Baseball Roundtable Trivia(l) Tidbit Tuesday … The Ultimate Respect – A Bases-Loaded Intentional Walk

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

Last, week, we  looked at hitters’ performance (Modern Era) with the bases loaded – those who delivered and those who didn’t. (If you missed that  that post, click here.).  This week, we’re looking at the ultimate sign of respect, hitters who received a bases-loaded intentional walk.

Side Note: Although MLB did not officially keep Intentional Bases on Balls records until 1955, there has been research (using box scores and news accounts) unveiling pre-1955 statistics.  Baseball-Almanac.com, credits researcher Trent McCotter for much of this effort, including uncovering the  Dalrymple bases-loaded MLB.

Here are those bases-loaded intentional walks, in reverse order.

Corey Seager, Texas Rangers, April 15, 2022

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

This was a weird one. In the bottom of the fourth inning of an Angels-Rangers tilt, Rangers’ SS and number-two hitter, Corey Seager came to the plate (versus Angels’ reliever) – with one out, the bases full  and the Rangers leading 3-2. Seager, who came into the game hitting .346 on the season, was intentionally walked – forcing in a run. and bringing  up C Mitch Garver. Manager Joe Maddon‘s strategy, walking the left-handed hitter (with righthander Austin Warren on the mound and right-handed batters C Mitch Garver and RF Adolis Garcia to follow) didn’t work – as Garver hit an RBI sacrifice fly and Warren (perhaps flustered) balked in another run before retiring Garcia. Warren had come on in relief of Reid Detmers, with runners on first and third, two fourth-inning runs already in and Marcus Semien (2B and leadoff hitter) at the plate.   The runner on first (CF Eli White) stole second  on the second pitch to Semien – who walked on four pitches to set up the intentional bases-loaded walk to Seager.  The inning ended with Texas up 6-2, but the Angels did come back for a 9-6 win.  Maddon later said, his goal was to both “avoid the big blow” and “stir up the group.”

Seager, by the way ended the season at .245-33-83. To date, the five-time All Star has played in 11 MLB seasons (2015-25 … Dodgers, Rangers), going .289-221-667.  Warren ended 2022 at 2-0, 5.63 and, to date, is 7-0, 2.79 in six MLB seasons (2021-25 … Angels, Giants Mets).

Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers, August 17, 2008

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

This  game saw RF Josh Hamilton and his Rangers trailing  the rays 7-2 in the bottom of the ninth.  With Juan Salas on the mound for Tampa (he had come in with one out in the eighth), Rangers’ DH Jarrod Saltalamacchia opened the ninth inning with a single, followed by a Chris Davis (1B)  walk. Salas then fanned 3B Travis Metcalf on three pitches. before giving way to Grant Balfour (perhaps his last name was an omen of what was to come) on the mound.

Balfour walked 2B Ramon Vazquez  to load the bases, before getting LF Brandon Boggs to hit into a fielder’s choicer (second-to-shortstop) with one run scoring. A walk to SS Michael Young again loaded the bases – and Devil Rays ‘manager Joe Maddon ordered Hamilton intentionally walked,  pushing across another run, putting the tying run at first base and bringing  Dan Wheeler in from the bullpen. The strategy worked. Wheeler ended the game by fanning Marlon Byrd on five pitches.

Hamilton had come into the August 17  game hitting .302 with 28 homers and 112 RBI, while Byrd came in at .290-8-34.  Balfour came into that August 17  game with a 3-1, 1.21 line, with four saves (in 31 appearances).

Balfour pitched in 12 MLB seasons (2011, 2003-2015 … Twins, Brewers, Rays, Athletics), going 30-23, 3.49, with 84 saves in 534 appearances (one start). Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, played in nine MLB seasons (2007-15 … Reds, Rangers, Angels), going .290-200-701).

Going Four-for-Two

Josh Hamilton is one of just 21 MLB players to hit four home runs in a single game. He did it on May 8, 2012 – hitting four two-run home runs and a double in five at bats (driving in eight runs) as his Rangers topped the Orioles 10-3.

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Barry Bonds, Giants, May 28, 1998

Photo by kevinrushforth

The Giants trailed the Diamondbacks 8-5  in the bottom of the ninth with Arizona closer Gregg Olson (who had come in to get the final out in the eighth) on the mound. It would prove a stressful (and memorable) frame, but the stage had been set the previous inning.

The eighth had been an adventure for Olson. He came in with runner on first, two outs, the Diamondbacks leading 7-5 (two runs had already scored in the inning)  and the Giants’ dangerous Barry Bonds (who would stay in the game in LF) pinch-hitting for starting LF Chris Jones (hitting .190 at the time, but two-for-three, with a home run in the game). Bonds came to the plate .305-13-41 on the season.

Rather than douse the flames, Olson add accelerant to the wild-fire. He walked Bonds on six pitches, bringing up C Brent Mayne. Olson’s third pitch to Mayne was a wild pitch, moving the baserunners  (PH Marvin Barnard and Bonds) to second and third. He eventually walked Mayne, loading the bases for SS Ray Sanchez, who fanned on three pitches to end the inning. The Diamondbacks scored once (a David Dellucci home run) in the top of ninth – and Olson started the final frame with an 8-5 lead and more excitement to come.

Olson fanned CF Darryl Hamilton on three pitches  to open the ninth, then walked 3B Bill Mueller on four pitches, before giving up a double to 2B  Jeff Kent (Mueller to third) and walking 1B  Charlie Hayes  to load the bases.  Olson then got RF Stan Javier to ground out (second-to-first) with Mueller scoring and Kent and Hayes each moving up a base.   J.T Snow then came on as a pinch hitter and drew a five-pitch walk again loading the bases.  Now, up by just two  runs,  manager Buck Showalter ordered Olson to intentionally walk Bonds – forcing in a run and putting the tying  tally at third base and the go-ahead run at second. Olson then got Mayne on a liner to right-center to end the contest and give the Diamondbacks an 8-7 win.  (Mayne was no easy out at  .290-2-12 coming into the game.) Olson had an unusual line for the game.  He got the save, despite giving up six walks and a hit to the 11 batters he faced (and tossing a wild pitch).

Bonds ended the season at .303-37-122, with 130 walks (a league-leading 29 intentional walks). Olson went 3-4, 3.01 with  30 saves (and not a single blown save).

R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Barry Bonds led his league in Intentional Walks a record 12 times – the last time in his final season, at age 42. His career is bar t far MLB’s most. ( Second is Albert Pujols   with 316.)

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Bill Nicholson, Cubs, July 23, 1944 (second game)

The Giants led the Cubs 10-7 in the top of the eighth inning in this one, but the Cubs were mounting a comeback. Giants’ righty Ace Adams (on in relief of Bill Voiselle) walked Cubs’ leadoff hitter 3B  Stan Hack and SS Bill Schuster to open  the inning – and was replaced on the mound by southpaw Ewald Pyle, who walked 1B Phil Cavarretta to load the bases. That brought up RF and cleanup hitter Bill Nicholson – who was having quite a  day. In the first game of the Sunday twin bill (remember those), Nicholson had banged out three home runs (three homers and a walk for the game) as the Cubs won 7-4.   He already had an RBI single, walk and solo  home run in four plate appearances the second game – and Giants’ manager Mel Ott wanted no part of the hot hitter. Pyle issued the sacks-full free pass, plating one run.  Pyle, after facing two batters and walking both, then was replaced by right-hander Andy Hansen, who retired LF  Ival Goodman (holding the runners) and then hit CF Andy Pafko with a pitch, bringing in the second run of the inning (making the score 10-9) and keeping the bases loaded. 2B Don Johnson then grounded into a force at second,  plating another run – and tying the contest. Righty Bob Barthelson came in to pitch and got PH Billy Holm on a pop out to at least preserve the tie.  The Giants scored twice in the top of the ninth and won the game 12-10.

Nicholson finished the 1944 season at .287-33-122, leading the NL in home runs and RBI. For his 16-season MLB career (1936, 1939-53 … Athletics, Cubs, Phillies), Nicholson went .268-235-948,  Pyle, who issued the base-loaded free pass, played in  five MLB seasons (1939, 1942-45 … Giants, Browns, Nationals, Braves), going 11-21, 5.03 in 67 games (36 starts).

Taking the Lead

Bill Nicholson led the National League in home runs and RBI in both 1943 and 1944 … finishing second and third, respectively, in the NL Most Valuable voting in those years.

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Del Bissonette, Dodgers, May 2, 1928

This bases-loaded IBB was unique for a few reasons: 1) ItDel came pretty much as late in the game as possible, with two out in the ninth inning; 2) It was a very close game, the team walking in a run held just a two-run lead at the time; 3) the hurler ordered to issue the bases-loaded IBB was one out away from a complete-game shutout; and 4) the batter was a rookie.   Here’s how it went down.

The Dodgers trailed the Giants 2-0 in the top of the ninth inning, when they loaded the bases with two outs (thanks to a pair of singles and a walk). That brought up 1B and number-six hitter, 28-year-old rookie Del Bissonette, who had come into the game hitting .345-4-15 (15 games played in the season and in his MLB career). Manager John McGraw had Giants’ pitcher Larry Benton (a 13-game winner in 1927 and 2-1, 2.03 in three 1928 starts … all complete games) intentionally walk Bissonette, cutting the margin to one run. Benton then pitched to 2B Henry Riconda, who came into the contest with a .220-1-5 line on the season (15 games). While the IBB cost Benton a shutout, the strategy worked, as Benton went on to fan Riconda to end the game and get the win.

Benton, by  the way, had his best MLB season in 1928 (his sixth MLB campaign), leading the league in wins (25 versus nine losses), winning percentage (.735) and complete games (28) – with a 2.73 ERA.  He pitched 13 MLB seasons (1923-35 … Braves, Giants, Reds), going 128-128, 4.03.

The other principal in this mini-drama, Bissonette, played five MLB  seasons (1928-31, 1933 … Dodgers), going .305-66-391 in 604 games. In 1928, the year of his bases-loaded IBB (and, again, his rookie MLB campaign), Bissonette hit .320-25-106 in 155 games. He had his best season in 1930, when he hit .336-16-113 in 146 games. (The year before making the Robins’ roster, he hit .365 with 31 home runs at Class-AA Buffalo.) His major-league playing career was dampened and shortened by injury and illness, although he did play several seasons in the minors after 1933 and went on to coach and manage in the minor leagues. He also managed the Boston Braves for part of the 1945 season and served as a coach with coach with  the Pirates in 1946. He retired from baseball after the 1951 season (he was managing the Class-C Trois Rivieres in the Canadian Provincial League).   Reports are that he was offered the opportunity to manage the Milwaukee Braves in 1954, but declined to return to baseball.

Load ‘Em Up, I’m Ready

Del Bissonette is credited with (on April 21, 1930) being the first MLB player to hit a bases-loaded home run and a bases-loaded triple in the same game. 

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Napoleon Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics, May 23, 1901

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

Nap Lajoie’s Athletics were down 11-5 to the White Sox in the top of the ninth inning, when they mounted a comeback – loading the bases with none out and bringing cleanup hitter 2B Napoleon Lajoie – who came into the game hitting .525 (42-for-80 in 20 games) and was on his way to a  .426-14-125 Triple Crown  season – to the plate. (Note: In 1901 Lajoie led the NL in average, home runs, RBI, runs scored (145), hits (232), doubles (48), total bases (350). on-base percentage (.463) and slugging percentage (.643).

White Sox player-manager Clark Griffith put himself into the game and intentionally  walked Lajoie, forcing in a run and cutting the lead to three. Griffith then got RF Socks Seybold (who would lead the AL in home runs in 1902) and 1B Harry Davis (who would lead the league in round trippers four times  in his career) on ground outs (one run scoring) to save an 11-9 win.  This intentional walk gets extra points for the courage of manager Griffith to take the responsibility on himself – and for setting up a situation in which the bases were loaded, the tying run was at first and he had to get two tough  outs to save the game.

Lajoie played in 21 MLB seasons (1896-1916 … Phillies, Athletics, Napoleons), going .338-82-1,599, with 3,243 hits. Clark Griffith played in 20 MLB seasons (1891, 1893-1907, 1909, 1912-14 … St. Louis Browns, Boston Reds, Chicago Colts/Orphans/Cubs, White Sox, Yankees, Reds, Nationals), going 237-146, 3.31, with 337 complete games in 372 starts (453 total appearances). Griffith managed in 20 MLB seasons, Lajoie in five.

 Clark Griffith … A Role(s) Player

Clark Griffith managed the 1901 White Sox to an 83-53 record and first  place in the National League. As a player-manager, he went 24-7, 2.67 on the mound and .303-2-14 (in 35 games) at the plate.

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Abner Dalrymple, Chicago White Stockings (NL), August 2, 1881

The White Stockings, already up  5-0 over the Buffalo Bisons, opened the eighth inning  by loading the bases on consecutive hits by P Fred Goldsmith, C Silver Flint and 2B Joe Quest. Bisons’ manager Jim O’Rourke (presumably) wanted nothing to do with Abner Dalrymple (on his way to a .323 season and the 1878 NL batting champ) and had Jack Lynch walk him intentionally – forcing in a run.  The White Sox eventually won the contest 11-2. The intentional pass was of little consequence in the outcome, but is generally accepted as the first IBB with the sacks full in MLB history. Side note: This IBB is unique in that it took seven balls to draw a walk in 1881,

Dalrymple played in 12 MLB seasons (1878-1888, 1891 … Milwaukee Grays, Chicago White Stockings, Allegheny City, Milwaukee Brewers), hitting .288-43-407. Lynch played in seven MLB seasons (1881, 1883-87, 1890 … Buffalo Bisons, New York Metropolitans, Brooklyn Gladiators), going 110-105, 3.69, with 214 complete games in 216 starts/221 appearances.

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Del Bissonette bio, Society for American Baseball Research, by Will Anderson; Maddon Intentionally Walks Corey Seager … With The  Bases Loaded ?!, Rhett Bollinger & Kennedi Landry, MLB.com, April 16, 2022.

Next Tuesday: A look at the first player to record 3,000+ MLB hits and retire with an average below .300 (and more, of course). 

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