David, Author at Baseball Roundtable

The Blue Jays’ 28-5 Win Over the Red Sox … and the Messiest Scorecard(s) Ever

July 23, 2022 by David

Yesterday (July 22, 2022), the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Boston Red Sox 28-5 before a near-capacity crowd at Fenway. Notably, Toronto had plated 25 runs (and held a 25-3 lead) through five innings. At that point, I texted my adult daughter to tell her to check in on the game. Her first reply to me was “Insane. That scorecard must be messy.” Side note: My daughter has been keeping score at games since she was eight.

Well, as always, at Baseball Roundtable, one thing lead to another and I will dedicate the bulk of this post to the game I believe resulted in the messiest scorecard(s) ever. But first a few observations on yesterday’s Blue Jays/Red Sox tilt.

The Blue Jays scored 11 runs in the fifth inning … after the first two batters were retired. (Eight singles, two doubles, two walks after two outs).
Five of the ten hits in the fifth inning came with 0-2 or 1-2 counts on the batter.
Twelve of the Blue Jays’ 29 hits came with two strikes on the batter, nine with 1-2 or 0-2 counts.
Nineteen of the Blue Jays’ 28 runs scored with two outs.
The Blue Jays batted around twice (batting around is ten hitters for me, but that’s a debate for another day) – forcing those keeping score to go to the next column on the scorecard.
The game feature an inside-the-park grand slam. (CF Raimel Tapia).
The Jays “book-ended” their RBIs, the number-one and number-nine hitters (CF Raimel Tapia and C Danny Jansen) had six RBI each and hit three of the five Blue Jays’ home runs. Coming into the contest, Tapia and Jansen had a combined 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 98 combined games.
All nine members of the Toronto starting lineup collected multiple hits and scored multiple runs.
LF Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. had six hits, five RBI and three runs scored – collecting hits off five different Red Sox’ pitchers.
The Blue Jays were 15-for-26 (.577) with runners in scoring position.
The 28 runs were a Toronto franchise record, as were their 29 hits.

Now to that game I believe would have produced the messiest scorecards – at least t, post-1900/ It took place on August 25, 1922 – with the Cubs topping the Phillies 26-23 at Wrigley Field. Why a messy scorecard?

The teams combined for modern-era records of 49 runs and 51 base hits.
There were also 21 walks (10 by Phillies’ pitchers/11 by Cubs’ moundsmen).
There were nine errors (four by the Phillies/five by the Cubs, accounting for 21 unearned runs.
Each team batting around twice (ten or more batters), forcing scorekeepers to move into the next scorecard column each time.
Thirty-three players appeared in the game. (The Cubs used two SS, two 2B, two C, five pitchers and two pinch hitters; the Philllies used two CF, two SS, two 1B, two C, two pitcher and one pinch-hitter.

You can see how all this would lead to a truly messy scorecard.

A few quirky tidbits.

First, how the game has changed:

The Phillies tallied their 23 runs without the benefit of a single home run – the Cubs had three long balls.
The Phillies used just two pitchers.
The two teams sent 125 batters to the plate – and only nine struck out.
The game took only three hours and one minute.

A few additional observations:

The Cubs jumped out to a 25-6 lead after just four innings, but had to hold on for the 26-23 win.
The teams scored 49 runs, but still managed to leave 25 runners on base.
The Phillies went 15-for-31 with runners in scoring position; the Cubs 14-for-24 … for a combined average with RISP of .527.
The teams scored a combined 23 two-out runs (12 Cubs, 11 Phillies).
Two Cubs – SS Charlie Hollocher and LF Hack Miller each drove in six tallies; no Phillie drove in more than three.
Nine Cubs scored multiple runs; no Cub scored just one.
Cub Turner Barber appeared as a pinch-hitter in the fourth inning and scored twice (without ever taking the field). He walked with one out in the inning, came up again (as the team batted around) and was safe on an error – scoring twice.
The Cubs’ CF Cliff Heathcote came into thegame hitting .256 and went five-for-five.

Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Baseball Roundtable’s Ten Most Memorable MLB All Star Game Performances …. and more

July 18, 2022 by David

As we enter the 2022 MLB All Star break, it seem appropriate to revisit past All Star Performances that Baseball Roundtable finds particularly memorable. Note: These figures do not include the Negro Leagues East-West Games, as that date is not yet fully compiled.

Number One … Bill Freehan Behind the Plate for 15 Innings – 1967

In 1967, when the National League topped the junior circuit 2-1 in 15 innings (at the time, the longest All Star Game ever, later matched by the 2008 All Star contest), Bill Freehan was behind the plate for the AL for all 15 innings – handling five different pitchers. and crouching behind 19 different batters (52 plate appearances). By contrast, the National League used three different backstops. That, for Baseball Roundtable, was a most impressive/memorable feat of stamina. It was also a pretty bold move for AL manager Hank Bauer (Orioles), keeping the Detroit Tiger catcher in the crouch for 15 innings. Got to wonder how Tigers” Skipper Mayo Smith felt about that.

For those who like to know such things, Freehan was indeed a workhorse that season – appearing in 155` of the Tigers’ 163 games – and spending time behind the plate in in 147.

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Ten Players Played All 15 Innings in the 1967 MLB All Star Game

American League

Bill Freehan, Tigers, C

Brooks Robinson, Orioles, 3B

Tony Oliva, Twins, Twins, CF

Harmon Killebrew, Twins, 1B

Tony Conigliaro, Red Sox, RF

Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox, LF

National League

Roberto Clemente, Pirates, RF

Hank Aaron, Braves, started in CF and finished in LF

Orlando Cepeda, Giants, 1B

Gene Alley, Pirates, SS

Number Two … The Splendid Splinter Shreds (splinters?) the All Star Record Books – 1946

Photo by wild mercury

Ted Williams went the distance in the 1946 All Star game – played in front of the home-town fans at Fenway and – thanks to that full-game experience – wrote his way into the ASG records books. Williams came into the game hitting .347, with 23 home runs, 82 runs scored and 71 RBI in 79 regular-season games. Compared to the day he was about to have that would look like a slump. Here’s how Williams’ day went.

In the first inning, batting third and facing the Cubs’ Claude Passeau, Williams drew a walk and then scored on a home run by Yankees’ RF Charlie Keller.

In the bottom of the fourth, leading off against new NL hurler Kirby Higbe of the Dodgers, Williams homered to give the AL a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, with Higbe still in the game, Teddy Ballgame came up again – this time with one out the Senators’ CF Stan Spence on third and the Browns’ SS Vern Stephens on second. This time, Williams delivered a run-scoring single.

In the bottom of the seventh, facing the Reds’ Ewell Blackwell with none on and two out, Williams singled again.

Finally, in the bottom of the eighth – facing the Pirates’ Rip Sewell and his Ephus pitch – with Stephens and Browns’ P Jack Kramer on base, William capped off his day with a three-run homer.

The AL squad prevailed by a 12-0 score – and Williams’ final tally was: four-for-four, plus a walk, two home runs, four runs scored and five runs driven in. In the process, Williams set or tied the following All Star Game single-game records:

Runs Scored (four – Williams still stands alone);
Total bases (ten – Williams stands alone);
Runs Batted in (five – later, 1954, tied by the Indians’ Al Rosen);
Base Hits (four – tying the Cardinals’ Ducky Medwick, 1937, and later matched by the Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski, 1970);
Home Runs (two – tying Pirates’ Arky Vaughn, who did it in 1942; later tied by the Indians’ Al Rosen in 1954; Giants’ Willie McCovey in 1969; and Expos’ Gary Carter in 1981).

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Number Three… Carl Hubbell Fans Six Future Hall of Famers … 1934

The record for strikeouts by a pitcher in an All Star Game is six – Carl Hubbell (1934); Johnny Vander Meer (1943); Larry Jansen (1950); Fergie Jenkins (1967). Given today’s hard-throwing/free swinging brand of baseball, we may very well see that six-whiff record equaled or surpassed. But I doubt if anyone will match Hubbell ‘s 1934 feat of fanning six future Hall of Famers in the same All Star Game. King Carl, on his way to a 21-win season (the second of five straight 20+ win campaigns), came into the game with a 12-5, 2.76 ERA regular-season stat line. Hubbell had struck out 58 hitters in 156 1/3 innings pitched to that point (it was, indeed, a difference game back then), but he was about to make the strikeout a much bigger part of his game.

The game was played on July 10, 1934 at New York’s Polo Grounds – with screwball-specialist Hubbell starting for the NL and Yankee Lefty Gomez starting for the AL. Facing an AL line up stacked with some of the game’s greatest hitters, Hubbell got off to a rocky start, giving up a lead-off single to Detroit 2B Charlie Gehringer, followed by a walk to Senators’ LF Heinie Manusch. Then the fun began, as Hubbell set down five straight future Hall of Famers – all on strikeouts – Yankees’ RF Babe Ruth, Yankees’ 1B Lou Gehrig, and Athletics’ 3B Jimmie Foxx to close out the first. Hubbell then fanned White Sox’ CF Al Simmons and Senators’ SS Joe Cronin to open the second – giving him five straight strikeouts, all future HOFers. Hubbell then gave up a single to Yankees’ C Bill Dickey, before whiffing Yankees’ P Lefty Gomez (also a future Hall of Famer, although as a pitcher not a hitter) to end the inning. After an uneventful third inning – two fly outs, a ground out and walk – Hubbell left the game credited with three scoreless innings, two hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

Oh yes, the AL won the game 9-7, and Hubbell’s feat was amplified by how those HOF whiff victims fared over the rest of the game. Against pitchers not named Hubbell, they went seven-for-sixteen, with four doubles, five runs scored and three RBI.

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Number Four … Larry Jansen in relief – 1950

Larry Jansen – 1951 Bowman

Giants’ right-hander Larry Jansen came into the 1950 All Star Game with a 9-5, 2.98 record. He came on in the seventh inning, with his NL squad trailing 3-2, He turned in a truly memorable performance. It went like this:

Seventh Inning

Tigers’ P Art Houtteman – Strikeout

Yankees’ SS Phil Rizzuto – Pop Out (C)

Indians’ CF Larry Doby – Strikeout

Eighth Inning

Tigers’ 3B George Kell – Strikeout

Red Sox ‘ LF Ted Williams – Strikeout

Athletics’ 1B Ferris Fain – Fly Out (SS)

Ninth Inning

Yankees’ RF Joe DiMaggio – Fly Out (CF)

Indians’ C Jim Hegan – Strikeout

Yankees’ 2B Jerry Coleman – Strikeout

Tenth Inning

Yankees’ P Allie Reynolds – Ground out (3B-1B)

Rizzuto – Fly Out (SS)

Doby – Single (CF)

Kell – Ground out (SS-2B)

Eleventh Inning

Red Sox’ LF Dom DiMaggio – Ground out (SS-1B)

Fain – Ground out (1B-P)

J. DiMaggio – Foul pop out (C)

There it was:

Five innings of relief (second-most innings ever pitched in an All Star Game);
Six strikeouts (tied for the most in an All Star Game);
No runs, just one hit and only two balls it out of the infield.

When Jansen left the game, the score was tied at three apiece, with the NL eventually winning 4-3 in 14 frames. Jansen,by the way, pitched in nine MLB seasons, going 122-89, 3.58. He was a two-time All Star (1950-151) and led the NL in wins with 23 (23-11, 3.04) in 1951. He won 21 games (five losses, 3.16 ERA) as a 26-year-old rookie in 1947 – finishing second to Jackie Robinson in the Rookie of the Year Voting.

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Ouch!

The 1950 All Star Game was made even more memorable by the fact that Ted William made a leaping, off-the-wall catch on a line drive by Ralph Kiner in the first inning. Williams played through the pain (nine innings) and even drove in a run with a fifth-inning single off Don Newcombe. The pain persisted and, it turns out, William had fractured his elbow making that first-inning catch and didn’t play again until early September.

Number Five … Lefty Gomez’ Quality Start – 1935

MLB defines a quality start as one of six innings or more with three or fewer earned runs given up. Now, you can argue (correctly, I believe) that 4.50 ERA may not constitute a quality start. Given today’s All Star Game expectation of one, two or at the very most three-inning pitching appearances, you can confidently say we will not see another quality start in the All Star Game. Historically, there has only been one. The Yankees’ Lefty Gomez (a future Hall of Famer) tossed an All Star Game-record six innings in 1935 – giving up just three hits and one run. Also falling into the “We’ll never see that again” category – the American League used just two pitchers in their 4-1 win, Gomez and the Indians’ Mel Harder.

Gomez came into the game 8-8, 2.83 on the season, with ten complete games in 15 starts.

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Baseball Roundtable ASG EXTRA … A Pitcher starting two All Star Games in a Single Season

From 1959-1962, MLB featured two All Star Games each season. In 1959, Don Drysdale became the only pitcher to start two MLB All Star Games in a season. On July 7, he started at Forbes Field and held the AL hitless – with four strikeouts – for three innings. (The NL won 5-4). On August 3, he started at the Los Angeles Coliseum and again went three innings, this time giving up three runs on four hits and three walks (fanning five).

Number Six … Gary Carter’s Two-Homer Game – 1981

There have been only five multi-homer games (by a single player) in ASG history (all two-homer contests) and only Hall of Famer Expos’ C Gary Carter managed to hit two long balls in just three plate appearances (all the others took four or five) – and the dingers were key to the National Leagues’ 5-4 win (in Cleveland).

Carter started for the NL and popped out to first base in his first plate appearance (the top of the second in a scoreless game). Carter next led off the top of the fifth with his NL squad trailing 1-0 – and tied the game with a solo shot to left off the first pitch he saw from the Angels’ Ken Forsch (who had just come into the game). Carter again found himself leading off in the seventh, against new pitcher Ron Davis of the Yankees (with the NL now trailing 4-2). Carter again wasted no time, hitting Davis’ first offering over the CF wall to cut the deficit to one. His performance earned him ASG MVP honors. Carter came into the game with a .245-7-30 line on the season.

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Players with Two Home Runs in an MLB All Star Game

Arky Vaughn, Pirates …. 1941 (four plate appearances)

Ted Williams, Red Sox …..1946 (five PA)

Al Rosen, Indians ….. 1954 (5 PA)

Willie McCovey, Giants ….. 1969 (4 PA)

Gary Carter, Expos …… 1981 (3 PA)

Number Seven … Al Rosen’s Two Home Runs and Five RBI – 1954

In 1954, The Indians’ Al Rosen started at 1B for the AL All Star squad; coming into the game with a .313-14-59 record on the season (71 games played). The AL prevailed 11-9, but it’s unlikely they would have won without Rosen’s bat. In the game, Rosen:

Had three hits (fourth-most in an All Star Game, tied with many);
Hit two home runs (tied for the most in an All Star Game);
Drove in five runs (tied for the most inn an All Star Game);
Collected nine total bases (tied for second-most in an All Star Game).

Here’s how his day went:

Strikeout to end the first inning (versus the Phillies’ Robin Roberts);
Three-run homer in the third inning (off Roberts) to break a 0-0 tie;
Two-run homer in the fifth (off the Giants’ Johnny Antonelli) to tie the game at 7-7;
Single (off the Braves’ Warren Spahn) in the sixth;
Walk (off the Braves’ Gene Conley in the eighth).

Rosen was a four-time All Star in his 10-season MLB career (1947-56, all Indians), going .285-192-717. From 1950 through 1953, he averaged .298, with 33 home runs and 117 RBI per season.

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Number Eight … Ichiro Suzuki’s Home “RUN” – 2007

The Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki started the 2007 All Star Game (in San Francisco) leading off (and playing CF) for the AL squad. He had a three-for-three day, won the game’s MVP Award and made a bit of history.

Suzuki singled (off the Padres’ Jake Peavy) to open the game and added a second single (off Ben Sheets of the Brewers) with two outs in the third. The plate appearance that got him on this list came in the fifth inning. Ichiro came up with one out, a runner on first and the AL trailing 1-0. Suzuki stroked the first pitch he saw from the Padres’ Chris Young off the centerfield wall, it took a crazy carom and, before the ball back into the infield, Suzuki had circled the bases, coasting into home plate with a 15-second, two-RUN home RUN – still the only inside-the-parker in All Star Game history. Note: In his MLB career, Suzuki hit 117 regular season home runs and one post-season homer – none of which were inside-the-parkers.

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Number Nine … Johnny Vander Meer’s Six Whiffs – 1943

The Cardinals’ Mort Cooper started the 1943 All Star for the National League squad, but the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer made the most memorable impression. He came on in relief of Cooper in the bottom of the third, with the AL up 4-1, a runner on third and one out. Vander Meer ended the threat by fanning Tigers’ 1B Rudy York and Browns’ CF Chet Laabs. Vander Meer then whiffed Senators’ C Jake Early to open the fourth before giving up a single to Red Sox’ 2B Bobby Doerr and then coming off the mound to field a bunt by Tigers’ pitcher Hall Newhouser and turning it into a pitcher-shortstop-second base (covering first) double play. Although Vander Meer gave up an unearned run in the fifth (on a single, a walk and an error), he also fanned three batters in the inning: Indians’ 3B Ken Keltner, Tigers’ LF Dick Wakefield and York for a second time. In the process, Vander Meer tied the All Star Game record for strikeouts in a game (six). To date, four pitchers have fanned six batters in an All Star Game and Vander Meer is the only one to do it in less than three innings pitched (2 2/3).

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Roundtable ASG Extra … One Team Using Only Eleven Players

When the American League won the 1942 All Star Game, they used an ASG record-low 11 players. All eight position players went the distance and the team used one pinch hitter and one relief pitcher.

Here’s the lineup:

Lou Boudreau SS

Tommy Henrich RF

Ted Williams LF

Joe DiMaggio CF

Rudy York 1B

Joe Gordon 2B

Ken Keltner 3B

Birdie Tebbetts C

Spud Chandler P

Bob Johnson PH

Al Benton P

By comparison, ion 2021, the NL used 30 players in the All Star Game, while the AL used 29.

Number Ten … A Tie Among Performances that were more Unforgettable than Memorable

10 – Future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine Giving Up Seven Straight Hits -1992

Hall of Famer Tom Glavine started the 1992 All Star Game (he came in with a 13-3, 2.57 record). After retiring American League leadoff hitter Blue Jays’ 2B Robert Alomar on a grounder to second, he surrendered seven consecutive hits – all singles, by the way – to Red Sox ‘ 3B Wade Boggs, Twins’ LF Kirby Puckett, Blue Jays’ RF Joe Carter, A’s 1B Mark McGwire, Orioles’ SS Cal Ripken Jr., Mariners’ CF Ken Griffey Jr. and Indians’ C Sandy Alomar – with the AL plating four runs.

In the process, Glavine set the (still) All Star Game record for hits allowed in an inning – seven. Surprisingly, he finished the frame and came out for the second inning – giving up two more hits and another run before being pulled. He set another record – most hits allowed in an All Star Game appearance at nine. I suppose it could happen, but I seriously doubt in manager would leave pitcher in for this kind of treatment any longer.

Roundtable ASG Extra

Atlee Hammaker, holds the record for the most runs surrendered in an All-star Appearance. In the 1983 All Star contest, he gave up seven earned runs on six nits and a walk in just 2/3 of an inning. The big hit was a Fred Lynn Grand Slam – still the only bases-loaded blast in an All Star Game. 1983 was Hammaker only All Star selection in a 12-season MLB career.

10 – Roberto Clemente’s Four Strikeouts in an All Star Game – 1967

In the 1967 All Star Game, future Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente fanned in four consecutive at bats against four different pitchers: the Twins’ Dean Chance (third inning); White Sox’ Gary Peters (sixth); Yankees’ Al Downing (ninth); A’s Catfish Hunter (eleventh). He also had a single in the first (Chance) and a ground out in the fourteenth (Hunter). The four whiffs is an All Star Game single-game record for batters.

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—–A FEW CAREER ALL STAR GAME TIDBITS——

Youngest and Oldest MLB All Stars

The youngest and oldest All Stars ever were both pitchers: Dwight Gooden (19 years-seven month-24 Days) and Satchel Paige (47 years-seven days).

First and still only All Star Game Steal of Home … 1934 AS game, fifth inning, two out, two on, NL trailing 8-6, NL 3B Pie Traynor (Pirates) notched the first (and still only) AS Game steal of home. (AL won game 9-7.)

First and still only All Star Game Grand Slam … 1983 All Star Game, third inning, bases loaded, two outs, AL leading 5-1, AL CF Fred Lynn hit the first – and still only – AS Game Grand Slam. (AL wins 13-3)

First and still only two-triple All Star Game … 1978 ASG, Rod Carew, Twins, tripled leading off the first and third innings, both off the Giants’ Vida Blue.

–—ALL STAR GAME TARGETS—–

Most Hits in an All Star Game … Four – Joe Medwick (1937); Ted Williams (1946); Carl Yastrzemski (1970)

Most Doubles in an ASG … Two – Nine players (Most recently, the Brewers’ Jonathan LeCroy in 2014. (No surprise, LeCroy had a league-leading 53 doubles that season.)

Most Triples in an ASG … Two – Rod Carew (1978)

Most Home Runs in an ASG … Two – Arky Vaughn (1941); Ted Williams (1946); Al Rosen (1954); Willie McCovey (1969); Gary Carter (1981)

Most RBI in an ASG … Five – Ted Williams (1946); Al Rosen (1954)

Most Walks in an ASG … Three – Charlie Gehringer (1934); Phil Cavarretta (1944)

Most Stolen Bases in an ASG … Two – Willie Mays (1963); Kelly Gruber (1990); Roberto Alomar (1992); Kenny Lofton (1996); Starlin Castro (2011)

Most Innings Pitched in an ASG … Six – Lefty Gomez (1935)

Most Strikeouts in an ASG … Six – Carl Hubbell (1934); Johnny Vander Meer (1943); Larry Jansen (1950: Fergie Jenkins (1967)

Most Consecutive Strikeouts in an ASG … Five – Carl Hubbell (1934); Fernando Valenzuela (1986)

–—CAREER ALL STAR GAME RECORDS—–

AS Game Hits … Willie Mays – 23

AS Game Doubles … Dave Winfield – 7

Gary Sheffield and Moises Alou were selected All Stars while with the most teams at five. Sheffield – Padres, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves and Yankees; Alou – Expos, Marlins, Astros, Cubs and Giants.

AS Game Triples …Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson – 3

AS Game Home Runs … Stan Musial – 6

Stan Musial hit .317 in 24 All Star games with two doubles, six home runs,10 RBI, and 11 runs scored.

AS Game RBI… Ted Williams – 12

AS Game Walks …Ted Williams – 11

Ted Williams hit .304 in 19 All Star Games, with two doubles, one triple, four home runs, 12 RBI and a.439 on-base percentage.

AS Game Stolen Bases … Willie Mays – 6

Willie Mays stole six ASG bases in seven attempts. The most ASG steals without being caught belong to Roberto Alomar and Kenny Lofton at five each.

The Most Positions Played (career) in All Star Games … Pete Rose – 5 (1B, 2B, 3B, LF RF)

AS Game Runs Scored …Willie Mays – 20

PHOTO: New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer, William C. Greene, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Willie Mays hit .307 in 24 All Star games, with two doubles, three triples, three home runs, nine RBI, 20 runs scored and six stolen bases.

AS Game Pitcher Wins … Lefty Gomez – 3

AS Game Total Pitching Appearances … Roger Clemens – 10

AS Games Started (pitcher) … Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts, Don Drysdale – 5

Lefty Gomez went 3-1, 2.50 in five All Star Game starts (18 innings pitched).

AS Game Saves ... Mariano Rivera – 4

AS Games Innings Pitched … Don Drysdale – 19 1/3

AS Game Strikeouts … Don Drysdale – 19

Don Drysdale went 2-1, 1.40 in All Star games, fanning 19 batters in 19 1/3 innings (10 hits, four walks).

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All Star Game Scoring Bookends

The highest scoring All Star Game ever took place in 1998 at (Where Else?) Coors Field – as the teams combined for 21 runs in a 13-8 American League win. Side note: Thirteen is the highest run total ever up by an All Star squad, accomplished by The AL in 1983, 1992 and 1998.

The lowest scoring game (combined) took place in (When else?) in 1968 (The Year of the Pitcher) – as the NL topped the AL 1-0. with the only run scoring on a double play (no RBI in the contest).

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Finally, to wrap up, here’s a dozen AS Game firsts from 1933.

First Venue: Comiskey Park 1 (July 6, 1933).

First AS Game Attendance: 47,595

Final Score of First AS Game: AL 4 – NL -2

First Batter/Pitcher Match Up: NL 3B Pepper Martin (Cardinals) versus Lefty Gomez (Yankees). Gomez retired Martin on a grounder to shortstop.

First Starting Pitchers: AL, Lefty Gomez (Yankees) – NL, Bill Hallahan (Cardinals). Gomez got the first All Star win, Hallahan the first loss.

First Hit: Cardinals’ Chick Hafey (leading off second inning – off the Yankees’ Lefty Gomez). Hafey was starting in LF and batting fourth for the NL.

First Run Scored: AL starting 3B Jimmy Dykes (White Sox).

First RBI: AL starting pitcher Lefty Gomez (Yankees) – drove home Jimmy Dykes (White Sox), who had walked, with a single to center field. Take that, DH Rule.

First Double: Pie Traynor (Pirates), NL pinch hitter – top of seventh off Lefty Grove (Yankees).

First Triple: NL pitcher Lon Warneke (Cubs) – top of the sixth inning off Alvin Crowder (Senators). Take that again, DH Rule.

First Home Run: AL RF Babe Ruth (Yankees), two-run home run, bottom of the third, off Bill Hallahan (Cardinals). So, your first All Star Game double, triple and homer were hit by pitchers or former pitchers.

First Stolen Base: Bottom of first, AL 2B Charlie Gehringer (Tigers).

First Strikeout: Final out, top of second. Pitcher – Lefty Gomez (Yankees). Hitter – NL SS Dick Bartell (Phillies).

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

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

No-Whiff No-Hitters and a Bit More

July 16, 2022 by David

As regular readers have often seen here, when Baseball Roundtable looks into a topic, “one thing often leaders to another.” Surprise! It happened again.

Photo: American Tobacco Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This post started out as a brief look at the three MLB pitchers who have thrown a no-hitter without striking out a single batter. The first of those was thrown by Earl Hamilton – a 20-year-old, 5’8”, 160-pound southpaw with an unorthodox delivery and a particularly effective curveball. More on that game in a few paragraphs, but first a look at a game that drew my interest as I looked into Hamilton’s career. (That’s the “another” in this post.) Of note, this game took place on this date (July 16) in 1920.

That day, Hamilton (in his tenth MLB season), started a game for the Pirates (versus the Giants) in Pittsburgh. Hamilton came into the game with a 3-4, 3.41 record, while his mound opponent (Rube Benton) was 3-10, 4.14.

After 16 innings, the contest was knotted at 0-0; and both starting pitchers were still in the game. Hamilton had given up eight hits and three walks in his 16 innings of work. Benton had surrendered seven hits and two walks.

Then came the top of the seventeenth when, as the old saying goes, “the wheels came off.” Hamilton, after sixteen shutouts innings, gave up hits to the first five batters in the 17^th (and to seven of the first eight) – surrendering seven runs in one-third of an inning.

Hamilton’s 17^th inning went like this: 2B Larry Doyle, single; C Frank Snyder, single; P Rube Benton, RBI single; LF George Burns, RBI single; RF Vern Spencer, groundball, runner forced at home; 3B Frankie Frisch, three-run triple; 1B Highpockets Kelly, RBI triple. Hamilton was then relieved by Walter Cooper, who gave up a run-scoring triple to CF Lee King before getting the final two outs. Note: Hamilton came into the game with a 3.41 earned run average on the year, lowered it to 2.91 over the first 16 innings and then saw it go back to 3.48 after the one-third inning he pitched in the seventeenth.

Now, back to or regularly scheduled programming – Hamilton’s no-strikeout, no-hitter. That came on August 30, 1912 in Hamilton’s second MLB season (for the St. Louis Browns). He went nine innings (against the Tigers) and gave up just two walks (with, of course, no whiffs). The Browns won 5-1, with the Tigers’ only tally scored by Ty Cobb (who had walked) with the aid of a Browns’ error and some daring base running by Cobb.

Earl Hamilton’s August 30, 1912, no-hitter was not only the first no-hitter in which the no-hit pitcher did not record a strikeout, it was also the first no-hitter eve for the St, Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles franchise.

Hamilton pitched in 14 MLB seasons (1911-24 … Browns, Tigers, Pirates, Phillies). He went 115-147, 3,16 and had just two winning seasons (1913 and 1922).

The next zero-strikeout no-hitter was thrown by “Sad” Sam Jones (Yankees) on September 4, 1923 – against the Athletics in Philadelphia. Jones gave up just one walk in the outing, which was won by the Yankees 2-0. He allowed only two base runners (one reached on an error), as he recorded his 17^th win of the season. He would go 21-8, 2.63 that season (and would fan just 2.5 batters per nine innings).

Jones pitched in 22 MLB seasons (1914-35 … Indians, Red Sox, Yankees, Browns, Senators, White Sox) – putting up a 229-217, 3.84 record. He twice won 20+ games in a campaign and once led the AL im shutouts (5 in 1921).

Cubs’ southpaw Ken Holtzman pitched a no-whiff no-hitter on August 19, 1969 (against the Braves at Wrigley Field). Facing a tough lineup that included the likes of Hank Aaron, Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda and Rico Carty, Holtzman surrendered just three walks over the nine frames (LF Carty, C Bob Didier, SS Gil Garrido), without a single runner reaching second base. The Cubs’ only scoring came on a on a three-run, first-inning home run by 3B Ron Santo.

Ken Holtzman’s no-strikeout no-hitter on August 19, 1960 was the only game that season in which Holtzman did not record a strikeout. In his very next start (after the no-no), Holtzman fanned ten batters in a 11-5 win over Houston.

Holtzman’s no-hitter marked his 14^th win in a season in which he would go 17-13, 3.58. Holtzman pitched in 15 MLB seasons (1965-79 … Cubs, A’s, Orioles, Yankees). He went 174-150, 3.49, He was a 20-game winner in 1973 (21-13, 2.97 for the A’s) and six time won 17 or more games in a season.

Ken Holtzman threw a second no-hitter on June 3, 1971 (for the Cubs against the Reds in Cincinnati). That one was a 1-0 win in which he walked four and fanned six.

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

Coming Soon: Revisiting Baseball Roundtable’s Favorite All Star Game performances.

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Baseball Roundtable Looks at Pitchers with 1,000+ MLB Appearances

July 11, 2022 by David

Playing in 1,000 MLB games is a major accomplishment. Pitching in 1,000 MLB games is not only a major accomplishment, but a rare one as well. In fact, only 16 pitchers in MLB history have made 1,000 or more MLB appearances. Baseball Roundtable would like to use this post to look at the careers of those 16 mound veterans. Here’s just a few facts you can pick up along the way. Among the 1,000+ game hurlers:

Jesse Orosco and Dennis Eckersley pitched in the most MLB seasons (24); while Kent Tekulve labored in the fewest (16);
LaTroy Hawkins pitched for the most MLB teams (11); Mariano Rivera for just one;
Mariano Rivera had the lowest career earned run average (2.21); Jose Mesa the highest (4.36);
Trevor Hoffman had the highest strikeout ratio (9.4 per nine innings); Kent Tekulve the lowest (4.9);
Dennis Eckersley had the most wins (197); complete games (100); starts (361); and the fifth-most saves (390);
H0yt Wilhelm got the latest start on his journey to 1,000+ games pitched, making his MLB debut less than 100 days shy of his thirtieth birthday (of course, he did pitch until he was just 15 days shy of his fiftieth birthday);
Four of the 16 1,000+ game pitchers did not start a single MLB game (John Franco, Mike Timlin, Kent Tekulve; Trevor Hoffman).

And, you’ll find out some less stats-oriented facts, like:

Hoyt Wilhelm earned a Purple Heart and Two Bronze stars at the Battle of the Bulge;
Trevor Hoffman started his professional career as a shortstop;
Dennis Eckersley was an All Star as a starter and a closer;
Hoyt Wilhelm qualified for and won an ERA title as a starter and a reliever;
After 1991 surgery for blood clots in his arm, doctors gave Roberto Hernandez no better than a 50-50 chance to return to the mound. He not only pitched in the major leagues that season, but for the each of the next 16.

Read on, for fall this and more. First a chart and then brief bios of the principals.

Jesse Orosco, LHP … 1,252 MLB Mound Appearances … Nine MLB Teams

Photo: Barry Colla Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Jesse Orosco spent 24 seasons in an MLB uniform … tied for the most among 1,000+ appearance pitchers and for 11^th all-time, all positions.

California-born, Orosco was selected (out of Santa Barbara City College) by the Twins in the second round of the 1978 MLB Draft. In 1978, in rookie ball, the 22-year-old established his credentials as a relief specialist – posting a 1.12 ERA in 20 relief outings. Before the 1979 season, he was included in a trade (to the Mets) that brought Jerry Koosman to Minnesota. Orosco split 1979 between the Mets and their Triple-A Tidewater Tides (where he went 4-4, 3.89 in 16 appearances/15 starts). While he spent part of 1981 with the Mets (0-1, 1.56, one save in eight relief appearances), he wasn’t a full-time major leaguer until 1982 (at age 25). He went on to pitch at the MLB level until age 46 (2003) – taking the mound for the Mets, Orioles, Dodgers, Indians, Brewers, Twins, Cardinals, Padres and Yankees.

In his 24 MLB seasons, Orosco made 1,248 appearances out of the bullpen and four starts. He finished with an 87-80 record, a 3.16 earned run average and 144 saves (averaging 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings). The two-time All Star’s best season was 1983 (Mets), when he went 13-7. 1.47 with 17 saves (in 62 appearances and finished third in the NL Cy Young Award balloting. He followed up in 1985 with a 10-6, 2.59 record and a career-high 31 saves. In the 17 seasons from 1982-99, Orosco averaged 62.6 appearances a year.

Tea for Two

On July 3, 1983, Jesse Orosco earned the win in both games of a Mets’ doubleheader against the Pirates. In the first game, he pitched four scoreless frames as the Mets topped the Pirates 7-6 in 12 innings. He came back to pitch the final frame of the second game, as the Mets won 1-0, again in 12 frames.

Orosco pitched in 24 post-season games, going 3-1, 4.15 with two saves. In the 1986 National League Championship Series – won by the Mets (over the Astros) – Orosco appeared in four games and picked up three wins. In Game Three, he came on in the eighth with the Mets down 5-1 and pitched two scoreless innings as the Mets came back to score two in the bottom of the ninth to win it. In Game Five, Orosco came on in the eleventh inning of 1-1 tie, again pitching two scoreless frames, with the Mets scoring in the bottom of the twelfth to win the contest. In the clinching Game Six – won by the Mets 7-6 in 16 innings – Orosco pitched three innings. He came on in the bottom of the fourteenth with the Mets up 4-3, but gave up a home run to Billy Hatcher to blow the save. He gave up two more tallies in the bottom of the sixteenth, but the Mets had scored three in the top of the inning to give the Mets the win.

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Mike Stanton, LHP … 1,178 MLB Mound Appearances … Eight Teams

Mike Stanton was a 13^th round pick in the 1987 MLB Draft (by the Braves), out of Alvin Junior College. He made his MLB debut on August 24, 1989 (22-years-old) – pitching a scoreless ninth inning as the Braves lost to the Cardinals 4-1 in Atlanta. Stanton pitched in the majors (until age 40) from 1989-2007, toiling for the Braves, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Nationals, Giants, Rangers and Reds over those 19 seasons. His final stat line was 68-63, 3.92 (7.2 strikeouts per nine innings) – and his 84 saves are the fewest, by far, of any pitcher on the 1000+ appearance list. (Twenty-seven of Stanton’s 84 saves came for the 1993 Braves). His best season was 1997, when he went 3-1, 2.57 with three saves in 50 appearances for the Yankees. He was a one-time All Star (2002 Yankees – 9-4, 2.58 in 76 appearances).

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

Mike Stanton made one start in his MLB career. On May 9, 1999, he made a spot start for the Yankees (against the Mariners). He pitched four scoreless innings (two hits, one walk and three whiffs) and left with a 4-0 lead (but did not qualify for the win).

Stanton pitched in 80 or more games three times in his career (1996, 2004 and 2006), the last time in his age-39 season. While he never led the league in appearances, he was in the top-five six times.

Mike Stanton made 53 post-season MLB pitching appearances, going 5-2, 2.10 with one save.

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John Franco, LHP … 1,119 MLB Mound Appearances … Three Teams

John Franco was a fifth-round draft pick (1981, Dodgers), out of St. John’s University, where he had gone 5-1, 2.22 in his junior year (1981). He was traded to the Reds in 1983 and made his MLB debut April 24, 1983 (at age 23). He went on to pitch in 21 MLB seasons (1984-2001, 2003-2005 … Reds, Mets, Astros) – retiring as an Astro as age 44.

Franco put up a 90-87, 2.89 record, with 424 saves. He never started a major-league game, but did finish 774 of them. Franco was a four-time All Star (all in the five-year span from 1986 through 1990) and three times led the NL in saves, notching 30 or more saves in eight seasons. Over his career, the southpaw averaged 7.0 strikeouts per nine innings.

Franco’s best season was 1988, when he went 6-6, 1.57 with a league-leading 39 saves in an also NL-leading 61 appearances for the Reds. He went 2-0, 1.88 with one save in 15 post-season appearances.

You Can Look It Up

John Franco’s 424 saves are the MLB record for a southpaw.

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Mariano Rivera. RHP … 1,115 MLB Mound Appearances… One Team

Photo: Baseball Roundtable

Hall of Famer and all-time MLB saves leader Mariano Rivera was signed (out of Panama) by the Yankees for a $2,000 bonus in 1990. It proved to be money well spent. Rivera made it to the Yankees’ roster (as a 25-year-old) in 1995 – although his role as a premier closer was not yet defined. That first MLB season he appeared in 19 games – starting ten of them. He wasn’t particularly effective, going 3-3, 5.94 as a starter and 2-0, 4.24 as a reliever.

Change Can Be Very, Very Good

Mariano Rivera’s first eight MLB appearances were as a starting pitcher.

Still, he had shown chops in the minor leagues, with a 27-18, 2.36 record over six minor-league seasons (102 games, 67 starts). Late in 1995, he moved to the bullpen full-time and, in 1997, he became the Yankees’ closer – and the rest is history.

Rivera pitched in 19 MLB seasons (1995-2013), all for the Yankees. He went 82-60, 2.21 with 652 saves. The right-hander was a 13-time All Star and 15 times had 30 or more saves (topping 40 in nine seasons, with a high of 53 in 2004), leading the league three times. He recorded an ERA under 2.00 in 11 campaigns. In his final season, at age 44, Rivera went 6-2, 2.11, with 44 saves. He averaged 8.2 whiffs per nine innings in his career.

Rivera also pitched in 96 post-season games and, in 141 innings, put up a 0.70 earned run average and an 8-1, 42-save record.

Lots to choose from, but Baseball Roundtable would pick 2004 as Rivera’s best season. He went 4-2, 1.94 with a league-leading 53 saves in a league-topping 69 appearances.

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Dennis Eckersley. RHP … 1,071 MLB Mound Appearances … Five Teams

Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley is the unicorn on this list. Consider these facts:

His 1,071 appearances included 361 starts;
He recorded 390 saves and 100 complete games;
He recorded a season of 50+ saves and a 20-win season;
He had a season during which he appeared in 50 games, but threw just 39 2/3 innings … and one in which he appeared in 35 games and tossed 268 1/3 innings.
He pitched a complete-game no-hitter (May 30, 1977).

The right-hander was drafted by the Indians in the third round of the 1972 draft (out of Washington High School in Fremont, California). In 1974, after a 14-3, 3.40 season as a starter at Triple-A, the 20-year-old made the Indians’ roster, going 13-7, 2.60 as a rookie (34 games, 24 starts, six complete games, two shutouts). From 1975 through 1986, working primarily as a starter (Indians, Red Sox, Cubs), Eckersley went 151-128, 3.67 (with 100 complete games and 20 shutouts).

In April of 1987, Eckersley was traded from the Cubs to the Athletics and when A’s closer Jay Howell was injured, manager Tony LaRussa turned to Eckersley to fill the closer’s role. It turned out to be a fortuitous decision. From 1987-1998 (A’s, Cardinals, Red Sox), Eckersley appeared in 695 games (just two starts) and went 46-43, 2.96 with 387 saves.

Nice Set of Bookends

Dennis Eckersley was an All Star as a starting pitcher (twice) and as a closer (four times).

Eckersley led the league in saves twice and had 30 or more saves in eight seasons (a high of 51 in 1992). His final stat line was 197-191, 3.50, with 390 saves. He fanned 6.6 batters per nine innings over his career.

Eckersley’s best season was 1992, when he went 7-1, 1.91 for the A’s, with a league-leading 51 saves in an also league-leading 65 appearances, earning the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards.

As a starter, his best season was 1978, when he went 20-8, 2.99 and threw 16 complete games in 33 starts.

Eckersley appeared in 28 post-season games, going 1-3, 3.00 with 15 saves. He was the MVP of the 1988 American League Championship Series, when he saved all four A’s wins over the Red Sox.

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Hoyt Wilhelm, RHP …. 1,070 MLB Mound Appearances … Nine Teams

Photo: Public Domain via WikiCommons

Hoyt Wilhelm didn’t make his first MLB appearance until he was just 98 days shy of his 30^th birthday – and the right-handed knuckleballer pitched until just 15 days shy of his 50^th birthday. He managed to not only “float” his way through 21 MLB seasons, but also into the Hall of Fame.

Wilhelm made his professional debut as a 19-year-old with the Independent Class-D Mooresville Moors in 1942 – going 10-3, 4.25. He then lost three years of playing time serving in the U.S. Army.

A Hero On and Off the Field

Hoyt Wilhelm earned earning a Purple Heart and two Bronze Starts at the Battle of the Bulge.

After returning from the military, Wilhelm rejoined the Moors. Seasons of 21-8, 2.47 in 1946 and 20-7, 3.38 in 1947, earned him a shot in the Giants’ system, where he made it to the major leagues for the 1952 season.

As a rookie , the 29-year-old Wilhelm went 15-3 for the Giants , leading the NL in winning percentage (.833), earned run average (2.43, with his 159 1/3 innings in relief qualifying for the title) and games pitched (71). He also notched 11 saves. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting and fourth in the MVP voting.

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Side note: 1952 NL Rookie of the years winner Joe Black and runner-up Wilhelm had pretty comparable seasons:

Black with 15-4, with 15 saves, while Wilhelm went 15-3 with 11 saves.
Wilhelm won the ERA title at 2.43, Black’s ERA was 2.15 (but he was 11 2/3 innings shy of qualifying.
Wilhelm appeared in 71 games, Black in 56.

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Wilhelm pitched in the majors from 1952-1972 (Giants, Cardinals, Indians, Orioles, White Sox, Angels, Braves, Cubs, Dodgers), going 143-122, 2.52 with 228 saves. Wilhelm fanned 6.4 batters per nine innings. He was an All Star in five seasons and a league-leader in ERA and winning percentage twice each. In the five years from 1964 through 1968, Wilhelm recorded a 1.74 ERA over 539 1/3 innings.

A Two-Way Pitcher

Hoyt Wilhelm won the NL ERA title in 1952 as a reliever and won the AL ERA title in 1959 as a starter.

Wilhelm’s 1,871 inning pitched in relief are the MLB record, as are his 124 career wins in relief.

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Dan Plesac, LHP …1,064 MLB Mound Appearances … Six Teams

Dan Plesac was a first-round selection (Brewers) in the 1983 MLB Draft – out of North Caroline State University. Primarily a starter in the minors (in three minor-league seasons, he made 62 appearances, all but one in a starting role), the Brewers converted the left-hander to a bullpen role after he made the MLB squad in 1986. In his rookie MLB season, Plesac went 10-7, 2.97 with 14 saves in 51 appearances. Plesac recorded 124 of his 158 saves in his first five MLB seasons.

He pitched in 18 seasons (1986-2003 … Brewers, Cubs, Pirates, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Phillies), going 65-71, 3.64 with 158 saves, fanning 8.7 batters per nine innings. Plesac was a three-time All Star (1987-88-89) and twice recorded 30 or more saves in a season. Plesac spent most of his career as a left-handed relief specialist, eight times he pitched in 60 or more games in a campaign.

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Mike Timlin, RHP … 1,058 MLB Mound Appearances … Six Teams

Mike Timlin was a fifth-round draft pick (Blue Jays, 1987), out of Southwestern University. He made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays in April of 1991 – after a 8-4, 1.53, 30-save season at High-A and Double-A in 1990.

In his inaugural MLB season, Plesac went 11-6, 3.16 with three saves in 63 games (three starts). Timlin went on to pitch in 18 MLB seasons (1991-2008 … Blue Jays, Mariners, Orioles, Cardinals, Phillies, Red Sox). He had four starts among his 1,058 appearances – going 1-2, 3.32 at a starter. Timlin saved 10 or more games in seven seasons, with a high of 31 saves for the 1996 Blue Jays. In 2005, at the age of 38, he led the AL with 81 appearances – going 7-3, 2.24 with 13 saves for the Red Sox. Over his career Timlin, was 75-73, 3.63, with 141 saves. He fanned 6.5 batter per nine innings. Timlin appeared in 46 post-season games, going 0-3, 4.26, with one save. In the 2003-06 seasons (his age-37 to age-40 seasons), Timlin averaged 74.3 appearances per campaign.

Post-Season Thrills

Timlin played on four World Series Champion teams – 1992 Blue Jays, 1993 Blue Jays; 2004 Red Sox; and 2007 Red Sox.

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Kent Tekulve, RHP …1.050 MLB Mound Appearances … Three Teams

Photo: George Gojkovich, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Submariner Kent Tekulve was a true workhorse on the mound – leading the NL in appearances in four seasons – and reaching 90 or more appearances three times.

Tekulve played for Marietta College, where the was named to the All-Ohio conferences second team in his senior year. Tekulve, however, went undrafted and was later signed out or a Pirates’ tryout camp. In his first pro season (1969), at Low-A Geneva, the 22-year-old righty was used primarily as a starter and went 6-2, 1.70 in nine games (seven starts, six complete games and two shutouts). The next season, he moved up to Double-A Sherbrooke, where he was converted to a reliever and began to refine his sidearm delivery. From 1971 through 1974, Tekulve went 32-16, 2.57 with 38 saves, while working his way up to Triple-A.

Tekulve made his MLB debut on May 20, 1974, but spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A, where he went 6-3, 2.25, with seven saves (he had a 6.00 ERA in eight appearances for the Pirates). He finally made the majors to stay in June of 1975, and went on to log a 16-season MLB career (1974-89 … Pirates, Phillies, Reds). From 1977 through 1984, Tekulve averaged 77 appearances a season – leading the league in games pitched three times in that span.

Celebrating 40

In 1987, at age 40, Kent Tekulve led the NL in appearances (for the Phillies) with 90, pitching 105 innings in relief and putting up a 3.09 ERA.

Over his MLB career, Tekulve was 94-90, 2.85, with 184 saves. He fanned 4.9 batters per nine innings.

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LaTroy Hawkins, RHP … 1,042 MLB Mound Appearances … 11 Teams

LaTroy Hawkins was drafted out of West Side High School (Gary , Indiana) by the Twins in the seventh round of the MLB 1991 draft. He opened his career as a starter and from 1991-1996, he made 99 minor-league appearances (96 starts), moving from rookie ball to Triple-A and going 40-17, 2.96. The 22-year-old Hawkins made his MLB debut on April 29, 1995 in a start against Baltimore and gave up seven earned runs in just 1 2/3 innings. By mid-May he was back at Triple-A, where he went 9-7, 3.55 in 22 starts, earning a return to the Twins in September. On the season, his MLB line ended at 2-3, 8.67.

From 1996-99, Hawkins pitched in 93 games for the Twins (92 starts) and went 24-41, 6.03. (At this time, his career record, after five MLB seasons was 26-44, 6.16). In 2000., the Twins moved Hawkins to the bullpen and he showed notable improvement, going 2-5, 3.89 with 14 saves in 66 games. He made 943 MLB appearances, over 16 more seasons, without another start. Hawkins’ final record, after 21 seasons (Twins, Rockies, Cubs, Astros, Brewers, Mets, Giants, Angels, Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays) was 75-94, 4.31. He fanned 6.0 batters per nine innings over his MLB career.

A Travelin’ Man

After spending his first nine MLB seasons with the Twins, LaTroy Hawkins pitched for 10 different MLB teams over the next 12 seasons. His 11 MLB teams pitched for is the most of any of the 1,000+ game pitchers in this post.

Hawkins’ best season was with the 2004 Cubs, when he went 5-4, 2.63 with 25 saves in 77 appearances. Hawkins also pitched in 22 post-season games, gong 1-1, 6.75.

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Trevor Hoffman, RHP … 1,035 MLB Mound Appearances … Three Teams

Photo: Djh57, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman’s 601 saves are second only to Mariano Rivera in MLB. While he did start 12 games in 94 minor-league appearances, Hoffman never made at start at the major-league level. Hoffman was an eleventh-round pick (Reds), out of the University of Arizona, in the 1989 MLB draft.

Let’s Change Things Up a Bit

Trevor Hoffman was originally signed as a shortstop and, in his first two minor-league seasons, played 122 games at short and 41 at 3B. The Reds , however, were more impressed with his arm than his bat and, in 1991, he was moved to the mound – where he showed good promise (based on a mid-90s fastball.)

In 1992, Hoffman was taken by the newly minted Marlins with the eighth pick in expansion draft. He started the 1993 season with Florida and was 2-2, 3.28, with two saves and 26 whiffs in 35 2/3 innings, before being traded (in mid-June) to the Padres in a multi-player deal that brought Rich Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield to Florida. It was a trade that initially did not “sit well” with Padres’ fans, but certainly proved a solid move over the years.

Hoffman went on to pitch for the Padres through the 2008 season; after which the 41-year-old signed as a free agent with the Brewers (where he became an All Star for the seventh time in his career).

Hoffman pitched 18 MLB seasons (1993-2010 … Marlins, Padres, Brewers) going 61-75, 2.87 with 601 saves. He led the NL in saves twice and topped 40 saves in nine seasons. He averaged 9.4 whiffs per nine innings over his career.

Hoffman’s best season was for the 1998 Padres, when he went 4-2, 1.48 with a league-leading (and career high) 53 saves – finishing second in the Cy Young Award voting to Tom Glavine.

Let’s Change Things Up Again

Trevor Hoffman, known for his mid-90s fastball, suffered a shoulder injury before the 1995 season (he had surgery after the season) and had to find and refine new weapons to get hitters out . He put the effort in his change up – and it became a devastating out pitch.

After eight straight seasons of 30+ saves, Hoffman missed most of the 2003 season recovering from shoulder surgery. He came back as good as ever, recording six consecutive seasons of 30+ saves after the layoff. (The first four of those were 40+ save campaigns).

Hoffman pitched in 12 post-season games, going 1-2, 3.46 with four saves.

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Jose Mesa, RHP …. 1,022 MLB Mound Appearances … Eight Teams

Joe Mesa was signed out of the Dominican Republic as a 15-year-old in 1981 by the Toronto Blue Jays. (Mesa had tried out as an outfielder, but the Blue Jays were impressed enough with his arm to sign him as a pitching prospect.) In 1982 (as a 16-year-old) Mesa made his professional debut in the Gulf Coast (Rookie) League, going 6-4, 2.70 with six complete games and three shutouts in 12 starts (13 total appearances). From 1982-87, he went 48-52, 4.68 in the Blue Jays’ minor-league system, primarily as a starter (142 starts in 156 appearances).

In September of 1987 (at age 21), Mesa was traded to the Orioles, and he made his MLB debut on September 20, starting against the Red Sox in Fenway and giving up three runs in six innings (no decision). He ended the season 1-3, 6.03 for the Orioles (six appearances five starts) – and spent the bulk of the next three seasons in the minors, where his progress was hampered by a pair of elbow surgeries.

From 1987 through 1993, Mesa ran up a 27-40, 5.03 MLB record (Orioles, Indians) with 95 starts in 98 appearances – gaining a reputation as a hard-thrower (mid- to high-90s) who needed to harness his control. Then, in 1994, the Indians moved Mesa and his fastball to the bullpen and his career path changed dramatically. Working primarily in middle relief, Mesa went 7-5, 3.82 with two saves for Cleveland in 1994. Then in 1995, he was all All Star closer – going 3-0, 1.13 with an AL-leading 46 saves (in 62 appearances) – finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

From 1994 until his retirement after the 2007 season (at age 41), Mesa pitched for the Indians, Giants, Mariners, Phillies, Pirates, Rockies and Tigers – appearing in another 924 games (all in relief and going 53-69, 3.97 with 321 saves). As noted, he led the league in saves in 1995 and had four seasons of 40+ saves. He finished his career 80-109, 4.36, with 321 saves. Mesa also pitched in 27 post season games, going 3-1, 5.14 with six saves. He fanned 6.0 batters per nine frames over his MLB career.

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(Actually a tied for 12th) Lee Smith, RHP … 1,022 appearances … Eight Teams

Hall of Famer Lee Smith was signed by the Cubs in the second round of the 1975 MLB Draft (out of Caster, Iowa, High School). He began his professional career as a 17-year-old – going 3-5, 2.32 in ten starts in the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League. Like many of the pitchers on this list, he started out as a starting pitcher. From 1975-1978, he made 92 appearances (minor-league) of which 71 were starts. He displayed a lights-out fastball, but a lack of command. This led to a decision to move Smith to the bullpen – a move he originally resisted, but one that turned out to put him on the path to the Hall of Fame.

Pitching out of the pen, Smith earned his way to the Cubs’ staff by September of 1980 and, by 1983, was an All Star closer for Chicago – leading the NL with 56 appearances and 29 saves (and putting up a 1.65 ERA in 103 1/3 relief innings). Smith went on to pitch at the MLB level until 1997 (Cubs, Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels, Expos, Reds, Yankees, Orioles). He made just six starts in 1,022 appearances. Smith was a seven-time All Star, led the NL in saves three times and the AL once – and saved 30 or more games in 11 seasons (four times exceeding forty saves). His final MLB stat line was 71-92, 3.03, with 478 saves (third all-time). He fanned 8.7 batters per nine innings over his MLB career.

Smith’s best season was 1991 (Cardinals), when he went 6-3, 2.64, with a league-leading 47 saves. That season, he finished second in the Cy Young balloting (to Tom Glavine) and eighth in the MVP voting. In his six MLB starts, Lee Smith was 0-5, 4.62.

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Roberto Hernandez, RHP … 1,010 MLB Mound Appearances … Ten Teams

Roberto Hernandez was a first-round pick (Angels) in the 1986 MLB Draft. From 1986-1992, pitching in the Angels’ and White Sox’ minor-league systems, Hernandez went 34-41, 3.92 in 107 appearances (106 starts).

The Comeback Kid

Roberto Hernandez’ 1991 season was interrupted by surgery for blood clots in his pitching arm (for which doctors gave him no better than a 50-50 chance of ever returning to the pitching ranks). Hernandez , however, made a remarkable recovery and a 6-2, 2.58 record in 12 minor-league starts earned him a September call up to the White Sox – where he made his MLB debut on September 2 – getting a win over the Royals and going seven one-hit/one-run innings. Hernandez got bounced around in his next two 1991 starts and was moved to the bullpen. Little did he know, he would never start again, but would pitch for 16 more MLB seasons.

Hernandez pitched in the majors from 1991-2007 (White Sox, Devil Rays, Royals, Mets, Pirates, Giants, Phillies, Braves, Dodgers, Indians). He was a two-time All Star and recorded 30 or more saves in six seasons. His best season was 1996 (White Sox), when he went 6-5, 1.91, with 38 saves in a league-leading 61 appearances. His final stat line was 67-71, 3.45, with 326 saves. He pitched in 11 post-season games, going 0-1, 3.12, with one save.

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15. Michael Jackson, RHP …. 1005 MLB Mound Appearances … Eight Teams

Michael Jackson was a Philllies’ second-round pick in the 1984 MLB Draft (out of Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas).

A Pretty Good Start

As a 19-year-old professional rookie, with the 1984 Class-A Spartanburg Suns, Michael Jackson went 7-2, 2.68 on the mound (14 starts) and .368-0-7 at the plate (7-for-19, with three doubles.

Jackson made his MLB debut with the Phillies in August of 1986. He went on to pitch in 17 MLB seasons (1986-2004 … missing 2000 and 2003), taking the mound for the Mariners, Giants, Indians, Phillies, Twins, Reds, Astros and White Sox. His final MLB stat line was 62-67, 3.42, with 142 saves. His best season was 1998 (Indians), when he went 1-1, 1.55, with 40 saves in 69 appearances. He made a total of nine MLB starts, going 1-4, 6.68. (His ERA as a reliever, in 998 appearances, was 3.33. ) He fanned 7.6 batters per nine innings over his MLB career.

16. Rich Gossage, RHP … 1,002 Mound Appearances …. Nine Teams

Hall of Famer Rich “Goose” Gossage was selected by the White Sox in the ninth round of the 1970 MLB Draft (out of Wasson High School in Colorado Springs). As an 18-year-old (1970), he went 0-3 4.94 in Rookie and A-Level ball. The following year, Gossage showed his true potential, going 18-2, 1.83 in 25 games (24 starts, 15 complete games and seven shutouts) for the A-Level Appleton Foxes.

By 1972 (at age 20), Gossage was pitching for the White Sox – going 7-1, 4.28 (with two saves) in 36 games (one start). Over his first four MLB seasons (1972-75), Gossage went 20-19, 3.72, with 29 saves in 157 games (eight starts). He was an All Star for the White Sox in 1975, when he went 9-8, 1.84 and led the AL with 26 saves. In 1976, Gossage made the AL All Star squad again, this time as a starting pitcher. The White Sox had brought in Paul Richards to manage the squad and he moved Gossage into a starting role. Gossage was 5-7, 2.91 at the All Star break, but slumped to 4-10, 5.08 in the second half. Notably, he tossed 15 complete games in 29 starts for a woeful (64-97) Chicago team.

After the 1977 season, Gossage was traded to the Pirates, where, he was again an All Star, going 11-9, 1.62, with 26 saves in 72 appearances (no starts). From 1977 through his final season (1994), Gossage made 601 appearances without a start – picking up 95 wins and 280 saves.

Gossage’s final MLB stat line 124-107, 3.01, with 310 saves. He pitched in 22 MLB seasons (Yankees, White Sox, Padres, A’s, Giants, Rangers, Pirates, Cubs, Mariners). Gossage was a nine-time All Star and led the league in saves three times. He fanned 7.5 batters per nine innings over his MLB career. He also pitched in 19 post-season games, going 2.1, 2.87, with eight saves.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball Almanac.com; SABR Bios on Hoyt Wilhelm (by Mark Armour), Trevor Hoffman (by Max Mannis) and Roberto Hernandez (by Mark Merullo and Alan Cohen).

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Baseball Roundtable June Wrap Up … Immaculate Innings, Three-Homer Games, Cycles, a No-Hitter and More

July 1, 2022 by David

It’s July first and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s June Wrap Up – a look at the stats and stories that grabbed The Roundtable’s attention in over the previous month; Baseball Roundtable’s Pitchers and Players of the Month; the Trot Index; and more.

And, there was plenty going on in June:

Three cycles and a no-hitter;
Two Immaculate Innings in one game;
Three Pirates logging three-homer games;
One player (Yordan Alvarez), hitting over .400 for the month;
A new MLB team record for home runs in June;
Two managers named Joe let go;
A catcher in June’s NL top three in stolen bases;
Three teams playing .700+ ball for the month; and
More.

Read on for the stats and stories, but first Baseball Roundtable’s Players and Pitchers of the Month – starting with a special recognition.

Special Recognition …. It’s Sho(hei) Time

Before, we get into the Players and Pitchers of the Month, Baseball Roundtable needs to give special recognition to Shohei Ohtani. He may not have been the best hitter or best pitcher of the month for June, but he was the best hitter and pitcher in any month in my lifetime.

On the mound, Ohtani went 4-1, 1.52 in five starts – fanning 38 batters in 29 2/3 innings. On June 22, he set a career game high in strikeouts, fanning 13 Royals in an eight-inning, two-hit, no-run performance. He ended the month with an active 21 2/3-inning scoreless streak. At the plate, Ohtani hit .298, with six home runs and 17 RBI in 26 games. His month included an 11-game hitting streak (June 4-16) during which he hit .372 and a career-high eight-RBI game on on June 21 (against the Royals).

Something to Think About … A Royal Bashing

On June 21, Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs and drove in eight runs in a game against the Royals. The very next day, he took the mound against those same Royals and fanned 13 in an eight-inning scoreless outing.

—–Baseball Roundtable Players and Pitchers of the Month—–

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Player of the Month – Kyle Schwarber, LF, Phillies

Kyle Schwarber put up a .272-12-27 month of June, leading the NL in June RBI and all of MLB in June home runs and runs scored (27). Schwarber also drew 19 walks (second in the NL) and put up the NL’s second-best slugging percentage (among qualifiers) at .695. Schwarber had eight multi-RBI games in June and scored multiple runs in seven contests.

Honorable Mentions: Braves’ SS Dansby Swanson had a solid month (.330-7-19) – led the NL in June safeties (37) and was in the NL top ten in average, home runs, RBI and runs scored and stole three bases in three tries.. Cardinals’ 1B Paul Goldschmidt hit .323 for the month. his eight home runs were third in the NL, his 22 RBI fourth and his 25 runs scored fourth. Nationals’ 1B Josh Bell chopped in a (.358-7-18); and, finally, there is Padres’ 2B Jake Cronenworth, whose 24 June RBI were second in the NL, 24 runs scored fourth. Cronenworth hit .315 with four home runs.

Pitcher of the Month – Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Dodgers

Gonsolin went 4-0 in five June starts (one of just three NL pitchers with at least four June wins), putting up a sterling 1.24 ERA (lowest among NL pitchers with 25 or more June innings). The Dodgers won all five of Gonsolin’s starts, as he gave up just four runs in 29 innings pitched – walking seven and fanning 25. I might have been swayed slightly by Gonsolin’s overall record at the end of June 9-0, 1.58.

Honorable Mentions: LHP Carlos Rodon of the Giants went 2-0 in five starts, but deserved better. His 1.25 ERA was the second-lowest among NL moundsmen with at least 25 June innings, his 41 strikeouts (in 36 innings) were third. Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins put up a stingy 1.89 ERA in six starts – going 3-1 for the month. He also led the NL in June innings (47 2/3) and was eleventh in strikeouts with 31 (just eight walks). In his six June starts, he never went less than seven innings.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

Player of the Month – Yordan Alvarez, DH, Astros

Photo: Alvarez Flickr user thatlostdog–, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Wow! I’m also reluctant to pick a DH as Player of the Month, but I also cannot ignore Alvarez’ .418 average for the month (highest in MLB) and his MLB-leading 28 June RBI. His nine home runs also put him in the AL top five. Alvarez also scored 19 runs during the month,

Honorable Mentions: Blue Jays’ 1B Vlad Guerrero, Jr. hit .283 for the month, with nine home runs, 22 RBI (third in the AL) and 22 runs scored (second); Blue Jays’ C Alejandro Kirk had a .341-7-18 June (more on Kirk in the Surprise Player of the Month section).

Pitcher of the Month – Shane McClanahan, LHP, Rays

McClanahan went 3-1, with a 1.36 earned run average in five June starts – fanning 42 (second in the AL) in 33 innings pitched (also second). He went at least six innings in all his starts and struck out at least seven each time out (a high of ten, in seven innings, against the Pirates in his final June appearance).

Honorable Mentions: Nick Pivetta, RHP, Red Sox went 4-1, 2.25 in six June starts. He pitched an AL-tops 40 innings during the month, fanning 40 batters; Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians saved an MLB-high eleven games (in eleven opportunities) in June, giving up no runs on seven hits and no walks (16 whiffs) in 15 innings; Tyler Wells, RHP, Orioles. The Orioles put up a .500+ record in June, thanks in great part to Wells’ 4-0, 2.42 performance (over five starts). The Orioles won all five of those starts. In his final three starts of the month, Wells went 3-0, 1.13 and held opponents to a .158 average. I would still like to see a little more length from Wells (averaging just over five innings per starts in June, but he earned this spot.

Baseball Roundtable Extra

Not sure how to handle Dylan Cease of the White Sox, who put up a minuscule 0.33 earned run average in five June starts (just one earned run in 27 1/3 innings) and also led the league in June whiffs with 45. Still, he was charged with nine unearned runs and pitched more than five frames in only two of his June starts.

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Surprise Player(s) of the Month – Tie: Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays & Michael Harris, CF, Braves

Okay, Alejandro Kirk is not a surprise to Blue Jays’ fans. They have been waiting for the 23-year-old Kirk, in his second MLB season, to break out. In four minor-league campaigns, he hit .318-19-114 in 165 games. Last season, a left hip flexor injury hampered his progress and he hit .242-8-24 in 60 games for Toronto. Listed at 5’8” and 245 pounds, Kirk has shown agility behind the plate and ability (and a good eye) at the plate. In June, he went .341-7-18 in 25 games (and his walks outnumbered his whiffs 13-to-11). On the season, he stands at .319-10-31. Looks like the Jays will be enjoying Kirk’s exciting brand of play for some time coming.

The Braves’ 21-year-old rookie CF Michael Harris is another player who is probably less of a surprise to home town fans then he is to Baseball Roundtable. Harris, who made his MLB debut May 28, was a .292 hitter over 197 minor-league games (three seasons). He hit just .154 (2-for-13) in four May games, but caught fire in June, goig .347-4-16 in 27 games. His 35 June base hit trailed only teammate Dansby Swanson in the NL.

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TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BBRT FEATURE

Through June 2022, 34.5 percent of the MLB season’s 85,566 plate appearances ended in a trot (back to the dugout, around the bases, to first base). We’re talking about strikeouts, home runs, walks, hit by pitch and catcher’s interference – all outcomes that are, basically, devoid of action on the base paths or in the field. Here’s the breakout: strikeouts (22.2%); walks (8.3%); home runs (2.8%); HBP (1.1%); catcher’s interference (less than 1%). Personally, I’d like more action in the field of play.

The 34.5 percent figure is down slightly from 2021’s full season 36.3 percent. 2020’s 37.3 percent; 2019’s 36.2 percent and 2018’s 34.8 percent.

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A few observations about the three twenty win squads:

The Braves didn’t lose their first game in June until the 17th. In that 14-game in streak, they outscored their opponents 101-41; outhit them .292 to .207; out-homered them 34-11; and put up a 2.72 ERA to their opponents’ 6.80. The Braves 20+ win month was led by SS Dansby Swanson (.330-7-19), the surprising rookie CF Michael Harris (.347-4-16) and C Travis D’Arnaud (.304-7-19); starter Kyle Wright (5-1, 3.52) and closer Kenley Jansen (eight saves).
The Yankees won 15 of their first sixteen game in June, outscoring their opponents 102-37. They scored ten or more runs five times in the streak and shutout their opponents five times. They did a lot of their June damage with power. Their 58 June home runs were an MLB team record for the month, their 155 runs were second in MLB – despite .235 average (21st in MLB). Their 2.94 June ERA was the lowest in the majors – and the bullpen led the way. In June, the Yankee starters’ put up a 3.89 ERA, the bullpen ERA was 1.34. Relievers Micheal King, Clay Holmes and Lucas Leutge made a combined 32 appearances in June and went 4-1, with nine saves and a 0.74 ERA.
Boston’s surge was built in a great on their pitching.. Their 3.02 June ERA was the third best in the MLB (and also third-best in their own division), while they were tenth in runs scored. In June, their starters went 16-1, led by Nick Pivetta (4-1, 2.25); Micheal Wacha (3-0. 3.03) ; Rich Hill (3-1, 3.00); and Josh Winckowski (3-0, 2.12). 3B Rafael Devers (.292-6-19) and LF Alex Verdugo (.337-3-19) were keys to the offense.

——-Team Statistical Leaders for June 2022 ———-

RUNS SCORED

National League – Braves (155); Padres (153); Phillies (146)

American League – Blue Jays (170); Yankees (155); White Sox (137)

The fewest June runs were scored by the A’s – just 75. The Mets tallied the fewest runs in the NL at 100.

AVERAGE

National League – Cubs (.273); Reds (.272); Braves (.267)

American League – Blue Jays (.285); White Sox (.281) Red Sox (.267)

The lowest team average for June belonged to the Diamondbacks at .206.

HOME RUNS

National League – Braves (54); Pirates (44); Phillies (43)

American League – Yankees (58); Blue Jays (50); Twins (40)

The Tigers had the fewest home runs for June at 13. The only other team under 20 for the month was the Guardians at 16.

Toronto led MLB in June slugging percentage at .504. The Braves led the NL at .449

STOLEN BASES

National League – Marlins (35); Dodgers (22); Phillies (20)

American League – Rangers (23); Guardians (21); Yankees (20); Mariners (20)

The Twins stole the fewest sacks in June – just three. The Dodgers stole 22 bags and were caught only once. The White Sox pilfered 12 sacks without being caught.

WALKS DRAWN

National League – Phillies (100); Padres (95); Nationals (93))

American League – Yankees (122); Mariners (111); Astros (95)

The Blue Jays led MLB in on-base percentage for June at .353. The Cubs led the NL at .342.

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Pirates (263); Giants (242); Braves (242)

American League – Angels (279); Mariners (256); Orioles (240)

Astros’ batters fanned the fewest times in June (178).

Bonus Stat

The Blue Jays led MLB in total bases in June at 503. By contrast, the A’s were 30^th, with 286 total bases in June.

Earned Run Average

National League – Giants (3.37); Dodgers (3.39); Braves (3.53)

American League – Yankees (2.96); Rays (3.01); Red Sox (3.02)

Four teams had June ERAs of 5.00 or higher– Cubs (5.96); Reds (5.68); A’s (5.25; Tigers (5.07)

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Braves (285); Cubs (252); Reds (240)

American League – White Sox (260); Yankees (254); Angels (249)

The Braves averaged an MLB-best 10.47 strikeouts per nine innings in June. The White Sox averaged an AL-best 9.63.

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED

National League – Giants (56); Phillies (66); Dodgers (68)

American League – Orioles (67); Rays (69); Red Sox 69)

The Giants walked a stringiest 2.19 batters per nine frames in June. The Athletics walked an MLB’s highest 4.04 per nine innings for the month.

SAVES

National League – Braves (11); Brewers (8); Nationals (8)

American League – Guardians (12); Orioles (10); Yankees (10); Astros (1)

WALKS AND HITS PER INNING PITCHED (WHIP)

National League – Dodgers (1.12); Phillies (1.12); Braves (1.13); Giants (1.13)

American League – Yankees (1.04); Astros (1.07); Mariners (1.12)

Bonus Stat:

The Braves were the only team to fan at least four times as many batters as they walked in June – 4.07 K/BB.

–JUNE HIGHLIGHTS–

Walk(off) This Way!

The Yankees notched five walk-off wins in June, bringing their total walk-off victories for 2022 to ten. The record for walk-off victories in a season is 18, by the 78-76 Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates had eight walk-off victories through June that season.

Yankees 2022 Walk-Off Victories

April 8, 6-5, 11 innings, over Boston … It all started on Opening Day with a Josh Donaldson (3B) 11th-inning RBI single.

April 23, 5-4, over the Guardians …. The Yankees came into the bottom of the ninth down 4-3, but got an RBI double from SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a walk-off RBI single from PH Gleyber Torres.

May 8, 2-1, over the Rangers … A ninth-inning solo home run by 2B Gleyber Torres sparked the win.

May 10, 6-5, over the Blue Jays … A three-run walk-off home run from CF Aaron Judge brought the Yankees back from a 5-3 ninth-inning deficit.

May 24, 7-6, over the Orioles (11 innings) … A walk-off RBI single from C Jose Trevino won this one.

June 5, 5-4, over the Tigers (10 innings) … The gift runner scored on a sacrifice fly by DH Josh Donaldson.

June 10, 2-1, over the Cubs (13 innings) … C Jose Trevino drove in the gift runner with a walk-off single.

June 16, 2-1, over the Rays … A ninth-inning solo home run from 1B Anthony Rizzo put the Yankees in the win column.

June 23, 7-6, over the Astros … The Yanks came into the bottom of the ninth down 6-3. A three-run home run (after two walks) by LF Aaron Hicks tied it and a walk-off RBI single by CF Aaron Judge secured the victory.

June 26, 6-3, over the Astros (10 innings) … CF Aaron Judge poked a three-run homer in the ninth.

Say It Ain’t So, Joe(s)!

On June 3, with the Phillies standing at 22-29, manager Joe Girardi became the first MLB manager fired in 2022 – with bench coach Rob Thomson named interim manager,

Girardi, who took over the Phillies with 60 games left in the 2020 season, had a 132-141 record at their helm. He has a 1,120-936 record in 14 managerial seasons (Marlins, Yankees, Phillies), won the 2006 National League Manager of the Year Award and took the 2009 Yankees to the World Series Championship. Since Girardi left the Phillies, they have gone 15-6.

Just four days later, we saw the second managerial firing of the season, as the Angels let manager Joe Maddon go . (Third base coach Phil Nevin took over.) The Angels were 27-29 at the time – and on a 12-game losing streak. In 19 managerial seasons (Angels, Rays, Cubs), Maddon was 1,382-1,217. He won the AL Manager of the Year Award in 2008 and 2011 and the NL Manager of the Year Award in 2015. He led the Cubs to the World Series Championship in 2016. The Angles are 10-12 since Maddon left.

Hmmm! Didn’t know that rule.

In the ninth innings of a Dodgers/Mets clash (In Los Angeles) on June 5 – and LA trailing 9-4 – Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts sent utility player Zach McKinstry to the mound to open the inning. Umpiring Crew Chief C.B. Buckner, however, nixed what would have been McKinstry’s first MLB mound appearance, citing an MLB rule that prohibits managers from using a position player as a pitcher in games in which they face a deficit of five runs or fewer. After some heated discussion, Roberts sent reliever Evan Phillips to the mound and he pitched a one-hit, two-whiff ninth. The Dodgers did not score in the bottom of the frame and lost 9-4.

So-o-o-o Close – I Just Hader to See That.

Photo: D. Benjamin Miller, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When Brewers’ closer Josh Hader came to the mound June 7 to protect a 2-1 Milwaukee lead (over the Phillies), Brewers’ fans pretty much though it was game over. After all, Hader had not given up a run in his last 40 appearances – tying Ryan Pressly’s record for consecutive scoreless outings (set with the Astros in 2018). To this point in the season, Hader had made 19 appearances with 18 saves, no blown saves, not a single earned run, just four hits and six walks and 28 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings.

Well, Phillies’ 3B Alec Bohm ended the scoreless innings streak with a solo home run leading off the ninth and, two batters later, pinch hitter Max Vierling (hitting .170-0-4 at the time) took Hader deep to tag him with the loss.

Save the Last Dance for Me

Josh Hader opened the 2022 season by recording a save in his first 18 appearances. That is the record for most consecutive appearances with a save to start a season (more #InBaseballWeCountEverything). The previous record was 12 – held by Lee Smith (Orioles, 1994) and Jose Mesa (Pirates 2005).

Three Cycles in the Month – Six is Lucky Number.

On June 6 (that’s 06/06), Mets’ 3B Eduardo Escobar hit the second cycle (single, double, triple, home run in the same game) of 2022 and the first of three cycles this June. In a four-for-five, three run, six-RBI game against the Padres (in San Diego), he hit a two-run single in the first inning; a double leading off the fourth; popped out to short in the fifth; hit a two-run home run in the eighth; added a two-run triple in the ninth. The Mets won 11-5.

Six also played a role in the third cycle of them month, as Orioles’ leadoff hitter and CF Austin Hays hit for the cycle – in a game that was called after just six innings (rain). (The Orioles beat the Nationals 7-0 in Baltimore.) Hays went four-for-four, with three runs and three RBI. He singled to lead off the bottom of the first; hit a home run to lead off the Orioles’ third; tripled with two-out in the fourth; and rapped a two-run double in the sixth. For more on the quickest and slowest cycles ever, click here.

In between these two cycles – on June 11 – Angels’ 1B Jared Walsh hit for the cycle in a four-for-five, one-run, three-RBI game against the Mets (in Anaheim). Walsh started his day with a swinging strikeout in the first, but it was “all systems go” after that. He singled in the third; doubled in the fifth; homered to lead off the seventh; and lashed a two-run triple in the eight. The Angels, by the way, triumphed 11-6.

Half Way There

There have been four cycles so far in 2022. The most cycles in any MLB season is eight (2009): Orlando Hudson (Dodgers); Ian Kinsler (Rangers); Jason Kubel (Twins); Mike Cuddyer (Twins); Melky Cabrera (Yankees); Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies); Felix Pie (Orioles); B.J. Upton (Rays).

Party Likes It’s 2011!

Outfielder Charlie Blackmon made his MLB debut with the Rockies on June 7, 2011; flying out to center on the first MLB pitch he ever saw (off the Padres’ Tim Stauffer). This June 7, he celebrated the 11^th anniversary of his big -league debut by coming off the bench to hit a three-run pinch-hit home run (it gave the Rockies a 5-3 lead) off the Giants’ Jose Alvarez. It was a noteworthy long ball – the 200^th home run of Blackmon’s career. He finished June at .267-12-41 on the season and .299-203-672 on his career.

It’s Sho(hei) Time Again.

Shohei Ohtani just keeps showing up in these highlights – and for good reason(s). On June 9, he proved one again to be a “stopper” on the mound and at the plate – as he played a key role in stopping an Angels’ 14-game losing streak (their last win had come on May 24). Shohei started on the mound and at DH (batting second). In the 5-2 Angels win (in Anaheim), he went two-for-four, with one home run (his 12^th of the season) and two RBI and gave up just four hits (two walks) and one run in seven innings, while fanning six.

Here’s a few stats from the Angels 14-game skid:

They were outscored 85-40.
They hit .217 to the opponents’ .283 and were out-homered 19-9.
The lost eight at home and six on the road.
Seven of the losses were by one run.
They were shut out three times, including two 1-0 losses.
Their pitching staff put up a 6.75 ERA, to the opponents’ 2.69.

Twins Rake Yankee Ace Gerrit Cole … Still Lose.

On June 9, the Twins became just the sixth team to open a game with three straight home runs – and they did it against Yankee ace Gerrit Cole, who had never given up three home runs in any inning (much less consecutively).

Twin’ 1B Luis Arreaz opened the bottom of the first by taking a 2-2 pitch out of the park to deep RF; CF Byron Buxton then ripped the next Cole offering out of the park down the LF line; SS Carlos Correa then launched an 0-1 pitch in the left field stands. Cole followed with a six-pitch walk to Jorge Polanco before settling down and fanning Max Kepler, Gary Sanchez and Trevor Larnach to end the inning.

The Twins continued their barrage off Cole in the second frame, scoring on a Buxton three-run homer to left. They added a seventh run on a Larnach homer to center in the third. Cole was pulled after 2 1/3 innings, trailing 7-3 and having surrendered five round trippers. Still, the surging Yankees managed to take Cole off the hook, topping the Twins 10-7.

Wondering about the most home runs surrendered by a pitcher in a single game. Click here.

Slow Ride … Take it Easy.

On June 12, as the Cubs were absorbing an 18-3 loss at the hands (bats) of the Yankees, Cubs’ 1B Frank Schwindel made his second MLB mound appearance – pitching a two-hit, one-run ninth. Why did he make these highlights? The first pitch he threw in the inning was a 35.1 MPH (knuckleball?) to Yankees’ catcher Kyle Higashioka, who hit to deep left for his first dinger of the season. It turned out to be the slowest pitch ever tracked by Statcast to be hit for a home run. Higashioka, by the way, came into the game hitting .148-0-5 on the season (88 at bats). Schwindel made three mound appearances in June, going 0-0, 18.00 (six earned runs in three innings pitched).

Like Father like Son.

On June 13, Vlad Guerrero Jr. played his 403^rd career MLB game – collecting three hits in five at bats including a home run. At this point in his career, Guerrero Junior had 87 MLB home runs and a .363 on-base percentage. After 403 games in his career, Vlad Guerrero Senior had an identical 87 long balls and a nearly identical .364 OBP. Kind of like father-son combo Cecil and Prince Fielder each retiring with 319 career home runs.,

The Rangers Didn’t have a Prayer.

On June 15, Astros’ pitchers Luis Garcia and Phil Maton pitched their way into the record books. The two Houston hurlers each tossed an “Immaculate Inning” … an inning facing just three batters and fanning the side on nine pitches. It was the first-ever MLB game in which two pitchers each tossed an Immaculate Inning and, of course, also made them the first two teammates to toss an Immaculate Inning in the same game.

Garcia tossed his nine-pitch, three-whiff fame in the bottom of the second, while Maton achieved the feat in the bottom of the seventh. The Astros, by the way, won the game (started by Garcia) 9-2 and four Houston pitchers notched a total of 14 strikeouts. Also of note is that Rangers Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Duran and Brad Miller (the 6-7-8 hitters) were the victims in both Immaculate Innings – making them, of course, the first three players to be victims in two Immaculate frames in the same game.

For more on this game and Immaculate Innings, click here.

Riley Greene Starts MLB Career with a Bang.

Tigers’ 3B Riley Greene, Detroit’s first-round pick (fifth overall) in the 2019 MLB draft (out of Paul J. Hagerty High School in Florida) made it to the big leagues as a 21-year old – debuting on June 18 – in a Tigers 14-7 win over the Rangers (in Detroit). In five plate appearances, Greene had two singles and two walks, scoring three runs, He ended his first MLB month at .286-0-2 in 10 games. The top Detroit prospect hit .291-3-120 in three minor-league seasons (198 games).

Trout Carries Angels Against Mariners.

Fromm June 16 through June 19, the Angels faced off against the Mariners (in Seattle). In that five-game set, Angels’ CF Mike Trout went 6-for-20 (.300). More important, five of his six hits were home runs and, according to STATS, he became the first player to hit four game-winning home runs in a single series. (The Angels won four of the five games).

Happy Fathers’ Day, Dad.

On June 19 ( Fathers’ Day), Pirates’ rookie LF Jack Suwinski was proud to have his father Tim in the stands as the Pirates took on the Giants in Pittsburgh. The younger Suwinski did not disappoint – notching his first-ever three-homer game at any level, including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Pirates a 4-3 win. For the day, the 23-year-old Suwinski was three-for-three (with a walk) with three runs scored and three RBI.

Old Guys (like me) Say Thank You, Justin Verlander.

Photo by KA Sports Photos

Let’s face it, the Yankees are truly the beasts from the Bronx this year – finishing June with a 22-6 record on the month and 56021 for the season. On June 24, 39-year-old Astros’ starter Justin Verlander faced off against the New Yorkers in Yankee Stadium – with the Yankees on a 15-game home win streak. The veteran right-hander was not intimated, pitching seven four hit, one run innings (three whiffs), as the Astros won 3-1. With the win the two-time Cy Young Award winner ran his age-39 season record to 9-3, 2.22. Verlander picked up a tenth win on June 29, holding the Mets scoreless over wight innings. Verlander’s been a true stopped for the Astros, going 6-0 in games he started after a Houston loss.

Astros Combine to No-Hit Yankees Again.

On June 25, Astros’ pitchers Cristian Javier, Hector Norris and Ryan Pressly combined to pitch a no-hitter against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium. It was the third no-hitter and second combined no-hitter of the 2022 season. It was also the first time the Yankees had been held hitless since June 11. 2003, when the Astros (again) used a record six pitchers in no-hitting the Bronx Bombers. For more on combined no-hitters, click here.

June Feel Good Story

Mark Appel was the first overall pick (Astros)in the 2013 MLB draft – after a 10-4, 2.12 senior season at Stanford University. In four NCAA seasons, he had gone 28-14, with a 2.91 ERA and 372 strikeouts in 377 2/3 innings. In his junior and senior years, he went 20-6, 2.35, with 260 whiffs in 229 1/3 innings. In 2012, he was named the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year. Big things seemed right on the horizon.

Nine years, 123 minor-league appearances, a pair of shoulder injuries, elbow surgery, a three-year retirement from baseball and and a two-season comeback later, the thirty-year-old righty finally received the call to the big leagues (Philllies). At the time, he was 5-0, 1.61 as a reliever for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. On June 29, Appel made his MLB debut and recorded his first big-league strikeout – pitching a scoreless ninth innings in a 4-1 Phillies loss to the Braves. A lesson in perseverance for us all.

Now, That Was a Pretty Kuhl Surprise.

Rockies’ 29-year-old right-hander Chad Kuhl came into his June 27 start against the Dodgers with 97 MLB starts on his MLB resume (over six seasons (Pirates/Rockies). He had a 29-35, 4.38 career MLB record, a career average of five innings per start, no complete games – and the deepest he had gone in any 2022 start was 6 1/3 innings. He was starting for the last-place Rockies, against the first-place Dodgers. Kuhl came into the game 4-5, 3.95 on the season, while his mound opponent – Tyler Anderson – was 8-0, 3.00. To top it off, the game was being played in hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Well, Kuhl surprised a lot of people. He threw his first-ever MLB complete game and his first-ever MLB shutout. He held the powerful Dodgers to just three hits (no walks, five whiffs). Kuhl faced just 29 hitters and only one Dodger got as far as second base as the Rockies triumphed 4-0. It’s one cool game that Chad Kuhl will never forget.

Baseball Roundtable Extra

Philip Humber threw just one complete game in eight MLB seasons (2006-13 … Mets, Twins, Royals, White Sox, Astros). It came on April 21, 2012 for the White Sox – against the Mariners in Seattle – and it was a nine-strikeout perfect game. Humber was an unlikely candidate for a perfecto, he retired with a 16-23, 5.31 record, 14-21, 5.20 as a starter.

Three Is Company

On June 30, Pirates’ catcher Martin Perez, who came into the game against the Reds with a .129-3-6 stat line, enjoyed a four-for-four day, with three runs scored, five RBI … and three home runs. It was his first-ever MLB multi-home run contest (in 184 games over five seasons). Perez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning; another two-run shot in the sixth; and a solo home run in the eighth. The Pirates needed all his fireworks, as they topped the Brewers 8-7 in Pittsburgh.

Perez’ offensive outburst came just one day after Pirate CF Bryan Reynolds had a three-homer game (with three runs scored and six RBI) in another 8-7 Pirates win (this one over the Nationals in Washingon D.C. It was Reynolds’ second multi-homer game in 421 MLB games over four seasons.

Earlier in the month , on June 19, Pirates’ LF Jack Suwinski also recorded a three-home game (three runs scored, three RBI), as the Pirates topped the Giants 4-3 in Pittsburgh. Like Perez, it was the rookie outfielder’s first multi-homer game.

Together, Suwinski, Reynolds and Perez made the Pirates the first MLB team to have three players notch three-homer games in the same month.

——-Individual Statistical Leaders for June 2022———

AVERAGE (75 June at bats minimum)

National League – Garret Cooper, Marlins (.378); Josh Bell , Nationals (.358); Michael Harris, Braves (.347)

American League – Yordan Alvarez, Astros (.418); Amed Rosario, Guardians (360); Lourdes Gurriel, Blue Jays (.355)

The lowest April average (among players with at least 75 at bats in the month) belonged to the Mariners Adam Frazier at .144 (13-for-90).

HOME RUNS

National League – Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (12); Pete Alonso, Mets (9); five with 8

American League – Aaron Judge, Yankees (11); Anthony Rizzo, Yankees (10); Mike Trout, Angles (10)

The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez had the highest June slugging percentage (among players with at least 75 at bats) at .835. The NL leader was the Nationals Josh Bell at .695.

RUNS BATTED IN

National League –Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (27); Jake Cronenworth, Padres (24); Luke Voit, Padres (23)

American League – Yordan Alvarez, Astros (28); Austin Hays, Orioles (23); Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Blue Jays (22); Kyle Tucker, Astros (22)

Jake Cronenworth of the Padres and Brandon Nimmo of the Mets led MLB in being hit by a pitch in June, with six plunkings each.

HITS

National League – Dansby Swanson, Braves (37); Michael Harris, Braves (35); Trea Turner, Dodgers (35); Bryan Reynolds, Pirates (35)

American League – Amed Rosario, Guardians (41); Jose Abreu, White Sox (37); Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays (35)

The Astros’ Yordan Alvarez led MLB (players (with at least 75 June at bats) in on-base percentage at .510. The NL leader was the Nationals Josh Bell at .447.

DOUBLES

National League – Jake Cronenworth, Padres (12); Brandon Rogers, Rockies (10): Luke Voit, Padres (10)

American League – Jose Ramirez, Guardians (14); Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles (11); Andy Rutschman, Orioles (10); Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays (10); Luke Voit, Padres (10)

TRIPLES

National League – Jose Azocar, Padres (3); Harrison Bader, Cardinals (3); Didi Gregorius, Phillies (3)

American League – Seven with two

The Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle led MLB in June extra-base hits with 18. He had 12 singles, 11 doubles and seven home runs.

STOLEN BASES

National League – Jon Berti, Marlins (18); Tommy Edman, Cardinals (7); J.T. Realmuto, Phillies (6)

American League – Randy Arozarena, Rays (10): Dylan Moore, Mariners (7); five with six

The Marlins’ Jon Berti was 18-for-19 in steal attempts in June.

WALKS

National League – Juan Soto, Nationals (21); Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (19); Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (18); Connor Joe, Rockies (18)

American League – Jesse Winker, Mariners (23); DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (20): Shohei Ohtani, Angels (17); Yandy Diaz, Rays (17)

The Yankees’ Aaron Judge led MLB in June intentional walks with five.

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Christopher Morel, Cubs (42); Luke Voit, Padres (41); Mike Yastrzemski, Giants (36): Joe Suwinski, Pirates (36)

American League – Eugenio Suarez, Mariners (42); Brandon Marsh, Angels (38); Jorge Mateo, Orioles (32); Joey Gallo, Yankees (32)

PITCHING VICTORIES

National League – Kyle Wright, Braves (5-1); Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers (4-0); A.J. Minter, Braves (4-1)

American League – Jameson Taillon, Yankees (4-0); Tyler Wells, Orioles (4-0); Diego Castillo, Mariners (4-1); Logan Gilbert, Mariners (4-11); Alek Manoah, Blue Jays (4-1); Shohei Ohtani, Angels (4-1); Nick Pivetta, Red Sox (4-1); Ross Stripling, Blue Jays (4-1); Justin Verlander, Astros (4-1)

The Giants’ Madison Bumgarner led all pitches in June losses – going 1-5, 4.06 in six June starts. Just to show that life is not always fair, the Braves’ Ian Anderson went 3-2, with a 6.91 ERA.

EARNED RUN AVERAGE (at least 25 innings pitched)

National League – Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers (1.24); Carlos Rodon, Giants (1.25); Sandy Alcantara. Marlins (1.89)

American League – Dylan Cease, White Sox (0.33); Dean Kremer, Orioles (1.29); Shane McClanahan, Rays (1.36)

Among pitchers with at least 25 May innings, the Reds’ Mike Minor had the highest May ERA at 7.71 – going 1-4 in five starts.

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Charlie Morton, Braves (45 – 30 2/3 IP); Aaron Nola, Philllies (43 – 43 IP); Corbin Burners, Brewers (41 – 28 2/3 IP); Carlos Rodon, Giants (41 – 36 IP)

American League – Dylan Cease, White Sox (45 – 27 1/3 IP ); Jon Gray, Rangers (44 – 37 2/3 IP); Shane McClanahan, Rays (42 – 33 IP); Shane Bieber, Guardians (42 – 37 1/3 IP)

By comparison to the above leaders, the Orioles’ Tyler Wells went 4-0, 2.42 in five June starts and fanned just 15 batters in 26 innings.

SAVES

National League – Kenley Jansen, Braves (8); Josh Hader, Brewers (6); Tanner Rainey, Nationals (6); Tanner Scott, Marlins (6)

American League – Emmanuel Clase, Guardians (11); Clay Holmes, Yankees (8); Ryan Pressly, Astros (8)

AL June saves leader Emmanuel Clase was 11-for-11 in save opportunities with a 0.00 ERA in 14 appearances.

WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched – 25 innings minimum)

National League – Tony Gonsolin, Dodgers (0.72); Mike Mikolas, Cardinals (0.79); Aaron Nola, Phillies (0.83)

American League – Shane McClanahan, Rays (0.70); Justin Verlander, Astros (0.83); Yu Darvish, Padres (0.84)

BONUS STAT

Among pitchers with 25 May innings , the Dodgers Tony Gonsolin held opponents to the lowest June batting average (.141 )

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Of the season ended June 30,the post-season teams would be:

American League: Yankees, Astros, Twins. Wild Cards: Red Sox, Blue Jays Guardians.

Nationals League: Dodgers, Mets, Brewers; Wild Cards: Padres, Braves; Cardinals

——-Team Statistical Leaders Through June 2022 ———-

RUNS SCORED

National League – Dodgers (379); Cardinals (373); Phillies (370)

American League – Yankees (384); Red Sox (364); Blue Jays (361)

The fewest runs (through June) were scored by the Tigers – 222. The Pirates tallied the fewest runs in the NL at 282.

AVERAGE

National League – Rockies (.261); Mets (.256); Nationals (.254); Cardinals (.254)

American League – Red Sox (.261); Blue Jays (.257); White Sox (.253)

The lowest team average through June belonged to the A’s at at .212. The Diamondbacks were at the bottom of the NL at .215,

HOME RUNS

National League – Braves (116); Brewers (105); Phillies (99)

American League – Yankees (127); Astros (103); Blue Jays (101)

The Tigers had the fewest home runs through June at 42 – the only team under 50. The Nationals trailed the rest of the NL at 61.

The Braves led MLB in slugging percentage through June at .439 The Blue Jays led the AL at .435 .

STOLEN BASES

National League – Marlins (57); Cardinals (577); Dodgers (52)

American League – Rangers (62); Rays (53); Guardians (49)

The Twins stole the fewest sacks through June (13 in 23 attempts The Rockies were at the bottom of the NL with 14 in 26 attempts. The White Sox stole 35 bases through June and were caught just twice.

WALKS DRAWN

National League – Dodgers (287); Padres (275); Giants (274)

American League – Yankees (292); Mariners (285); Astros (264)

The Dodgers led MLB in on-base percentage through June at .328. The Red Sox led the AL at .326. The A’s had MLB’s lowest OBP through June at .274.

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League –Braves (729); Pirates (695); Brewers (689)

American League – Angels (735); Orioles (698); Mariners (667)

Guardians’ batters fanned the fewest times through June (509).

Earned Run Average

National League – Dodgers (2.98); Padres (3.48); Cardinals (3.77)

American League – Yankees (2.92); Astros (2.96); Rays (3.24)

Two teams had ERAs through June of 5.00 or higher – Reds (5.51); Nationals (5.10).

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Braves (741); Brewers (723); Mets (701)

American League – Yankees (703); White Sox (700); Rays (656)

The Braves averaged an MLB-best 9.73 strikeouts per nine innings through June. The White Sox averaged an AL-best 9.53.

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED

National League – Giants (192); Dodgers (193); Mets (224)

American League – Rays (192); Yankees (198); Blue Jays (205)

The Giants, Rays, Dodgers and Yankees each walked an MLB-lowest 2.6 batter per nine innings through June.

SAVES

National League – Brewers (31); Braves (26); Padres (26)

American League – Yankees (27); Astros (23); Blue Jays (23)

Bonus Stat

Only four pitching staffs gave up 100 or more home runs through June: Nationals (108); Reds (107); Cubs (107); and Mariners (102). By contrast, the Giants and Astros gave up an MLB-low 64 homers through June.

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Second Bonus:

The Mariners and Padres committed the fewest errors through June (28) and also tied for the top fielding percentage at .990. The Rockies committed an MLB-high 58 fielding miscues through June.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Elias Sports Bureau

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Astros Combine to No-Hit the Yankees … Again

June 26, 2022 by David

Yesterday (June 25, 2022), the Houston Astros no-hit the New York Yankees – using three pitchers:

Starter Cristian Javier went seven innings, walking one and fanning 13 – while tossing 115 pitches.
Hector Norris pitched one frame, walking two and fanning none.
Closer Ryan Pressly picked up a save with one inning pitched, no walks and two whiffs.

The game was tied 0-0 after six innings, with Yankee starter Gerrit Cole having given up just three hits, while walking two and fanning six. He added two strikeouts in the seventh, but gave up a home run to Astros rookie 1B J.J. Matijevic, who came into the game hitting just .091 with one home run in 11 MLB at bats. The Astros eventually own the contests 3-0. A few other notes:

Every member of the New York starting lineup fanned at least once and five members of the potent Yankees’ lineup went down on strikes at least twice: Giancarlo Stanton (three whiffs) and Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Donaldson and Aaron Hicks (twice each).
Only one Yankee got as far as second base in the contest. (Aaron Hicks reached 3B in the eighth).
At one point, Javier retired 17 straight batters, with the string broken on a Josh Donaldson error.
Notably, it was the first time that Yankees had been no-hit since June 11, 2003, when the Astros set an MLB record (tied in 2012 by the Mariners) by using six hurlers to complete a no-hitter.

Given today’s pitch count limits and relief specialist, as you might expect, combined no-hitters are on the rise. In MLB history there have been just 18 combined no hitters. Half of those have occurred since 2012 and fourteen of the eighteen have been achieved since sine 1990. Baseball-References.com notes Negro Leagues’ no-hitter stats have not yet been fully compiled/ integrated into MLB records. They are not included in this accounting.

Now, let’s take a look back at the previous 17 combined no hitters. Baseball Roundtable has presented this list before, so if it’s still fresh in your mind, you can skip this portion of the post.,

The First-Ever Combined No-Hitter – Babe Ruth Didn’t Hang Around Long

This took place on June 23, 1917 – with the Red Sox topping the Senators 4-0 in Boston. This game is special for several reasons:

It was the first MLB combined no-hitter;
Babe Ruth started on the mound;
It involved the most meager contribution by the starting pitcher (zero innings pitched- one batter faced); and
It is arguably the most “perfect” combined no-hitter ever.

Babe Ruth, at that time plying his trade as a left-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, opened the game by walking Washington’s lead-off hitter Roy Morgan. Ruth, and his catcher Pinch Thomas, took issue with umpire Brick Owens’ strike zone and, during the argument, Ruth made contact with the umpire (a glancing blow, it was reported). The ultimate result of the confrontation was the ejection of both Ruth and Thomas (with Ruth earning a $100 fine and ten-game suspension). Red Sox’ pitcher Ernie Shore was called in to replace Ruth and Sam Agnew took Thomas’ spot behind the plate. Morgan decided to test Agnew’s arm and was thrown out stealing, after which Shore retired the next 26 hitters in order – completing the first combined no-hitter within the minimum 27 total batters. Ruth, by the way, ended the season 24-13, with a 2.01 ERA and a league-leading 35 complete games in 38 starts.

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Second Combined No-Hitter – A Long Time A-comin’

Given the past propensity for pitchers finishing what they started, MLB’s second combined no-hitter came 50 seasons and 70 no-hitters later – on April 30, 1967, with the Tigers defeating the Orioles 2-1 in Baltimore. This combined no-hitter is unique because:

It was not a shutout.
The team that threw the no-hitter lost (the only combined no-hitter loss); and
It involved the briefest contribution by the relief staff (one pitcher/one-third inning pitched).

Orioles’ starter Steve Barber was effectively wild, walking ten hitters and hitting two in 8 2/3 innings. The opposing hurler was Detroit’s Earl Wilson – who matched goose eggs with Barber for seven innings. In the eighth, Baltimore pushed across a run on three walks and a sacrifice fly (Wilson gave up only two hits and four walks in his eight innings of work) and victory was there if Barber could take it. He didn’t. Barber walked Tigers’ 1B Norm Cash to start the ninth. He then walked SS Ray Oyler. Earl Wilson, a good-hitting pitcher, bunted the runners to second and third, before Barber got the second out of the inning, inducing PH Willie Horton to pop up to the catcher. Now, just one out away from a 1-0, no-hit win, Barber uncorked a wild pitch that brought the tying run home. He then walked CF Mickey Stanley, ending his day on the mound. Stu Miller came in to get the final out, but not until an error allowed the go-ahead run to score.

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Combined No-Hitter Number Three – Waiting Until the Last Possible Day

This no-hitter came on September 28, 1975, with the A’s topping the Angels 5-0 in Oakland. This game was unique in that:

It is one of only three no-hitters thrown on the final day of an MLB season;
It made starting pitcher Vida Blue the first hurler to take part in both a solo and combined no-hitter. (Blue had thrown a solo no-hitter on September 21, 1970.); and
It was the first time more than two pitchers were involved in a combined no-hitter.

Blue went five innings (two walks, two strikeouts) and was followed by Glenn Abbott (one inning,), Paul Lindblad (one inning, one whiff) and Rollie Fingers (two innings, two strikeouts). Note: Blue has been joined by Kevin Millwood, Kent Mercker and Mike Witt as pitchers with both solo and combined no-hitters.)

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Combined No-Hitter Number Four – Tea for Two

The next combined no-hitter went back to the two-pitcher formula, as Blue Moon Odom (five innings, nine walks, three strikeouts) and Francisco Barrios (four innings, two walks, two strikeouts) of the White Sox topped the A’s 2-1 in Oakland. In this July 28, 1976 game, Odom walked seven different players at least once in his five innings of work.

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Combined No-hitter Number Five – At Witt’s End

MLB’s fifth combined no-hitter came on April 11, 1990 (again just two pitchers), with the Angels topping the Mariners 1-0 in Anaheim. Mark Langston started the game and went seven (four walks, three strikeouts) and Mike Witt (the only pitcher to throw a perfect game – September 30, 1984 – and take part in a combined no-hitter ) threw the final two (two strikeouts.)

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1991 – The First “Year of the Combined No-Nos” (plural that is)

1991 saw seven MLB no-hitters, including two combined no-nos. On July 13, the Orioles no-hit the A’s 2-0 in Oakland behind Bob Milacki (who threw six no-hit innings – three walks/three whiffs) and was pulled after being hit by a Willie Wilson line drive. Mike Flanagan (one inning, one walk), Mark Williamson (one inning) and Gregg Olson (one inning, two strikeouts) finished up the no-no.

Then, on September 11, the Braves no-hit the Padres 1-0 in Atlanta, led by Kent Mercker (six innings, two walks, six strikeouts), Mark Wohlers (two innings) and Alejandro Pena (one inning). Greg Harris, who started for the Padres, threw a complete-game seven-hitter.

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Combined No-Hitter Number Eight – Working Overtime

Combined no-hitter number eight came on July 12, 1997 – with the Pirates topping the Astros 3-0 in Pittsburgh. It was unique in that it is:

The only extra-inning combined “no-no;” and
Made Francisco Cordova the (still) only pitcher to start a combined no-hitter by pitching nine full innings.

Francisco Cordova started and went nine hitless frames (two walks, ten whiffs) and Ricardo Rincon threw one hitless inning in relief (for the win).

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Combined No-Hitter Number Nine … Nearly the Whole Bullpen

The next combined no-hitter was a record breaker – as the then-National League Astros used a record six pitchers (since tied) to no-hit the Yankees 8-0 in an inter-league game at Yankee Stadium (the last no-hitter at Old Yankee Stadium). On June 11, 2003. Roy Oswalt started, but succumbed to a groin injury after just one completed inning (two strikeouts). Joining in the no-hitter were: Pete Munro (2 2/3 innings, three walks, two strikeouts ); Kirk Saarlos (1 1/3 innings, one strikeout); Brad Lidge (two innings, two strikeouts); Octavio Dotel (one inning, four strikeouts); and Billy Wagner (one inning, two whiffs).

Notably, the no-hitter also broke up the Yankee’s record streak of 6,980 games without being held hitless. They had not been held without a safety since September 20, 1958. The five relievers combined for eight innings pitched, with three walks and 11 strikeouts. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Yankees took the whitewashing well and that, when the Astros returned to the visiting clubhouse there was a bottle of champagne (courtesy of the Yankees) at each pitchers’ locker.

In the eighth inning of this game, Octavio Dotel recorded a four-whiff frame. He struck out Juan Rivera and Alfonso Soriano on three pitches each; fanned Derek Jeter on a 3-2 pitch only to see him awarded first base on catcher’s interference; and then got Jason Giambi on a 2-2 pitch. All four were swinging strikeouts.

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Combined No-Hitter Number Ten – Evening Up the Score

The very next combined no-hitter – another inter-league game – saw the six-pitcher record tied, as the Mariners topped the Dodgers 1-0 in Seattle on June 8, 2012. In addition, the AL evened up the score in combined inter-league no-hitters at one apiece. Kevin Millwood started that one (six innings, one walk, six strikeouts), followed by Charlie Furbush (2/3 inning, one strikeout), Stephen Pryor (1/3 inning, two walks, one strikeout), Lucas Luetge (1/3 inning), Brandon League (2/3 inning, one strikeout) and Tom Wilhelmsen (one inning).

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Combined No-Hitter Number 11 – The Fab Four

On September 1, 2014, the Phillies used four pitchers to no-hit the Braves 7-0 in Atlanta. The pitchers involved were Cole Hamels, who started and went six innings (issuing five walks versus seven strikeouts); Jake Diekman (one inning, two strikeouts); Ken Giles (one inning, three strikeouts); and Jonathan Papelbon (one inning, no strikeouts).

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Combined No-Hitter Number 12 – On New Turf

This one took place on May 4, 2018, as the Dodgers no-hit the Padres 4-0 in a regular-season MLB game played in Monterrey, Mexico – the first official MLB no-hitter ever thrown outside the United State or Canada.

Right-hander Walker Buehler started for the Dodgers, and the 23-year-old – making just his third major-league start (11th appearance) – went six innings (93 pitches), walking three and fanning eight. He was followed by relievers Tony Cingrani (one inning, two walks, one whiff); Yimi Garcia (one inning, no walks, two strikeouts) and Adam Libertore (one inning, no walks, two strikeouts). Buehler, by the way, also collected an unusual sixth-inning single – as his groundball hit base runner Alex Verdugo between first and second, resulting in Verdugo being called out (for the final out of the inning) and Buehler being credited with a single. That single, of course, meant Buehler outhit the entire Padres’ lineup.

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Combined No-hitter number 13 – A Lucky Number

Thirteen was a lucky number for the Angels. On July 12, 2019, their staff put together MLB’s 13th combined no-hitter and their offense scored 13 runs on 13 hits. Taylor Cole started the game (in the “opener” role) and pitched two clean frames with two strikeouts. Felix Pena the came on for the Halos and went seven innings (one walk, six strikeouts).

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Combined No Hitter Number 14 – An Unlikely Starter

On August 3, 2019, four Astros’ pitcher no-hit the Mariners 9-0 in Houston. Starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez seemed an unlikely hurler to start off a no-no – he came into the game with a 3-14, 6.07 record in 23 starts (with batters hitting .290 against him – a .382 on-base percentage). Sanchez shut down the Astros, walking two and fanning six over six no-hit innings, then giving way to Will Harris (one inning pitched, one walk); Joe Biagini (one inning pitched, one walk, one whiff); and Chris Devinski (one inning pitched, one strikeout).

It was, notably, the first appearance for the Astros for Sanchez and Biagini – both had been included in a Blue Jays/Astros trade on July 31 (Sanchez, Biagini and minor-leaguer Cal Stevenson for OF Derek Fisher). Thanks to this effort, 2019 became just the second season with two combined no-hitters.

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Combined No-Hitter Number 15 – Everyone Issued at least one Free pass

On June 24, 2021, the Chicago Cubs no-hit the Dodgers 4-0 in Los Angeles. Zach Davies started for the Cubs and went six innings, walking five and fanning four. He was followed by Ryan Tepera (one inning, one walk); Andrew Chafin (one inning, one walk); and closer Craig Kimbrel (one inning, one walk, three strikeouts). That these three should close out a no-no is no surprise, coming into the game their earned run averages, respectively, were 2.02, 1.72 and 0.61.

More Proof of that “In Baseball, We Count Everything.”

STATS, Inc. reported that this was the first no-hitter thrown against a lineup with three former MVP’s (Mookie Betts, Al Pujols, Cody Bellinger).

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Combined No-Hitter Number 16 – You’ve Been Burned

On September 11, 2021, Brewers’ ace right-hander Corbin Burnes faced off against the Indians in Cleveland. Burnes tossed eight innings of no-hit ball, before yielding the mound to southpaw reliever Josh Hader, who finished off the no-hitter with a 1-2-3 ninth. It was the ninth no-hitter of the 2021 season, breaking the MLB single-season record of eight (set back in 1884.)

Burnes tossed eight innings, walking one and fanning 14 – eleven swinging and three looking. He went to a three-ball count on just five batters and four of those struck out (Cleveland CF Myles Straw walked on a 3-1 pitch to open the seventh inning – the only Indians’ base runner in the game. Hader came on in the ninth and retired the Indians on nine pitches (two strikeouts and a foul pop.)

Here are a few tidbits about the Burnes-Hader no-no.

The Indians became the first team to be no-hit three times in a single season.
Burnes became just the third pitcher in (American League / National League) to be pulled to open the ninth inning after eight hitless frames (Elias Sports Bureau).
It was the record seventh no-hitter thrown on the road in a season (an MLB single-season record – although 2021 already had the record at six).

____________________________________________

Combined No-Hitter Number 17 … 159 Pitches

On April 29, 2022, five Mets’ pitchers combined to no-hit the Phillies (in New York), as the Metropolitans triumphed 3-0. Tyler Megill started the game and went five innings (three walks, five whiffs), picking up the win. He as followed by Drew Smith, who faced five batters, walking one and fanning four); Joely Rodriguez (one inning pitched, two walks); Seth Lugo (2/3 of an inning); and Edwin Diaz, who fanned the side on 13 pitches in the ninth to save the game and the no-no.

It was just the second no-hitter (by the Mets) in Mets’ ‘history.
The five pitchers used was just one shy of the record for a no-hitter.
The Mets’ pitchers threw 159 pitches (98 strikes), the most pitches in a no-hitter since accurate pitch counts began in the late 1980s.
It was the 20th no-hitter tossed against the Phillies – tied for the most against any franchise in MLB history (per the Elias Sports Bureau).

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Elias Sports Bureau

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Not Even Mother Nature Can Stop Austin Hays … and other MLB Cycle Tidbits

June 23, 2022 by David

In yesterday’s (June 22) Orioles/Nationals contest (at Camden Yards) – won by the Orioles 7-0 – Baltimore leadoff hitter and CF Austin Hays completed the fourth MLB cycle in 2022 and the third this month. And, he did it in a game shortened to six innings by weather (one hour and 46 minutes of rain delays).

Hays singled and scored leading off the first inning; homered leading off the third; tripled in the fourth; and hit a two-run double in the sixth and final inning. Hays saw a total of nine pitches in his four at bats, ending the rainy evening four-for-four, with three runs, three RBI and ten total bases. Not a bad night’s work. The cycle balanced out Hays’ previous night’s performance, when he went zero-for-four with four strikeouts as the Orioles lost to the Nationals 3-0. On the season, Hays is .287-10-40.

Fastest Cycle Ever

Now, for those who like to know such things, Hays’ six-inning cycle is not the fastest ever, The yellow Jersey for MLB cycles belongs to the Rockies’ Mike Lansing, who – on June 18, 2000 – completed a cycle in just four innings. Notably, Lansing was consistently behind in the counts and three of his four hits came with two strikes.

Lansing, hitting second in the order, hit an RBI triple to right in the first inning (getting the most difficult leg of the cycle out of the way ) on a 1-2 pitch; added a two-run home run (0-1 pitch) in the bottom of the second; hit a two-run double (2-2 pitch) in the bottom of the third (as the Rockies scored nine times to take a 14-1 lead); and then completed the cycle with a single (another 1-2 offering) to right in the fourth. Lansing then struck out in the sixth, before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth. Lansing ended the day four-for-five, with three runs scored and five RBI, as the Rockies torched the Diamondbacks 19-2 in Denver.

In addition to his fastest-ever cycle, Lansing shares the record for the most home runs in an inning (two). On May 7, 1997, he hit a two-run and three-run homer in a 13-run sixth inning as the Expos topped the Giants 19-3 in San Francisco. That was his best season in the majors, as he hit .281 and recorded his career highs in home runs (20), RBI (70) and doubles (45).

It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night … Longest Cycle Ever

The Expos’ Tim Foli is the only player to start a cycle one day and complete it the next. On April 21, 1976, Foli collected a single, double and triple in a contest against the Cubbies that was suspended (pre-Wrigley lights) in the top of the seventh due to darkness. When play resumed the following day, Foli added an eighth-inning home run. (The Expos prevailed 12-6.)

Hot Damon … Nearly a Cycle … in the First Inning

One of my favorite stories to share focuses on the night Johnny Damon almost completed a cycle – in the first inning of a 25-8 Red Sox win over the Marlins. On June 27, 2003, Damon was playing CF and leading off for the Red Sox – as they took on the Marlins in Boston. In a start that brought Boston fans up out of their seats, Damon was three-fourths of the way to the cycle before the 14-run Boston first inning was over. Damon’s performance also made him just one of five MLB players to collect three hits in an inning. If this kind of fact interests you, each of the four other players to achieve a three-hit frame did it in the seventh inning of their contests.

Damon ended his game five-for-seven, with three runs scored, three RBI, a double, a triple and three singles. He, unfortunately, did not get the cycle despite his fast start.

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

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Baseball Roundtable Visits Nationals Park

June 23, 2022 by David

Just returned from a ten-day vacation in Maryland, so I am a couple days late on this post – which relates to my experience at Nationals Park, the 31^st major-league ballpark I have visited (some of which, of course, no longer exist) since attending my first-ever MLB game and Milwaukee’s Country Stadium in 1953. Side note: I was at Nationals Park on Saturday June 18; spent Father’s Day with my daughter on Sunday; flew back to Minnesota on Monday; and relaxed by taking in “Top Gun: Maverick” at the bargain movies on Tuesday. (Life can’t quite be all baseball.)

Before I get a brief review of Nationals Park a bit about the game. As noted, I was there on Saturday, June 18 – with the Nationals hosting the Phillies, I wasn’t expecting a very competitive contest. The Phillies were on a four-game winning streak, had won eight of their past ten and had been 14-2 since June 1, The Nationals were headed in the opposite direction, coming into the game on a seven-game losing streak and 5-12 since June 1. On the hill for the Phillies was veteran righty Aaron Nola – 4-4, 3.42 on the season, but 4-0, 2.45 over his last four starts. For the Nationals it was righthander Josiah Gray in his second big-league season, with a 6-4, 4.33 record on the season.

In the first inning, it appeared the Phillies might dominate: a one-out single by SS Didi Gregorius; a two-out hit-by-pitch (C J.T. Realmuto); and a two-out walk to CF Odubel Herrera loaded the bases. At this point, Gray had thrown 19 pitches – 11 out of the strike zone. Gray toughened up and stuck out 1B Alex Bohm swinging (on five pitches) and, from that point, it was game on.

After that first inning, Gray pitched five scoreless frames, giving up no hits and just one walk (three whiffs) in those frames. Phillies starter Nola was even batter, working eight scoreless innings – four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts. The game was 1-0 Phillies after 8 1/2 innings, with the only scoring coming on a home run by number-nine hitter 3B Yadier Munoz (his second of the season). The Phillies brought Brad Hand in for the save, but the Nationals used a walk, a ground out (with the runner advancing) and a single by PH Lane Thomas to tie it up. The Phillies scored the “gifted runner” in the top of the tenth on a single by pinch hitter Rhys Hoskins (pinch hitters made the managers look good that day). The Phils went on to load the bases with one out, but did not score again. A 1-2-3- bottom of the tenth by reliever Seranthony Dominguez gave the Phillies the win.

My Scorecard Blank in the Tenth

My scorecard went blank in the top of the tenth inning. (Maybe it’s just old school, but I refuse to recognize a gifted runner on my scorecard.)

Now, a bit about the Nationals Park experience. Normally, I see at least a couple of games at parks I comment on (usually as part of a Ballpark Tours adventure). This, however, was a one-game visit, so the commentary will be a bit shorter than in the past.

First, getting to the ball park. Despite its urban location, access – once you got near the park – was not difficult (the freeways leading to the area were another story). Traffic, with the assist of police officers at intersections, move fairly well. Parking, however, is expensive (we paid $40 to part about two blocks from the ballpark, which seemed to be a common rate nearby). There is, however, good Metro service to the area (the Navy Yard Station is just a block away from the ballpark). If you want to add to your experience, there also is water taxi service from Old Town to Diamond League Pier (directly across from the ballyard).

Pre-Game Meeting

Nationals Park is located in the Capitol Riverfront area near the Navy Yard – and, if you arrive early (I’d suggest it) you will find ample opportunities for pre-game food, libations and entertainment.

A particularly promising pre-game meeting spot is The Bullpen – a stone’s (or baseball’s) throw from the ballpark. This enclosed, but outdoor, venue offers music, adult beverages and food trucks – in a loud and lively atmosphere. If you want something a bit more subdued, there are plenty of alternatives nearby.

The Ballpark

One thing to note about Nationals Park: It does not pay homage to innovative or even eye-catching architecture. There really are no architectural features that will grab your attention. It is a ballpark, pure and simple. That understood, the sight lines are good, the seating and aisles are well-placed, there are ample restrooms and moving about the park (and finding what you may be looking for) is easy. It’s a good place to watch a ballgame. Now for a few more specifics.

The ballpark has six entry gates (not counting the media and suite gate) and it is well set up to handle ticket holders efficiently. The day we were there, the attendance topped 42,000 and there were no long lines or delays getting into the park. If you enter through the Home Plate Gate, you can take in the nearby bronze statues of Josh Gibson, Frank Howard and Walter Johnson.

Once inside, I’d recommend walking the wide main concourse — which conveniently is open all the way around the field of play. You can take in the tributes to the heroes of Washington D.C. baseball past and present (Nationals, Senators and Expos) as well as murals acknowledging current Nationals players.

While walking the concourse, I came across the Family Picnic Area (Right Field, Sections 142) – a fan- and family-friendly spot with picnic tables available on a first-come/first-serve bases.

A tour of the concourse will also give you a chance to check out the wide array of concessions – you’ll find everything from traditional ballpark fair (sausages, burgers, pizza) to options like lobster rolls, barbeque and even freshly shucked oysters. For dessert? There’s everything from soft-serve ice cream to Dippin’ Dots to gelati to funnel cakes. Among the concessions recommended by the locals I talked to were: Ben’s Chili Bowl … the “Half Smoke,” a quarter-pound sausage of half beef/half pork smothered in Ben’s special-recipe chili; Medium Rare … steak, fries and secret sauce smashed in a toasted bun; Haute Dog and Fries … hot dogs with lots of creative topping combinations; and Jimmy’s Famous Seafood) … shrimp and crab cake rolls and “Crabby Dogs.”.

I went with the Shrimp Roll from Jimmy’s Famous Seafood … and it was a solid choice. A just right sauce and lots of jumbo shrimp. The shrimp reminded from a line in The Big Bang Theory about casino cocktail shrimp the size of a baby’s arm. When it comes to food options, Nationals Park rates high. I did not visit any of the “sit-down” locations.

As always, I am including a Bloody Mary review in my commentary on the ballpark. The Nationals could do a little work here. I stopped first at the District of Cocktails, but they were out of Bloody Mary mix (and this was pre-game). I did get a Bloody Mary at the Center Field Cocktail Counter. It was basically one carefully measured shot of vodka topped with bottled mix, not high on my list. On the flip side, for beer lovers, there are multiple District Drafts locations with plenty of solid craft beer options. In addition, there are the Devils Backbone Left Field Lodge, Budweiser Terrace Bar and Budweiser Brew House … comfortable places to gather and share an adult beverage.

The fans at Nationals Park were active, involved and friendly (and some I talked to still hold a “Bryce Harper Grudge”). I enjoyed the sea of waving red when the Nationals’ announcer called for fans to wave their caps between innings. As usual (in all my recent ballpark visits), cell phones and selfies outnumbered scorecards. Plenty of fans displayed the Nationals “colors” on jerseys (Strasburg jerseys were the most prevalent), t-shirts and hats and there was also a strong (and loud) Phillies contingent in the stands.

BetMGM Sportsbook

Okay I did not go in, but the Nationals partnered with BetMGM to open the first sportsbook at (connected to) an MLB stadium. The keyword here is “at” as opposed to “in.” Inside the sportsbook location (just outside of Nationals Park’s center field gate), there are 40 television, a bar (with pub food) and multiple betting windows and kiosks. While fans don’t have access to the sportsbook facility while in the stadium (remember that “at” not “in” distinction) they, are able to bet from their seats using the BetMGM app. The app can be used to make wagers within a two-block radius of Nationals Park

In a statement earlier this year, Lerner Sports Group Chief Operating Officer Alan Gottlieb said “The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park represents the newest way in which we are providing our fans with the best experiences in sports and entertainment. Upon its opening, the Sportsbook immediately becomes one of the neighborhood’s premier venues for the savvy bettor and casual fan to watch the top events in an upscale and electric atmosphere.”

(Hmmm! Not sure how I feel about this, would love to hear from readers.)

Okay, I hate to be picky, but I did find one significant (for me) shortcoming). The Nationals sell a scorecard for one dollar. It is a stiff paper scorecard, the size of an 8 ½ x 11 inch piece of paper folded in half. Not a lot of room for notations, but more important – there is no listing of the players or numbers . (It doe include scoring tutorial on the bag cover.)

Finally, when you leave the park, you may want to stop by one of the local food and drink establishments to left the crowds and traffic disperse. We stopped long enough for one libation and our drive away from the park was painless.

So, there is a look at Nationals Park. As noted, there are no spectacular architectural features or views – no McCovey Cove, no Roberto Clemente Bridge, no Green Monster, no fountains beyond right field. However, it is a fan-friendly ballpark with good sight lines, a wide concourse and plenty of concession offerings.

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Baseball Roundtable Looks at Immaculate Innings

June 16, 2022 by David

Yesterday (June 15, 2022), Astros’ moundsmen Luis Garcia and Phil Maton pitched their way into the record books. The two Houston hurlers each tossed an “Immaculate Inning” … an inning facing just three batters and fanning the side on nine pitches. In these days of relief specialists, 100-mph fastballs and free swingers looking for the long ball, an Immaculate Inning is far less rare than it used to be (there were none in the 1930s and 1940s). It’s been accomplished more than 100 times. Garcia and Maton, however, were part of the first game in which two pitchers each tossed an Immaculate Inning and, of course, also will go down as the first two teammates to toss an Immaculate Inning in the same game.

The double Immaculate Innings game was rendered even more unique by the fact that the same three Rangers’ batters were the strikeout victims in both innings – Rangers’ 1B Nathaniel Lowe, 2B Ezequiel Duran and 3B Brad Miller (the 6-7-8 hitters in the Texas lineup).

As always, with Baseball Roundtable, one things leads to another. So, let’s take a look at some Immaculate Innings tidbits.

Note: The above chart is for the National and American Leagues. Also, in researching for this post, I did find some discrepancies among trusted sources – and I have worked to resolve those wherever possible (relying on multiple sources for confirmation, checking box scores, etc.)

Immaculate Innings – What’s that?

Only two teams have never recorded an immaculate inning, and both can trace their roots back to Washington D.C. The Washington Senators/Minnesota Twins and the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers. The Dodgers, Astros, and Yankees lead MLB with nine Immaculate Innings each. Here are the pitchers who tossed Immaculate Innings for those leading teams:

Dodgers: Pat Ragan (1914); Dazzy Vance (1924); Sandy Koufax (1962, 1963, 1964); Todd Worrell (1995); Kenley Jansen (2017); Zac Rosscup (2018); Max Scherzer (2021).

Astros/Colt .45s: Bob Bruce (1964); Pete Harnisch (1991); Mike Magnante (1997); Randy Johnson (1998); Shane Reynolds (1999); Brandon Backe (2004); Will Harris (2019); Luis Garcia (2022); Phil Maton (2022).

Yankees: Al Downing (1967); Ron Guidry (1984); A.J. Burnett (2009); Ivan Nova (2013); Brandon McCarthy (2014); Dellin Betances (2017); Michael King (2021); Chad Green (2021); Nestor Cortes (2022).

The Third Time’s the Charm.

While “Immaculate Innings” are indeed becoming less rare, multiple Immaculate Innings remain pretty unique. Only three MLB pitchers have recorded three immaculate innings in a career – Sandy Koufax (all with the Dodgers); Chris Sale (all with the Red Sox); and Max Scherzer (Nationals and Dodgers).

Three pitchers recorded two Immaculate Innings during their careers: Lefty Grove – who did it for the Athletics; Nolan Ryan – Mets and Angels; and Randy Johnson – Astros (NL) and Diamondbacks.

Nolan Ryan is the only pitcher to throw an immaculate inning in both the AL and NL.

Two pitchers have recorded two Immaculate Innings in one season: Lefty Grove Athletics (1928) and Chris Sale (2019).

Immaculate on the Big Stage.

The only pitcher to throw a nine-pitch, three-strikeout inning in the World Series is the Royals’ Danny Jackson. On October 24, 1985, Jackson started Game Five of the Series against the Cardinals. He threw a complete-game, five-hitter in beating the Redbirds 6-1. He walked three and struck out five, including 3B Terry Pendelton, C Tom Nieto and PH Brian Harper on nine pitches in the seventh inning. Jackson had gone 14-12, 3.42 in the regular season He had taken the loss in Game One of the Series, despite giving up only two runs (four hits, two walks, seven strikeouts) in seven innings. His Game-Five win pulled the Royals to 3-2. They eventually won the series four games to three.

Just Give Me a Little More time and I can Do it.

There have been only two immaculate innings tossed in an extra inning.

Sloppy Thurston for the White Sox, August 22, 1923 … Thurston, who came on in the 11th inning, threw an immaculate 12th before giving up a run in the 13th and taking the loss in a 3-2 Athletics victory.

Juan Perez, Phillies, July 8, 2011 … Perez came on (against the Braves) in the top of the tenth of a 2-2 game and fanned the side. The Phillies scored on a Raul Ibanez’ HR in the bottom of the inning to give Perez the win.

Nine pitches and Done for the Day.

Here’s a list of pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning while facing only three batters in a game – in the ninth inning unless otherwise noted:

Jim Bunning, Tigers … August 2, 1959

Doug Jones, Brewers … September 23, 1977

Pedro Borbon, Reds … June 23, 1979

Jeff Montgomery, Royals … April 29, 1990

Stan Belinda, Royals … August 6, 1994

Todd Worrell, Dodgers … August 13, 1995

Ugueth Urbina, Expos … April 4, 2000

Jason Isringhausen, Cardinals …. April 13, 2002

Rafael Soriano, Rays … August 23, 2010

Juan Perez, Phillies, 10th inning … July 8, 2011

Steve Delabar, Blue Jays, 8th inning … July 30, 2013

Rex Brothers, Rockies, 8th inning… June 14, 2014

Sergio Casilla, Giants … May 7, 2015

Drew Storen, Reds … April 18, 2017

Zac Rosscup, Dodgers … August 19, 2018

Josh Hader, Brewers … March 30, 2019

Chris Martin, Braves, 7th inning … September 11, 2019

Will Harris, Astros, 8th inning … September 27, 2019

Kyle Finnegan, Nationals, 6th inning … May 5, 2021

Phil Maton, Astros, 7th inning …. June 15, 2022

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

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Joe Wilhoit … One of Baseball’s Greatest Comebacks

June 14, 2022 by David

Joe Wilhoit. Photo: Public Domain via WikiCommons

Today seems like an appropriate time to revisit one of professional baseball greatest comebacks. In 1919, Wichita Jobbers’ outfielder Joe Wilhoit’s professional baseball career appeared to be “down and out.” In fact, it was a moral victory and, perhaps, a morale booster, when he beat out an infield single in the first inning of a game played on this date (June 14) in the 1919 Western League season. Wilhoit, a former major leaguer who had appeared in the World Series just two years before, found himself playing in the low minor leagues (Class A) and struggling to hit his weight (the 6’ 2”, 175-pounder was hitting just .198 at the time). Little did Wilhoit realize that his scratch hit would start a comeback that stretched all the way to the Boston Red Sox and the baseball record books. But, I’m getting ahead of myself here. Let’s take a look at Joe Wilhoit’s baseball journey.

Wilhoit, a “plus” outfield defender got a late start on his professional career (after attending DePaul University), but seemed destined to make the most of it. In 1916, at age 30, he was signed by the National League Boston Braves after hitting a combined .323 in three minor-league seasons (394 games).

Note: Wilhoit did play semi-pro ball while at DePaul and “late start” may be a misnomer, as Wilhoit’s year of birth – listed as 1885 in the Baseball Encyclopedia – has been noted as being as late as 1891 in other sources.

On Opening Day 1916, Wilhoit found himself batting third and playing RF for the Boston club – going 0-for-3, but driving in a run on a sacrifice fly as the Braves won 5-1 over Brooklyn. Major-league pitching proved tough to handle for Wilhoit, who managed just four hits in 31 at bats in his first month in the big leagues. He finished his rookie season hitting .230, with two homers, 28 RBI and 18 steals in 116 games.

The following year, Wilhoit truly “hit the road.” He started the season with the Braves, hitting .274 in 54 games. Then in late July, the Braves let him go (for the waiver price) to the Pirates, where he played in just nine games (getting two hits in 10 at bats) before moving on again (on August 5) in another waiver move, this time to the contending New York Giants. Wilhoit seemed to finally find his stroke, finishing up the season by hitting .340 in 34 games (17-for-50) with the Giants. He even got into two games in the World Series (as a pinch hitter) – lining into a double play in the eighth inning of Game Two and drawing a walk in the fifth inning of Game Six. In 1918, however, he was unable to repeat his late 1917 magic and he got into just 64 games for the Giants, hitting .274, with no home runs and 15 RBI.

In 1919, the downward slide became steeper, as Wilhoit started the year with the Seattle Raniers of the Pacific Coast League, where he was hitting just .164 after 17 games. Next stop on the slide was Wichita of the Class-A Western League, where (as noted earlier in this post) Joe’s hitting woes continued – until that June 14, 1919, infield single.

From that moment forward, Joe Wilhoit embarked on an unbelievable – and still unmatched – hitting streak. From June 14 to August 19, Wilhoit hit in a professional baseball record 69 consecutive games. During the streak, Wilhoit had 50 multi-hit games, compiled a .515 batting average (153 for 297), and collected 37 extra base hits (four home runs, nine triples and 24 doubles). Wilhoit ultimately led the Western League in batting average at .422 – collecting 222 hits in 128 games. Side note: Some sources indicate Wilhoit went 153-for-299 during the streak (a .512 average).

The biggest mid-streak threat came in game 62 (the first game of an August 14 double header) at Omaha. Wilhoit was hitless after nine innings – and with the score tied 3-3 in the Omaha half of the ninth, the potential winning (and streak-ending) run was thrown out at the plate. Wilhoit, given new life, continued the streak in style, with a game-winning two-run home run in the 11^th inning.

The streak finally ended (at 69 games) on August 20, with Wichita playing Tulsa in Wichita. Wilhoit came to the plate four times and and recorded a strikeout, fly out and ground out, before drawing an unpopular walk in his final trip to the plate. The home town fans reportedly gave Joe a long ovation and passed hats through the stands – collecting more than $600 for the popular outfielder (the average monthly pay in Class A at the time was around $200).

Wilhoit’s comeback earned him a return ticket to the major leagues, where he went 6-for-18 (.333) with five walks in six games with the Boston Red Sox. Despite the late season look, Wilhoit was back in the minors in 1920, hitting .300 at AA Toledo. From there, it was three seasons at Salt Lake City of the Pacific Coast League – where he hit .339, .317 and .360, before retiring from baseball. Wilhoit died of lung cancer in 1930.

Joe Wilhoit stats: Major Leagues – four seasons (283 games), .257-3-74, with 93 runs scored and 28 steals; Minor Leagues – eight seasons (1,101 games), .336, with 33 home runs and 26 steals.

To this day, the longest hitting streak in baseball history belongs to a guy named Joe – and it’s not DiMaggio.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; JoeWilhoit.com; “Where Have You Gone, Joe Wilhoit?”, by John Zant, Santa Barbara Independent, August 11, 2009; Joe Wilhoit bio, by Bob Rives, Society for American Baseball Research.

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