David, Author at Baseball Roundtable

Guest Post … Looking at Some Top Baseball Walk-Up/Walk-In Tunes

August 24, 2022 by David

GUEST POST

Baseball Roundtable is pleased to present this guest post from Paul Hall, who operates the popular Little Ballparks blog (LittleBallparks.com); covering diverse baseball and softball topics – ranging from “Why do Baseball Games Start at Odd times?” to “Best Baseball Board Games” to “Best Baseball Radar Guns” (and a lots of topics in between). If you want something that may spark a little debate, you might try “The Most Important Position in Baseball,” in which Hall share his view on baseball’s most and least important positions. Here’s a link to that post.

In this guest post, Hall looks at his favorite Walk-Up/Walk-In songs.

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My Favorite baseball Walk-Up Songs

Guest Post

By Paul Hall

Enter Sandman – Metallica

Photo by Keith Allison

My mind is so infected with baseball that, more often than not, the first association when hearing some song is the player who uses it as a walk-up song.

Among all those songs and players, no mental connection is stronger than the one between Metallica’s Enter Sandman and Yankees’ icon Mariano Rivera.

It’s come to the point that it’s impossible for me to hear that long-building Kirk Hammet guitar intro and not picture Rivera coming out the bullpen and slowly jogging towards the mound.

I had the good fortune to attend a couple of Yankees games in the early days and witness the crowd go crazy for Rivera. To this day, the old Yankee Stadium, as Mariano came in to the intro of Enter Sandman, is for sure the loudest place I’ve ever been. Surely louder than any rock concert.

At these moments, it was hard not to feel for the opposing batters. It’s not enough that you have to face probably the best closer ever, but he comes out to the field accompanied by one of the most menacing songs ever.

Big Poppa – The Notorious B.I.G

Photo by Keith Allison

Big Poppa is hugely popular and used as a walk-up song by a number of players. However, this is another number that will forever in my mind be connected with just one player.

Moreover, because of that player, it’s a walk-up song that’s particularly near and dear to my heart. “Big Papi” David Ortiz is one of my favorite players ever, even though I’m the farthest a man can be from a Red Sox fan.

He just had something special about him and the swagger he played and carried himself with made this classic rap banger a perfect fit for his character.

The slow and groovy jam seemed to perfectly capture the essence of Ortiz as a player and as a public persona.

Other players, even some rather prominent ones such as CC Sabathia, also used this song as they walked up on the field. Still, I feel that none of them managed to own it in the way Big Papi did.

Can’t Stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers

As a boy ( and as an adult, to be honest), I used to spend countless hours dreaming about playing in the MLB. A fair share of that daydreaming went to thinking about what would be my walk-up song if I ever got a chance to step onto the Major-League field. I considered literally hundreds of songs, but it always came down to the same one – Can’t Stop by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

It’s one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands and it has everything a good walk-up song should have. The song checks all the boxes – upbeat intro, rhythm bursting with energy, immaculate vibe, catchy melody, and inspiring lyrics.

Plus, it’s played by probably some of the coolest dudes on the planet. So, it’s no wonder that plenty of players, including All-Stars such as Anthony Rizzo, love to have Can’t Stop blasting through the loudest baseball speakers as they enter the game.

Careless Whisper – Wham

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

I’ve always loved players who didn’t take themselves too seriously. Players who knew how to have fun, and made jokes at their own expense. And, what better way to prove you’re all this than choosing one of the corniest songs ever as your walk-up song?

The 80s classic, Careless Whisper, is in many ways, the opposite of what a walk-up song should be. With its sensual saxophone intro, slow-dance atmosphere, and romantic lyricist, the song would be better fitting for a beauty pageant or a cheesy nightclub than a baseball field.

Still, some players, such as Josh Reddick, embraced the irony and managed to make it one of the greatest walk-up songs ever. It even came to the point that fans began carrying their own prop saxophones to the games.

However, despite all of the above, I feel that there’s another perspective to this.

When a player chooses Careless Whisper, in my eyes, he’s a total bad-ass who doesn’t care about looking cool and his only worry is how to annihilate the opponents.

Halloween Theme – John Carpenter

Photo: Johnmaxmena2, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the things I enjoy the most is when baseball goes beyond the boundaries of sport and intersects with popular culture. Choosing a movie theme as your walk-up song certainly falls into this category. These songs don’t just draw from the sound, but also have another layer of meaning that’s familiar to every movie buff.

Obviously, Mike Mayers, a former Cardinals’ (current Angels) pitcher, didn’t have to think too hard when choosing his walk-up song. (Those of you familiar with the Halloween movie franchise movie villain will recognize that Mayers only had to add a vowel.)

He may not have reached the star level of others in this post, but Mayers certainly has a “household” name and his choice of walk-in music readily leans into the notoriety of his namesake from the Halloween franchise.

Now, Mayers has not reached the level of intimation attributed to many of today’s relievers. Nevertheless, I certainly wouldn’t want to be in the batter’s shoes when he comes out of the bullpen to the sound that used to announce the arrival of one of the scariest villains in movie history.

God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash

Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Although I’m all for peace and love on the baseball field, I love when things get a little dark. Without it, it’s difficult to achieve the much-needed intimidation factor of the walk-up song. Besides pumping up the player and the crowd, the song should also send chills down the spines of opposing players. That’s probably why pitchers like Cody Allen and Drew Storen (among others) have taken the mound to this Cash tune.

And, it’s hard to think of anyone better for sending a chill down the spine than the Man in Black himself. Hearing Johnny Cash’s harrowing lyrics, accompanied by the dark country twang and stomp-clap beat, is enough to creep me out even when I’m sitting safely at home.

I can only imagine how intimidated the players may feel when they hear the words “You can run on for a long time/Sooner or later God’ll cut you down” as their opponent steps onto the field.

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About Post Author Paul Hall

Throughout his whole life, Paul Hall has been, in one way or the other, involved in baseball.

Growing up in a baseball-obsessed family, he caught the bug early from his father and spent countless hours playing and watching the game, dreaming of making it big. Even though his playing career ended in high school, Paul never veered too far from the baseball field.

Over the last 25 or so years, he has traveled the country, trying to visit as many ballparks as possible and talk baseball with fellow enthusiasts.

Paul even managed to combine baseball with his other passion, writing, and runs a blog at littleballparks.com, providing a helpful resource for everyone looking for useful and actionable information about the game.

The blog covers a wide range of topics, including how-to guides, explanations of niche baseball slang, recommendations for the best baseball gear, and fun trivia articles.

Recent posts include diverse subjects such as Why Do Baseball Players Wear Arm Sleeves, USA vs USSSA Bats, How Much Does A Baseball Weigh, and How Much Money Does A Baseball Stadium Make Per Game.

Baseball Roundtable Q&A with Paul Hall

Q: Why did you decide to start a baseball blog?

A: In my group of friends, I was always known as “the baseball guy.” Any time anyone had a question about baseball, they would turn to me for an answer, as they knew I was a living encyclopedia of weird baseball facts and obscure game rules.

As much as I love talking about baseball and as much as I love my friends, this can get tiring after a while.

So, I decided to create a one-stop spot for everyone who might have similar questions and gather all my knowledge in one place.

Q: What positions did you play in Little League and High School?

A: Initially, I roamed around and played every position except the catcher.

However, as I grew older, I got rather tall, so the coach would usually put me on first base. I remained at first base throughout high school, when my competitive baseball career ended. I like to think that it was due to the incompetence of college scouts, but it probably had more to do with the lack of talent.

Q: How many ballparks have you been to?

A: By my account, I have visited 17 MLB ballparks and almost 60 Minor-League fields.

Of course, some of them are no longer in use, and it makes me happy that I was able to make my pilgrimage there while they were still active.

The first stadium I visited and the site of the first ballgame I saw in person was the old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. My father took me to the Opening Day of the 1985 season, and we watched the Tigers beat the Indians.

I don’t remember much from the game except how enamored I was with the atmosphere, and that the pitcher for the Tigers was my childhood hero and still one of my favorite players ever, Jack Morris.

Out of current MLB stadiums, I would like to visit the “new” ballpark in Atlanta and the Marlins’ stadium in Miami next.

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Baseball Roundtable, blogging baseball since 2012.

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Perfect Games Lost At the Last possible Moment – Two Outs in the Ninth (or later)

August 15, 2022 by David

In recognition of the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen’s loss of a perfect game in the ninth inning (yesterday), Baseball Roundtable revisits perfect games lost at the last possible moment – with two outs in the ninth innings (or later). But first a look at Rasmussen’s near-perfecto.

Drew Rasmussen pitched a gem – taking a perfect game into the ninth inning in just his 30th major-league start (67th MLB appearance in three seasons). Rasmussen reached the ninth inning (against the Orioles in Tampa) having retired the first 24 Orioles to come to the plate on a total of 79 pitches (56 strikes). Six Orioles had gone down on strikes.

In the top of the eighth, Rasmussen had retired the Orioles on two ground outs and a strikeout, but had needed 16 pitches to record the three outs (the most pitches he had thrown in any inning of the game). Over the first seven innings, he had needed more than ten pitches to the retire the Birds in just one frame (12 in the second). Despite striking out, Orioles’ 2B Rougned Odor had make Rasmussen work – with an eight-pitch at bat in the eighth (the longest Orioles’ at bat of the contest).

Orioles’ SS Jorge Mateo, who came into the game hitting .231, put an end t0 the suspense by hitting Rasmussen’s first pitch in the ninth for a double to left. Rasmussen, till working toward his first MLB complete game and first MLB shutout, then got PH Terrin Vavra on a ground out (second-to-first), with Mateo moving to third. Next up was Brett Phillips. With the count 1-2, Rasmussen tossed a wild pitch for ball two, with Mateo scoring form third. Two pitches later, Phillips swung and missed (for strike three) on another wild pitch, but gained first base. And that ended Rasmussen’s day. After eight perfect frames, no perfecto, no no-hitter, no shutout, no complete game – but his seventh win (four losses) on the season.

Now a look at Perfect Games lost with two outs in the ninth or latter – as ranked by Baseball Roundtable.

NUMBER ONE – I’m “Calling” This the Toughest Perfect Game “Missed” Ever … or “So Close and Yet So Far.”

Armando Galarraga, Tigers … June 2, 2010

Photo by Kevin.Ward

Perhaps the most heartbreaking “no-hitter breakup” took place on June 2, 2010, when Detroit Tigers’ righty Armando Galarraga found himself on the mound in the top of the ninth 26 outs into a perfect game (three strikeouts). The Tigers led 3-0 and Galarraga was facing Indians’ second baseman Jason Donald. Galarraga induced Donald to ground to right side of the infield. Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera moved to his right to make a fine play, spinning and throwing to Galarraga covering first (who clearly beat Donald to the bag). Umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe, a mistake he admitted and apologized for after the game. (Talk about a bad time for a bad call.)

The official scorekeeper gave Donald an infield single, ending both the perfect game and the no-hitter. Galarraga retired the next batter – CF Trevor Crowe – on a ground out. Joyce’s call, despite the post-game mea culpa, stood, and Galarraga, painfully, joined the list of pitchers losing a perfect game with two outs in the ninth.

Galarraga had a five-season MLB career (2007-2012), going 26-34, 4.78 for the Rangers, Tigers, Diamondbacks and Astros. His near-perfect game was one of only two complete games in 91 career starts.

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NUMBER TWO – Unlucky 13, Indeed … or “So Far and Yet So Close.”

For another hard-luck story involving near-perfection, consider the plight of Pittsburgh Pirates’ southpaw Harvey Haddix, who took a perfect game into the 13th inning – AND LOST.

On May 26, 1959, Haddix took the mound against the first-place and defending NL Champion Milwaukee Braves. Haddix retired the first 36 hitters in order – fanning eight, carrying a perfect game into the bottom of the 13th. A 20-game winner in 1953, the 33-year-old Haddix had come into the game 4-2, with a 2.67 ERA in seven starts – and had thrown complete games in his two previous outings. (He would end up 12-12, 3.13 on the year.)

Unfortunately, the Pirates’ lineup had given him no support. Braves’ righty Lew Burdette, despite giving up 12 hits and fanning only two, had held the Pirates scoreless. Milwaukee 2B Felix Mantilla led off the 13th by reaching on a throwing error by Pirates’ third baseman Don Hoak. Future Hall of Famer 3B Eddie Mathews bunted Mantilla over to second, which led to an intentional walk to another future Hall of Famer (RF Hank Aaron), bringing up 1B Joe Adcock.

Adcock launched a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for what appeared to be a three-run home run. However, the Braves, in celebrating the tension-filled victory, forgot how to run the bases. Adcock passed Aaron between second and third and, after some deliberation, Adcock was called out – ultimately changing his three-run homer to a one-run double. So, despite 12 perfect innings, Haddix lost the no-hitter, the shutout and the game itself. But he did etch his name forever into baseball lore; and countless trivia quizzes. He still holds the record for the most consecutive hitters retired from the start of a game – and the second spot on this heartbreak, near-perfect list.

Haddix spent 14 seasons (1952-65) in the major leagues (Cardinals, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, Orioles), going 136-113, 3.48. His best seasons were with the Cardinals in 1953-54. In those two campaigns, Haddix put up lines of 20-9, 3.06 and 18-13, 3.57. The 5’9”, 170-pounder was a three-time All Star and led the NL in shutouts (six) in 1953.

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NUMBER THREE – Not Just One Out, One Strike, Away.

Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals … June 20, 2015

Photo by Corn Farmer

Washington Nationals’ right-hander Max Scherzer came within one out – within one strike actually – of a perfect outing on June 20, 2015. Missing by just one swing and miss – and having four chances to sneak that final strike by – earns him number-three on the hard-luck, near-perfect roster.

Scherzer entered the top of the ninth with a 6-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates – having retired the first 24 batters, striking out ten. In the ninth, Scherzer retired the first two batters (RF Gregory Polanco on a pop out to the catcher and SS Jordy Mercer on a liner to center) and then worked the 27th hitter (pinch hitter Jose Tabata) to a 2-2 count. Tabata fouled off three 2-2 pitches before Scherzer lost the perfect game in perhaps the most painful way (in more ways than one) possible – by hitting Tabata with a pitch (a breaking ball to the elbow). Scherzer then got Pirates’ second baseman Josh Harrison on a fly ball to left, completing the no-hitter – and earning a 6-0 victory. Scherzer, by the way, was not the first pitcher to lose a perfect game by hitting the 27th batter (see George Wiltse, next in this post).

Scherzer, still active, is in his fifteenth major league season (Diamondbacks, Tigers, Nationals, Dodgers, Mets). He is a eight-time All Star, two-time twenty-game winner and three-time Cy Young Award winner (2013, 2016, 2017). In 2015, he went 14-12, 2.79, but led the NL with four complete games and three shutouts. As this post is written his career record is 198-99, 3.11 – with 12 complete games, five shutouts and two no-hitters.

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NUMBER FOUR – Another Bad “Call” – Another “Missed” Perfecto – Another “Not Missed” Batter.

George “Hooks” Wiltse, New York Giants … July 4, 1908

Photo by The Library of Congress

Giants’ southpaw curveballer George Wiltse – like Max Scherzer (above) – got not just within one out, but within one strike, of perfection. And, as in the Armando Galarrago near-perfect game, the umpire later admitted that Wiltse threw that strike, and had the out, he just didn’t get the call.

It looked, for the longest time, like Wiltse was going to have plenty to celebrate on Independence Day 1908. The Giants’ southpaw retired the first 26 Phillies before hitting Philadelphia pitcher George McQuillan with a pitch on a 2-2 count (after not getting the call on a very close pitch on his previous delivery – a call umpire Cy Rigler later admitted he missed). Wiltse retired the next batter. However, despite nine no-hit/no-run innings, he wasn’t done yet. He and McQuillan were embroiled in a 0-0 duel (like Harvey Haddix, Wiltse got little support in his near-perfecto). Wiltse went on to pitch-a 1-2-3 tenth (preserving the no-hitter) and the Giants managed to push across a run to give Wiltse a 1-0, no-hit victory. Wiltse is one of only three pitchers to date to complete a no-hitter of more than nine innings. Wiltse finished the 1908 season 23-14, with a 2.34 ERA. He was also a twenty-game winner in 1909 (20-11, 2.00) and went 139-90, 2.47 in twelve MLB seasons. He finishes a spot behind Scherzer’s two-strike hit batsman only because, even if he had gotten the strike out, the perfect game would not have been completed (since the game itself was not completed). Given his 1-2-3 tenth, however, that missed call cost him a perfect outing.

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NUMBER FIVE – Another One-Strike-Away Performance

Mike Mussina, Yankees … September 2, 2001

Photo by Keith Allison

Fifth-place on the list goes to another one-strike-away, near-perfect performance. On September 2, 2001, the Yankees’ Mike Mussina squared off against the rival Red Sox at Fenway Park. After eight innings, Mussina and Red Sox starter David Cone were locked in a 0-0 duel. Mussina hadn’t allowed a base runner, striking out twelve. Cone had given up just four hits and three walks (fanning eight), while holding New York scoreless. The Yankees pushed across a run in the top of the ninth on a single, an error and a double by 3B Enrique Wilson. Mussina, looking for his 14th victory of the campaign, went to work on his perfect game (which would have been the first ever at Fenway) – notching a ground out (pinch hitter Troy O’Leary) and a strikeout (2B Lou Merloni) and taking pinch hitter Carl Everett to a 1-2 count before Everett singled to left. Mussina retired Trot Nixon for the final out, in a 1-0 one-hit win.

Mussina finished the season 17-11, 3.15. In an 18-season MLB career (1991-2008), Mussina went 270-153, 3.68 with 57 complete games and 23 shutouts. The five-time All Star won 17 or more games eight times and, ironically, had only one 20-win season – his last. As a 39-year-old, Mussina went 20-9, 3.37 for the Yankees in 2008. In the major leagues from 1991 to 2008, Mussina pitched for the Orioles and Yankees.

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NUMBER SIX

Dave Stieb, Blue Jays … August 4, 1989 … Worked Really Hard for a No-Hitter

On August 4, 1989, Blue Jays’ right-hander Dave Stieb took a 2-0 lead and a perfect game into the top of the ninth inning against the Yankees. Stieb started the inning as though ready to make history, fanning pinch hitters Hal Morris and Ken Phelps on nine pitches (his tenth and eleventh strikeouts of the game). Then Stieb fell behind the number-nine hitter – CF Roberto Kelly – 2-0. Stieb had to throw a strike and Kelly knew it – and hit it. He broke up the perfect game and the no-hitter with a double to left. Second baseman Steve Sax followed with a run-scoring single, before left fielder Luis Polonia grounded out to end the game. So, Stieb lost the perfect game, the no-hitter and the shutout – but did get the win.

Stieb ended the season 17-8, 3.35 – one of six seasons in which the seven-time All Star logged 16 or more wins. In a 16-season MLB career (1979-1992, 1998), Stieb went 176-137, 4.83 for the Blue Jays and (for one season) White Sox. Stieb takes sixth-place on this list based not solely on that 1989 game – but also on the fact that it came after he lost two no-hitters (not perfect games) with two outs and two strikes on the batter the previous season. (See box below.)

ROUNDTABLE EXTRA: DAVE STIEB – So, So-o-0 Close

In 1988, Dave Stieb – who would lose a perfect game with two outs in the ninth on August 4, 1989 – twice came within one strike of a no-hitter – and in consecutive starts. On September 24, 1988 (against the Indians) and September 30. 1988 (versus the Orioles), he lost no-hitters with two outs in the ninth inning and two strikes on the hitter (2 and 2 counts both times). Stieb did get two complete-game shutouts, 1-0 over the Indians and 4-0 over the Orioles. The games were his final two starts of the 1988 season, so he had the entire off-season to contemplate his bad luck. Stieb did finally get his no-hitter – the first in Toronto Blue Jays’ history – a 3-0 win (four walks/nine strikeouts) over the Indians in Cleveland on September 2, 1990.

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NUMBER SEVEN – Unfortunately, A Walk In The Park.

Milt Pappas, Cubs … September 2, 1972

On September 2, 1972, the Cubs’ Milt Pappas held an 8-0 lead over the San Diego Padres – and had a perfect game going (with six strikeouts) as the Padres batted in the ninth. After retiring the first two batters in the final frame, Pappas walked pinch hitter Larry Stahl on a very close 3-2 pitch. Pappas then retired pinch hitter Garry Jestadt on a pop out to second base. So, while he lost the perfect game, he did save the no-hitter. Pappas – who went 209-164, 3.40 in 17 MLB seasons (1957-73) – had his best year in 1972, going 17-7, 2.77. It was the 33-year-old’s 16th MLB campaign (he retired after the 1973 season). The two-time All Star (1962 and 1965) spent time with the Orioles, Reds, Braves, and Cubs.

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NUMBER-EIGHT – Once Again, One Strike Away.

Ron Robinson, Reds … May 2, 1988

Reds’ right-hander Ron Robinson was one strike away from a perfect game on May 2, 1988. He had a 3-0 lead, two outs in the ninth, nary a base runner allowed (three strikeouts) and a 2-2 count on Expos’ pinch hitter Wallace Johnson – and then hung a curveball that Johnson hit for a single. Tim Raines followed with a two-run home run, and Red’s closer John Franco was brought in to get the final out. So, on the verge of a perfect game (with two out and two strikes in the ninth), Robinson lost the no-hitter, the shutout and the complete game. (He did get the win.)

In his nine MLB seasons (1984-92 – Reds and Brewers), Robinson recorded eight complete games and two shutouts – and had a respectable 48-39 record, with a 3.63 ERA and 19 saves. His best season was 1990, split between the Reds and Brewers, when he went 14-7, 3.26 and notched three seven of his complete games and both of his career shutouts.

BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE EXTRA … Perfect game lost on a strikeout.

On May 5, 2021, Orioles’ southpaw John Means pitched a no-hitter (12 strikeouts) in a 6-0 win over the Mariners in Seattle. Means lost his chance for a perfect game on a strikeout. It came in the third inning (with one out) on a 1-2 pitch to Mariners’ LF and number-eight hitter Sam Haggerty. Haggerty swung (and missed) Means’ fourth offering of the plate appearance – in the dirt – for strike three. The wild pitch got by catcher Pedro Severino and Haggerty reached first base. Haggerty was thrown on stealing on the next pitch (to Mariners’ SS J.P. Crawford) and proved to be Seattle’s only base runner of the game. Means faced the minimum 27 batters, but missed the perfect game on “strike three” to Haggerty. Means, who underwent Tommy John surgery this April,, is 20-24, 3,81 over five MLB seasons. The no-hitter is his only complete game in 65 starts.

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NUMBERS NINE & TEN (tie) … Yu Can’t Always Get What You Want

Yu Darvish and Yusmeiro Petit

Ninth and tenth place tie – double Yu’s; and as much irony as heartbreak. In 2013, two pitchers named Yu – Yu Darvish and Yu Petit lost perfect games with two outs in the ninth. Those two share ninth place, just for the irony of having two “Yu’s” lose a perfect game with two outs in the ninth in the same season.

Yu Darvish, Rangers … April 2, 2013

In his first start of the 2013 season (April 2), Rangers’ Ace Yu Darvish stifled the Houston Astros without a base runner for 8 2/3 innings – fanning 14. All he had to do to gain perfection was retire the Rangers’ number-nine hitter, Marwin Gonzalez. (Gonzalez had hit .234 in 80 games as a rookie in 2012, and would hit .221 in 72 games in 2013.)

Gonzalez hit Darvish’s first pitch up the middle – through Darvish’s legs – for a single. It was Darvish’s 111th pitch and he was relieved by Michael Kirkman, who finished off the 7-0 win. So, despite a sterling effort, Darvish was denied a perfect game, a no-hitter, a complete game and even a personal shutout. He did get the win. Darvish, still active, finished the 2003 season 13-9, 2.83. As this post is written, his career record is 89-4, 3.55 and he has two complete games and one shutout in 234 starts (2012-14, 2016-22 … Rangers, Dodger, Cubs, Padres).

Yusmeiro “Yu” Petit, Giants … September 6, 2013

On September 6, 2013, the San Francisco Giants’ Yusmeiro (Yu) Petit joined the unlucky “almost perfect” rotation. With two out in the ninth, Petit – with a 3-0 lead over the Diamondbacks – had retired all 26 batters he had faced, fanning seven. The Diamondbacks sent up pinch hitter Eric Chavez, who worked the count full. Then, just one strike away from perfection, Petit gave up a single to right field (that dropped just out of the reach of a diving Hunter Pence). Petit retired the next hitter CF A.J. Pollock on a grounder to third – settling for a one-hit shutout. This made Petit the second pitcher name “Yu” to get within one out of a “perfecto” during the 2013 season. Petit finished the season a 4-1, 3.86 (eight games, seven starts). In 14 MLB seasons (2006-09, 2012-2012 … Marlins, Diamondbacks, Giants, Nationals, Angels, A’s), Petit is 50-44, 3.93 with 59 starts in 515 appearances. He has two complete games and one shutout. Petit started the 2022 season in the Padres’ minor-league system.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

THE REMAINING HURLERS WHO LOST NO-HITTERS WITH TWO OUTS IN THE NINTH INNING.

Brian Holman, Mariners … April 20, 1990

On April 20, 1990, the Mariners’ Brian Holman retired the first 26 hitters (six strikeouts), shutting down the defending World Champion Oakland A’s. Holman had a perfecto and a comfortable 6-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, before giving up a first-pitch home run to pinch hitter Ken Phelps (and, of course, losing the perfect game, no-hitter and shutout). It was Phelps only home run of the 1990 season and the last of his 123 career round trippers. Holman then struck out Rickey Henderson for the final out in a 6-1 Mariners’ win. It was one of only two complete games in Holman’s four MLB seasons (37-45, 3.71). Holman finished the 1990 season 11-11, 4.03 – the only season he finished at .500 or better. He played for the Expos and Mariners (1988-91).

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Milt Wilcox, Tigers … April 15, 1983

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth – in an early-season game (April 15, 1983) – Tigers’ right-hander Milt Wilcox had yet to allow a White Sox hitter to reach base (and had struck out eight). Pinch hitter Jerry Hairston ended that with his first hit of the season – a clean single. (As with the hit that broke up Brian Holman’s perfect game, Hairston’s came on the first pitch of his at bat.) Wilcox retired the next batter (CF Rudy Law) for a 6-0 (one-hitter) win. Wilcox finished the season 11-10, 3.97. He won 119 games (113 losses) in 18 MLB seasons (1970-75, 1977-86) with the Reds, Cubs, Tigers, Mariners. His career ERA was 4.07, with 73 complete games and 10 shutouts. Wilcox’ best season was 1984, when he went 17-8, 4.00.

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Billy Pierce, White Sox … June 27, 1958

White Sox’ lefty Billy Pierce was on a roll when he faced the Senators on June 27, 1958. Despite a slow start to the season (his record was 6-5 on the year), Pierce was coming off back-to-back complete-game shutouts of the Red Sox and Orioles. Pierce retired the first 26 hitters he faced (eight strikeouts) and then gave up a double to Senators’ pinch hitter Ed FitzGerald before striking out AL 1958 Rookie of the Year Albie Pearson to gain a 3-0 win (and his third consecutive,complete-game shutout).

Pierce finished the season 17-11, 2.68. He was a seven-time All Star and two-time twenty-game winner and won 211 games (versus 169 losses) with a 3.27 in 18 MLB seasons (1945, 1948-64). He threw 193 complete games and 38 shutouts.

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Tommy Bridges, Tigers … August 5, 1932

On August 5, 1932, the Tigers’ Tommy Bridges was coasting along with a 13-0 lead, seven strikeouts and a perfect game with two outs in the ninth, when he gave up a single to Washington Senators’ pinch-hitter Dave Harris. Bridges then got the final out for a 13-0 win. Bridges went 14-12, 3.36 that season, but hit his stride two years later – winning 20+ games in 1934, 1935 and 1936. The six-time All Star finished a 16-season MLB career (1930-43, 1945-46) with a 194-138, 3.57 record. He pitched 200 complete games and recorded 33 shutouts.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Society for American Baseball Research; MLB.com.

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13 … A Pretty Lucky Number for Harry Hedgpeth

August 13, 2022 by David

Earlier this week (August 10 to be exact), second baseman Chandler Redmond of the Double-A Springfield Cardinals became just the second player in baseball history to hit for the “Home Run Cycle” – a solo, two-run, three-run and Grand Slam home run all in the same game. More on that in just a bit, but (spoiler alert), this is one of those Baseball Roundtable posts when I start researching a baseball and “one thing seems to lead to another.”

Redmond’s offensive outburst seemed unlikely to me. He was a 32^nd round pick (965 overall) in the 2019 draft, hit just .267 (but with 50 home runs) in four college seasons (Gardner-Webb of the Big South Conference) and was hitting .228 (with 13 home runs) for Springfield at the time. Well, that started me thinking about (and looking into) other unexpected (and at least somewhat extraordinary) minor-league accomplishments. Boom! Among others, I found one that occurred on this date (August 13) in 1913.

On that day, 24-year-old southpaw Harry Hedgpeth of the Petersburg Goobers of the Class-C Virginia League blanked the Richmond Colts twice‚ by scores of 1–0 and 10–0‚ both games going nine innings. He gave up only one hit in the opener and improved on that in Game two, tossing a no hitter.

Hedgpeth’s opponent in the first game was the ace of the Richmond staff, 22-year-old righty Yancey Wyatt “Doc” Ayers – on his way to a 29-8 season (and coming off a 25-12 season for the Colts in 1912). Ayers gave up just six hits and fanned 13, while Hedgpeth (himself on the way to a 21-10 season) gave up just one hit and one walk, while fanning six. The only hit was a single by Richmond SS and cleanup hitter Eugene Newton.

The Goobers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning of Game Two and Hedgpeth again went the distance giving up no-hits and two walks, while fanning two. The closest any major leaguer has come to Hedgpeth’s big day is the time the Cubs’ “Big Ed” Reulbach became the first (and still only) only major leaguer to throw two complete-game shutouts on the same day. It came on September 26, 1908, as Reulbach and the Cubs topped the Brooklyn Superbas 5-0 and 3-0. Reulbach gave up eight hits in his 18 frames of work.

Here, recreated as accurately as I can, are the box scores from Hedgpeth’s one-hit doubleheader sweep (first names can be a problem in some old minor-league accountings).

New reports at the time indicated Clark Griffith of the Washington Senators had purchased both first game starters; and Ayers and Hedgpeth both pitched in Washington that season. Hedgpeth got into a game for the Senators on the final day of the 1913 season, pitching one scoreless inning. It was his only MLB appearance. A shoulder injury the following spring apparently dampened his chances for an MLB career. Ayers went on to pitch in nine MLB seasons, going 64-78, 2.84.

Yancey “Doc” Ayers started for the Washington Senators in the June 23, 1917 game (versus the Red Sox) in which Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore pitched MLB’s first combined no-hitter. Ruth walked the first batter and then was ejected for accosting the umpire. Ernie Shore came on in relief and, after the base runner was caught stealing, retired the next 26 batters in order – as the Rd Sox won 4-0.

Now, back to Redmond’s Home Run Cycle. Notably, at least for the Roundtable, Redmond tied the record of another Cardinals’ farmhand – Tyrone Horne, who hit for the Home Run Cycle on July 27, 1998 – as his Double-A Arkansas Travelers topped the San Antonio Missions of the Texas League 13-4. (For the complete story on Horne’s big day, click here.)

Redmond’s big game came as the Springfield Cardinals topped the Amarillo Sod Poodles 21-4. He hit his four history-tying round trippers in a four-inning stretch off four different pitchers. His day went like this:

First Inning – RBI single off Slade Cecconi;

Third Inning – Strikeout (Cecconi);

Fifth Inning – Two-run home runs off Brent Teller;

Sixth Inning – Grand Slam off Josh Green;

Seventh Inning – Solo homer off Justin Lewis;

Eighth Inning – Three-run home run off Austin Pope.

—–Other Eye -Catching Minor-League Stats—–

N0w, here are a a half dozen other professional (minor-league) baseball achievements that have caught The Roundtable’s eye.

Outfielder Joe Wilhoit hit in a professional-baseball record 69 straight games in 1919, while with the Wichita Jobbers of the Class-A Western League. His streak included 50 multi-hit games and a .515 average. He finished the season hitting .422 for Wichita, collecting 222 hits in 128 games. Wilhoit played in four MLB seasons, hitting .257-3-74. For the full Wilhoit story, click here.
Outfielder Bob Crues drove in a professional-baseball record 254 runs (in 140 games) for the Class-C Amarillo Gold Sox in 1948; while hitting .404 with 69 home runs. Crues played in 11 minor-league seasons, but never made it to the major leagues.
Twenty-year-old righty Ron Necciai pitched a no- hitter for the Class-Bristol Twins (Appalachian League) in 1952 – and struck out a professional-baseball record 27 batters in the game. Necciai played in just one MLB season (1952), going 1-6, 7.08 for the Pirates. For the full Necciai story, click here.
Buzz Arlett, P-OF-1B, is often described as the minor-league Babe Ruth. He started his minor-league career as a pitcher and racked up 99 wins in his first five seasons. Arm issues forced him from the mound and into the outfield. He went on to hit .313 with 432 home runs over 19 minor-league seasons – hitting 30 or more home runs in eight seasons and hitting better than .300 in 14. Arlett played in just one MLB campaign, hitting .313-18-72 for the 1931 Phillies. For the full Arlett story, click here.
Walter “Smoke” Justis went 25-17 for the Class-D Ohio State League Lancaster Links in 1908 – and he threw four no-hitters during the campaign. Justis won 20 or more games in three minor-league seasons. He appeared in just two major-league games, giving up three runs on four hits and six walks in 3 /13 innings.
Speaking of stats, Arnold “Jigger” Statz recorded 11 professional seasons of at last 200 hits – the final ten of those in the minor leagues. He had 209 hits (.319 average) for the Cubs in 1923. Then, between 1926 and 1938, he had ten more 200+ hit seasons for the Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels. Statz retired, (at age 44) after the 1942 season, with 4,093 professional hits – 3,356 in the minor-leagues, 737 in the majors. (His totals were, of course, helped by the PCL’s long season of the time.) Side note: Ichiro Suzuki also had 11 200-hit seasons, ten in the U.S. major leagues, one in the Japan Pacific League.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; National Pastime.com; MLB.com; Richmond News Leader, October 15, 1925 (via VirginiaChronical.com); The Day Book (Chicago newspaper) , Volume 2, Number 281, August 25, 1913 (via the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection); other sources cited in links.

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David Dahl … A Baseball Roundtable “What If?”

August 11, 2022 by David

On this date (August 11) in 2016, Rockies’ 22-year-old rookie LF David Dahl started in the cleanup spot and went one-for-four with one run scored and one RBI, as the Rockies topped the Rangers 12-9 (in Texas). Dahl’s hit, a first-inning single had a little extra meaning for the rookie. It extended his career-opening hitting streak to 17 games, tying him with the 1941 Reds’ Chuck Aleno for the longest hitting streak ever from the beginning of an MLB career.

The very next night (August 12), Dahl “missed” his chance to capture the record for himself (at 18 games), going zero-for-four with three swing- and-miss strikeouts. Side note: I happened to be at that game, as part of a Ballpark Tours’ trip and was rooting for Dahl to capture sole possession of the mark.

Dahl collected 24 hits in 70 at bats (.358) during his career-opening streak – including one double, three triples and three home runs. Over the 17 games, he drove in ten runs and scored 17. His streak included two three-hit games and three two-hit contests.

Dahl was selected – out of Mountain High School in Birmingham, Alabama – in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft (10th overall). Before hitting “the show,” he carried a .310 average with 47 home runs and 74 stolen bases over five minor-league seasons (367 games). In 2016, Dahl had moved up from Double-A Hartford to Triple-A Albuquerque before his call up, hitting .314 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI and 17 steals in a combined 92 games. Dahl finished the 2016 MLB season with a .315-7-25 line over 63 games. His career was clearly on a sharp upward trajectory, despite some early setbacks.

Dahl’s rise to the major came despite a significant 2015 injury, suffered in an outfield collision while playing for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. Dahl suffered a spleen laceration and eventually had the spleen removed.

After his 2016 MLB debut season, the injury bug continued to bite Dahl. He suffered a stress factors (ribs) in 2017 Spring Training and eventually was shut down for the entire season. Dahl, however, was back on track with the Rockies in 2018, hitting .273-16-48 in 77 games. Then came a broken foot in 2018, an ankle injury (that shortened an MLB All Star season) in 2019 and shoulder surgery in 2020. In five MLB seasons (2016, 2018-21 … Rockies, Rangers), Dahl hit .272-42-160 in 327 games. The Roundtable wonders “What If David Dahl had stayed healthy?”

David Dahl was an All Star in 2019, hitting .302-15-61 in 100 games.

Dahl 17-game career-opening streak tied the record of Chuck Aleno, 3B for the Reds, who was called up May 15 1941. During his 17-game streak, Aleno hit .389 (28 for 72), with two doubles, two triples, nine RBI and 12 runs scored. He started his streak with four multi-hit games and the streak included 11 two-hit games. Aleno finished the year at .289-1-18 in 54 games, the most he would ever play in an MLB season. (After his torrid 17-game start, Aleno played in just 101 more MLB games, hitting just .163, with two home runs and 25 RBI.)

When he was called up, the 24-year-old Aleno was in his fifth professional season and was hitting .348 (19 games) for the Double-A Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. Aleno played 17 seasons of professional ball, parts of four in the majors. His MLB career line was .209-2-34 in 118 games. I

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Colorado Rockies Non-tender Oft-injured OF David Dahl, December 1, 2020, Associated Press (via ESPN.com); Rockies’ Outfielder David Dahl’s Latest Injury is a High Right Ankle Sprain, August 4, 2019, Jack Etkin (via Forbes.com).

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Baseball Roundtable July Wrap … Here’s Comes the Judge

August 1, 2022 by David

It’s the first day of a new month and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s Wrap Up of the previous month – the stats and stories that captured The Roundtable’s attention, as well as the Players and Pitchers of the Month, team and individual leader boards and, of course, the Trot Index.

This month’s Wrap Up could easily be termed The Aaron Judge Special Edition. Judge not only led all of MLB in July home runs, RBI and run scored, he set a new AL record for home runs before August 1, and tied the Yankee franchise records for home runs before the All Star break (tying Roger Maris) and for walk-off home runs in a season (tying Mickey Mantle). You’ll find all the details in the Highlights Section of this Wrap Up. But Judge wasn’t the only story of July 22. We also saw:

A rookie became just the third pitcher to throw a no-hitter and an Immaculate Inning in the same season;
Another rookie going deep on his first MLB swing of the bat;
The first team to launch back-to-back-to-back-to back home runs in the first inning;
The first-ever centerfield-to-third base triple play;
2022’s fifth cycle;
Two players hit their career 200th home runs and one pitcher notch his 100th victory;
The Orioles put up the Al East’s best won-lost record;
The Blue Jays explode for 28 runs versus the Red Sox;
Three players with at least 60 July at bats hit .400 or better and three pitchers with at least 20 July innings pitched put up ERAs under 1.00.
And more.

You’ll find the stories in the Highlights Section.

First, though, let’;s look at Baseball Roundtable’s Players and Pitchers of the Month for July 2022.

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Baseball Roundtable Players and Pitchers of the Month – July 2022

National League

Player of the Month – Austin Riley, 3B Braves

Braves’ 25-year-old 3B Austin Riley came into July hitting .257 and entered August at .301 – thanks to a .423-11-25 month. Riley’s July included an 18-game hitting streak (July 5-26), during which he hit .444, with eight home runs, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored. (The streak included 11 multi-hit games.) His .423 July average was second in the MLB among players with at least 60 July at bats, as were his 11 home runs and 25 RBI (tied with teammate Matt Olson). His 44 July base hits led all of MLB, as did his .885 slugging percentage.

Honorable Mentions: Another 25-year-old, Phillies’ 3B Alec Bohm hit .434-3-14 in 20 games. That .434 average was the highest in MLB for players with at least 60 July at bats. Bohm went without a hit in only two of his 20 July games. During a 14-game hitting streak (July 8-29), he hit a torrid .471. Dodgers’ 1B Freddie Freeman did MLB veterans proud, going .388-6-19 in 26 July games. His 38 July base hits were second in the NL.

Pitcher of the Month – Merrill Kelly RHP, Diamondbacks.

Photo: Barry Stahl on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commonshoto:

Merrill Kelly went 4-0, with a 1.31 ERA in six July starts, putting up a stingy 0.77 WHIP (lowest in the NL among pitchers with at least 20 July innings pitched) and fanning 33 batters (versus just eight walks) in an MLB-highest 41 1/3 July innings. The 33-year-old, who came into 2022 with a 23-27, 4.27 MLB record over three seasons, ended July 10-5, 2.87 on the year. He gave up two or fewer runs in each of his six July starts. For the month, he allowed just five earned runs in his 41+ innings of work.

Honorable Mentions: Mets’ righty Max Scherzer went just 1-1 for July, but put up a 1.39 ERA and tied for second in the NL in July strikeouts with 45 (just four walks) in 32 1/3 innings. Edwin Diaz, RHP, Mets, was seven-for-seven in July save opportunities, with a 0.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts (one walk ) in 11 1/3 innings.

______________________________________________

American League

Player of the Month – Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees

Photo: DR. Buddie, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Aaron Judge hit .333 for July with an MLB-best 13 home runs, as well as an MLB-tops 32 July RBI and an MLB-leading 25 runs scored. In addition, he stole five bases in five attempts. Judge had ten multi-hit, three multi-home run and eight multi-RBI games in July. He was also one of just three players with at least 60 at bats to put up an .800+ slugging percentage (.806).

Honorable Mentions: For most of the month, Yankee OF/DH Matt Carpenter was running neck-and-neck for this Roundtable recognition (a late-July power explosion by Judge closed the deal). Still, the 36-year-old veteran Carpenter deserves recognition for coming up big when the Yankees needed it. His 23 July RBI were second in the AL to Judge and he also delivered nine home runs (second in the AL to Judge) and a .356 July average. Now a .400 average is a “bright and shiny thing” that tends to attract The Roundtable’s attention. So ,I have to give a shout out to Rays’ 1B Harold Ramirez (.400-1-10 in 16 games).

Pitcher of the Month – Dylan Cease, RHP, White Sox

Dylan Cease’s strikeout ratio for July was 10.1 per nine innings – his lowest for any month this season (11.5 in April, 13.6 in May and 14.8 in June). Still, it was his best season of the month in terms of wins and second-best in terms of ERA). Cease, 5-1, was the only MLB five-game winner in July. His 0.76 ERA was the MLB’s lowest among pitchers with at least 20 July innings pitched. He fanned 40 batters in 35 2/3 innings. In his six starts, he never gave up more than one earned run.

Honorable Mentions: The ageless wonder – Astros RHP, Justin Verlander – went 4-0, 1.01 in four July starts, fanning 32 batters in 26 2/3 innings (five walks). Cole Irvin, LHP, A’s, went 4-1, 1.85 for the A’s. Notably, Irvin’s five starts including three games against the Astros and one against the Blue Jays – a pretty demanding set of assignments. Despite facing these challenging lineups (and the fact that he fanned just 22 batters in 34 innings), Irvin’s WHIP for July was 0.65 – best in MLB among pitchers with at least 20 July innings.

_______________________________________

Surprise of the Month – Tie: Ramon Urias, IF , Orioles & Jose Miranda, 1B/3B Twins

Ramon Urias was originally signed by the Rangers in 2010, as a 16-year-old international free agent out of out of Mexico. From 2011 through 2020, he played in the Rangers, Cardinals and Orioles minor-league systems, as well as in the Mexican Leagues. In February 2020, Urias was selected off waivers (by the Orioles from the Cardinals) and he made his major-league debut in his tenth professional season (August 20, 2020), hitting .360-1-3 in ten games for the Orioles. (Urias had gone .262-10-55 at at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2019). In 2021, Urias played in 85 games for Baltimore and hit .279-7-38. This season, he it .225-6-18 for the Birds through June, before turning in a surprising July – a .329-5-18 line, as the O’s made a July surge. While he played primarily 3B in July, he also took the field at 2B and SS.

Twins’ 24-year-old rookie Jose Miranda came into July hitting .240-5-20 for the season (and his MLB career … 44 games). In July, Miranda turned it up a notch (or more), going .353-5-19 in 20 July games. Miranda, signed by the Twins in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft may have been a bit less of a surprise than Urias. In 2021, he hit .344-30-94 in 127 games at Double- and Triple-A and was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Year.

Honorable Mentions: Braves’ 23-year-old rookie righthander Spencer Strider surprised me not by his success, but by how quickly his “stuff” has proven dominant – particularly since he missed the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Strider was selected by the Braves in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB draft – out of Clemson University, where he was 5-2, 4.71 over two seasons – fanning 89 batters in 63 innings. In 2021, he worked his way from A-Level ball to High-A, Double-A and Triple-A before making his MLB debut with the Braves in October ( 2 1/3 innings in two appearances). Strider (whose fastball averages in the high-90’s) started this season in the Braves’ bullpen. In fact, he didn’t get his first start until May 30 – when he lasted 4 /13 innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks. He went 2-1, 2.70 in five starts for the Braves in July, opening some eyes (even further) by fanning 41 batters in just 26 2/3 innings. Also mentioned as a surprise is the entire Baltimore Orioles team – more on that a bit later in this post.

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TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BBRT FEATURE

Through July, 34.5 percent of the MLB season’s 114,855 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 (22.3%); walks (8.2%); 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. By further comparison, in 1990, the Trot Index was 26.1 percent.

_________________________________________________

When you look at July’s winningest teams, you see some expected squads – the Dodgers (21-5), Astros (19-9); Braves (18-8); and Mets (17-8). I’d like to devote a few paragraphs to a couple of teams among July’s top winners who would have to be noted as “surprises.”

Let’s start with the Orioles, who:

This June had their first winning month (14-12) since August of 2017;
In the past five years, have finished last in the East four times and second-to-last once; and
Last season finished 58 games under .500 and 48 games out of first place.

In July, the Orioles put up the best record in the Al East (16-9), raised their season record to 51-51 and moved to within three games of a Wild Card spot. The O’s were led on offense by 3B Ramon Urias (.329-5-18 for July); RF Anthony Santander (.316-5-17); and CF Cedric Mullins (.250-2-14, with six steals and 14 runs scored). On the mound, 12 different pitchers recorded July wins, led by Jordan Lyles (3-1, 3.58 in six starts) and Spencer Watkins (2-0, 2.35 in four starts), as well as some solid bullpen work. (Bryan Baker (2.45 ERA in 12 appearances); Felix Bautista (2.03 in 13 games); Cionel Perez (1.46 in 13 appearances); Joey Krehbiel (1.54 in 11 appearances); and six saves by Jorge Lopez (despite a 4.76 ERA for the month). The Orioles’ 3,61 ERA was the AL’s third-best for July.

Orioles’ July Win Streak

From July 1 through July 13, the Orioles surprised fans with a ten-game winning streak – going from nine games under.500 to one game over. The double-digit streak included five one-run wins, three walk-offs and victories notched by eight different Orioles’ pitchers. During the streak, they outscored opponents 52-30, outhit them .266 t0 .220 (but were out-homered 9-8). Over the streak, the Orioles’ pitching staff put up a 2.93 ERA to their opponents 4.80 and fanned 9.1 batters per nine innings to their opponents’ 8.1.

The Seattle Mariners also made a big move in July, leading the AL West with a .720 winning percentage – CF Julio Rodriguez led the offense (.267-5-18) and, while the averages weren’t strong, the Mariners got run production out of C Cal Raleigh (.224-4-14); 3B Eugenio Suarez (.218-3-14); and 1B Carlos Santana (.179-5-12). SS J.P. Crawford (.275 with 13 runs scored) and LF Sam Haggerty (.292, with 10 tallies) also chipped in. Like the Orioles, the Mariners benefited from solid pitching, especially out of the pen: Ryan Borucki (2-0, 0.96 in nine games); Diego Castillo (2-0, 1.04 in nine games); Erik Swanson (2-0, 1.69 in 12 games); Matthew Festa (2-0, 3.12 in nine games); Matt Brash (1-0, 2.45 in seven games). That’s nine of those July wins (against no losses), right there. Chris Flexen led the starters at 3-0, 1.95 in five starts. The Mariners’ 3.22 July ERA was the AL’s lowest.

Mariners’ Big Streak

From July 2 through July 17, the Seattle Mariners ran off a 14-game winning streak. During the streak, the Mariners outscored their opponents 70-34, outhit them .257 to .228 and out-homered them 21-to-11. The pitching really carried the streak, however, putting up a 2.07 ERA (to the opponents’ 4.46) over the 14 games; giving up two runs or fewer in nine games. Seven of the 14 wins were by one run and eight of the victories came on the road. The streak ended with the Mariners dropping three straight to the Astros (July 22-24) in Seattle.

–——Team Statistical Leaders for July 2022 ———-

RUNS SCORED

National League – Dodgers (147); Diamondbacks (126); Brewers (125)

American League – Yankees (167); Astros (139); Rangers (135)

The fewest July runs were scored by the Angels – just 71. The Nationals tallied the fewest runs in the NL at 78.

AVERAGE

National League – Dodgers (.275); Rockies (.260); Brewers (.256)

American League – Blue Jays (.288); Guardians (.269); Royals (.269)

The lowest team average for July belonged to the Angels at .199.

HOME RUNS

National League – Braves (42); Dodgers (36); Brewers (35)

American League – Yankees (50); Astros (43); A’s (36)

The Angels had the fewest home runs for July at 15.

The Dodgers led MLB in July slugging percentage at .482. The Yankees led the AL at .479.

STOLEN BASES

National League – Marlins (26); Braves (21); Cubs (18); Brewers (18)

American League – Yankees (22); Angels (21); Royals (20)

The Twins and Reds stole the fewest sacks in July – three each (the Twins in six attempts, the Reds in nine). The Giants were 14-for-14 in steal attempts.

WALKS DRAWN

National League – Dodgers (102); Giants (98); Brewers (97)

American League – Yankees (116); Rays (95); Astros (95)

The Dodgers led MLB in on-base percentage for July at .358. The Yankees led the NL at .356.

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Pirates (260); Reds (259); Giants (251)

American League – Red Sox (265); Rangers (262); Rays (251)

Bonus Stats

The Yankees led MLB in total bases in July with 440 . By contrast, the Angels were 30^th, with 234 total bases in July.

The Reds led in July hit-by-pitch, with 22 Reds’ batters plunked. The Phillies and Diamondbacks each had just three “victims” each.

Five of the thirty teams did not put down a single successful sacrifice bunt in July. The Diamondbacks, Guardians and Mets led in sacrifice bunts with five each.

Earned Run Average

National League – Mets (2.48); Cubs (2.87); Dodgers (2.94); Braves (2.95)

American League – Mariners (3.22); Astros (3.25); Orioles (3.61)

Three teams had July ERAs of 5.00 or higher– Red Sox (6.30); Twins (5.30); Nationals (5.27)

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Mets (259); Marlins (247); Brewers (247)

American League – Astros (282); Yankees (249); Angels (236)

The Brewers averaged an MLB-best 10.28 strikeouts per nine innings in July. Also at 10+ were the Angels (10.24); Mets (10.21); and Astros (10.19).

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED

National League – Dodgers (56); Mets (62); Phillies (64); Cardinals (64)

American League – Rays (59); Blue Jays (62); Orioles (65); A’s (65)

The Dodgers walked a stringiest 2.16 batters per nine frames in July. The Red Sox walked an MLB’s highest 4.20 per nine innings for the month.

SAVES

National League – Marlins (10); Braves (10); Dodgers (10)

American League – Mariners (10); Orioles (9); A’s (9)

The Angels recorded just one save in July (just two opportunities). They did win only six of 24 games.

WALKS AND HITS PER INNING PITCHED (WHIP)

National League – Dodgers (1.03); Mets (1.05); Phillies (1.11)

American League – Astros (1.07); A’s (1.13); Blue Jays (1.17)

Bonus Stats

The Mets were the only team to fan at least four times as many batters as they walked in July – 4.18 K/BB.

The Nationals gave up an MLB-high 42 home runs in July; the Giants gave up an MLB-low 18 dingers.

There were only four complete games pitched in July. One each for the Guardians (Shane Bieber); Astros (Framber Valdez); Giants (Carlos Rodon); and Cardinals (Adam Wainwright).

—–July 2022 Highlights—–

Nolan Arenado Does a Little RE-Cycling

Nolan Arenado got July off with a bang, providing some notable fireworks in the Cardinals’ July 1 5-3 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia. In the game, Arenado hit for 2022’s fifth cycle (single, double, triple and home run in the same game). It was the second cycle of Arenado’s career, making him the 29^th modern-era American or National League player to hit for multiple cycles. The feat leaves Arenado one short of the all-time record for career cycles (three) shared by Christian Yelich, Trea Turner, Adrian Beltre, Babe Herman and Bob Meusel.

In the game, Arenado:

Got the triple out of the way in the top of the first inning (off Bailey Falter);
Added the home run (a two-run shot) off Falter in the third;
Hit a leadoff double (off Nick Nelson) in the sixth; and
Singled off Seranthony Dominguez in the eighth.

On the day, Arenado was four-for-four, with one run scored and three RBI.

2022 Cycles

The 2022 season has seen “cycles” by the Brewers’ Christian Yelich (May 11); Mets’ Eduardo Escobar (June 6); Angels’ Jared Walsh (June 11); Orioles’ Austin Hayes (June 22); Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado (July 1).

Three is a Crowd – a Good Crowd

On July 1 (in the same contest as Nolan Arenado’s’ cycle – reported above), Phillies’ rookie DH/1B Darick Hall hit his third home run of the season (he made his MLB debut June 29). It was made notable by the fact that it was also his third career base hit (coming in his third MLB game) and made Hall just the second Phillies’ player whose first three hits were long balls. The other was outfielder Ed Sanicki in 1949, whose three homers came in his first five games. Sanicki, by the way, played in just 20 MLB games (in the 1949 & 1951 seasons), going .294-3-8. He had five MLB hits (one single, one double and three home runs).

Hall collected his first no-homer MLB safety (a single) on July 3. At the close of July, his stat line was .244-5-11 in 24 games. Hall has shown consistent power in the minor leagues. He was .269-20-67 in 72 games at Triple-A this season and has hit 188 home runs in 631 minor-league games – .250 minor-league average.

A Handful of Homers

Pirates’ infielder Rodolfo Castro is the only player whose first FIVE MLB safeties were home runs. He accomplished the feat in 2021, going .238 (5-for-21), with five long balls in his first nine MLB games. He collected his first non-homer hit (a double) in his 11^th MLB game (July 3, 2021). Side note: Keith McDonald is the only player with more than one MLB hit (three), whose every MLB hit was a home run. For more on McDonald, click here.

Come on Let’s Get this Party Started

On July 2, the Cardinals looked to be getting off to a slow start. In the top of the first, in Philadelphia, the first two batters (SS Tommy Edman and LF Brandon Donovan) were retired on seven pitches. (Kyle Gibson was on the mound for the Philllies). Then Redbirds’ 1B Paul Goldschmidt singled – followed by consecutive home runs off the bats of 3B Nolan Arenado, 2B Nolan Gorman, DH Juan Yepez and CF Dylan Carlson. After the four blasts, RF Lars Nootbaar flied out to end the five-run inning). It was the just the 11^th time an MLB team has hit four consecutive home runs in an inning and the first time it happened in the first frame. The Cardinals rode that five-run first inning outburst to a 7-6 win. (It took another Arenado home run in the ninth to seal the deal.)

Jeremy Pena Provides the Thunder, Pitching Staff Throw in the Lightning

Astros’ rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena has some big shoes to fill (Carlos Correa’s to be exact) and, on July 3, he more than filled the bill. Pena went four-five, with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI – as the Astros topped the Angels 4-2 in Houston. The icing the cake was that the second Pena blast was a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth.

The pitching staff, however, stole the show – tying an MLB nine-inning, single-game record by fanning 20 Angels. STATS also reported that the Angels became the first team in MLB history to fan 48 batters in a three-game series that did not include extra innings. In the July 3 game, starter Framber Valdez fanned nine batters in six innings, Hector Norris and Rafael Montero each fanned two in one inning of work apiece and closer Ryan Pressly fanned three in a 1-2-3 ninth. Four Astros’ pitchers fanned 12 Angels in a 9-1 win July 2 and three Houston hurlers fanned 16 in an 8-1 win on the first.

As for Pena, the rookie’s doing a solid job in Correa’s stead – .252-15-38, with six steals at the end of July.

Giving a Double – no Triple – Take

In their July 4, 6-3 win over the White Sox in Chicago, the Twins’ turned a unique 8-5 (centerfield to third base) triple play. By unique, I mean that, according the Society for American Baseball Research triple play data base, it is the only 8-5 triple play in MLB history. Here’s how it went down.

The White Sox opened the inning with a ground rule double by 1B Jose Abreu (off reliever Griffin Jax). Jax then hit RF Gavin Sheets with a pitch and allowed a run-scoring single to 3B Yoan Moncada – leaving Sheets at second and Moncada at first with no outs and the game tied at two apiece. The ChiSox then brought in Adam Engel to pinch run for Sheets at second. Sox LF A.J. Pollock next hit an 0-2 Jax offering for what looked like a double to to deep right center – only platinum glove CF Byron Buxton ran it down and made the catch at the wall (out number one). Buxton spun and threw to the infield, where Engel and Moncada were running hard. It what may have been a bit of good fortune, Buxton’s throw sailed over the heads of the cutoff man and to the glove of third baseman Gio Urshela, waiting between second and third. As Urshela caught the ball, Moncada (who had been on first) was headed toward third and Urshela made an easy tag for out number two. Engel (who had started on second) had passed Urshela and was rounding third. Urshela ran the ball to second base – tagging the bag for out number three.

Turn Two – or Three

The Twins remain the only team to turn two triple plays in a single game – a July 17, 1990 1-0 loss to the Red Sox. Those triple killings were both around the horn (third-to second-to first … Gary Gaetti-to Al Newman-to Kent Hrbek) and occurred in the fourth and eighth innings

The very next day, the Twins tied an AL record by turning six double plays in a 4-3 win over the Red Sox. In that game , the Red Sox also turned four double plays – giving the Twins/Red Sox the MLB record for combined twin killings in a game.

More #InBaseballWeCountEverthing

According the STATS, the July 4 Brewers/Cubs (in Milwaukee) game was the first in MLB history to feature a player’s first career home run; an inside-the-park home run; AND A walk-off home run.

Cubs’ Rookie CF Nelson Valazquez gave Chicago a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning with his first career home run. It came in his 14^th Career game and 32nd career at bat.

Cubs’ Rookie RF Seiya Suzuki tied the game a two apiece with an inside-the park home run with one out in the top of the ninth (off Brewers’ closer Josh Hader). It was his fifth home run and first inside-the-parker.

Brewers ‘1B Victor Caratini topped off the game with a three-run, walk-off homer run in with two out in the bottom of the tenth. It was his seventh of the season and 29^th of his six-season MLB career.

Robbie (maybe) Didn’t See This One Coming

In the eighth inning of the White Sox July 10 win over the Tigers in Chicago, Detroit LF Robbie Grossman appeared to temporarily lose a fly ball in the sun and had it bounce off his glove for a two-base error. An error, no big deal, right? Well, it was kind of a big deal, it was Grossman’s first miscue in the field since June 13, 2018 – a span of 440 games and the longest error-free streak by a position player in MLB history. The error, by the way, would have been the third out of the inning in a 2-2 tied game. After the miscue, the White Sox added an intentional walk and a pair of singles for two unearned runs and a 4-2 win.

Albert Pujols Continues to Climb the Charts

Photo by Dirk DBQ

On July 11, as the Cardinals topped the Phillies in St. Louis, Albert Pujols touched Phillies’ starter Aaron Nola for an inning-opening double in the seventh (and came around to score on a home run by LF Corey Dickerson). When Pujols got his hit, the Cardinals were already up 3-1 and it was his only hit in the game. Still, it had a lot of meaning. It was Pujols 1,378^th career extra base hit, enabling him to pass perhaps the most famous Cardinal of all – Stan “The Man” Musial – into third place on the all-time career extra-base hit list. Pujols, who finished July with 1,382 career XBH, trails only Hank Aaron (1,477) and Barry Bonds 1,440.) At the end of July, Pujols was third all-time in XBH, third in RBI (2,174); third in total bases (6,110); and fifth in home runs (686).

Move Over Roger

On July 16, Yankee Aaron Judge hit his third and fourth homers of the month, as the Yankees topped the Red Sox 14-1 in New York. Even more significantly, they were 32nd and 33rd homers of the season – tying him with Roger Maris for the most home runs before the All Star break by a Yankee. It also tied him for eighth all-time in homers by the break. (Keep in mind, the first All Star Game – and thus the first “break” – did not take place until 1933.) More on Judge after the All Star Break (below).

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Baseball Roundtable All Star Break

Plenty has been written about the 2022 All Star Game, in which the American League emerged as 3-2 victors on the strength of a fourth-inning, two-run home run by Yankee LF Giancarlo Stanton, followed immediately by a solo blast from Twins’ CF Byron Buxton.

Baseball Roundtable, with that in mind, will just take a quick look at the game’s Baseball Roundtable Trot Index – percent of plate appearances that end with a batter’s “trot” (back to the dugout, to first base or around the bases). These are basically plate appearances that produce no action on the field. For the game’s 73 plate appearance, The Baseball Roundtable Trot Index was 43.8 percent. It breaks out like this: strikeouts – 30.1%; walks – 6.8%; home runs – 4.1%; hit by pitch – 2.7%; . (Percentage total differs slightly due to rounding.) If such things interest you, fans also saw 62 players, including 20 pitchers.

For some unique tidbits from All Star games past (like the time, 1942, when the American League used just 11 players in a nine-inning All Star Game or when, in 1967, Bill Freehan caught all 15 innings of an All Star game, click here.

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Judge Continues His Assault Post All Star Break

After the All Star break, Aaron Judge hit a robust .405, with nine home runs and 21 RBI in 11 games. That gave him 13 home runs for the month and 42 on the season. That 42^nd home run – in Yankees 8-2 win over the Royals on July 30 – made Judge just one of two players to reach 200 career round trippers in less than 700 games. Judge got there in 671 games, trailing only Ryan Howard (658 games). Others in the top five include: Ralph Kiner (706 games); Juan Gonzalez (766); Harmon Killebrew and Albert Belle (tied at 769).

Judge also passed Yankee legend Babe Ruth for the most home runs by a Yankees before August 1 (Ruth had 41 as of July 31, 1928). Stathead indicates Judge’s 42 home runs before August 1 are an American League record and trail only Mark McGwire (45 for the Cardinals in 1998) and Barry Bonds (45 for the Giants in 2001) for the MLB-high.

Blue Jays Explode Against the Red Sox

On July 22, the Blue Jays exploded for 28 runs (on 29 hits) against the Red Sox – winning by a 28-5 score. In the game, every member of the Blue Jays’ starting lineup collected multiple hits and scored multiple runs. For a more in-depth look at the contest, click here.

Betts Gets Number 200

On July 23, Dodgers’ RF Mookie Betts hit his 22^nd home run of the season, as the Dodgers beat the Giants 4-2 in LA. The blast was also Betts 200^th career home run.

More #InBaseballWeCountEverything

34-year-old Bryan Shaw of the Guardians has been spending his summers in a major-league clubhouse for 12 seasons (2011-2022 … Diamondbacks, Indians, Rockies, Mariners). And, until this July 26, he started every game in the bullpen. On that day, after 732 relief appearances, he made his first MLB start (against the Red Sox in Boston).

Why is this in the Highlights Section? It gave Shaw the most relief appearance ever at the beginning of a career before making a start. (Keep in mind, you have to make at least one career start to qualify.) Shaw went 2 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk, while fanning two. Cleveland won 8-3 and Shaw got a no-decision. Shaw was relieved by 25-year-old righty Nick Sandlin, who has made 61 relief appearances without a start.

If Shaw’s name sounds a bit familiar, it should. In his first 11 MLB season, he led the AL in appearances four time.

Is Forty, the New Thirty?

On July 27, the Cardinals topped the Blue Jays on the strength of a three-run home run by 42-year-old Albert Pujols (part of a three-for-four games) and a one-run, seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance by 40-year-old starter Adam Wainwright.

He wasn’t Throwing Junk Out There

I’ve always though Homer Bailey was an unfortunate name for an MLB pitcher, in the same way Steve Swisher is not ideal for a hitter. Well, add Angels’ 26-year-old rookie righthander Janson Junk to that list. On July 27, Junk made his second MLB appearance of 2022 (and sixth career MLB appearance). Junk started against the Royals and went five innings (four hits, one walk, eight strikeouts) in picking up his first MLB victory. Oh, one of my favorite baseball names? How about the Diamondbacks’ Seth Beer?

More Judgments (or Judge moments)

On July 28, Yankee OF Aaron Judge rapped his 39^th home run of the 2022 season. It came with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and gave the Bronx Bombers a 1-0 win over the Royals. It was Judge’s third walk-off home run of the season, tying Mickey Mantle (1959) for the franchise record for walk-off long balls in a single campaign.

Sho-Time Again

It wouldn’t be a 2022 Roundtable Highlights Section without a nod to Shohei Ohtani. The Angels’ two-way star. On July 28, as the Angels lost to the Rangers 2-0 in LA, Shohei gave up two runs on eight hits over six innings – while fanning 11 and walking none. While it was a loss, it was also the sixth consecutive game in which Ohtani fanned 10 or more batters – leaving him to enter August one game shy of the franchise record for consecutive games with double-digit strikeouts, Who owns that record? None other than Nolan Ryan. Not bad company. Since June 22, Ohtani has made six starts on the mound, going 4-2, 2.08 and fanning 68 batters (eight walks) in 39 innings.

Old Guys Continue to Rule

Photo by KA Sports Photos

Okay, let get this right up front, Houston righty Justin Verlander is 39-years-old, missed the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and pitched only one game in 2020. So, how’s he doing. On July 29, he became the 2022 season’s first 14-game winner, going 7 2/3 innings and giving up one run on five hits (with five strikeouts), as the Astros topped Seattle 11-1. That victory ran Verlander’s record to 14-3, with a 1.81 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 124 innings. Verlander has won his last six starts, putting up a .086 ERA over 41 2/3 innings (on out shy of seven innings per start).

100 – That a nice Round Number

On July 30, Mets’ right-hander Carlos Carrasco threw 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball, as New York topped the Marlins in Miami. It ran Carrasco’s season record to 11-4, 3.79 – and was his 100^th MLB victory. Carrasco is 100-82, 3.86 over 13 MLB seasons. His best season was 2017, when he went 18-6, 3.29 for the Indians, leading the AL in victories and finishing fourth in the Cy Young Award balloting.

Three’s Company – Pretty Good Company!

In the second inning of the Angels’ matchup with the Rangers (in Texas) – with the score knotted at 1-1 – Angels’ rookie starter Reid Detmers was slated to face 3B Ezequiel Duran, RF Kole Calhoun and 2B Charlie Culberson (the numbers 6-7-8 batters in the lineup). He dispatched the trio on nine pitches – all strikes – to record an Immaculate Inning (three strikeouts on nine pitches, to produce a 1-2-3 inning).

It was the fourth Immaculate Inning this season, but this one was extra special. Detmers, you may recall, threw a no-hitter against the Rays back on May 10 (a 12-0 Angels win). Adding the Immaculate Inning made Detmers the first rookie and only the third pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter and an Immaculate Inning in the same season. The others? Sandy Koufax (1962, 1963, 1963) and Mike Fiers (2015).

Nice Start, Rook!

On July 31, as the Dodgers faced the Rockies in Colorado, James Outman made is MLB debut in RF for the Dodgers. The 25-year-old rookie, batting ninth came up against Rockies’ starter German Marquez in the top of third, with one on and no outs and the game tied at 0-0. Outman did not make an out, Man! After taking two pitches for a 1-1 count, Outman took his first major-league swing and popped a home run to right-center. He finished his first MLB game three-for-four, with two runs scored, three RBI, a double and a homer.

——-Individual Statistical Leaders for July 2022———

AVERAGE (60 July at bats minimum)

National League – Alec Bohm, Phillies (.434); Austin Riley, Braves (.423); Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (.388)

American League – Harold Ramirez, Rays (.400); Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., Blue Jays (.382); Matt Carpenter, Yankees (.356)

The lowest July average (among players with at least 60 at bats in the month) belonged to the Phillies’ Didi Gregorius at .116 (8-for-69).

HOME RUNS

National League – Austin Riley, Braves (11); Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (10); Matt Olson, Braves (9)

American League – Aaron Judge, Yankees (13); Matt Carpenter, Yankees (9); Matt Chapman, Blue Jays (9)

The Braves’ Austin Riley had the highest July slugging percentage (among players with at least 60 at bats) at .885. The AL leader was the Yankees’ Matt Carpenter at .822.

RUNS BATTED IN

National League –Matt Olson, Braves (25); Austin Riley, Braves (25); Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (19); Brandon Drury, Reds (19)

American League – Aaron Judge, Yankees (32); Matt Carpenter, Yankees (23); Matt Chapman, Blue Jays (22)

HITS

National League – Austin Riley, Braves (44); Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (38); Trea Turner, Dodgers (35)

American League – Steven Kwan, Guardians (38); Jose Abreu, White Sox (36); Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Blue Jays (35)

The Nationals’ Juan Soto led MLB (players (with at least 60 July at bats) in on-base percentage at .495. The AL leader was the Yankees’ D.J. LeMahieu at .462.

DOUBLES

National League – Austin Riley, Braves (15); Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (11); Trea Turner, Dodgers (9): Randal Grichuk, Rockies (9)

American League – Yandy Diaz, Rays (11); Leody Taveras, Rangers(10); Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Blue Jays (10)

TRIPLES

National League – Gavin Lux, Dodgers (3); five with 2

American League – Jorge Mateo, Orioles (3); four with 2

The Braves’ Austin Riley led MLB in July extra-base hits with 26. He had 18 singles, 15 doubles and 11 home runs.

STOLEN BASES

National League – Ronald Acuna, Braves (9); Michael Harris, Braves (7); Jon Berti, Marlins (6); Jonathon Davis, Brewers (6); Josh Rojas, Diamondbacks (6)

American League – Bobby Witt, Royals (8); Marcus Semien, Rangers (7); Cedric Mullins, Orioles (6)

The Braves’ Michael Harris stole the most bases without being caught in July at seven.

WALKS

National League – Juan Soto, Nationals (25); Christian Yelich, Brewers (18); Christian Walker, D-backs (15); Daniel Vogelbach, Mets (15)

American League – DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (20): Jorge Polanco, Twins (20); three with 17

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (37); Matt Olson, Braves (36); Ian Happ, Cubs (33)

American League – Kole Calhoun, Rangers (42); Riley Greene, Tigers (39); Adolis Garcia, Rangers (36)

PITCHING VICTORIES

National League – Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks (4-0); Reiver Sanmartin (4-0), Julio Urias, Dodgers (4-0); Kyle Wright, Braves (4-0)

American League – Dylan Cease, White Sox (5-1); Justin Verlander, Astros (4-0); Cole Irvin, A’s (4-1); Corey Kluber, Rays (4-2)

The Angels’ Patrick Sandoval had the most losses in July (0-5, 6.20 in fie starts).

EARNED RUN AVERAGE (at least 20 innings pitched)

National League – Marcus Stroman, Cubs (0.89); Carlos Carrasco, Mets (0.90); Tyler Anderson, Dodgers (1.11.)

American League – Dylan Cease, White Sox (0.76); Justin Verlander, Astros (1.01); Reid Detmers, Angels (1.13)

Among pitchers with at least four July starts or 20 July innings, the Red Sox’ Nick Pivetta had the highest ERA at 9.38 (25 earned runs in 24 innings.)

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Carlos Rodon, Giants (53/37 IP); Max Scherzer, Mets (45/32 1/3 IP); Yu Darvish, Padres (45/34 IP)

American League – Gerrit Cole, Yankees (51/38 IP); Shohei Ohtani, Angels (44/22 1/3 IP); Brady Singer, Royals (42/30 2/3 IP); Jose Berrios, Blue Jays (42/36 IP)

SAVES

National League – Tanner Scott, Marlins (7); Daniel Bard, Rockies (7); Edwin Diaz, Mets (7)

American League – Jordan Romero, Blue Jays (7); Scott Barlow, Royals (6); Jorge Lopez, Orioles (6); Lou Trivino, A’s (6)

Edwin Diaz of the Mets went seven-for-seven in save opportunities and put up a 0.00 July ERA. Also going seven-for-seven were the Blue Jays’ Jordan Romano (0.84 ERA) and Rockies’ Daniel Bard (1.00 ERA).

WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched – 20 innings minimum)

National League –Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks (0.77); Braxton Garrett, Marlins (0.80); Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (0.80); Alex Wood, Giants (0.80)

American League – Cole Irvin, A’s (0.65); Shane McClanahan, Rays (0.82); Triston McKenzie, Guardians (0.83)

BONUS STATS

The Nationals Josiah Gray gave up the most homer in July – nine in 26 2/3 IP.

Among pitchers with 20 July innings, the Braves’ Spencer Strider held opponents to the lowest July batting average (.158 )

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If the season ended July 31, the post-season teams would be:

National League: Dodgers, Mets, Brewers Wild Cards: Braves, Padres, Phillies

American League: Yankees, Astros, Twins Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Mariners, Rays

——-Team Statistical Leaders Through July 2022 ———-

RUNS SCORED

National League – Dodgers (526); Braves (486); Phillies (476)

American League – Yankees (551); Blue Jays (495); Red Sox (468)

The fewest runs (through July) were scored by the Tigers – 331. The Pirates tallied the fewest runs in the NL at 363.

AVERAGE

National League – Rockies (.261); Dodgers (.258); Mets (.256)

American League – Blue Jays (.265); White Sox (.257); Red Sox (.255)

The lowest team average through June belonged to the A’s at .215. The Pirates were at the bottom of the NL at .219,

HOME RUNS

National League – Braves (158); Brewers (140); Phillies (131)

American League – Yankees (177); Astros (146); Blue Jays (132)

The Tigers had the fewest home runs through June at 63. The Nationals trailed the rest of the NL at 79.

The Yankees led MLB in slugging percentage through July at .444. The Dodgers led the NL at .442.

STOLEN BASES

National League – Marlins (83); Cardinals (67); Cubs (66)

American League – Rangers (80); Yankees (68); Orioles (62)

The Twins stole the fewest sacks through July (16 in 29 attempts). The Rockies were at the bottom of the NL with 27 in 40 attempts. The White Sox stole 39 bases through July and were caught just four times.

WALKS DRAWN

National League – Dodgers (389); Giants (372); Brewers (361)

American League – Yankees (408); Mariners (369); Astros (359)

The Dodgers led MLB in on-base percentage through July at .336. The Yankees led the AL at .331. The A’s had MLB’s lowest OBP through July at .275.

BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS

National League – Pirates (955); Braves (954); Brewers (899)

American League – Angels (985); Rays (903); Orioles (898)

Guardians’ batters fanned the fewest times through July (707).

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

National League – Dodgers (2.97); Mets (3.54); Braves (3.60)

American League – Astros (3.04); Yankees (3.19); Rays (3.45)

Two teams had ERAs through June of 5.00 or higher – Nationals (5.14); Reds (5.12).

STRIKEOUTS

National League – Braves (983); Brewers (970); Mets (960)

American League – Yankees (952); Astros (920); White Sox (915)

The Brewers averaged an MLB-best 9.64 strikeouts per nine innings through July. The White Sox averaged an AL-best 9.09. Eight teams average 9+ whiffs per nine innings.

FEWEST WALKS SURRENDERED

National League – Dodgers (249); Giants (282); Mets (286)

American League – Rays (251); Blue Jays (267); Yankees (268)

The Rays and Dodgers each walked an MLB-lowest 2.49 batter per nine innings through July.

SAVES

National League – Brewers (37); Braves (36); Padres (35)

American League – Yankees (34); Astros (31); Blue Jays (30)

Bonus Stats:

The Nationals gave up an MLB-high 150 home runs through July. By contrast, the Giants gave up an MLB-low 82 homers through July.

There have been just 17 complete games through July; the Red Sox lead the category with three. Eighteen of the 30 MLB teams have yet to record a complete game.

The Mariners committed the fewest errors through July (35) and had the top fielding percentage at .990. The Pirates committed an MLB-high 73 fielding miscues through July.

Baseball Roundtable Note: Some of the MLB records noted in this post have the potential to change as Major League Baseball recognizes and further incorporates Negro League records from 1920-48.

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

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Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News

Ed Linke- A “Heads Up” Start to an Unusual Double Play and a Head Start on his Best MLB Season

July 26, 2022 by David

On this date (July 26) in 1935, Ed “Babe” Linke – in a truly “heads up” play – started one of the most unusual double plays in MLB history. Not only that, the play seemed to give him a head start (or jump start) to his best-ever MLB campaign.

That day, the 23-year-old started (in New York) on the mound for the Senators (fighting to stay out of last place)) versus the Yankees (trailing the first-place Tigers by 1 1/2 games). Linke came into the game 3-6, 7.60), while his mound opponent, Johnny Broaca was 8-3, 3.15. He had no idea he was soon to start a unique double play – with his head.

Linke was wild from the start, walking the bases loaded with one out in the first frame (3B Red Rolfe, RF George Selkirk, 1B Lou Gehrig), but escaping without a Yankee run (striking out C Bill Dickey and getting SS Tony Lazzeri on a ground out.) The Senators had tallied once in the top of the first and added a second run in the top of the second, so Linke was staked to a 2-0 lead as he took the mound in the bottom of the second inning. Little did he know where his afternoon was headed. If he had, he might have left the mound.

In the bottom of the second, with one out, Yankee lead-off hitter and left fielder Jesse Hill smashed a line drive off Linke’s forehead. The ball hit the right-handed hurler with such force it ricocheted back to Senators’ catcher Jack Redmond, who caught it on the fly and fired to Senators’ shortstop Red Kress, catching a surprised Yankee base-runner (CF Ben Chapman) off the bag for a 1-2-6 double play – completed as Linke lay semi-conscious on the mound. Linke was carried off the field on a stretcher and spent two days in the hospital before returning to the Senators – to begin the most successful pitching streak of his six-season MLB career. (He was back on the mound just eight days later.)

At the time of the beaning – including that game – Linke’s record on the season was 3-6, with a 7.41 ERA. (He would complete his MLB career at 22-22, 5.61.) However, for the remainder of 1935, after being felled by the Hill liner, Linke went 8-1, 3.18 in 11 starts and three relief appearances. During that time, he also threw seven of his 13 career complete games – including a ten-inning, two-run (one earned) performance against the Indians on August 18 and a twelve-inning, three-run (two earned) outing against the Tigers on September 11.

Linke finished up the 1935 season 11-7, 5.01. (Note; Baseball-References lists Linke’s ERA at 5.01 in his career overview and 5.06 in his 1935 game logs.) The following year, he would go 1-5, 7.10; and would be out of the major leagues by age 27.) The knock on the noggin’ didn’t seem to hurt Linke’s batting eye either, Hitting .259 at the time of the injury, Linke finished the season at .294, with one home run and nine RBI. Clearly, Linke got a head start on his best season on this date 87 years ago.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; BaseballRulesAcademy.com; NationalPastime.com

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

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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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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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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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