  Silva also allowed the most baserunners in a Maddux (14 – 11 hits, two walks, one safe on an error).

Primary Resource:Stathead.com.

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P 1105

Once again, it’s time for Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday. I hope you are enjoying this weekly presentation of baseball occurrences that for some reason caught The Roundtable’s eye.  (I’m particularly fond of unexpected performances and statistical coincidences.) These won’t necessarily be momentous occurrences, just events, statistics or coincidences that grabbed my attention. I’m also drawn to baseball “unicorns,” those one-of-a-kind accomplishment or statistics. Today’s tidbit was prompted by Carson Kelly’s career day in the first MLB game ever at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

Once again, the usual pair of declaimers: Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am restricting myself to the Modern Era (post-1900) and not all Negro League game stats have been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record books. (In 2020, the Negro leagues from 1920-48 were designated major leagues.)

Yesterday (March 31), marked the first-ever MLB game at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park.  The fans didn’t have much to cheer for as the Cubs drubbed the A’s 18-3, but they did see a bit of history.  Chicago catcher Carson Kelly had a career day – or, perhaps, a career in a day.  A .224 career hitter (in his tenth MLB season) coming into the game (with just two triples in 558 games), Kelly went four-for-four, with two walks, five RBI and three runs scored.  Perhaps more important – in his eighth-inning, sixth and final plate appearance, he tripled to right field, completing the first cycle (single, double, triple, home run in the same game) of the 2025 season (and, of course, the first-ever MLB cycle at Sutter Health Park).

By Way of MLB Unicorns

While there have been 305 MLB cycles, Carson Kelly can claim first (and, of course, currently only) MLB cycle completed in the month of March.

His day went like this:

Second Inning – Walk (off Joey Estes);

Fourth Inning – Solo home run (Estes);

Fifth Inning – Two-run single (off Mitch Spence);

Sixth Inning – Double (off Noah Murdock) and bases-loaded walk (off Jose LeClerc);

Eighth Inning – Triple (off Mike Macfarlane).

A few other tidbits about Kelly’s cycle:

• It was the Cubs’ first cycle since 1993 (Mark Grace).
• He is one of just 16 catchers to hit for the cycle (Mickey Cochrane is the only catcher with two cycles – 1932 & 1933).
• Kelly is just the fourth MLB player to hit for the cycle out of the nine spot in the batting order; joining Charlie Moore, 1980 Brewers); Jeff Frye (2001 Blue Jays) and Chone Figgins (2006 Angels). Moore, like Kelly, was a catcher.
• Kelly is just the twelfth MLB player to have a 1.000 on-base percentage in a game in which they hit for the cycle and had at least six plate appearances (#InBaseballWeCountEverything).
• Kelly is just the third MLB player with two walks in a game in which they hit for the cycle (joining Joe Gordon, 1940 Yankees) and fellow catcher Mickey Cochrane (1933 Athletics).  Again, more #InBaseballWeCountEverything.

Now for the obligatory chart, here are the 305 MLB cycles, by frequency based on starting positions or spot in the batting order.

Final Tidbit, might make a good trivia tavern trivia question: Seven players have had multiple home runs (two each) while completing a cycle.  Who is the only player to do it twice?  Answer Joe DiMaggio (1937 & 1948).  Others to homer twice in a cycle are: George Brett (1979); Greg Colbrunn (2002); Gil Hodges (1949); Ralph Kiner (1950); Carl Yastrzemski (1965); and Ed Lennox (1914).

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P 1104

With Opening Day 2025 on the horizon, I find myself looking forward to the months ahead and  reflecting on why I love baseball.  With that in mind, I’ll dedicate this post to a review/update of the ten top (plus one) reasons I love the national pastime – and also include links (at the end of this post) to posts on the topic of “Why I Love Baseball” from  guest writers ranging from Grammy nominee Leonard Eckhaus to 2013 MLB Draft sixth-round pick John Michael Murphy to sportswriter and author Larry LaRue. Note: I consider the first slate or games the true Opening Day – not the overseas version. But that’s a topic for another post.

Let’s start with Baseball Roundtable’s reasons to love the national pastime.

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.

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.  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 (if trailing) gets at least 27 outs as it pursues 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 6-3 play, for example,  first baseman can’t catch the ball for the putout 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 pastime.

 4. The scorecard.

Can there be anything more satisfying than keeping an accurate scorecard at the ballpark?  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 scorecard enhances the game experience and offers a true post-game sense of accomplishment.

5.  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.

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

I 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.  There is  no sport more statistically annotated than baseball and the sheer volume of stats available offers unending angles and avenues of comparison. For example, you can compare the batting average of two players from different eras – and then you can go a step further and compare how each their averages compare to the “average” average of the era in which they played or … (I could go on and on). As best-selling author Pat Conroy once put it “Baseball fans love numbers.  They love to swirl them around in their mouths like Bordeaux wine.”  I agree, to the fan, statistics are intoxicating.  I personally like to swirl them around in my brains to find new ways to connect and compare “moments” from baseball past and present (failures, achievements and even coincidences.) Side note: Fans have found other ways to savor the hypnotic draw of statistics from statistic-based board/dice and computer games like Strat-O-Matic(R) to today’s many versions of fantasy baseball.

• 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’ 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 most 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.

7. 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 lineup 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 teammate 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.  Circumstances may determine which fielders are compelled to handle the ball at the games most critical junctures.   And, “team” is at play. 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 teamwork – 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.

8.  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. (Side note: The relatively new pitch clock rules have slightly dampened aspect of the national pastime, so I’ve dropped it from number-two a couple of years ago.  For me, the jury is still out and where this aspect of the game should be placed.) 

 9.  The box score. 

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. (Okay, you can find that information online now, but I do prefer my box scores accompanied by the smell of fresh coffee and newsprint.)

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.

11. Baseball is the most literary of all sports. Okay, I love to read and I love baseball – and that is as perfect a combination as 6-4-3.  There is no doubt (at least in my mind) that baseball is the most literary of all sports – from the fiction of Philip Roth (The Great American Novel) and Paul Quarrington (Home Game – you’ve got to read this one if you haven’t) to non-fiction like The Glory of Their Times (Lawrence Ritter) and The Baseball 100 (Joe Posnanski).  The fact is there are literally (pun intended) hundreds of baseball books I love (and would recommend to every fan) – and the hits just keep on growing.  Heck, my library even includes a book of baseball nicknames, another on baseball trades and a two-volume set of reprinted news articles from Joe DiMaggio’s career.   And, just think of the movies that have emerged from baseball literature:  The Natural, Bang the Drum Slowly, for the Love of the Game. (Note: For each set of these examples, I could have added “and many, many more.” The fact is, for this baseball fan, baseball literature is a “Field of Dreams.”

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 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 eleven.   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.

 

 

Bonus Reason to Love Baseball – Opening Day

In the words of Joe DiMaggio:

“You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you were a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

Now. here are links to guest posts on “Why I Love Baseball.”

• For a post from author, poet and Grammy nominee Leonard Eckhaus (that includes an original poem) click here.
• For a post from John Michael Murphy, Yankees’ sixth-round pick in the 2013 MLB draft, click here.
• For a post from Jason Love, author of “Slices of Americana – A Road Trip Through American Baseball History, click here.
• For a post from sportswriter and author Larry LaRue, click here.
• For a post from college football coach Alex Smith, click here.
• For a post from baseball blogger Bill Ivie (I70baseball.com), click here.
• For a post from dedicated autograph seeker Scott Perry, click here.
• For a post from lifelong baseball fan Tom Cuggino, click here.

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

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