When the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) were considering a new name, the legendary Cleveland Spiders  were on the tip of more than a few tongues.  Best remembered for their 1899 all-time worst 20-134 record, the Spiders of that season were an unusual band of characters forced to play more than 70 percent of their games on the road.  Now, in this post, I will look at how this misfortune  fell upon the Spiders (who, by the way, were Cy Young’s first MLB team), but first a bit of Baseball Roundtable’s “one thing leads to another” musings.

Digging into the plight of the Spiders, reminded me of my favorite work of baseball fiction –  The Great American Novel , by Pulitzer Prize-winner Philip Roth. The book, set in the 1940s, recounts the very-comic  sufferings of the (Port) Ruppert Mundys – a baseball team of limited skill and unlimited neurosis that (due to losing its stadium to the war effort) must play an entire season on the road.

Written from the perspective of retired sport journalist “Word” Smith,” The Great American Novel takes you into the hearts and (often dark) souls of a team made up of  ex-cons, alcoholics,  amputees, veteran players well  beyond their primes, 90-pound adolescents not ready for the big-time, and even extremely vindictive Lilliputians – and into Patriot League (the third major league) ballparks in places like Asylum, Ohio; Terra Incognita, Wyoming; and Kakoola, Wisconsin.  It also takes you from the dugout to an asylum (for an exhibition game) to the House Un-American Activities Committee.   The prologue includes Word Smith’s encounter with Earnest Hemingway and the book wraps up with a letter written by Smith to China’s Chairman Mao.

BBRT considers this a must-read for fans of baseball fiction. Readers should be forewarned, however, that – like the movie “The Loved One,” the Great American Novel can promise something to offend everyone.  Yet, it is this across-the-board irreverence that makes the offense tolerable and even comic.

Oddly enough, in this case, fiction (at least somewhat) follows fact and, as noted earlier,  this post will focus on the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who played 112 games of its 154-Game National League schedule “on the road” – finishing in last place, 84 games off the pace and earning snickering nicknames around the league like the “Exiles,” “Wanderers,” “Forsakens” and “Misfits.”

The Spiders, however, were not always so woeful. They were, in fact, the first MLB team to put Cy Young on the mound and, in 1898, Young went 23-15, 3.00  in a Spiders’ uniform.  The year before their dismal 1899 season, the Spiders boasted a winning record (81-68-7) and finished fifth in the National League. In ten NL seasons (1889-98), the Spiders had a winning record seven times and finished among the league’s top three four times. In fact, from 1892 through 1898, the Spiders had the third-best winning percentage in the league.  The 1898 team also included three future Hall of Famers – Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace (all three of whom ended up in St. Louis in 1899, bit I’m getting ahead of myself).

So, what happened?  As in Roth’s tale of the Mundys, there were some shenanigans involved.  Spiders’ owners Frank and Stanley Robison were  disappointed in the level of fan support (attendance) in Cleveland (despite a respectable won-lost history), as well as with Cleveland’s Sunday Blue (liquor) Laws. At the same time, the Saint Louis Browns were suffering on the field and at the gate – and went bankrupt after the 1898 season. Still, Saint  Louis was the nation’s fourth-largest city and the Robisons saw an opportunity. The Robisons purchased the Saint Louis team, renamed it (optimistically the “Perfectos” and came up with a plan to draw Saint Louis fans into the park with a super team.

You see, the Robisons still owned the Spiders and quickly set about strengthening the Saint Louis squad with the best players from the Spiders (and replacing them on the Spiders with lessor players – a number of whom had been on the last-place Browns –  as well as minor-league and semipro players).   It was indeed the Robison’s’ series of lopsided trades and misguided (perhaps intentionally) signings that opened the door to the basement for the Spiders.

More than a dozen  Spiders from 1898 found themselves in Perfectos’ uniforms in 1899 – and former Spiders made up eight of the most used positions players – including the teams top three in RBI, top two home run hitters and top four in runs scored. In addition, former Spiders started  on the mound in 124 of the Perfecto’s games and got the win in 69 of the team’s 84 victories. (The Perfectos were far from perfect,  they finished 84-67-5, fifth place in the NL).

With their woeful team, 1899 attendance dropped even lower – averaging less than 150 fans per contest. Other teams began to refuse to play in Cleveland (since their share of the gate would not even cover expenses) and that’s how the Spiders came to play 112 games on the road.

The Best of the Spiders

The two best players to open the 1899 season as Spiders were veteran infielders Lafayette Napoleon “Lave” Cross (3B and manager) and Joe Quinn (2B). Cross managed the team to an 8-30 record, while fielding well at third base and hitting at a .286-1-20 clip. The “Perfectos” were having some infield issues, however, and (true to form) Cross found himself at the hot corner in St, Louis by early June (where he hit .303-4-64 in 103 games). When Cross departed, the 36-year-old Quinn became manager and led the team in RBI (.286-0-72 in 147 games) – as well as leading them 12 wins and 104 losses.

A few other tidbits from the Spiders’ 1899 season:

• The team’s longest winning streak was two games – achieved just once.
• The team’s longest losing streak was 24 games, they also had two 11-game losing streaks and individual losing streaks of 13, 14 and 16 games.
• They lost 40 of their last 41 games.
• Eight of the Spiders 20 wins were by one run; as were 18 of their losses.
• They lost 69 games by five or more runs (24 of those by ten or more).

In 1899, the Cleveland Spiders played just 42 home games, averaging 145 fans per game.  They were 9-33 at home and 11-101 on the road. (The Saint Louis Perfectos average 4,298 fans per game, second-highest in the National League.

• The Spiders scored the league’s fewest runs (529) and gave up the most (1,252) – a minus-723 run differential.
• The team finished last in the league in batting average, hits, runs, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and steals
• The pitching staff had the league’s highest ERA and hits allowed; the fewest strikeouts; and the second-most home runs and walks allowed
• The ‘ace” of the pitching staff, Jim Hughey went 4-30, 5.41. He had the staff’s most wins (tied); most starts (34); most complete games (32); most strikeouts 54); and lowest ERA (among qualifiers).

Jim Hughey might have been the poster-boy for the Spiders’ situation. He was sent from St. Louis (where he had gone 7-24, 3.93 in 1898) to the Spiders for the 1899 season (where, as noted, he went 4-30, 5.41. He had a seven-season MLB career (1891, 1893, 1896-1900) in which he went 29-80 4.87.

• The Spiders hit 12 home runs (no one with more than two). Former Spider Bobby Wallace, who went to the Perfectos in 1899, hit 12 homers on his own. that season.
• Cy Young and Jack Powell (also former Spiders) each won more games for the Perfectos in 1899 than the Spiders won as a team; 26 and 23, respectively.
• The Spiders used 15 pitchers in 1899 and only two had earned run averages south of 5.00 – Jack Harper, who went 1-4, 3.89 in five starts and Harry Lochhead, who went 0-0, 0.00 in one 3 2/3-inning relief appearance. It was the only career mound appearance for Lochhead, who also appeared in 146 games at SS and one at 2B for the 1899 Spiders.
• Against their former teammates (on the Perfectos), the Spiders went 1-13.

A Name to Remember

Harry Colliflower made his MLB debut with the Spiders on July 21, 1899, and picked up a win (by a 5-3 score)  as the Spiders topped the Senators. It would be the 30-year-old rookie’s only win in his only MLB season. He finished the campaign (and his MLB career) with a 1-11, 8.17 record. Notably, Colliflower also appeared in four games at 1B, four in CF and two in RF. In 23 games for the Spiders, he put up a .303 average (23-for-76) and drove in nine runs.

________________________________________

What a Way to End the Franchise

On the final day of the 1899 season (October 15), the Cleveland Spiders played a doubleheader against the Reds (in Cincinnati, of course) – and were outscored 35-4 in the two games. It turned out to be the final two games for the franchise, which was disbanded after the seasons as the NL contracted from 12 to eight teams.  Also disbanded were the Louisville Colonels, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators.

___________________________________________

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com;  Baseball-Almanac.com; It’s Time to Bring Back the Cleveland Spiders (who really weren’t that bad, you know) … By Bradley Doolittle, ESPN.

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

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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

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

Wise Words from a Pair of Bills

It never ceases to amaze me, how many of baseball’s wounds are self-inflicted.

Hall of Famer Bill Veeck

Baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it.

Hall of Famer Bill Terry

As Baseball Roundtable waits, less than patiently, for baseball’s owners and players to come to their senses (and thereby to an agreement), I continue to randomly search for baseball stories and stats that pique my interest. For example, looking at Giants’ right-hander Ted Lincecum’s stat line and game logs, I noticed that:

• Lincecum threw only two complete games in the last five seasons of his 10-season (2007-16) MLB career; and
• Both of those complete games were no-hitters.

As always with Baseball Roundtable, one thing led to another and I was reminded of the fact that Phil Humber threw just one complete game in his eight-season MLB career (2006-13) – and that outing was a Perfect Game.  That led to Mike Fiers’ two career complete games – both no-hitters.

These  observations led me to look even more deeply at pitchers who managed to throw MLB no-hitters, despite a minimal number of career complete games.  As I began the search, I set my sights on pitchers with one no-hitter and fewer than three career complete games and those with multiple MLB no-hitters and fewer than ten career complete games.  Since I do like charts, I developed two based on these criteria: one for pitchers no longer active and another for pitchers active in 2021 (who have a chance to pitch their way off the chart).  Side note:  As you might expect, given changes in the game (pitch counts, relief specialists, etc.), most of the pitchers on the charts began their MLB careers in the 2000’s.

In this post, I’ll present those charts, along with some info on each pitcher, as well as a couple of Baseball Round Table No-Hit Parade Extras.

Homer Bailey …. Two No-Hitters, Seven Career Complete Games, 245 Career Starts

Homer Bailey threw the last MLB no-hitter of the 2012 season and the first no-hitter of the 2013 season. The right-hander made 245 MLB appearances – and never pitched in relief in the majors.  Bailey (with the Reds) no-hit the Pirates (in Pittsburgh) on September 28, 2012 (1-0), walking one and fanning ten. On July 2, 2013, he no-hit the Giants (in Cincinnati) by a 3-0 score, walking one and whiffing nine. Bailey pitched in 14 MLB seasons (2007-20 … Reds, Royals, A’s Twins) going  81-86, 4.56, with 1,157 strikeouts in 1,401 innings. Bailey’s  given name, by the way,  was David Dewitt Bailey Jr.  His “Homer” nickname (which seemed unfortunate for a pitcher) honored his great grandfather.

High School High Roller

Homer Bailey was a first-round pick (Reds) in the 2004 MLB Draft – out of La Grange (TX) High School, where he had gone 41-4, 0.90 with 536 strikeouts in 298 innings.

________________________________________________

Bobo Holloman … No-Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 10 Career Starts

Alva Lee “Bobo” Holloman threw a no-hitter in his first MLB start (fifth appearance). On May 6, 1953, righty Holloman and his St. Louis Browns no-hit the Philadelphia Athletics in a 6-0 whitewash. It was the only complete game in Holloman’s one season (1953) career. Holloman walked five and fanned three. Notably, he made the no-no hard work for himself, by walking three batters in the top of the ninth inning. He made nine more starts that season, going 2-5, 5.40 in those appearances.  His season and career stat line was 3-7, 5.23.

Making the Roundtable No-Hit Parade and Hit Parade

In Bobo Holloman’s first MLB start, he not only notched a no-hitter and his only MLB complete game, he also collected two hits and three RBI – his only major league hits and runs driven in.

____________________________________________

Baseball Roundtable No-Hit Parade Extra … Making Those Last Two Complete Games Count

Ted Lincecum had a pair of no-hitters, but his ten career complete games kept him off the chart. Lincecum, who led the National League with four complete games in 2009, had just two complete games over his final five MLB seasons (2012-16)  – both were no-hitters. On July 13, 2013 (Could 13 be Lincecum’s lucky number?), Lincecum no-hit the Padres (in San Diego) as the Giants won 9-0. He walked four and struck out thirteen. On June 25 of the following season, he no-hit the Padres again in San Francisco. The final was 4-0 and Lincecum walked one and fanned six. The four-time All Star went 110-89 in ten MLB seasons (2007-16 … Giants Dodgers). He was also 5-2, 2.50 in the post-season.

Bud smith … No-Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 24 Career Starts

Southpaw Bud Smith threw his no-hitter in his rookie season, in his 11^th MLB start (September 3, 1001). It was the   21-year-old Cardinal rookie’s  fourth win (against two losses) in a season in which he would go a promising  6-3. 3.83.  Smith walked four and whiffed seven in a 4-0 win over the Padres (in San Diego). Smith’s early promise faded.  In 2002, he went 1-5, 6.94 and, in July,  was traded to the Phillies in a multi-player trade. He did not pitch again in the major leagues.,

_____________________________________________

Philip Humber … One No-Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 51 Career Starts

Phil Humber’s lone career complete game was not only a no-hitter, it was a PERFECT GAME. On April 21, 2012, Humber set down 27 straight Mariners in Seattle, with his White  Sox winning 4-0. He fanned nine in the effort and threw 67 strikes in 97 pitches (69 percent). In his very next start, Humber lasted just five innings against the Red Sox, giving up nine earned runs on eight hits and three walks. Humber was not exactly a candidate for a “perfecto.”  The righty pitched in eight MLB seasons (2006-13 … Mets, Twins, Royals, White Sox Astro), going  16-23, 5.31.  The year he pitched his perfect game, his final stat line was 5-5, 6.44.

We’ll Take Phil

Philip Humber was a First Round draft pick (Mets – third overall pick) in the 2004 MLB draft – out of Rice University, where he had gone 35-8, 2.80, with 422 strikeouts in 353 2/3 innings over three seasons.

_______________________________________________

Hisashi Iwakuma … One No-Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 136 Career Starts

Hisashi Iwakuma pitched 11 seasons in Japan (and had been an All Star in multiple campaigns) before signing with the Mariners (as a 31-year-old) in 2012. He adjusted to MLB quickly.  In his first three seasons with the Mariners, the right-hander went 38-20, 3.07 and was selected to the 2013 AL All Star squad.  On August 12, 2015, he no-hit the Orioles (in Seattle ), as the Mariners triumphed 3-0.  He walked three and fanned seven. In six MLB seasons (2012-17, all with the Mariners, Iwakuma went 63-39, 3.41.

Not First, But Almost

Hisashi Iwakuma was the second Japanese player to pitch an MLB no-hitter (after Hideo Nomo).

______________________________________________

Jonathan Sanchez … One No-Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 137 Career Starts

Giants’ lefty  Jonathan Sanchez threw his no-hitter on July 10, 2009 – shutting  down the Padres 8-0, while walking none and fanning 11. The first (and only baserunner) came with one out in the top of the eighth on an error by Juan Uribe, who had moved from 2B to 3B in the seventh inning. Sanchez came into the game 2-8, 5.30 on the season (16 appearances/13 starts). He  finished the season 8-12, 4.24. Sanchez pitched in eight MLB seasons (2006-13 … Giants, Royals, Rockies, Pirates) and went 39-58, 4.70.

Jonathan Sanchez’ Dad Can Thank Randy Johnson for This One

On the night he threw his no-hitter, Jonathan Sanchez was slated to work out of the bullpen.  Randy Johnson was scheduled to start for the Giants, but was a late (injury) scratch. And the rest is history. Oh, one final note, it was the first time that Sanchez’ father was in the stands to see  him pitch in an MLB game.

 ______________________________________

Baseball Roundtable No-Hit Parade Extra … A Good Start for Bumpus

Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones is the only MLB pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first-ever MLB appearance.  It happened a bit before my time –  on October 15, 1892. Bumpus earned the (very) late (final-day-of-the-season) start with the Reds after a 24-3, 0.93 record with the Joliet Convicts/Aurora Indians of the Illinois-Iowa League.  He tossed his no-hitter against the Pirates, striking out three and walking four in a 7-1 win.  Of note is the fact that Jones ‘s no-hitter was the last one thrown  with pitchers  throwing from a box with the front line 50-feet from home plate  and the back line 5 ½-feet farther back.  The following season, the distance was stretched to the current 60’6” and Bumpus could not recreate the magic of that first appearance. In 1893, he went 1-4, 10.19 and never pitched in the majors again.

Chris Heston … One No-Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 33 Career Starts

Right-hander Chris Heston pitched his no-hitter on June 9 , 2015 – as his Giants topped the Mets 5-0 in New York. Heston fanned eleven and walked none.  It was the second – and final – complete game of Heston’s four- season MLB career (2014-17 … Giants, Mariners, Twins).  Earlier that season (May 12), Heston had pitched a two-hit, complete game in an 8-1 win over the Astros.  Heston ended the 2015 season at 12-11, 3.95.  He had only one other victory in his  MLB career. His final  MLB stat line was 13-13, 4.55.

This Will Hurt You More than it Hurts Me

In his no-hitter Chris Heston hit three batters – a record for a no-hit performance.

___________________________________

Jose Jimenez … One No-Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 38 Career Starts

On June 25 1999, Cardinals’  right-hander Jose Jimenez (rookie status intact, he pitched in just four games in 1998), found himself facing the Diamondbacks (and the imposing figure of five-time All Star Randy Johnson) in Arizona. Johnson was 12-4, 3.36 at the time (and had 60 MLB career complete games under his belt.). Jimenez came into the game 3-7, 6.69 on the season and had yet to toss an MLB complete game. Sanchez went the distance, giving up no hit and two walks, while fanning eight, as the Cardinals prevailed 1-0.  (Johnson pitched a complete game five-hitter with 14 strikeouts.) Sanchez ended the season 5-14, 5.85. Johnson finished at 17-9, with a league-leading 2.48 ERA and a league -topping 364 strikeouts.

Sorry Randy, But I Got This

Jose Jimenez had only two complete games in his career. They came on June 25 and July 5, 1999. Both times, the opposing team was the Diamondbacks and the opposing starter was Randy Johnson.  Sanchez’ Cardinals won both contests by scores of 1-0. Sanchez gave up a total of two nits and fanned 17  in the 18 innings, Johnson gave up nine hits, two runs and fanned 29.

Jimenez pitched in seven MLB seasons (1998-2004 … Cardinals, Rockies), going 24-44, 4.92.  Notably, after his 1999 no-hitter season, he was traded to the Rockies, where he was converted to a reliever and racked up 102 saves over the next four seasons.  He added eight saves for the Indians in 2004.

_________________________________________

Kent Mercker …  One No-Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 150  Career Starts

Southpaw Kent Mercker spent most of his 18-season MLB career as a reliever (542 relief appearances/150 starts). In his 150 starts, he pitched just two complete games. Both complete games came in 1994 and one was a no-hitter.  It came on April 8, in Mercker’s first appearance of the season. He faced the Dodgers (in LA) and Mercker picked up a win (6-0), no-hitting the Dodgers  (four walks, ten strikeouts). He threw the second and final complete game of his career on July 18 of that season –  a two-hit,  3-2 win over the Pirates. Mercker finished the season  9-4, 3.45. Mercker pitched for nine teams in 18 MLB seasons (1989-2000, 2002-2006, 2008 … Braves, Orioles, Indians, Reds, Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels, Rockies, Cubs). He was 74-67, 4.16, with 25 saves over that time.

There’s More Than One Way to Get This Done

Kent Mercker is one of only four MLB pitchers to start a complete-game no-hitter and also start a game which ended in a combined (multi-pitcher)  no-hitter.

__________________________________________

Mike Fiers …. Two No Hitters, Two Career Complete Games, 199 Career Starts

Mike Fiers has pitched just two complete games in 199 starts over eleven seasons – and both were no-hitters.  On August 21, 2015, the right-hander notched his first-ever complete game. Pitching for the Astros, he no-hit the Dodgers in a 3-0 win in Houston.  He walked three and fanned ten. Fiers came into the game at 5-9, 3.87 and finished the season at 7-10, 3.69.  His second career complete outing came on May 7, 2019, pitching for the A’s.  In that contest, he no-hit the Reds (a 2-0 win), walking two and fanning six. He came into that game 2-3, 6.81. The no-no seemed to turn his season around.  He won his next  11 decisions and finished the year at 15-4, 3.90.

Ups and Downs

Mike Fiers had his ups and down on May 7, 2015. He started for the Brewers against the Dodgers that day.  With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, Fiers had an inning in which he issued  three four-pitch walks (one intentional) and gave up a pair of singles. (Two runs scored in the inning.) In his next frame, he pitched an Immaculate Inning – nine pitches, three outs, three strikeouts.  

Fiers has pitched in 11 MLB seasons (2011-21 … Brewers, Astros, Tigers, A’s), going 75-64, 4.07. He pitched in just two games in 2021 due to elbow issues.

_______________________________________

Jake Arrieta … Two No-Hitters, Six Complete Games, 279 Starts

Cubs’ Righty Jake Arrieta threw his first no-hitter in his sixth MLB season (2015) – a year when he led the National League in wins (22), starts (33), complete games (four) and shutouts (three).  Going into the season, Arrieta had just one complete game in 97 career starts.  He threw the no-hitter on August 30 in his 27th start of the 2015 seasons (his 124th career start), as the Cubs topped the Dodgers 2-0 in Los Angeles. Arrieta, in running his season record to 17-6, walked just one and fanned 12.  Arrieta finished the game with a flourish, leaving no doubt, as he struck out all three hitters he faced i the ninth inning.

Arrieta’s second no-hitter came just ten starts later – on April 21, 2016, as the Cubs clobbered the Reds 16-0 in Cincinnati. In that one, Arietta walked four and fanned six. Since that 2016 no-hitter, Arriet has started 118 games without going the distance. He finished the 2016 season at 18-8, 3.10.  Arrieta’s has pitched in 12 MLB seasons (2010-21 … Orikoles, Cubs, Phillies and Padres), going 115-93, 3.98.   In an injury-interrupted  2021 season, he was 5-14, 7.39 for the Cubs and Padres.

What a Second Half

Jake Arrieta, although he won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015, did not make the All Star team that season.  He was 10-5, 2.66 before the break and a sparkling 12-1, 0.75 after the break. 

_______________________________________

Tyler Gilbert … – One  No Hitter, One  Career Complete Game, Six Career Starts

Diamondbacks’ rookie left-hander Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter  on August 14 of last season – in his fourth MLB appearance and his first MLB start. The Diamondbacks topped the Rockies 7-0 in Gilberts no-no.  He walked three and struck out five.  Gilbert finished 2021 at 2-2, 3.15.

______________________________________

Alec  Mills … One No Hitter, One  Career Complete Game, 37 Career Starts

On September 13, 2020, Cubs’ righty Alex Mills – in his 15^th MLB start – cruised to a 12-0 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee, walking three and fanning five. It was part of the 28-year-old’s  5-5, 4.48 record in his fourth MLB season.  Mills has played in five MLB seasons (2016, 2018-21 … Royals, Cubs), going 12-13, 4.60. In 2021, he was 6-7. 5.07 for the Cubs.

______________________________________

Spencer Turnbull …  One  No Hitter, One Career Complete Game, 53 Career Starts

Spencer Turnbull no-hit the Mariners (in Seattle), on May 18, 2021, winning by a 5-0 score. The 28-year-old righty (in his fourth MLB season)  walked two and fanned nine in the effort.  It was his first MLB complete game and came in his 51^st MLB start.  Turnbull’s season was cut short in early Junie by arm issues that eventually required Tommy John surgery. He finished the season at 4-2, 2.88 and with a career mark of 11-15, 4.25.  Turnbull was selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft (out of the University of Alabama).

_______________________________________

John Means …. One  No Hitter, One  Career Complete Game, 63 Career Starts

 On May 5 of last season, Orioles’ lefty John Means pitched the first (and still only) complete game of his four-season MLB career in a 6-0 Baltimore victory over the Mariners (in Seattle).  Means faced the minimum 27 batters, gave up no hits, did not walk a batter, did not hit at batter and there were no errors committed in the game.  Yet, he did not record a perfect game. In fact, he lost the perfect outing on a strikeout. At least it came early.  In the bottom of the third inning, Seattle left-fielder Sam Haggerty swung at a 1-2 breaking pitch in the dirt that catcher Pedro Severino couldn’t handle. Haggerty made it to first (advancing on the third-strike rule) on what was rule a wild pitch. (It was one of 12 Means’ strikeouts  in the game). On the very next pitch, Haggerty was caught stealing. And, as it turned out, he would be the only Seattle baserunner of the game. It’s the only MLB game in which a perfect game has been lost on a strikeout (dropped third strike or wild pitch.)

Making That First Pitch Count

In his May 5, 2021, no-hitter, John Means faced the minimum 27 batters and recorded a first-pitch strike on 26 of them.

Means who was 4-0, 1.37 after the no-hitter, ended the season 6-9, 3.62. After four seasons, all with Baltimore,  the 28 year-old’s MLB stat line is 20-24, 3.82.

________________________________________

Joe Musgrove … One  No Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 114 Career Starts

On April 9, 2012, the Padres’ Joe Musgrove no-hit the Rangers (by a 3-0 score) in Texas.  He walked none and fanned ten.  The only base runner was Joey Gallo, hit by an 0-0 pitch in the fourth inning. It was Musgrove’s  first MLB complete game and came in his 85^th MLB start. On August 27, the right-hander tossed his second complete game – a 5-0, two-hit (two walks/nine whiffs) road win over the Angels.   Musgrove finished the season 11-9, 3.18, with 203 strikeouts in 181 1/3 innings.  His career MLB record (2016-21 … Astros, Pirates, Padres) is 40-47, 4.02. He was a first round pick (Blue Jays) in the 2011 MLB Draft, right out of Grossmont High School in El Cajon, CA.

Like a Rocket

The season before his 2016 MLB debut, Joe Musgrove made a rapid climb in the Astros’ system.  He was 4-1, 1.88 for the A-Level Quad Cities River Bandits; 4-0, 2.40 for the High-A Lancaster JetHawks; and 4-0, 2.20 for the Double-a Corpus Christi Hooks. In 2016, he was 7-4, 2.74 at Double A and Triple A before his call up.

____________________________________

Carlos Rodon …. One  No Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 116 Career Starts

The White Sox‘ Carlos Rodon notched his first complete game early in his MLB career –  in his rookie season and in just his 17^th career start (August 17, 2015). Rodon went the distance in a 2-1 road loss to the Angels.  His next complete game came on August 14, 2021 – a no-hit, 8-0 win over the Tigers. In that one, he walked none and fanned seven. In that game, the lefty  was perfect with one-out in the ninth, when he hit Tigers’ catcher Roberto Perez with an 0-2 pitch. Perez proved to be the only Tigers’ baserunner in the game.  Rodon finished the 2021 season 13-5, 2.37.  His career record (2015-21), all with the White Sox, is 42-38, 3.79.  Rodon was a first round pick, (White Sox) in the 2014 MLB Draft – out of North Carolina State University, where he went 25-10, 2.24 with 436 strikeouts in 345 2/3 innings over three seasons.

_____________________________________________

James Paxton … One No Hitter, Two Career Complete Games, 137 Career Starts

Southpaw James Paxton has pitched in nine MLB seasons (2013-21 … Mariners, Yankees). He threw his first MLB complete game in his sixth MLB seasons (82^nd career start) – and it was a no-hitter.  It came on May 8, 2018, in a 5-0 Seattle win over the Blue Jays in Toronto.  Paxton walked tree and fanned seven in that game.

Home Sweet Home

James Paxton is the first Canadian to pitch a no-hitter in Canada. 

Paxton’s second career complete game came just two starts later (May 19), in a 7-2 win over Detroit (in Seattle). Paxton finished the 2018 season at 11-6, 3.76.   His career record is 57-33, 3.59, with 831 strikeouts in 745 2/3 innings. Note: Paxton pitched in just one game in 2021 (Tommy John surgery).

How Rare is a Complete Game These Days?

James Paxton’s two complete games and one complete-game shutout in 2018 were good enough to tie for the MLB lead in those categories.  That points to plenty more pitchers making their way onto these charts in the future.

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

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

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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

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

Okay, we’re past the date when we should have heard or read those most exciting words – Pitchers and Catchers Report – and there’s no relief in sight. So, here’s another installment in Baseball Roundtable’s effort to provide some “relief” from CBA banter, focusing, appropriately, on relief pitchers.  (For Installment One, click here.  For Installment Two click here.)  Side note, the time it takes you just to read this post should be roughly equal to the time owners and players spent in the lat negotiating session. 

This time, I’ll focus on a relief pitcher who showed unexpected and bittersweet power at the plate – and a power hitter who showed unexpected and bittersweet talent on the mound.

The Rick Camp Game … The Perfect Storm

On July 4 (and July 5) , 1985, the Atlanta Braves and New York  Mets took part in one of the wildest games in either franchise’s history.  In Atlanta, it’s known as the “Rick Camp Game”  in honor of the role(s) the Braves’ reliever played in the 19-inning marathon.

That the game happened at all is a bit of a surprise.  The Independence Day contest did not start until 9:04, thanks to a 94-minute rain delay.  Still, attendance was reported at  44,947 (many fans likely attracted  by the planned post-game fireworks).  In addition, the hometown Braves were 34-41, in  fifth place, ten games off the pace.  I should also note here that the inclement weather continued, with another 40-plus minute delay in the third  inning.

The  fans who stayed in the park not only enjoyed the post-game fireworks, but plenty of in-game fireworks as well.  The 19-inning contest featured 29 runs and 46 hits. Mets’ first baseman Keith Hernandez hit for the cycle and Mets’ C Gary Carter collected five hits and a walk in ten plate appearance. Seven Mets had at least three hits in the game – including Howard Johnson, who didn’t come into the game until the ninth inning (and still went three-for-five, with a home run, a walk, four runs scored and two RBI).  Johnson, by the way, entered the game hitting just .194 (in 58 games) on the season. On the Braves’ side, LF Terry Harper went five-for-ten, with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Harper was one of four Braves with at least three hits in the game.

It was a back-and-forth battle, with the teams tied at one run apiece after one inning, the Braves up 3-1 after three, the Mets up 5-3 after four, the game tied at eight after nine and tied again at 10-10 after 13 – with more still to come.  You get the idea.

So, why, given all this, did the contest become known at the Rick Camp Game?

Let’s pick up the action in the top of the 17^th, when Camp came on to pitch in a tie game (10-10). He held the Mets scoreless in the inning (one walk, two whiffs and a groundout). The Mets’ Tom Gorman returned the favor in the bottom of the inning and the game went into the 18^th frame still knotted.  That’s when things got a little “Campy.”

Camp gave up a single to Mets’ SS Howard Johnson, LF Danny Heep attempted to sacrifice and was safe on an error by Camp, with Johnson going to third.  Johnson then scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by CF Lenny Dykstra. Camp retired the next two batters.

In the bottom of the eighteenth, Met’s reliever Tom Gorman retired the first two batters on easy ground outs.  That brought up Camp.  The Braves were out of position players, so Camp came to the plate.  At this point in his career, Camp was batting 0.60 (10-for-162), with no home runs and five RBI.  As you might expect, he quickly fell behind 0-2.  He was now one strike away from being the final out in the marathon (and, of course, taking the loss). Then the unexpected happened. On an 0-2 pitch, at approximately 3:30 a.m. on July 5, Camp hit what was to be the only home run in his MLB career – tying the game and sending it into the 19^th inning. (After Camp’s home run, Gorman gave up a walk before getting the final out of the frame.)

In the July 4, 1984 contest, the Mets used 21 players (including seven pitchers), while the Braves used 22 players (including  seven pitchers).

Unfortunately, Camp did not avoid the “loss” for long. In the top of the nineteenth, Camp gave up five runs on four hits and two walks (both intentional).  But Camp’s Day was not over. In the bottom of the inning, facing Ron Darling, the Braves scored two runs and – with two outs – had two on and the tying run at the plate in the person of (Who else?) Rick Camp. Camp struck out to end the game. The time?  Approximately 3: 55 a.m. News reports indicate that about 8,000 fans stayed for the duration – and for the 4:00 a.m. fireworks.

The Mets’ Gary Carter caught all 19 innings of the game and, consequently, Mets’ backup catcher Ronn Reynolds was the only position player to not take the field that day. 

Rick Camp played in nine MLB seasons (1976-78, 1980-85), all for the Braves. He went 55-49, 3.37, with 57 saves  in 414 appearances (65 starts).  His best seasons were 1980 and 1981, when he went a combined 15-7, 1.86 with 39 saves. As a hitter, he went 13 for 175 (0.74), with one home run and seven RBI. He struck out in 43.1 percent of his plate appearances.

In is first six seasons, Rick Camp hit 0.26, with no home runs and no RBI (two hits in 78 at bats).  In his final three seasons, he “improved” to .113 (11-for-97) and collected his only home run and all seven of his career RBI.

____________________________________________________

One of my favorite all-time baseball cards.  For a look at 16 other “cardboard classics”  that brought me smiles, click here.

_______________________________________

A Camp-to-Foxx Segue

Rick Camp’s only MLB home run (see story above) came in his final season.  Jimmie Foxx also delivered some unexpected results in his final season. We all know about Foxx’s power. In 20 MLB seasons (1925-42, 1944-45). Foxx hit .325 and mashed 534 home runs. The three-time AL MVP led the league in home runs four times, hitting fifty or more twice. In 1932, he hit .364 and led the AL in home runs (53), RBI (169) and runs scored (151).

When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, he and all the space scientists were puzzled by an unidentifiable white object. I knew immediately what it was. That was a home run ball hit off me in 1933 by Jimmie Foxx.

                                                     Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez

In 1945, at age 37, Foxx delivered some unexpected results. He was playing for the Phillies at the time (he went .268-7-38 in what would be his last season as a player; which is what makes this pitching stat bittersweet). The Phillies were short on pitching (it was wartime, there were plenty of shortages). So, Foxx volunteered to take the mound. He had pitched in high school and in one game for the Red Sox in 1939 (one inning pitched – a 1-2-3 frame with one strikeout).  Foxx’s first two mound appearances for the Phillies were in relief – and he tossed 4 2/3 innings, giving up no runs, walking five and fanning two.  Those relief appearance qualify Foxx for this CBA relief post.  To make a long story short, Foxx finished the season having appeared on the mound in nine games (two starts), going 1-0 and putting up a 1.59 earned run average in 22 2/3 innings. In the process, he gave the Phillies some much needed relief. So, for his MLB career, this well-known power hitter, finished with a 1.52 ERA in ten mound appearances; eight (for the purposes of this post) in relief.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Remembering the Rick Camp Game, Cliff Corcoran, Sports Illustrated, April 26, 2013

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

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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

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

You’ve heard it before, when Baseball Roundtable starts researching  a hardball topic “one thing often leads to another.” In this case, the recent Roundtable post on exceptional, unique or interesting relief appearances (to see that post click here) – intended to provide a bit of relief from news of the CBA impasse –  led reader Leon DeHaven to point The Roundtable in the direction of Dean Stone’s 1954 All Star Game relief stint, when Stone picked up a win without retiring a single batter.

Thirteen pitchers were used in the 1954 All Star Game. It was the only career All Star selection for six of them: Carl Erskine; Marv Grissom; Sandy Consuegra; Bob Keegan; Bob Porterfield; and Dean Stone.

The game proved to be one of the highest scoring in All Star history – an 11-9 American League win – featuring home runs by Ted Kluszewski, Gus Bell, Al Rosen (two homers and five RBI), Ray Boone and Lary Doby. But back to Stone’s appearance.  Stone was called in to replace Bob Keegan with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with runners on first (Al Dark) and third (Red Schoendienst). (Earlier in the inning, Keegan had given up a two-run, pinch-hit home run  to Gus Bell to give the National League a 9-8 lead.) The pitching change put the southpaw Stone up against lefty batting Duke Snider (who already had three hits and a walk in the game).

As Stone prepared to fire his third pitch to Snider, Schoendienst (apparently hoping to catch the rookie unaware) broke for home. Stone stepped off the rubber and threw to catcher Yogi Berra to retire Schoendienst and end the inning.  In the bottom of the ninth,  the AL scored three runs to take the lead – putting Stone in line for the win. The White Sox’ Virgil Trucks pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to save the victory.

Virgil Trucks, who went 177-135, 3.39 in 17 MLB seasons (1941-43, 1945-58) won 14 or more games in eight MLB seasons (a high of 20 in 1954). He is  best known for throwing  two no-hitters for the Tigers in 1952 – a season in which he won only give games (19 losses).

Over the years, Stones’ All Star Game win has not been without controversy.  While some report that Stone picked up an All Star Game victory “without retiring a batter,” others assert that – since Snider did not complete a plate appearance – Stone’s win came without “throwing an official pitch.”  That demanded further digging. Where did I go to seek an answer to this “thorny” question? To the best source I know for getting an accurate assessment of such issues – Stew Thornley. Thornley is one of MLB’s official scorers (assigned to then Twins),  a datacaster for the MLB.com website and  a member of the MLB Official Scoring Advisory Committee. He also has authored dozens of books and articles on professional baseball and basketball (for a list, click here.) Thornley has won national awards for his baseball research from McMillan Publishing Company, the Society for American Baseball Research, USA Today Baseball Weekly and The Baseball Reliquary. How did Thornley answer the Stone question? Here it is. “There is no ‘official count’ on pitches, but since he (Stone) stepped off, this was a play and not a pitch, so there were only two pitches … It is correct that Stone got a win without retiring a batter, but too often it’s been written that he got a win  without throwing a pitch.”

Thanks For This Story, Stew

In replying to my question on Dean Stone (Remember in Baseball roundtable, one thing always seems to lead to another), Stew Thornley recalled witnessing Jeff Gray pick up two MLB wins on just three pitches.

I did some digging, and here’s the story.  Gray was drafted (by the A’s) out of Missouri State University in the 32nd Round of the 2004 MLB Draft. At Missouri State, the 6’3”, 205-pound righty had gone 23-13, 4.29 over four seasons.  Gray made his MLB debut with the A’s  on September 8, 2008 (as a 26-year-old). He was up and down from 2008-11, going 1-2, 4.57 in 66 games (all in relief) for the A’s, Cubs White Sox and Mariners. In October of 2011, the Twins selected him off waivers (from the Mariners), which is how he came to Thornley’s attention.

Gray’s 2012 season with the Twins was his best in MLB, at least from a W-L standpoint (it was also his final season in the majors).  He went 6-1 (but with a 5.71 ERA). Gray pitched in 49 games for the Twins, but two games in April caught Thornley’s eye (and stuck in his memory). In those two games, Gray tripled his career win total (going from one to three). Put another way, after just one win over four-plus seasons, Gray picked up two victories in the span of three pitches. It went like this:

• On April 11, 2012, the Twins faced the Angels (in Minnesota) and Gray was called in to relieve Carl Pavano in the top of the seventh inning with the Angels up 5-3, two outs and a runner on second. The Angels’ batter was CF and number nine-hitter Pete Bourjos and Gray induced a weak ground out (third-to-first ) on the first pitch he threw.  In the bottom of the inning, the Twins scored three to take the lead.  Glen Perkins replaced Gray in the top of the eighth and set the Angels down 1-2-3. Closer Matt Capps came on for the Twins in the ninth and held the Angels scoreless.  So, Gray picked up the win on one pitch (Perkins got the hold and Capps the save).
• The very next day, again against the Angels, Gray was called in to replace reliever Brian  Duensing with the Angels up 7-6, two outs and a runner on first. The hitter wa 2B (and number-two in the lineup) Howie Kendrick. Gray got Kendrick to ground into a force out (short-to-second) on just his second pitch.  In the bottom of the eighth, the Twins scored four runs to take a 10-7 lead. Capps pitched the ninth and picked up a save, despite surrendering two runs on three hits.  Gray got the win.

Two days, two wins, three pitches.  That’s being in the right place at the right time. Jeff Grays’s career stat line was 7-3, 4.99, with one save (115 appearances.)

Let’s close with a little more a little more on 1954 All Star Game winner Dean Stone. He signed with the Cubs in 1949, right out of high school, but was released  that May and signed as a free agent with the Senators in June.  Stone  pitched pretty well in the Senators’ minor-league system –  including a 17-10, 3.16 season for the Class-B Charlotte Hornets in 1952. He earned a September 1953 call up after an 8-10, 3.33 season at for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts.  He appeared in three games for Washington (one start) and went 0-1, 8.31 in 8 2/3 innings.

In 1954, Stone made the Senators squad out of Spring Training. He jumped out to that 7-2, 3.47 start (before the 1954 All Star Game) and finished at 12-10, 3.22 (31 appearances, 23 starts, ten complete games, two shutouts). It would be his best season in the majors.  In fact, it would be  one of only two seasons in which he recorded a winning record.

From 1955-57, Stone pitched in 104 MLB contests (52 stars), going 12-23, 5.08 for the Senators and Red Sox.

From 1957-1963, Dean Stone pitched for six major-league clubs and four Triple-A squads.

Stone spent most of 1958-61 in the minor leagues (Red Sox and Cardinals systems.) He did into 18 games for the Cardinals in 1959, going 0-1, 4.20. At Triple-A, he showed promise, pitching in 153 games (81 starts) – going 43-31, 3.28. That got the attention of the expansion Houston Colt .45s, who picked him up in the November 1961 Rule Five Draft.  Stone  started the 1962 season with the Astros and threw a pair of complete-game shutouts in his first two appearances  – 18 innings pitched, eight hits, three walks,12 whiffs. He struggled after that hot start, going, 1-2, 6.82 in his next 13 appearances (five starts). He was traded to the White Sox on June 25, where he pitched well out of the pen (1-0, 3.26 with five saves in 27 appearances). After the season, he was sold to the Orioles and, in 1963 (his final MLB season), he went 1-2, 5.12,with one save in 17 relief stints.

Stone played in eight MLB seasons (1953-57, 1959, 1962-63 … Senators, Cardinals, Red Sox, Orioles, Colt  .45s, Orioles) – and put up a career line of 29-39, 4.47 in 215 games (85 starts), with ten complete game and five shutouts.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; The BaseballCube.com

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

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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

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

Negro Leagues star Ted Radcliffe earned the nickname “Double Duty” for his on-field performance as a pitcher and a catcher.  More recently, Shohei Ohtani has doubled up, showing “power”  as a starting pitcher and a designated hitter. This post focuses on a different kind of double duty: MLB players who have played other sports at the highest level – players who have made a splash on the basepaths and out of the backfield; on the mound and at the free throw line; on a field of grass and a sheet of ice.

In this post, Baseball Roundtable would like to present its 20 “favorite” players who reached the pinnacle in baseball and at least one other leading U.S. sport.  (There isn’t room to note all who qualify. As I began this post, various sources pointed to 69 players to play in both MLB and  the NFL,  13 to play in both MLB and the NBA and one to suit up in MLB and the NHL.) I labeled this list “favorites,” rather than the 20 “best” simply because I am taking into consideration more than their performance in both sports (with emphasis, of course, on baseball(), but also  accomplishments or stats that I  found unique or interesting.

Before we get started, a spoiler alert.  Here’s the kind of info you’ll find along the way:

• Braves’ pitcher Gene Conley is the only person to play on both a World Series winner and an NBA championship team;
• Hinkey Haines was the first player to play on a World Series and NFL Champion;
• Bo Jackson is the only player to be an MLB All Star and an NFL Pro Bowler;
• Deion Sanders is the only athlete to suit up for a Major League Baseball and National Football League game on the same day;
• Carroll Hardy (the only player ever to pinch hit for Ted Williams) had a season in which he hit eight home runs for the Red Sox and another in which he scored four touchdowns for the San Francisco 49ers;
• Famed Olympian Jim Thorpe – thought by many to be the greatest athlete of the 20th century – and lesser-known Steve “Flip” Flipowicz are the only two to play for the MLB New York Giants and NFL New York Giants;
• James Riley is the only person to play in both MLB and the NHL.

So, how about those 20 favorites?  But first, a “Double Duty Extra.”

Double Duty Extra … Jim Thorpe (MLB/NFL)

Jim Thorpe gets a spot all to himself in this post.  Trying to make comparison would be both difficult and perhaps a bit unfair – given the legends that surround Thorpe’s history.  There are those who cite Jim Thorpe as the greatest American athlete of all Time … and they provide plenty of evidence to back up that claim.  After all, Thorpe took the Gold in the 1912 Summer Olympics in both the Pentathlon and Decathlon – winning eight of the fifteen events in the two all-around competition.  In college (Carlisle Indian Industrial School), he starred  in track and field, baseball, football and Lacrosse (and was an  All American in football).

_________________________________

Save the Last Dance

Jim Thorpe won the 1912 intercollegiate ballroom dancing championship. 

_________________________________

Thorpe played six MLB seasons (1913-15 & 1917-19, Giants, Reds, Braves), hitting .252, with seven home runs and 82 RBI in 289 games. His final season was his best – with a .327-3-26 line in 62 games.  He was also one of the first stars of National Football League.  Prior to 1920 (you’ll see why that is important in a minute), Thorpe had played with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs – leading them to thee Ohio League crowns.  In 1920, he was among the founders – and first president – of the American Professional Football Association, which became the National Football League.  As a player, he was also among the league’s first stars (and drawing cards). Although accurate records are difficult to track down and document, Thorpe was one of the league’s early stars (playing from 1920 through 1928). His bio on the Pro Football Hall of Fame website (he is a charter member) states “There is no question he was superb in every way. He could run with speed and bruising power. He could pass and catch passes with the best, punt long distances and kick field goals either by drop-kick or place-kick … He blocked with authority and, on defense, was a bone-jarring tackler.

Now that list.

Number One – Deion Sanders (MLB/NFL)

With his nine-season MLB career and 14-season NFL career (all between 1989-2005), Sanders tops this list on the basis of some unique accomplishments:

• Only person to play in the Super Bowl (for the victorious San Francisco 49ers, 1995, and the winning Dallas Cowboys, 1996) and the World Series (for the losing Atlanta Braves, 1992);
• Only person to hit a major-league home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week;
• Only person to “suit up” for an MLB and NFL game on the same day.

Now, that Would Have Been Quite the Doubleheader

On October 11, 1992, Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons in an NFL day game against the Miami Dolphins and then flew to Pittsburgh to suit up for the Atlanta Braves’ League Championship Series game against the Pirates that night. (He did not, however, get into the game).

As an MLB player (1989-1995, 1997, 2001) Sanders manned the outfield for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, Sanders played in 641 regular-season games, compiling a .263 average with 39 Home runs, 168 RBI and 186 stolen bases.  His best year was 1992, when he played in 97 games for the Braves – going .304, with a league-leading 14 triples, along with eight home runs, 28 RBI, 54 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.  He followed that up by hitting .533 (8-for-17), with four runs scored, one RBI and five stolen bases in the World Series.

During his NFL career, Sanders earned his way into the Pro Football Hall of Fame  – intercepting  53 passes, returning nine for touchdowns;  returning 155 kickoffs for 3,523 yards and three TDs; returning 212 punts for 2,199 yards and six TDs; catching 60 passes for 784 yards and three TDs; and recovering four fumbles (one for a TD). He was an eight-time Pro-Bowler and the NFL’s 1994 Defensive Player of the Year. Sanders squeaks into the top spot on the list (over #2 Bo Jackson)  by virtue of his Football Hall of Fame selection.

Variety is the Spice of Life

During his NFL career, Sanders scored touchdowns  via a pass reception, a pass interception, rushing, punt return, kick-off return and fumble recovery.

_____________________________________________

Number Two – Bo Jackson (MLB/NFL)

Bo Jackson had an eight-season career as an MLB outfielder:  Kansas City Royals (1986-90); Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993); California Angels (1994). He also was a running back for the Los Angeles Raiders for four seasons (1987-90).  In 1989, he was selected as an MLB All Star (and MVP of the 1989 All Star Game) and, in 1990,  he was named to the AFC NFL Pro Bowl team.

His best year in MLB was 1989, when he hit .256, with 32 home runs, 105 RBI and 26 stolen bases for the Kansas City Royals.  That same year, he notched 950 yards rushing (5.5 yards per carry) and four rushing touchdowns for the Raiders.  That season he also caught nine passes for 69 yards.

In his MLB career, Jackson played in 694 games, hitting .250 with 141 home runs, 415 RBI and 82 stolen bases.

In his four seasons in the NFL, Jackson rushed for 2,782 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns.  He also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and two touchdowns.  Plenty of fans would place Jackson at number-one on this list (and I’d have little argument with that ).

Just think of what Jackson might have done had a not been for a career-altering 1991 hip injury.  Perhaps only “BO Knows”

Make Room on the Mantle

Bo Jackson is one of only two major leaguers to win the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top college football player. Vic Janowicz, who appear later on this list was the first.

____________________________________________

Double-Duty Extra – “Last Night I Spent the Night in Detroit City

Matt Kinzer did not make this list, as his MLB and NFL careers lasted a combined nine games.  He did, however, earn a spot among the “Extras” for playing for both the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Lions. During the 1987 NFL strike, Kinzer started one game as a punter for the Detroit Lions (seven punts for an average of 34 yards).  It was his only NFL game.  In 1990, he went to the mound in one game for the Tigers (giving up three runs in 1 2/3 innings). He also appeared in nine games for the Cardinals in 1989.

Number Three  – Gene Conley (MLB/NBA)

The 6’ 8” right-handed pitcher excelled at baseball and basketball and holds the distinction of being the only person to play on an NBA Championship squad (Boston Celtics in 1959, 60 & 61) and a World Series Champion (Milwaukee Braves, 1957).

His MLB career spanned 11 seasons:  Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves (1954-58); Philadelphia Phillies (1959-60); Boston Red Sox (1961-63). Conley pitched in 276 games (214 starts), winning 91 and losing 96 with an ERA of 3.82.  He was a three-time All Star and the winning pitcher in the 1955 All Star Game.  His best year was 1954 when he went 14-9 with a 2.96 ERA.  He pitched in just one game in the 1957 World Series, giving up two runs in 1.2 innings of relief (the starts for Milwaukee went to Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette and Bob Buhl).

Conley’s NBA career was as strong as his MLB run.   At forward and center  –  playing for the Boston Celtics (1952-61) and New York Knicks (1962-64). He came off the bench to score 2,069 points, grab 2,212 rebounds and dish out 201 assists.  He averaged 16.5 minutes, 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.  In 33 playoff games, he averaged 14.6 minutes, 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.

I Do Love Beantown

Gene Conley is the only athlete to play for the Boston Braves, Celtics and Red Sox.

_________________________________________________

Number Four – Brian Jordan (MLB/NFL)

Brian Jordan patrolled considerable territory in his 15 seasons as an MLB outfielder (1992-2006) and three seasons as an NFL safety.  Jordan’s baseball career included time with the St. Louis Cardinals (1992-98); Atlanta Braves (1999-2001, 2005-06); LA Dodgers (2002-03); and Texas Rangers (2004).  He played in 1,456 games, hitting .282 with 184 home runs and 821 RBI.  He was an All Star in 1999, when he hit .282, with 23 home runs, 115 RBI and 13 stolen bases.

His brief NFL career, all as a defensive back with the Atlanta Falcons (1989-91), included five interceptions and four quarterback sacks in 36 games.

Take ‘Em Deep, Brian

In 38 MLB post-season games, Brian Jordan his  six home runs and drove in 27 (,250 average).

______________________________________________

Double Duty Extra – Twice a Giant  in the Big Apple

Steve “Flip” Flipowicz played big-time baseball and football in the Big Apple.  He played for the New York Baseball Giants (outfield) in 1944 and 1945 and for the NFL New York Giants in 1945-46 (running back). He hit two homes runs in 50 games for the baseball Giants and  scored two touchdowns in 21 games for the football Giants.  He also played one season for the Reds (1945). His final MLB line was .223-2-26 in 57 games.

Number Five –  Dick Groat (MLB/NBA)

Dick Groat had a 14-career as an MLB shortstop (1952, 1955-67) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants.  He was a five-time All Star and won the 1960 NL Most Valuable Player Award, while helping the Pirates earn the NL Crown (and win the World Series).  That season, he led the NL in batting at .325.  Groat was a career .286 hitter, with 2,138 hits, 39 home runs and 707 RBI.   He was on two World Series winners:  the 1960 Pirates and the 1964 Cardinals.

Groat also played one season (1952-53) for the NBA’s Fort Wayne Pistons, averaging 25.5 minutes, 11.9 points, 2.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Deck the Halls – Plural that is

While at Duke University, Dick Groat was a two-time All-American in both baseball and basketball.  He was the first person selected to both the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame (one of those unique stats that improved his spot on this list).

______________________________________________

Number Six –   Kevin “Chuck” Connors (MLB/NBA/Hollywood)

Six-foot-five with athletic skills and rugged good looks, Connors played for MLB’s Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs and the Basketball Association of America (later rebranded as the NBA)  Boston Celtics (and was also drafted by the NFL Chicago Bears) before going on to play before even larger audiences as the star of the hit television series “The Rifleman.”   He makes this list more on the basis of his acting career (one of those unique or interesting facts that impact this subjective Roundtable list). Connors, ultimately,  appeared not only in The Rifleman, but in more than 40  movies, including a starring role in the classic “Old Yeller,” and made guest appearances on dozens of television shows.

His MLB career included one at bat with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949 and 66 games as a first baseman/pinch hitter for the Chicago Cubs in 1951.  He chalked up a .239 career average with two home runs and 18 RBIs.  In 1946-48, Connors played forward for the Boston Celtics, averaging 4.5 points per game in 53 games played.

Give Me a Break

Chuck Connors is credited with shattering the first professional backboard ever, during a November 1946 Celtics’ pregame warm-up.

______________________________________________________

Double Duty Extra – Is There a Draft in Here?

MLB Hall of Famer Dave Winfield was drafted coming out of college by the San Diego Padres (MLB); Atlantic Hawks (NBA); Utah Stars (ABA); and Minnesota Vikings (NFL).

MLB Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn was drafted by the NBA’s San Diego Clippers and the NL’s San Diego Padres – on the same day (June 10, 1981).

Number Seven –  Dave DeBusschere (NBA/MLB)

The best basketball player to ever play major-league baseball, Dave DeBusschere played 12 seasons in the NBA (1962-74, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks), was an eight-time NBA All Star, six-time NBA All-Defensive Player and played on the Knicks’ 1970 and 1973 NBA Championship teams.  DeBusschere is a member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame.  Over his career (875 games), the 6’6” forward/guard averaged 35.7 minutes, 16.1 points, 2.9 assists and 11 rebounds per game.

DeBusschere’s MLB career was considerably shorter than his basketball tenure.  He joined the Chicago White Sox at age 22 in 1962 and pitched in the 1962 and 1963 seasons, logging 36 appearances (10 starts), a 3-4 record and a 2.90 ERA. His brief major league career did include one complete-game shutout.  On August 13, 1963, DeBusschere shut out the Indians 3-0 (in Chicago) on a complete-game, six-hitter – walking one and fanning three.

Let the Kid Do It

In the 1964-1965 season, DeBusschere, just 24-years-old, was appointed player-coach of the Detroit Pistons – becoming the youngest coach in NBA history (another of those unique facts that affects this listing).   From 1964-67, he coached the Pistons to a 79-143 record before going back to a player-only position. 

__________________________________________________

Number Eight  –  Frank Baumholtz (MLB/BAA)

Frank Baumholtz enjoyed a ten-season MLB career (1947-49, 1951-57) as an outfielder with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.  He played in 1,019 games, finishing with a .290 average, 25 home runs, 272 RBI, 450 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.  His best season was his 1947 rookie year, when he played in 151 games, led the league with 711 plate appearances and hit .289 with five home runs, 45 RBI and 96 runs scored.

Baumholtz played one season of professional basketball (1946-47), as a guard for the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America, forerunner of the NBA. He appeared in 45 games, averaging 14.0 points per game.

______________________________________________

Double Duty Extra – The Game with the Little Ball

Sammy Byrd had an eight-season MLB career (1929-34, Yankees and 1935-36 Reds), during which the outfielder hit .274 with 38 home runs and 220 RBI in 745 games. After leaving baseball, at the age of 29, to pursue a professional golf career, Byrd won six events on the PGA tour between 1942 and 1946. Byrd is the only person to play in both MLB’s World Series and the PGA Masters Tournament.

Number Nine  – George Halas (NFL/MLB)

While Football Hall of Famer George Halas may have been “Mr. Everything” in professional football for some six decades – player, coach, owner, promoter, innovator and pioneer – his MLB career was shorter and less noteworthy.  Halas played in 12 games (22 at bats, .091 average) as an outfielder for the 1919 Yankees.  Halas’ status as a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of fame, earned him a spot this high on the list.

During his pro-football playing career (1919-1928), Halas played defensive end and wide receiver for the Hammond All Stars, Decatur/Chicago Staleys and Chicago Bears.  A Bears’ owner from 1920 until his death in 1983, Halas coached the Chicago Bears (and their predecessor Staleys) for 40 seasons (1920-29, 1933-42, 1946-55. 1958-67).  Under his leadership, the Bears won nine Divisional titles, six NFL Championships and only six times finished with a losing record.

Let’s Try Something New

 George Halas is credited with developing football’s  T-formation.

________________________________________________

Number Ten –  James Riley MLB/NHL

Riley finishes in the top ten primarily because he is the only player I could find that played in MLB and the NHL. His baseball career was – and I write this generously – nondescript.  In two MLB seasons (1921 Browns and 1923 Senators), he appeared in just  six games and went zero-for-fourteen. He also played one season (wing) in the NHL, notching two assists in nine games and eight seasons in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association  (a rival to the NHL), where he scored 93 goals. Riley  played eleven seasons in baseball’s minor leagues.

____________________________________________

Double Duty Extra – Can’t Let This One  Skate

Hall of Famer Tom Glavine (a 305-game winner and two-time Cy Young Award recipient) was drafted in the fourth round of the 1984 National Hockey League draft — two rounds ahead of future National Hockey League Hall of Famer Brett Hull.   (Glavine scored 232 points and had 111 goals as a high school hockey player).

Number Eleven  – Clarence “Ace” Parker (MLB/NFL)

Clarence Parker got his MLB career off with a bang, homering in his first at bat for the 1937 Philadelphia Athletics.  It was downhill from there, as Parker played in just 94 games in 1937 and 1938 (SS-3B-OF) hitting .179 with two home runs and 25 RBI.

Parker proved more adept at football, making the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a multiple-threat player.  Playing from 1937 to 1946 for Brooklyn, Boston and New York (and winning the NFL MVP Award in 1940), he completed 335 of 718 passing attempts for 30 touchdowns, rushed 498 times for 1,292 yards and 13 TDs, had eight pass receptions for 229 yards and three TDs, returned 24 punts for 238 yards and one TD, returned five kickoffs for 98 yards, made 25 of 30 point-after-touchdown kicks (but only 1 of 5 field goal attempts) and punted 150 times for a 38.4 yard average.

_____________________________________________

Number Twelve – Ernie Nevers (NFL/MLB)

Ernie Nevers is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a pro, he played for the NFL’s Duluth Eskimos and Chicago Cardinals for five seasons between 1926 and 1931 – earning All-NFL recognition at running back in each of those campaigns. Nevers also pitched for three seasons  (1926-28) for the AL Saint Louis Browns, going 6-12, with a 4.44 ERA in 44 games (12 starts).

A Big Day for Ernie

 On November 28, 1929, Chicago Cardinals’ fullback Ernie Nevers scored six touchdowns and kicked four extra points, accounting for all the Cardinals’ scoring in a 40-6   victory over the Chicago Bears.  The forty points scored in a single game is still the individual NFL record.

_____________________________________________

Number Thirteen –  Danny Ainge (NBA/MLB)

Danny Ainge broke into the major leagues at age 20 (in 1979) with the Toronto Blue Jays.  He played just three seasons in the majors – 211 games, with a .220 average, two home runs and 37 RBI.  Primarily a second baseman, Ainge also saw time at third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions.  Notably, Ainge’s MLB career overlapped his college basketball career – Brigham University, 1977-81 – where he ran up average of 20.9 points, 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and was the 1981 Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year.

Ainge’s NBA career began at age 22 and stretched over 14 seasons (1981-95) with the Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Portland Trailblazer and Phoenix Suns.  The 6’ 4”, 175-pound guard totaled 11,964 points, 1,133 steals, 4,199 assists, 2,769 rebounds.    Ainge played in 193 NBA playoff games, averaging 26.1 minutes, 9.9 points, 3.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds.  He was a member of the Celtics 1984 and 1986 NBA Championship teams and a 1988 NBA All Star.

Now that’s an All-American

Danny Ainge was selected as a first team High School All-American in baseball, basketball and football.

___________________________________________

Number Fourteen –  Carroll Hardy (MLB/NFL)

Carroll Hardy was a multi-sport talent for the University of Colorado in the early 1950s, lettering in football, baseball and track – earning All-Conference honors in football and baseball.  Immediately out of college, Hardy signed on as a receiver with the NFL San Francisco 49ers.  In 1955, he caught 12 passes for 338 yards and four touchdowns, and returned three punts for  65 yards.  Hardy then chose to concentrate on baseball and played eight seasons (1957-64, 1967) as a major league outfielder, getting into 433 games for the Indians, Red Sox, Astros and Twins.  His career average was .225, with 17 home runs and 113 RBI.

Catch the Bench Ted

Carroll Hardy gets extra credit for being the only player to pinch hit for Ted William.

_____________________________________________

Number Fifteen – Hinkey Haines MLB/NFL

Henry “Hinkey” Haines played just one season in MLB, hitting .160 in 24 games for the 1923 World Series Champion Yankees. (He appeared in two games in the 1923 World Series.) He took a bigger bite out of the Big Apple in football, where he where he scored 22 touchdowns (14 rushing, six receiving, on punt return, one-kickoff return) over six seasons – and was a star for the 1927 NFL champion New York Giants. Haines rates this high on the list for that “Hinkey” nickname and the fact that he was  the first  player to play for a World Series Champion and NFL Champion during his career.

Nice Six Pack Hinkey

In two years at Penn State, Hinkey Haines earned two varsity letters each in baseball, football and basketball.

_____________________________________________

Number Sixteen  – Ron Reed (MLB/NBA)

A  6’6”, 217-pound, right-handed pitcher, Ron Reed,  enjoyed a 19-year career as an MLB starter and reliever (Atlanta Braves, 1966-75; St. Louis Cardinals, 1975; Philadelphia Phillies, 1976-83; and Chicago White Sox, 1984).  Reed’s MLB career record was 146-140, 103 saves, a 3.46 ERA and 1,481 strikeouts in 2,477 2/3 innings pitched.  His best season was 1969, when he went 18-10, 3.47 in 33 starts for the Braves. He had seven season of ten or more wins.

Reed also played forward for two seasons for the NBA Detroit Pistons (1965-66, 1966-67), averaging 18.9 minutes, 8.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

__________________________________________

Number Seventeen –  Steve Hamilton (MLB/NBA)

The 6’6” left-handed reliever enjoyed a 12-year (1961-72) career with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants and Chicago Cubs – going 40-31 with 42 saves and a career ERA of 3.05.

Hamilton also played two seasons as a forward for the NBA Minneapolis Lakers (1958-60) – averaging 13.3 minutes, 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 82 games.

_________________________________________

Number Eighteen –  Mark Hendrickson  (MLB/NBA)

Hendrickson, a 6’9” left-handed hurler, recorded 10 MLB seasons (328 appearances, 166 starts) with a 58-74 record and a 5.03 ERA.  Between, 2002-2011, he pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles.  His best MLB season was 2009, when he went 6-5 with a 4.37 ERA for the Orioles.

Hendrickson also played four seasons (1996-2000) as a power forward in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.  In 114 games, he averaged 13.2 minutes, 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

______________________________________________

Double Duty Extra – Short but Sweet

Drew Henson played quarterback for the Cowboys (2004-05) and Lions (2008).  He also appeared in eight games for the 2002-03 Yankees, going one-for-nine.  His NFL career consisted of just nine games played, and he completed a total of 11 of 20 passes with one TD and one interception.  Despite this “small sample size,”  he can lay claim to reaching the highest professional level in two sports – and to throwing and NFL Touchdown and collecting an MLB base hit.

Number Nineteen –  Vic Janowicz (MLB/NFL)

Janowicz got in 22 games as a halfback for the Washington Redskins (1954-55), gaining 410 yards on 99 carries with four touchdowns.  He also played 83 games at catcher and third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the 1953 and 1954 seasons – hitting .214 with two home runs and ten RBI.  His athletic career was cut short by injures received in an automobile accident (age 26).  He is on this list based on what might have been.

Top Notch College Player

Vic Janowicz, playing for Ohio State University, won the 1950 Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player.

________________________________________________

Number Twenty –  Howie Schultz (MLB/NBA)

Schultz played major league baseball for six seasons (1943-48), spending time at first base with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds.  He played 470 games, hitting .241, with 24 home runs and 208 RBI.

In 1949, the 6’6” Schultz switched to basketball, beginning a three-year stint as an NBA center/forward.  He played for the NBA’s Anderson Packers, Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneapolis Lakers, averaging 5.3 points per game. Let’s face it, every list needs a Howie.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Almanac.com; Baseball-Reference.com; Pro-Football-Reference.com; Basketball-Reference.com; MLB.com; The Day Deion tried to play two, by Michael Clair, MLB.com, October 12, 2021; Dick Groat Bio, Duke Hall of Fame, GoDuke.com;  Legends Profile: Dave DeBusschere, NBA.com; In 1929 Ernie Nevers Scored 40 Points in a Single Game, Jon Turney, Pro Football Journal, September 22, 2019; Before he attained Olympic glory, Jim Thorpe was an athletic hero in Carlisle, by Leah Polakoff, Penn State Commmedia News, October 15, 2013.

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

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

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

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