Shortstops are in the news in MLB these days – as some “difference makers” at the position are rejoining line ups in need.

Hanley Ramirez is back with the Dodgers and, after a slow start, has gone 12-for-26, with two doubles, three home runs, six runs scored and eight RBI in his past eight games.

Jose Reyes is expected to return to the Blue Jays line up this week, having missed most of the season with a severe ankle sprain.  How much will he boost the resurging Jays?  Reyes, a league batting champ as recently as 2011 and a .292 career hitter, hit .395 with one home run, five RBI and five steals (in 10 games) before his injury.

Yankee captain Derek Jeter has begun taking fielding and batting practice and is expected back – to provide offense and leadership – after the All Star break.

Then there are those difference makers going the other way.  Like the Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki, who recent went on the DL with a broken rib – and was hitting .347, with 16 homers and 51 RBI.

Anyway, all this media coverage surrounding the off-the-field status of shortstops led BBRT to recall a day when a particular MLB shortstop had a truly different kind of on-the-field day.

Toby Harrah – didn’t need the glove for the June 25, 1976 doubleheader – made good use of the bat though.

On this day, June 25, in 1976, Texas Rangers’ shortstop Toby Harrah played every inning of both games of a double header without ever getting a fielding chance.  Not that the ball wasn’t hit around the infield.  In game one, an 8-4 Rangers’ win over the White Sox, there were eleven infield put outs (not counting the catchers’ six putouts on strikeouts) and eight infield assists. (Second baseman Lenny Randle was most active with one putout and five assists.)  In game two, a 14-9 Rangers’ loss, there were fourteen infield put outs, twelve infield assists and three infield errors.  (Second baseman Lenny Randle was again the most active infielder with two putouts, six assists and two errors.)

On the other end of the spectrum, the most chances ever for a shortstop in a doubleheader is 25; the most in a nine-inning contests is 15 and the most in an extra-inning game is 21.

What Harrah didn’t have a chance to do with the glove, he made up for at the plate.  Apparently well rested due to inactivity in the field, Harrah finished the doubleheader with six hits in eight at bats, two home runs, two runs scored, seven RBI (five in the game one win) and one stolen base. 

For trivia buffs, by the way, Harrah and Bump wills remain the only ML player to hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs.  It happened in the seventh inning of an 8-2 Rangers’ victory at Yankee Stadium on August 27, 1977.   (The Rangers hit a total of five homers in that game.)

The Minnesota Twins’ third baseman Trevor Plouffe celebrated his return from the disabled list (hadn’t played since May 21) and his 27^th birthday in style yesterday – going three-for-three with a walk, double, home run,  two runs scored and three RBI; as the Twins topped the Division-leading  Tigers 6-3 in Minneapolis.

Nomar Garciaparra threw best birthday party ever – 3 HRs, 8 RBI!

Plouffe’s strong performance, however, fell short of MLB’s best “birthday party” ever.  That would be Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra’s 29^th birthday (July 23, 2002), when he went three-for-five with three home runs (MLB birthday record), three runs scored, eight RBI (another MLB birthday record) and a walk – as the Sox drubbed the Rays 22-4 in Boston.

Today, BBRT would like to look at some other top birthday performances by MLB hitters.

We’ll start with Kirk Gibson, who seemed determined to defy his age.  On May 28, 1994 Gibson celebrated his 37^th birthday coming in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and hitting a game-tying three-run homer. Gibson stayed in the game in center field and hit a second round-tripper in the top of the ninth (giving the Tigers a lead they didn’t hold, losing 10-9 in ten innings).  For his birthday, Gibson finished two-for-two with two homers, four RBI and two runs scored.

A year later, the 38-year-old Gibson celebrated his birthday, with a four-hit performance (in six at bats) that included a double, two homers, two runs scored and two RBI.  For you trivia buffs, Gibson is the only MLB MVP Award winner to never make an All Star Team.

Then Phillies’ second baseman Joe Morgan also defied father time.  Batting lead off on his fortieth birthday (September 19, 1983), Morgan went four-for-five with a double, two homers, two runs scored and four RBI, as his Phillies topped the Cubs 7-6.

Birthday bashes aren’t limited to the senior set.  Cubs’ rookie first baseman Brant Brown – a .247 hitter in his five-year MLB career – had arguably his best day ever on his 25^th birthday (June 22, 1996). In a 16-inning 9-6 win over the Padres in San Diego, Brown went five-for-nine with a double, home run (a two-run shot in the 16^th), run scored, two RBI and a stolen base.

Then there is Kansas City DH Mike Sweeney, who turned thirty-one on July 22, 2004 and celebrated with a seven-RBI performance – a Grand Slam and a three-run blast – as his Royals topped the Tigers 13-7 in Detroit.  It was an especially good day for Sweeney who had been in a slump (two-for-twenty with just one RBI in the previous five games).  Sweeney’s line:  two-for-five, two homers, one walk, two runs scored, seven RBI.

Some other multi-homer birthdays:

Mets journeyman first baseman Jim Beauchamp collected two home runs (in a two-for-four game) on his 33^rd birthday (August 21, 1972) as the Mets topped the Astros 4-2. Beauchamp scored twice and drove in three.

Albert Belle, manning left field for the Indians on his 29^th birthday (August 25, 1995), went three-for-three with two home runs, two walks, three runs scored and two RBI as his Indians (at home) topped the Tigers 6-5 in eleven innings.

Ray Boone, of the multi-generational MLB Boone family, won the game for the Indians at Boston on his 28^th birthday (July 27, 1951) with his second home run of the game in the top of the ninth (Cleveland won 3-2).  For the day, Boone was three-for-four, with two runs, two RBI and one walk.

Ken Harrelson did his best to keep his Kansas City Athletics in the game against the Yankees on his 23^rd birthday (September 9, 1964).  Playing at first base, the Hawk went two-for-five, with two runs, three RBI and two walks.  His second homer tied the contest at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, and the As lost 9-7 in ten innings.

Milwaukee Brewers’ SS Jose Hernandez celebrated his 33^rd birthday with two homers against the Pirates in a 5-3 Brewers’ win at Milwaukee.  The 6’ 1”, 180-pound utility man had shown some power (the homers were his 16^th and 17^th of the season, following a career-high 25-homer campaign the year before.)  Hernandez went two-for-two, with two homers, a walk, two runs and four RBI.

Andruw Jones was in left field for the White Sox on his 33^rd birthday (April 23, 2010), when he went two-for-four with a walk, two homers, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base.  His second homer was a walk-off game winner in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Houston left fielder Derrick May turned 28 on July 14, 1996 and, in the first game of a doubleheader in New York, contributed to a 7-5, 11-inning Astros’ win, going three-for-five, with two round trippers, a walk, two runs scored, three RBI, and a stolen base for good measure.  (May totaled only five home runs for the season, .251-5-33.)

Yankee left fielder Tim Raines celebrated his 37th birthday, with two three-run homers as the Yanks topped Toronto 10-0 on September 16, 1996.  Raines went tw0-for-five, with two runs and six RBI.

Alex Rodriguez made his “Golden Birthday” (July 27, 2002) truly golden with a tenth-inning walk off grand slam as his Ranger topped Oakland 10-6 in Texas.  For the day, A-Rod was three-for-six, with two home runs (his 33rd and 34th of the season) three runs scored and five RBI.

Can Miggy “Three-Peat” to repeat the Triple Crown. Never been done.

As BBRT posts this, 2012 AL Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is in hot pursuit of a second Triple Crown.  His .387 average and 47 RBI lead the AL and his 11 home runs are just one off the pace.   Can Miggy repeat as a Triple Crown winner?  History says “no.”   In fact, if Cabrera tops the AL in two of the three categories, he will be the first MLB Triple Crown winner to accomplish a two-thirds Triple Crown in the next season.  Only seven times has a Triple Crown winner come back to lead his league in at least one of the three categories  – and that has most often been batting average (six of the seven repeats, with one TC winner – the Cardinals’ Joe Medwick – taking the RBI title the year after his Triple Crown).

We’ll take a look at how TC winner have fared in the following season, but first a few TC factoids:

• Only once in MLB history have both the AL and NL featured a Triple Crown winner and both triple champions played in the same city.  It was 1933, and the TC winners were Chuck Klein of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics.
• There have been only two two-time TC winners, Rogers Hornsby and Ted Williams.
• Twice in MLB history, a TC winner has been foiled in his attempt to “repeat” by a player who achieved a Triple Crown of his own. Jimmie Foxx, who won the AL Triple Crown in 1933, saw his repeat effort overshadowed by Yankee Lou Gehrig’s 1934 Triple Crown season. In 1966, Frank Robinson won the AL Triple Crown with the Orioles, and Carl Yastrzemski followed up in 1967 with a TC of his own for the Red Sox.
• One TC winner was stopped in his attempt to repeat his achievement by a greater conflict – Ted Williams missed the season following his first Triple Crown due to military service in WWII.
• In a numbers game, Ty Cobb may have come the closest ever to a Triple Crown repeat.  He won the TC in 1909 and finished second in all three categories the following season.
• Ty Cobb, at age 22, is the youngest-ever TC winner, while Frank Robinson at 31 the oldest.

Let’s take a look at the TC winners and their follow-up efforts.

Paul Hines, of the NL Providence Grays, won the Triple Crown in 1878 – going .358-4-50.  The following season, he repeated as batting champion at .357, but his 2 home runs and 52 RBI left him fifth in the league in both categories.

Tip O’Neill, of the American Association St. Louis Browns, won his Triple Crown in 1887 – with a line of .435-14-123.  Like Hines, he repeated as batting champ in 1888, despite a 100-point drop to .335, but hit only 5 home runs (failing to make the top ten) and drove in a league fourth-best 98 runs.

In 1901, Nap Lajoie of the AL’s Philadelphia Athletics won the Triple Crown with a .426-14-season. It was the first year of the newly formed American League and Lajoie was one of the premier players who had “jumped” to the rival league – moving crosstown from the NL Phillies to the Athletics.  Lajoie did not remain with the Athletics for long after his Triple Crown achievement – he played only one game for the A’s the following year, thanks to legal wrangles between the NL and AL. In April 1902, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overruled an earlier decision by a lower court and reinforced the reserve clause in contracts between players and NL clubs. Under the rule, it appeared Lajoie could only play for the Phillies (the NL team to which he had been under contract).  However, ongoing proceedings found the ruling was only enforceable in the state of Pennsylvania. The Athletics resolved this dilemma by trading Lajoie to the AL’s Cleveland Bronchos. Lajoie repeated as AL batting champ, hitting .378, but dropped to seven home runs and 65 RBI in a season that essentially began for him in June.  

The Detroit Tigers’ Ty Cobb captured the Triple Crown in 1909 with a .377-9-107 performance.  In 1910, he put up a .383-8-91 season, finishing second in all three categories.  He was edged out for the batting by .001 (Nap Lajoie hit .384), fell two home runs behind AL leader Jake Stahl of Boston and trailed teammate Sam Crawford by 29 for the RBI crown.

The Cardinals’ Rogers Hornsby captured the 1922 NL Triple Crown with a .401-42-152 season.  He came back in 1923 with .384-17-83, repeating as batting champ and finishing fifth in home runs.

Rogers Hornsby captured his second Triple Crown in 1925, going .403-39-143. In 1926, he dropped to .317-11-93 (finishing in the top ten in home runs and RBI) and, in 1927, after an off-season contract dispute with the Cardinals, he found himself traded to the New York Giants.

Chuck Klein of the Phillies captured the NL Triple Crown in 1933 at .368-28-120.  The financially troubled Phillies traded Klein to the Cubs for three players and $100,000 in cash following his TC season and he put up with a .301-20-80 season for the Cubs in 1934.

Philadelphia had two TC winners in 1933.  Klein in the NL and Jimmie Foxx of the Athletics in the AL – .356-44-130.  Foxx went a solid .334-44-130 in 1934, finishing seventh in average, second in homers and fourth in RBI (in a season when Lou Gehrig won the AL Triple Crown).

Lou Gehrig captured the 1934 AL Triple Crown, going .363-49-165 for the Yankees.  He had a strong 1935 season … .329-30-119 … finishing sixth in the AL in average, third in home runs and second in RBI.

Joe “Ducky” Medwick earned his Triple Crown for the Cardinals in 1937 – .374-31-164.  He came back with a .322-21-122 season in 1938, leading the league in RBI.  (He is the only TC winner to repeat the following year in a category other than average.) In 1938, he also finished fourth in average and sixth in home runs.

The Boston Red Sox’ Ted Williams earned his first Triple Crown in 1942, with a .356-36-137 season – then missed the 1943 season due to WWII military service.

Ted Williams came back to win a second Triple Crown in 1947, when the Red Sox’ outfielder went .343-32-114.  He repeated as batting champ in 1948 at .360, with 25 home runs (sixth in the AL) and 127 RBI (third).

Yankee great Mickey Mantle took Triple Crown honors in 1957, with a .353-52-130 season.  The following year his .365 average was second only to Ted Williams (.388) and his 34 homers and 94 RBI were third and sixth in the AL, respectively.

Frank Robinson of the Orioles captured the 1966 AL Triple Crown – .316-49-122 and came back with a .311-30-94 campaign in 1967, when Carl Yastrzemski captured the AL Triple Crown.

The Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski’s .326-44-121 earned him the 1967 AL Triple Crown.  He won the AL batting title again in 1968 (with the lowest-ever average for a batting champ at .301), while finishing seventh in the AL in HR (27) and eighth in RBI (74). 

Detroit Miguel Cabrera earned the AL Triple Crown in 2012 with a .330-44-139 season – and is off to a great start in 2013  … .387-11-47 through May 19.

Tuesday– May 7. 2013 – Toronto left hander J.A. Happ was knocked from the mound by a Desmond Jennings line drive.  BBRT is glad to hear Happ is already out of the hospital, although he reportedly has a fracture behind his left ear that he indicated doctors say will heal on its own.  BBRT wishes Happ, now on the disabled list, a speedy and full recovery.

Desmond’s line drive came 56 years to the day that another left-handed hurler – Indians fastballer Herb Score – was dropped by a line drive of the bat of the Yankees Gil McDougald.  The line drive was so vicious, the crack of the ball against Score’s face so loud (even in the stands, according to observers) that McDougald reportedly froze at the plate and had to be urged to run to first.  The baseball struck Score flush in the face, the right eye to be more specific, knocking him to the ground – bleeding from the eye, nose and mouth.  Score never lost consciousness, but had to be helped from the field, his head swathed in a bloody towel.  He spent three weeks in the hospital, having suffered a broken nose, several other facial fractures, and severe hemorrhaging and a swollen retina in the right eye.  After the game, McDougald said he would retire from baseball if Score lost sight in his eye.

It was one of the most publicized, and talked about, baseball injuries ever.  The fact is, Score had rocketed to the top of the national past time even faster than McDougald’s liner had found him on the mound.  Among those of us who took the mound in Little League (I was a nine-year old third baseman/pitcher at the time), the youthful Score had become an instant hero (and the black and white photos of him lying on the mound in pain were downright scary). After the injury, I moved his baseball card to the place of honor – at the very top of my rubber-banded pack of person all-stars.

Score signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians on his 19^th birthday – June 7, 1952.  By 1954, as a member of Cleveland’s AAA farm club in Indianapolis, he was making his mark.  That season at Triple A, he went 22-5, with a 2.62 ERA and league-record 330 strikeouts in just 251 innings.  Score, who had already established a record as being nearly unhittable (but also lacking control) in his first two minor league seasons, gave up just 140 hits that season and seemed to gain some control (140 bases on balls).  He earned the Sporting News recognition as Minor League Player of the Year – and was referred to often as “a left handed Bob Feller.”  

Score was called up to the Indians in 1955 and continued to confound hitters.  He went 16-10, with a 2.85 ERA and recorded a league-leading and rookie-record (broken 29 years later by Dwight Gooden) 245 strikeouts.  He made the AL All Star team and was selected Rookie of the Year.  His reputation continued to grow when he followed up his rookie season with a 1956 performance that included a 20-9 record, 2.53 ERA and a league-leading 263 strikeouts in 249 1/3 innings.  Score also tossed 16 complete games and led the league with five shutouts.  In 1957, up to the point of the McDougald line drive, Score was 2-1, 2.00, with 39 punch outs in 36 innings – and hitters like Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle were calling him the toughest left-handed pitcher they ever faced. 

Score returned to the Indians in 1958 at went 2-3, 3.95 with 48 strike outs in 41 innings over 12 starts, before an elbow injury curtailed his season and – eventually – his career. While some speculated that Score’s elbow injury resulted from his changing his pitching motion so he could be better positioned to protect himself from balls hit back up the middle, Score himself rejected those comments. The hard throwing lefty indicated he changed his pitching motion after the 1958 elbow injury – which makes considerable sense. Score had such a violent delivery that he reported that he sometimes wore a basketball knee-pad on his right knee to absorb the shock of a follow through that often saw him bouncing his left elbow off his right knee.  Regardless of the cause, the post 1957 Herb Score wasn’t the same.  In 1955-57, Score went 38-20, with a 2.64 ERA in 73 games.  In the remaining five years of his career, his record was 17-26, with a 4.42 ERA in 77 games.  Herb Score was a true flame thrower, who – for fans, especially young fans – burned brightly, but too briefly.

Score, who passed away in 2008 , kept his passion for the game.  His Cleveland Indians television and radio broadcasting career lasted 34 years, and earned him a spot in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. 

Roy Oswalt … last to win 20 games in consecutive seasons.

After what was described as an impressive throwing session the (currently) first place Colorado Rockies signed 35-year-old right-handed hurler Roy Oswalt to a minor league contract – a move BBRT sees as low risk with a potentially high reward. (I really wish my Twins had been willing to take this “chance.”)  While Oswalt struggled a bit with Texas last season (4-3, 5.80 ERA in 17 appearances/9 starts), his fastball reportedly remains in the 90+ range and 2012 did see him record 59 strikeouts in 59 innings, while walking only eleven.

In 12 MLB seasons, Oswalt has a .629 winning percentage (163-96), with 3.28 ERA.  If he can regain his form, he could pay dividends for the Rockies either as a starter (you can be pretty sure the Rockies will need some help along the way) or in long relief. 

In picking up the three-time All Star, the Rockies also gained the answer to a MLB trivia question.  (BBRT loves to mix a little history into today’s news.)  Oswalt is the answer to the query, “Who is the last major league hurler to win twenty games two seasons in a row?”  Yep, it was Oswalt – 20-10 in 2004 and 20-12 in 2005.  BBRT hopes to see Roy back in the NL sometime this season.

Here are a few other 20-game winner factoids.

– Most 20-win seasons MLB … Cy Young, as you might expect, racked up a record 15 20-win seasons (five of those were 30 or more), nine in the NL (Cleveland/St. Louis) and six in the AL (Boston).  Young led his league in wins five times, losses once and was a three-time 20-game loser.  In a 22-season career (1890-1911), he went 511-316, with a 2.63 ERA.

– Most 20-win seasons NL … The National League record for 20-win seasons is 13, shared by Christy Mathewson (New York Giants) and Warren Spahn (Boston/Milwaukee Braves).  Mathewson pitched 17 seasons (1900-1916), lead the NL in wins four times, had three straight seasons of thirty wins or more (1903-05) and finished at 373-188, 2.13.  Spahn pitched 22 seasons (1942-65, with three years lost to WWII service), led the NL in wins eight times, including four years in a row (1957-61). Spahn’s career numbers are 363-245, 3.09.

–  Most 20-win seasons AL … The American League record for 20-win seasons –  at 12 – belongs to the Washington Senators’ Walter Johnson.  Johnson pitched 21 seasons (1907-27), led the league in wins six times, including four straight (1913-16).  He finished his career at 417-279, 2.17.

– The oldest pitcher to win 20 games in a season … This honor belongs to Warren Spahn, who – at age 43 – went 23-7, 2.60, leading the NL in complete games with 22.

– The youngest 20-game winner … Dwight Gooden of the 1985 Mets won his 20^th game at the age of 20 years, 9 months and 9 days – edging out Bob Feller (who won 20 as a 20-year-old in 1939) by just shy of one month.  While it was Gooden’s only 20-win campaign, Feller went on to five more 20-victory seasons.  Notably, both Gooden and Feller led their league in strikeouts as 20-year-olds – and, in the previous season as 19-year-olds, both were 17-game winners and league strikeout leaders.  (Feller, at age 20, was in his fourth MLB season, Gooden in his second.)

Here are a few April surprises – at least from BBRT’s point of view.  This post doesn’t touch on them all, there have been plenty.  For example, there is no commentary on Colorado’s first-place standing (at the end of April) in the NL West, Orioles’ first baseman Chris Davis’ .348–9–28 start, Roy Halladay’s early season difficulties, the Yankees’ unique triple play or the fact that the Tigers have three hurlers averaging better than a strikeout per inning. (Or for my fellow Twins fans, Carlos Gomez hitting .360 through April for the Brewers and Kevin Slowey with a 2.15 ERA, with six walks and 29 strikeouts in six starts for Miami.)

So, here are a handful of April “surprises’ that captured BBRT’s attention. 

Philip Humber … 6 losses by the end of April.

Phil Humber – yes, he of the April 21, 2012, perfect game – started the 2013 tying a different kind of unique record.  In the month of April, the Astros’ Humber started six games and ran up an 0-6 record (29 2/3 innings pitched, 7.58 ERA, 44 hits, 10 walks, five wild pitches).  The only other starting hurler to notch six April losses was the A’s Dave Stewart in 1984, a year in which he went 7-14.    Still BBRT is surprised to see a pitcher get six starts in a single month – to get a decision in every outing – and, of course, to lose them all.  Humber can take solace in the fact that just three seasons after his 0-6 opening month, Stewart started a string of four consecutive 20-win seasons.  Not likely for Humber, however, whose career ERA is north of five.

A surprising ten April saves for the equally surprising Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees … 16-10 in second place in the AL East.

The Yankees – without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, from day one, and now Francisco Cervelli and Kevin Youkilis – are an early season surprise.  BBRT really thought age and injuries would quickly drag the Bronx Bombers toward the bottom of the division.  However, here they are in second place at the end of April, thanks to some individual surprises, particularly: Vernon Wells, who after two down years with the Angels, hit .300 with six home runs and 13 RBIs in April; and Travis Hafner, showing new life at age 36, sitting at .318-6-17.  (Maybe there is something to the aura of the pinstripes.) Not surprising, Robinson Cano leads the NY offense (.327-7-17).  On the mound, veterans Hiroki Kuroda, C.C. Sabathia and the ageless Andy Pettite (3-2, 2.86) and Mariano Rivera (10 saves, 1.74 ERA) lead the way.  Still, despite the early season surprise, BBRT sees a Yankee fade as we hit the dog days of August.

Adam Wainwright … 3 walks (one intentional) against 43 strikeouts in 44 innings.

The Cardinals Adam Wainwright ran up a 4-2 record with a 2.03 ERA through April.  Not surprising, he has true “ace” stuff.  Surprising to BBRT is that Wainwright notched 35 strikeouts before issuing his first walk of the season – and that’s a record.

Toronto Blue Jays … already 8 ½ out.

The Blue Jays made a statement in the offseason – no more “wait until next year,” 2013 is THE year.  They took advantage of the Marlins’ fire sale to add a quality lead off hitter and two proven starting pitchers: shortstop Jose Reyes and hurlers Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson.  Then they did some wheeling and dealing with the Mets to acquire 2012 Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey.  In addition, they added Melky Cabrera to an offense that was welcoming back power hitters Edwin Encarnacion and a now-healthy Jose Bautista.   Pre-season polls tabbed the Blue Jays East Division favorites.

Ouch!  One month in and that Jays are at 10-17, 8 1/2 games behind division-leading Boston.  What happened?  It starts with Jose Reyes, who was hitting .395 with one home run, five runs scored, five RBI and five stolen bases after 10 games.  Then a severe ankle sprain put him on the disabled list for an expected three months.  Buehrle and Johnson are a combined 1-2, 6.57 in 9 starts; R.A. Dickey at 2-4, 4.50 and has looked more like the pitcher who went 41-50 from 2001-2011 than 2012’s 20-game winner; and PED-free Melky Cabrera is hitting just .250 with no home runs. Couple that with slow starts from just about the whole lineup and the Jays have dug a surprisingly deep hole.  BBRT does expect Josh Johnson to right his ship, but .500 seasons from Buehrle and Dickey would not surprise.

Game changer for the Braves!

Justin Upton … prestigious power display.

.298, 12 homers, 19 RBI in April.  Enough said.  Well, one more surprise, the average distance of those 12 dingers?  Each exceeded 400 feet, for an average of 423.5 feet. We all knew he’d be good for the Braves – just surprised that he’s this good this fast.

The Washington Nationals … popular pick to win the NL crown, now sitting at 13-14, a surprising 4 ½ games behind the Atlanta Braves.

The Nats’ problem appears to be a lack of offense.  Despite a blistering start by Bryce Harper .(344-9-18 through April), the Nationals finished the month 12th in the league in runs scored (96), 13th in batting average (.234) and sixth in home runs (27).  That lack of offense explains Stephen Strasburg’s surprising 1-4 record, despite a 3.13 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 37 innings pitched.  With their depth of pitching – and the fact the some early bullpen issues seem to be working themselves out – BBRT expects the Nationals to remain in the hunt (and make the playoffs).

Boston … the first-place Red Sox.

Boston ended the 2012 season in apparent disarray, discontent and, according to some sources, outright animosity – finishing last in the AL East at 69-93, 26 games out.   The goal for 2013 was to change the personality of the team – and that meant changing some personnel, from the manager (John Farrell replacing Bobby Valentine) on down.  On the field, the Sox avoided some of the big name opportunities, going for steady, solid performers with equally solid clubhouse reputations.  Among the additions that have paid dividends early:

1B-DH-C Mike Napoli who has driven in 27 runs in his first 26 games; Shane Victorino, out with a back issue now, but sporting a .292 average over 19 games; and reliever Kuji Uehara, with a 1.69 ERA and seven holds in 12 games.  But, in reality, it’s been the core holdovers that have boosted the Sox – particularly strong performances from starters John Lester and Clay Bucholz (who went a combined 20-22 in 2012).  Through April the pair are 9-0 – Buchholz, 5-0, 1.19 ERA and Lester, 4-0, 3.11.  In addition, David Ortiz has come back with a vengeance hitting .500 (18 for 36) with three home runs and 15 RBI in his first nine games back in the lineup.  Then there is Dustin Pedroia, hitting at a .337 clip with 16 runs scored and 12 RBI.  It looks to BBRT that the surprising Red Sox will remain in the hunt in a tight AL East race.

Torii Hunter …  .370 in 23 games.

There was a popular TV commercial that used the line, “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better.”  That describes the surprising 37-year-old Torii Hunter, now patrolling right field for the (not surprising) first-place Detroit Tigers.  In 2012, Hunter surprised us all with a .313-16-92 season (with nine steals) for the Angels.  It was Hunter’s best average ever, and his fifth-highest RBI total in 16 seasons.  In 2013, Hunter is off to a .370-1-12 start.

The Angels (9-17) and Josh Hamilton (.204 average, 32 strikeouts in 108 at bats).

It shouldn’t really be a surprise, the Angels have already proven that you can go deep – and expensive – into the free agent market without guaranteeing the post season.  Still, when the Halos added Josh Hamilton to the Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo powerhouse, expectations were high (despite a somewhat iffy starting rotation minus Zack Greinke).  Both Hamilton and the Angels have surprised with their April futility.  Hamilton’s is hitting just .204, with 2 homers and 9 RBI going into May. Even with Hamilton’s slow start, the Angels rank in about the middle of the AL in offensive output.  The pitching, however, ranks 14^th (based on ERA) out of 15 teams – and, with ace Jered Weaver on the DL, things don’t look promising.  Fact is, the Angels would have been better off spending some of the Hamilton money on pitching.  Will they bounce back? Doubtful, unless they come up with some arms.  Will Hamilton rebound.  Probably, but he’ll likely fall well short of 2012’s .285-43-128 (but .280-35-102 would not surprise).

Josh Donaldson (.314, 2 HR, 20 RBI) and the Oakland A’s (16-12).

The 27-year-old Oakland third baseman (a converted catcher) has progressed dramatically in the field and at the plate since winning the third base job (after injuries to Brandon Inge and Scott Sizemore) last season.  Still he came into the season with a .232 average in just 306 at bats in two seasons.  Now, he’s not only hitting over .300, he’s driven in 20 runs (sixth in the AL) as of May 1 – and he’s showing solid leather at third base.

The A’s surprise is a little more complicated.  BBRT expected the A’s young pitching (a record 54 wins from rookies a year ago) to falter a bit and, after notching the AL’s second-lowest ERA in 2012, the A’s ranked 12^th through April.  On the other hand, they led the AL in runs scored – despite standing a surprising 9^th in home runs and 10^th in batting average. Over time, BBRT thinks the pitching will pick up, but the run scoring will tick down and the A’s will finish third this season.

Shin-Soo Choo … impervious to pain.

The Reds wanted a leadoff hitter – and they picked up a good one in Shin-Soo Choo (through April, .337 – four homers – 11 RBI – 20 runs scored – 17 walks.)  The surprise for BBRT is Choo has already been hit by a pitch 10 times.  Ouch!  That’s taking one – and then some – for the team.

Got any April surprises you’d like to share?  BBRT welcomes your comment?

Upton brothers launched their own theory of relativity against the Rockies.

Yesterday (April 23, 2013), 21,724 fans attending the Colorado Rockies homes game against the red hot Atlanta Braves were treated to a baseball rarity, as brothers B.J. and Justin Upton cranked back-to-back homers in the fifth inning of the Braves’ 10-2 victory.

How rare are MLB back-to-back jacks by brothers?  The Uptons were only the second set of brothers to accomplish the feat – following Paul and Lloyd Waner (both Hall of Famers), who hit back-to-back dingers (also in the fifth inning) for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 7-2 road win over the New York Giants on September 15, 1938.

For BBRT, the Upton’s accomplishment brought back memories of an even rarer long ball feat – back-to-back home runs by father/son major leaguers.  It happened in the first inning of a Seattle Mariners 7-5 loss to the California Angels on September 14, 1990 and the principals were, of course, Ken Griffey Senior and Junior.  (By the way, for you trivia buffs, the Griffeys’ shared first name is not Ken.  The pair are, in fact, George Kenneth Griffey, senior and junior.) The two remain not only the only father/son duo to hit back-to-back homers, but the only such pair to even homer in the same game.

This brings BBRT to another of those “in baseball we count everything” moments.  When it comes to the Upton’s’ accomplishment – and going beyond back-to-back dingers – brothers homering for the same team in the same game is itself a rare feat.  It’s been accomplished just 27 times in MLB history to date.   This is comparable in rarity to the pitching of a perfect game (23 times).

Here are the players:

Four times: 

Jason and Jeremy Giambi, A’s

Vlad and Wilton Guerrero, Expos

Three times:

Justin and B.J. Upton, Braves (they’ll be moving up this list)

Paul and Lloyd Waner, Pirates

Hank and Tommy Aaron, Braves (in Milwaukee)

Two times:

Tony and Billy Conigliaro, Red Sox

Cal, Jr. and Billy Ripken, Orioles

Adrian and Edgar Gonzalez, Padres

Once:

Felipe and Matty Alou, Giants

Matty and Jesus Alou, Giants (making Matty the only brother to hit homers in the same game with two different brothers)

Bengie and Jose Molina, Angels

Adam and Andy LaRoche, Pirates

By the way, if you are on one of Ballpark Tours trips (see ballparktours.net) this year, you can expect something from this post to be on the traditional K-Kwiz.