With MLB’s Opening Day 2026 (actually Opening Night this year) just three weeks and a day away, Baseball Roundtable would like to use this Tuesday’s Trivia(L) Tidbits to  celebrate the dawn of a new season with an updated and expanded version of Opening Day records for MLB players to shoot for or try to avoid.

Two disclaimers here. Given statistical accuracy and game formats, I am limiting myself to the Modern Era (post 1900) and Negro League game stats from 1920-48 have not been fully documented and incorporated into the MLB record book.

“You always get a special kick on Opening Day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid.  You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

                                                                                                        Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio

So, let’s look at some Opening Day stats and stories – some wonderful, some not so great. We’ll start with an MLB unicorn looking to extend his existing record and add a unique spin to it.  Note: For this post, “Opening Day” refers to the first game of the season for each team, not just the first day of the MLB season (for example, this season will open on March 25 with just one game … Yankees at Giants).

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED … The PLayer I’ll Be Tracking Most Closely in His Season Opener

Orioles’ outfielder Tyler O’Neill, will be looking to extend his enviable (and almost unbelievable) record of going deep in six consecutive Opening Day (OD) games.

Tyler O’Neill – Opening Day Home Runs

July 24, 2020* … (for the Cardinals versus the Pirates’ Joe Musgrove)

April 1, 2021 … (for the Cardinals versus the Reds’ Cam Bedrosian)

April 7, 2022 … (for the Cardinals versus the Pirate’s JT Brubaker)

March 30, 2023 … (for the Cardinals versus the Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah)

March 28, 2024 … (for the Red Sox’ versus the Mariners’ Cody Bolton)

March 27, 2025 … (for the Orioles versus the Blue Jays’ Jose Berrios)

*Late-starting COVID season.

O’Neill has homered in every Opening Day game he has started. His only other Opening Day appearance was in 2019, when he had one plate appearance as a pinch-hitter for the Redbirds and flied out to CF versus the Brewers’ Junior Guerra. In his seven Opening Day appearances, O’Neill is 9-for-21 (.429), with six home runs, 14 RBI and ten runs scored.  He’s also drawn five walks for a .538 on-base percentage. Among players with at least 25 Opening Day plate appearances, O’Neill is the leader in slugging percentage (1.286).

Travelin’ Man

Tyler O’Neill is the only MLB player to go deep on Opening Day for three different teams in three consecutive years.

GETTING ON BASE … A Fielder Does It Best

Among players with at least 25 OD plate appearances, Fielder Jones leads in on-base percentage (.624) … 32 plate appearances in seven OD games, with 12 hits and eight walks. Jones, a centerfielder,  played 15 MLB seasons (1896-1908, 1914-15 …  Superbas, White Sox, Federal League St.  Louis Terriers), hitting .285-21-631, with 1,180 runs scored.

Ahead of the Eight Ball

The career record for home runs in Opening Day (OD) games is eight, shared by Frank Robinson (20 OD games/76 AB); Ken Griffey, Jr. (21 OD games/71 AB); and Adam Dunn (13 OD games/54 AB). Trailing these three at seven OD game homers are: Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Eddie Mathews. Impressive list, I’d say.  Among active players, the leaders in OD long balls, at six, are: Bryce Harper and, of course, the already discussed Tyler O’Neill.

FIVE WHIFFS – A (strikeout) Victim of Circumstance

Which player became a “victim of circumstance” in the process of becoming the first MLB player to fan five times on Opening Day? That would be Ron Karkovice.

On March 31, 1996, White Sox’ catcher Karkovice set the still (but since tied) MLB Opening Day record by striking out five times as Chicago lost 3-2 in Seattle.  Karkovice, however, may have been a victim of circumstance.

First Circumstance: Future Hall of Famer (and whiff artist) Randy Johnson started on the mound for the Mariners – striking out 14 in seven innings (including Karkovice three times). Johnson holds the MLB record for Opening Day career strikeouts with 107 (14 Opening Day Games – 97 2/3 innings pitched). Second on the OD list is Tom Seaver with 81 strikeouts in 16 Openers.

Second Circumstance:  The White Sox could muster only two runs on four hits over the first nine innings – taking a slim 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth (at that point, Karkovice had fanned just three times).

Third Circumstance: The Mariners tied the contest in the ninth, and the game went to 12 innings before the Mariners prevailed 3-2.  In those three extra innings, Karkovice struck out against Norm Charlton (tenth inning) and Edwin Hurtado (twelfth inning) to set the Opening Day record.

Since Karkovice’s disappointing day, two players have matched his five OD-game strikeouts – and both did it in nine innings. In the Dodgers’ 2023 opener (versus the Diamondbacks in Arizona), Dodgers’ 3B Max Muncy (batting cleanup) fanned five time in five at bats. In 2025’s Brewers’ season opener (versus the Yankees in New York), Brewers’ starting LF Jackson Chourio tied the OD record with five strikeouts in five at bats. Both players also tied the record for the most strikeouts in any nine-inning game (eight players have fanned six times in a regular-season, extra-inning contest).

GIVE ME FIVE, BUDDY!   … These Players Got a Handful of Hits on Opening Day

In the Modern Era, only 14 MLB players have collected five hits (five is a handful, isn’t it?) in an Opening Day game.  Looking for Unicorns within this list, on March 30, 2023, we saw the first (still only) Opening Day in which two players collected five hits (it happened in two different games). The players were Andy Rutschman of the Orioles and George Springer of the Blue Jays. Rutschman also became the first (only) catcher to record a five-hit Opening Day.  The most productive of any five-hit opener belongs to Giants’ 2B Jeff Kent, who (on OD 1998) went five-for-seven, with a double, home run, two runs scored and four RBI in a 13-inning, 9-4 Giants win over the Astros.

Now, there are some potential trivia tidbits (that you can turn into trivia questions) in this list, but here’s one that intrigues The Roundtable.  In a statistical anomaly, seven of the 14 players to enjoy a five-hit Opening Day played the same position.  What position was it?

Your answer:  Second base and the players were Craig Biggio (2001); Jeff Kent (1998); Nellie Fox (1959); Billy Herman (1936); Aaron Miles (2005); Larry Doyle (1915); and Eddie Collins (1913). For those who like to know such things, the list also includes three left fielders, two third baseman, one right fielder and one catcher.  As you might guess, most of these players were batting high in the order:  Five leading off, five batting second, two in the three-hole, one at cleanup and one sixth.

DESIGNATED HITTER!  I DON’T NEED NO STINKING DH!

The highest career batting Opening Day batting  average – with no minimum at bats – is 1.000, shared by 142 players.   However, 105 of those are one-for-one for their careers on Opening Day. The most at bats for any player with a 1.000 Opening Day career average is four- shared by eight players.  Phil Collins – a right-handed pitcher –   is the unicorn in that group, the only one with five plate appearances. (He is also one of just two players with a 1.000 Opening Day average and  four at bats.)

On April 12, 1932, Collins (coming off a 12-16, 3.86 1931 season) started for the Phillies in their season opened (versus the Giants in New York). Collins picked up the complete-game win, giving up five runs in a 14-5 Phillies win.  At the plate, he was even better:  four singles and a walk in five plate appearances (the most career plate appearances by any player with a 1.000 career OD average). Collins appeared in one more Opening Day game(1934), but came on in relief and did not bat. Collins was a career .193 hitter (93-for-482). However, for one grand Opening Day, he was, indeed, grand at the plate. For those who like to know such things, Collins was 80-85, 4.66 in eight MLB seasons (1923, 1929-35 … Cubs, Phillies, Cardinals).

 

 

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OPENING DAY STARTS – Another GIMME FIVE!

Gaylord Perry and Bert Blyleven each started on the mound on Opening Day for a record five different franchises.

Blyleven: Rangers; Twins; Indians; Pirates; Angels (12 total OD starts).

Perry: Padres; Indians; Giants; Rangers; Mariners (9 OD starts).

I used the term franchises instead of” teams” because Livan Hernandez started on Opening day for the Expos; Giants; Nationals; Marlins and Twins.  However, the Nationals were the old (transported) Expos franchise.

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THREE FOR FOUR … Or, more correctly, four-for-three

The Opening Day, single-game record of three home runs is shared by four players.  The quartet includes: the Blue Jays’ George Bell; Cubs’ Tuffy Rhodes; Tigers’ Dmitri Young; and White Sox’ Matt Davidson.  Here’s another anomaly that would make a good trivia question. Three of the four three-homer Opening Day games were logged against the same franchise.  Who were the unlucky opponents in those three triple-round tripper openers?

Your answer.  The Kansas City Royals.  Here are some details.

George Bell … On April 4, 1988, Bell – batting clean-up and serving as the DH – became the first major leaguer to hit three home runs in an Opening Day game as his Blue Jays topped the Royals 5-3 in Kansas City. Bell’s power outburst was no surprise. He was coming off a 1987 season in which he hit 47 homers, drove in 134 runs and was the AL MVP. Bell went three-for-four with three runs scored and four RBI, hitting all three home runs off Royals’ starter Brett Saberhagen.  Bell Played 12 MLB seasons (1981, 1983-93 … Blue Jays, White Sox), hitting .278-265-1,002.

Tuffy Rhodes … On a windy April 4, 1994, Rhodes (leading off and playing CF for the Cubs in Chicago) hit three solo shots off Mets’ starter Dwight Gooden. Rhodes also had a single and a walk in five plate appearances. Despite Rhodes’ record-tying performance, the Cubs lost to the visiting Mets 12-8. At the time, Rhodes had played 107 MLB games in four seasons – hitting a total of five home runs. His MLB career consisted of 225 games in six seasons, with a .224 average and just 13 round trippers (with a high of eight in 1994). Rhodes did go on to hit 474 home runs in eleven seasons in Japan.

Dmitri Young … On April 4, 2005, the Tigers’ Young joined Bell and Rhodes on the list of batters with three home runs in an Opening Day game – as the Tigers topped the Royals 11-2 in Detroit. Young started at DH and went four-for-four with four runs and five RBI.  Young, an All Star in 2003 and 2007, hit a total of 21 home runs in 2005 – and 171 in 13 MLB seasons. He hit a career-high 29 round trippers in 2003.  Over 13 MLB seasons (1996-2008 … Cardinals, Reds, Tigers, Nationals ), Young hit .292-171-683).

Matt Davidson … On March 29, 2018, as the White Sox topped the Royals 14-7 in Kansas City, DH and (appropriately) cleanup hitter Davidson opened the season with a three-homer, five-RBI game. He went three-for-four with a walk, four runs scored and five RBI. Davidson went deep off three different pitchers: solo shots in the fourth and fifth off Danny Duffy and Blaine Boyer and a three-run blast in the eighth off Brian Flynn. Davidson, in his fourth MLB season, went on to a .228-20-62 campaign.  In his 306 MLB games (2013, 2015-18, 2020, 2022 … Diamondbacks, White Sox, Reds, Athletics), Davidson had a .220-54-157 stat line.

Three seems to be the sweet spot for rarity on this one.  There have been 114 two-homer Opening Day games. The players with two, two-homer Opening Day contests are: Adam Dunn (2005 & 2007); Juan Gonzalez (1993 & 2001); Eddie Mathews (1954 & 1958); Raul Mondesi (1995 & 1999); Albert Pujols (2006-2010); and Joe Torre (1965 & 1966). None of the players with a three-homer Opening Day game had an additional multi-homer OD contest.

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A UNICORN OF A WIN

In 1980, Mike Parrott was the Opening Day starter (at home) for the Seattle Mariners – an honor he earned with a 14-12, 3.77 season for the 67-95 Mariners in 1979.   He picked up the win, going 6 1/3 innings in an 8-6 Seattle victory over Toronto. Why then Unicorn designation? Parrot would pitch in 26 more games that season (15 more starts) and not record another victory – ending the campaign at 1-16, 7.28. Parrot pitched in five MLB seasons (1977-81, all for the Mariners) – going in 19-39, 4.87.

 

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HOW ABOUT A LITTLE SUPPORT HERE GUYS?

Who was the first MLB pitcher to throw nine no-hit innings in an Opening Day Start? I’ll toss in a little hint here.  It’s not the Feller you may be thinking of – and it’s not a good Day to guess.

MLB has seen a pair of Opening Day no-hitters, Bob Feller of the Indians on April 16, 1940 and Leon Day of the of the Newark Eagles (Negro National League II) on May 5, 1946.

Still, neither of these gentlemen can lay claim to be the first MLB pitcher to throw nine no-hit innings in an Opening Day start. Back on April 15, 1909 – as the Giants opened against the Superbas (Dodgers) in Brooklyn – Giants’ righty Leon “Red” Ames started and, with just the minimum of support, could have made history. Ames held Brooklyn hitless for nine innings, but got nary a run of support from his batsmen.  Ames finally gave up a hit with one out in the tenth and, while he kept the shutout going through the 12th inning, eventually lost 3-0 in 13 innings.  How the game has changed:  Both Ames and Brooklyn starter Irvin “Kaiser” Wilhelm went the distance.

Ames had a 17-season MLB career (1903-10 … Giants, Reds, Cardinals, Phillies), going 183-167, 2.63. His best season was 1905 (Giants), when he went 22-8, 2.74.

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WALK, DON’T RUN

The record for walks received in an Opening Day game is four – shared by 134 players.  Of those players, only Mike Cameron can lay claim to two four-walk Openers.  On April 2, 2001, playing CF and batting in the two-hole for the Mariners, he drew four walks in five plate appearances as Seattle topped the A’s 5-4 in Seattle.  On April 7, 2009, Cameron again drew four walks in five plate appearances in an Opener. This time, he was playing CF and batting sixth for the Brewers, as they lost to the Giants 10-6 in San Francisco.

The career record for OD walks is 19 shared by Barry Bonds (in 91 plate appearances/20 games) and Rickey Henderson (in 92 plate appearances/21 games.) Carlos Santana leads active major-leaguers with 17 OD walks in 15 games.

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PLEASE, (DON’T) GIVE ME A BREAK

Robin Roberts holds the MLB record for consecutive Opening Day (mound) starts for the same team – 12 for the Phillies from 1950 through 1961. The record for overall consecutive Opening Day (mound) starts belong to Jack Morris at 14 – Tigers (1980-90), Twins (1991), Blue Jays (1992-93).  Morris went 8-6. 3.39 in those 14 starts.

Looking for a trivia question?   Robin Roberts made 13 Opening Day starts.  Those 12 consecutives for the Phillies and one other.  Who was that 13th Opening Day start for? The 1966 Astros. Roberts, by the way, went seven innings in that 13th Opening Day start, giving up eight hits and two runs (one earned), walking one and fanning none. He took the loss in a 3-2 game versus the Dodgers (in LA).  He was 39 and in his final MLB season at the time.  For his career, Roberts was 5-7, 4.03 on Opening Day. For his MLB career (1948-66 … Phillies, Orioles, Astros, Cubs), the Hall of Famer was 286-245, 3.41.

More: How the Game has Changed

In the 1950’s (1950-59), Robin Roberts won 199 games and threw 3,011 2/3 innings – an average of 301 innings pitched per season.

AN UNFORTUNATE BREAK

Hall of Famer Steve Carlton started 14 of the 15 Phillies’ Opening Day games from 1972 through 1986. The one year he missed cost him the record for both overall consecutive Opening Day starts and consecutive Opening Day starts (among pitchers) for the same team. Who was the pitcher who interrupted Carlton’s streak?  Hint: Like Carlton, that pitcher is in the Hall of Fame.

In 1976, Jim Kaat (like Carlton, a lefty and future Hall of Famer) got the Opening Day nod from the Phillies. Kaat, at the time, was a three-time 20-game winner, and an All Star for the White Sox the year before (he had been traded to the Phillies in December of 1975).   For those who may be wondering whether Carlton’s health played an issue in Kaat’s Opening Day start, Carlton started the second game of the season and went on to a 20-7 record in 35 starts.

Oh, one other tidbit, Tom Seaver holds the record for total opening day (mound) starts with sixteen – 11 for the Mets, three for the Reds and two for the White Sox. Seaver recorded seven wins, two losses and seven no decisions on Opening Day.

OH, WHAT A RELIEF IT IS

There is a four-way tie for the most Opening Day relief appearances at 11: Rollie Fingers; John Franco; Lee Smith; and David Weathers.  Among active pitchers, Hector Neris leads the way with nine OD relief appearances.

Rollie Fingers and Francisco Rodriguez are tied for the lead in OD saves, with six.

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Both Sides of the Coin

Eleven pitchers have made at least 12 Opening Day appearances and all but one were on the mound to start each of those games. The exception is Dennis Eckersley with 12 OD appearances – seven as a starter and five as a reliever.

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Just A chart for your entertainment.

Jim Jones (chart above) stole three bases in three attempts in the 1902 season Opener. Jones then went on to play in 66 more games that season, stealing just four more bases, while being tossed out 13 times.

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TOSSING YOU A CURVE ON THIS ONE

What pitcher holds the mark for the most strikeouts in an Opening Day game? Answer: Camilo Pascual.

This is a bit of a unicorn, as Pascual’s 15 strikeouts on Opening Day 1960 have never been matched. Three players have fallen just one short of the total: Randy Johnson (twice – 1963 & 1996, Mariners); Don Drysdale (1960 Dodgers); and Shane Bieber ()2020 Indians).

On April 18, 1960, Pascual (known for his sweeping curveball) took the mound at Griffith Stadium for the Washington Senators (against the Boston Red Sox). In 1959, the Senators had finished in last place in the AL, but Pascual had gone 17-10, 2.64, leading the league with 17 complete games and six shutouts. As the Senators’ Opening Day starter in 1960, Pascual picked up right where he left off – tossing a complete game three-hitter, walking three and striking out a still Opening Day record 15 batters in a 10-1 win over the Red Sox. It was one of two 15-whiff games in his career.

Pascual pitched 18 MLB seasons (1954-71 … Senators/Twins, Senators, Reds, Dodgers, Indians), winning 174 and losing 170, with a 3.63 earned run average. He was a five-time All Star, two-time twenty-game winner and led the league in complete games, shutouts and strikeouts three times each.

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ANOTHER WALK DON’T RUN

On April 16, 1957, Cleveland southpaw Herb Score set the Opening Day record for pitcher’s walks, delivering eleven free passes to the visiting White Sox.  Despite Score’s wildness, it was a close contest, with Score going the distance in a 3-2, 11-inning loss.  Score struck out ten and gave up just seven hits and two earned runs – stranding 14 Chicago base runners.

Score was the 1955 AL Rookie of the Year, when the 22-year-old lefty went 16-10. 2.85 and led the league in strikeouts with 245.  In 1956, he was even better, going 20-9, 2.53 and again topping the league in whiffs (263). His 1957 season ended on May 7, when he was hit in the face by a line drive off the bat of Yankee Gil McDougald.  Score suffered a broken nose, as well as damage to is right cheekbone and right eye.  He was hospitalized for about three weeks and did not return to the mound that season.

Score came back in 1958, but suffered an elbow injury early in the season (some wondered if he had changed his delivery after the McDougald incident, but Score denied that – and had been pitching well to that point). At any rate, from 1958 until he retired in 1962, Score was 17-26, 4.43.

The record for Opening Day walks by a pitcher in a nine-inning game, belongs to Nolan Ryan at 10 … and he won the game. On April 5, 1974, Ryan started for the Angels in the Opener (at the White Sox). It was Ryan’s blazer versus Wilbur Wood’s floater.  After eight innings, the Angels held an 8-2 lead (scoring five runs in the top of the eighth) and Ryan had given up two runs on four hits, while walking ten and fanning five. He was relieved by Dick Selma, who threw a scoreless ninth.

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A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

No one played in more Opening Day games then Pete Rose (23 consecutively from 1963-85) … Followed closely by Henry Aaron; Carl Yastrzemski; and at 22.  Rose is also the OD all-time leader in hits 31.

WHAT A BABE

Babe Ruth is the All-Time OD leader in:

Runs scored: 22

RBI … 22

Total bases … 55

In 18 Opening Day games, he hit .422-7-22, with 22 runs scored.  He also had five doubles, a triple and three stolen bases.  Only one other MLB player has 20 or more OD RBI – Adam Dunn (.244-8-21 in 13 Openers). In 14 MLB seasons (2001-2014 … Reds, Diamondbacks, Nationals, White Sox, Athletics), Dunn hit .237-462-1,168. Although he hit 4o or more homers in six seasons (five consecutive seasons … 2004-2008), the two-time All Star never led his league in homers.

 

A PAINFUL WAY TO START THE SEASON

On April 9, 1990, Astros’ first baseman and cleanup hitter Glenn Davis was hit by a pitch an Opening Day record three times. Davis came to the plate six times and never put the ball in play – but still made only one out.  Davis (who led the league in HBP that season with eight) was hit by a pitch three times, walked twice and struck out once as the Astros lost to the visiting Reds 8-4.  Davis finished Opening Day with a batting average of .000, but an on-base percentage of .833.

Second Inning – Davis, leading off, HBP (on 1-0 count) from Tom Browning;

Third Inning – Davis (one out, none on) hit by a 2-2 pitch from Browning;

Fifth Inning – Five-pitch walk off Tim Layana;

Seventh Inning – Davis fans on three pitches from Norm Charlton;

Ninth Inning: Runner on second two out, Davis intentionally walked by Rob Dibble (score tied at four);

Eleventh Inning: Davis hit by pitch (one out, one on) on a 2-2 pitch from Randy Myers.

Davis played 10 MLB seasons (1984-93 … Astros, Orioles) ), hitting .259, with 190 home runs and 603 RBI.  He was hit by a pitch 55 times.

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THE LONGEST DAY– 15 SHUTOUT INNINGS

On April 13, 1926, the Senators’ Walter Johnson pitched a 15-inning, complete-game shutout (six hits, three walks, nine strikeouts) as Washington topped the Philadelphia Athletics 1-0 in Washington.  The opposing starter, Eddie Rommel tossed the second-most innings in an Opening Day appearance – going 14 1/3, as Washington scored the winning run with one out in the 15th.  Johnson, by the way, was 38-years-old at the time.

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YOU CAN’T TOUCH THIS

Jimmy Key holds the record for Opening Day wins without a loss at seven – and he did in the minimum seven starts (Blue Jays, Yankees and Orioles). In those seven wins, he threw 44 1/3 innings, with a 3.05 ERA.

Key played in 15 MLB seasons (1984-98 … Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles), going 186-117, 3.51. He was a five-time All Star and won 15 or more games in five seasons.

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BRINGING THE BOYS HOME SWEET HOME

The Opening Day single-game record for RBI (seven) is shared by the Twins’ Brant Alyea and the Cubs’ Corey Patterson.

On April 7, 1970 – in his very first game as a Twin (picked up in an off-season trade with the Senators) – LF  Alyea drove in an Opening Day record seven runs as Minnesota topped the White Sox 12-0 in Chicago. Batting fifth, Alyea went four-for-four, with two home runs, two singles and two runs scored.  The game, it turned out, would foreshadow a strong April for Alyea.  In 17 April games, he hit .415, with seven runs, 23 RBI, four doubles and five home runs. He ended the season at .291-16-61 (the 61 RBI were his career best.)

On March 31, 2003, the Cubs’ CF Patterson tied Alyea’s record. In a 15-2 win over the Mets in New York, Patterson, batting seventh, drove in seven runs, going four-for-six with two home runs and two runs scored.  Patterson, a career .252 hitter (12 seasons), was a true Opening Day All Star. In seven Opening Day appearances, Patterson hit .440, with seven runs, 12 RBI and three home runs.

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—THE ROUNDTABLE’S KING OF OPENING DAY-

The Washington Senators’ Walter Johnson can be crowned king of the Opening Day hill.  In his first-ever Opening Day start (April 14, 1910), the 22-year-old Johnson tossed a 3-0 one-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Athletics.  Sixteen years (and 13 Opening Day starts) later, a 38-year-old Johnson fulfilled his last Opening Day assignment with a 15-inning, complete-game, 1-0 win (6 hits, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts) over the A’s.  Johnson holds the record for Opening Day records for:

• Pitching victories … nine;
• Shutouts seven; and
• Complete games …. 12 (in 12 starts);

In his 12 Opening Day starts, he threw an OD record 124 innings (yep, averaging 10 1/3 innings per start).

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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.  Usual Disclaimer: Negro League game-by-game stats from 1920-48 are not yet fully incorporated into the MLB record books.

At times, as I prepare these tidbits, my mind begins to wander towards statistical queries of questionable significance. For example, as I pondered this week’s post, I started with a look at MLB pitchers who had the most strikeouts in their debut MLB appearances. I found, of course, that (in the Modern Era) J.R. Richard and Karl Spooner lead the way – each sending 15 hitters back to the dugout bat-in-hand  during their MLB mound debut. I also noted that there were only eight MLB pitchers who fanned at least a dozen batters in their big-league debut and, always on the lookout for a “unicorn,” only one of those also won 20 games in his debut season. (More on that coming up in a bit.)

Of course, with The Roundtable, one thing seems to lead to another.  So, I went on to look at Modern Era pitchers who won 20 or more games in their debut season. I found 16 of those.  (Side note: I looked at “debut” seasons, not season in which the player had “rookie” status.  Looking for a unicorn from among that group, I discovered that only one of those sixteen also struck out at least 200 batters in his debut season and only one played just that lone season in the major leagues.

Side note:  I looked at MLB-debut seasons, not  seasons in which the pitcher retained “rookie” status. Russ Ford of the 1910 Yankees is a case in point. He went 26-6, 1.65, with 209 strikeouts in 1911, but had pitched three innings, giving up four runs, in one game for the Yankees in 1910. So, he did not make these lists.

Plenty more on hurlers to make these lists to come …  after a (tid)bit of a diversion. Those of you who are not interested in pre-1900 statistics can skip over the diversion.

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I Digress … Why I’m Focusing Primarily on Modern Era Pitchers

I went with Modern Era for the bulk of this post because it offers a better comparison to today’s game.  For those who like to know such things (I do), from 1871-1900, there were 33 pitchers who won 20 or more games in their MLB debut season – and eight of those won 30 or more, led by Larry Corcoran’s 43-win season for the 1880 Chicago White Stockings (43-14, 1.95 in 63 games/60 starts). Of the 33 20+ game winners, who qualified for pre-1900 listing) just six topped 200 strikeouts in their debut season, led by Matt Kilroy’s 513 strikeouts for the 1886 American Association Baltimore Orioles (29-34,  3.37 in 68 games – all starts, 66 complete games).  The pre-Modern Era pitchers to notch 20 or more wins and 200 or more strikeouts in their debut season were: Corcoran (43-14, 1.95, 268K); Kilroy (29-34. 3.37, 513K); Ed Morris (34-13, 2.18 with 302 strikeouts for the 1884 American Association Columbus Buckeyes); George Derby (29-26, 2.20, 212K for the 1881 Detroit Wolverines); Charles “Kid” Nichols (27-19, 2.23, 222K for the 1890 Boston Beaneaters); Al Atkinson (20-26, 3.36, 247K in 1884, when he pitched for the American Association Philadelphia Athletics and the Union Association Baltimore Monumentals).  

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The only Modern Era pitcher to rack up 20 wins and 200+ strikeouts in his debut season was Grover Cleveland Alexander – 28-13, 2.57, with 227 strikeouts in 367 innings for the 1911 Phillies).

Alexander, of course, went on to the Hall of Fame with a 373-208, 2.56 record over 20 MLB seasons (1911-30 … Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals). He had nine seasons of 20 or more wins (three of 30 or more) and four seasons of 200 or more strikeouts. He led the league in wins and whiffs six times each and earned run average five time.

Henry Schmidt … A One and Done Unicorn – At Least for the Major Leagues

In 1903,  five minor-league seasons, 30-year-old righty Henry Schmidt made his major-league debut with the Brooklyn Superbas and went 23-13, 3.83 in 40 appearances (36 starts/29 complete games/five shutouts).  That season earned him “unicorn”  status as the only pitcher who won 20 or more games in his sole MLB season.  He did play in four more minor-league seasons after that lone MLB campaign. For more on Schmidt’s career, click here.  

At the end of the full post, there is a full list of Modern Era players to reach 200 or more strikeouts in their MLB debut season.

Now, switching gears a little. The chart below shows the eight Modern Era pitchers to fan at least 12 batters in their MLB debut.

O. Let’s look at a few of them.

The Unicorn … Cliff Melton, LHP, 1937 Giants

We’ll start with the unicorn on this chart. Twenty-five-year-old southpaw Cliff Melton made his MLB debut for the Giants on April 25, 1937.  (In 1936, his sixth professional season, he had gone 20-14, 3.39 for the Double-A Baltimore Orioles of the International League.)

In his MLB debut, Melton pitched well in a 3-1 loss to the Boston Bees in New York. He went all nine innings, giving up three runs (two earned) one six hits, walking two (one intentionally) and striking out 13. (To add some context, in 1937, the NL average strikeouts per nine innings was 3.7.)  Although, he pitched reasonably well early in the season, Melton was just 1-3 (2.38 ERA) after five starts and his next 14 appearances were out of the bullpen, where he went 3-1, 1.65, with five saves (figured retroactively). Back in the rotation on June 20 (22 of his final 29 appearances were as a starter), Melton went 16-5, 2.80, with two saves to finish the season at 20-9, 2.61 with 14 complete games and two shutouts in 27 starts/46 appearances.

Melton’s rookie campaign proved to be his best in eight MLB seasons (1937-44 … Giants). In his debut season, he set what would be his career best in wins (20), winning percentage (.690), ERA (2.61), appearances (46), complete games (14), innings pitched (248) and strikeouts (142). (He never won more than 14 games in a season over the rest of his MLB career and finished with MLB stat line of 86-80, 3.42, with 16 saves, 65 complete games and 13 shutouts.

A Bit of a Unicorn In Nis Own Right … Karl Spooner, LHP 1954 Dodgers

Southpaw Karl Spooner’s record MLB-debut 15 strikeouts (September 22, 1954) came in  a three-hit, three-walk, 3-0 shutout win over the Giants) and gave him unicorn status until J.R. Richard tied that debut-K mark in 1971.  However, in his very next start (September 26), Spooner cemented a spot as a unicorn that still stands. In his second MLB appearance, he threw another shutout (a four-hit, three-walk, 1-0 win over the Pirates) and fanned 12. The 27 whiffs in his first two MLB games stand as a record (closest to Spooner are Cliff Melton and Stephen Strasburg at 22 and only six Modern Era pitchers have fanned 20 or more batters in their first two games). Those 27 whiffs in his first 18 MLB innings are even more notable when you consider that, in 1954, the MLB average for strikeouts per nine innings was 4.2.

Spooner started the 1954 season with the Double-A Fort Worth Cats – and went 21-9, 3.14, with 262 strikeouts and 162 walks in 238 innings. That earned him a September call up to the Dodgers – and his place in MLB history.

Spooner is also one of just six Modern ERA pitchers to throw shutouts in their first two MLB appearances (Spooner, Joe Doyle (1906 Yankees); Johnny Marcum (1933 Athletics); Dave Ferriss (1945 Red Sox); Al Worthington (1953 Giants); and Tom Phoebus (1966 Orioles). Side note: Those two shutouts marked Spooner’s only two appearances in his debut MLB season

Spooner’s blazing start, smoldered quickly – dampened by a shoulder injury suffered in Spring Training the following year (1955). Long story short: Spooner didn’t get his first start of the 1955 season until May 15 and 1955 was his final MLB season. He finished with a career line of 10-6, 3.09 (1954-55 Dodgers).  For much, much more on Spooner career, click here.

Nobody ever threw harder than that kid (Spooner) did in the first two games he pitched in the majors. He’s the greatest young pitcher I’ve ever seen.

                                                                          Hall of Fame Dodger Catcher Roy Campanella

 Let’s Get a righty in Here … J.R. Richard, RHP, 1971 Astros

Right-hander J.R. Richard made his MLB debut on September 5, 1971, tossing a complete-game, seven-hitter, as his Astros topped the Giants (in San Francisco) 5-3. Richard fanned 15 in the game – tying the MLB rerod for strikeouts in a debut game.  (Richard was called up to the Giants after posting a 12-7, 2.45 record, with 202 strikeouts in 173 innings, with the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers.)

Richard pitched in three more games with the Astros that season, going 2-1, 3.43 on the season, with 29 strikeouts (16 walks) in 21 innings.  A “You’ll probably never see that again” moment – Richard threw 155 pitches in his MLB debut.

Like Spooner and Melton before him, Richard’s potential was thwarted. He suffered a number of bouts of inconsistent control, as well as some health issues, and from 1971-1974 put up a major-league stat line of 11-6, 4.34, with 154 strikeouts and 98 walks in 163 2/3 MLB innings (spending time in the minor leagues in each season).

In 1975, things began to fall into place, as Richard spent the whole season with the Astros going 12-10, 4.39, with 176 strikeouts (but also leading the league in walks with 138 and wild pitches with 20) in 203 innings. Then, from 1976 through July of 1980, he was one of MLB’s most dominant pitchers, going 84-55, 2.79, with 1,163 strikeouts and 534 walks in 1,239 1/3 innings pitched. He won 20 games in 1976 (20-15, 2.75) and 18 games each season from 1977-79. Richard led the league in ERA in 1979 (2.71) and strikeouts in 1978-79 (303 & 313, respectively). In 1980, he started the All Star game (his first half record was 10-4, 1.96, with 115 strikeouts and 39 walks in 110 1/3 innings pitched).  Then on July on July 30, disaster struck. Richard (who had previously noted some neck, shoulder and arm issues) suffered a severe stroke during pregame drills and underwent major surgery to remove a life-threatening blood clot in his neck. He attempted a comeback (minor leagues … 1982-83), but never pitched in the majors again. Richard’s final MLB stat line was 107-71, 3.15, with 76 complete games and 19 shutouts in 238 appearances (221 starts) and 1,493 strikeouts in 1,606 innings pitched.,

He (J.R. Richard) had the greatest stuff I have ever seen and it still gives me goosebumps to think of what he might have become.

                                                       Hall of Famer Joe Morgan

 

Now, Here’s that promised list of Modern Era players to notch 200 strikeouts in their debut season.

For those who like to know such things: From this list, Dwight Gooden, Herb Score, Hideo Nomo, Grover Alexander, and Mark Langston each led their league in strikeouts in their MLB-debut seasons.   Of the player in the above chart, Grover Alexander and  Don Sutton are currently in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; J.R. Richards Tribute.  AstrosDaily.com

 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

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

P 1153

 

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.

This week, we are looking back at a game that generated two unicorns – one at the plate and one on the mound.  A contest that saw Johnny Burnett of the Indians turn in MLB’s only nine-hit game and Athletics’ righty Eddie Rommel give up the most hits ever in an MLB game (29) … and still get the win.  Read on for a look at this contest, and the other records Burnett and Rommel set that day.

As a teaser, here’s the line score.

Side note: The most runs ever scored by an MLB team in a loss (Modern Era) is 23.  On August 25, 1922, the Phillies lost to the Cubs 26-23 in Chicago – and it was a nine-inning game.  The Phillies did make quite a comeback; they were down 25-6 after four innings.  A bit of a tidbit. The second-most runs scored in a losing cause also involved the Phillies and Cubs, playing in Chicago. On May 17, 1979, The Phillies topped the Cubs 23-22 in ten innings. But, I digress (as I most often do in these posts.)

Now to our regularly slated tidbit.

Due to a combination of factors (earlier weather- related postponements, Sunday Blue Laws), the Athletics found themselves facing a demanding schedule in early-July.  This included including a stretch (July 7-11) when they were slated to play nine games in five days – home doubleheaders (hosting Chicago)part- on July 7, 8 and 9; a single road game in Cleveland on July 10; and a home doubleheader (hosting the Indians) on July 11.  And, they faced this demanding schedule with a short and overworked pitching staff.  In response, Athletics’ part-owner and manager Connie Mack decided (either to protect his beleaguered hurlers or to save money … or both) to send only two pitchers (Lew Krausse and Ed Rommel) on the one-day railway turn-around for the July 10 game in Cleveland. And, the rest, as they say, is history … and thus are MLB unicorns born. For those who like to know such things, the Athletics went 5-4 over that nine-game stretch.

Johnny Burnett, Indians – Only Player with Nine Hits in an MLB Game

The Indians lost to the Athletics in that June 10, 1932 game – by an 18-17 score – but it wasn’t Johnny Burnett’s fault. Burnett earned unicorn status with a still MLB all-time, single-game record nine-hits.

Burnett, playing shortstop and batting second (hitting .298 at the time), came to the plate 11 times in the game and delivered seven singles and two doubles in 11 at bats (raising his average to .323) ; scoring four times; and driving in two runs.  His day went like this:

First inning – Singled off Lew Krausse, scored on a home run by CF Earl Averill;

Second inning – Singled off Eddie Rommel;

Fourth Inning – Singled off Rommel;

Fifth Inning – RBI double off Rommel (tying the score at 6-6);

Seventh Inning – Led off with a single off Rommel, scored on a double by LF Joe Vosmik, batted again and struck out for the final out of the frame (Rommel);

Ninth Inning – Hit a two-out Single off Rommel, driving in 3B Willie Kamm and tying the game at 15-15 (extending the contest and giving Burnett the chance at his nine-hit day);

Eleventh Inning– Doubled off Rommel;

Thirteenth Inning – Singled off Rommel;

Sixteenth Inning – Singled off Rommel, later scored on a single by 1B Ed Morgan, tying the game at 17 apiece

Burnett finished the season at .297-4-53, with 81 runs scored (in 129 games). He played in nine MLB seasons (1927-35 … Indians, Browns) and went .284-9-213, with 288 runs scored in 558 games. He played in 100 or more games in just two of his nine seasons. His best seasons were in 1931 and 1932, when he played in a total of 240 games for the Indians and hit .298.

Johnny Burnett’s record-setting nine-hit game came in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak (game seven of the streak), during which he hit .417 (25-for-60) and raised his average from .289 to .319.

  In another nod to unicorn status, Burnett’s eight hits off Rommel during his nine-hit day makes him the answer to the question “What are the most hits any batter got off a single pitcher in a game?”  Or the reverse for Rommel – “Who is the only MLB pitcher to give up eight hits to a single batter in a single game?”

Take a Licking and Keeps on Ticking – Eddie Rommel Achieves Multiple Unicorn Status (29 Hits in an MLB Game … For the Win)

The starting pitchers in that July 10, 1932 game were Clint Brown for the Indians and Lew Krausse for the Athletics. While Brown lasted 6 2/3 innings for the Indians, Krausse was pulled after giving up three runs in the first inning (a walk, three singles and a home run). That set the stage for Rommel’s unicorn performance (remember, Mack only brought two pitchers).

Rommel, known for his reliance on the knuckleball (a rarity at the time), pitched 17 innings in the game, gave up 29 hits, nine walks and 14 runs (13 earned), but got the win. Interestingly (at least to The Roundtable), Rommel appeared to get better as the game went on. In his first eight innings of work (frames two through nine), he gave up 18 hits, walked six, surrendered 12 runs, tossed two wild pitches and struck out three batters.   Over his final nine frames, Rommel gave up 11 hits and three walks (one intentional), allowed only two runs, did not throw a wild pitch and fanned four.

His final inning, in fact, was his best. Facing the Indians 3, 4 and 5 hitters (Averill, Vosmik and Morgan), Rommel went strikeout, groundout, strikeout.

A Bit of a Tidbit

In 1932, Rommel was in the final season of his 13-season MLB career (1920-32 … Athletics). That July 10, 1932 win – in which he surrendered that record 29 hits – was the final MLB victory of his career. Rommel pitched in only five more MLB games (all in 1932) – going 0-2, 3.86 in those games and 1-2, 5.51 on the season. 

Now for those unicorn stats, which might make for some fun bar trivia questions.   Rommel set the still-standing (and I can confidently say “never to be broken”) records for:

• The most hits allowed by a pitcher in an MLB game – 29;
• The most hits allowed in a game in which the pitcher earned a victory and most hits allowed in a single relief appearance;
• The most baserunners allowed by a pitcher in a game – 39 (and, of course, in a game in which the pitcher got the win);
• The most batters faced in a relief appearance – 87 (no other reliever has even reached 70).

Cleveland Swings

Only twice in MLB’s Modern Era has a pitcher has surrendered 14 runs in a game and come away with the win. In both cases the game was played in Cleveland and the winning pitcher was with the Athletics (Chick Fraser on May 31, 1901 and Eddie Rommel on July 10, 1932).

___________________________________

Another Brief Diversion

A usual with The Roundtable, one thing led to another – including a look at MLB’s longest relief appearances … which took me all the way to the end of the alphabet. Number-one on the list is the (wonderfully named) Cubs’ righty George Washington “Zip” Zabel, who threw 18 1/3 innings in relief (and picked up a win) as the Cubs topped the Dodgers (in Chicago) in 19 innings on June 17, 1915. Zabel’s long relief stint was necessitated after Chicagor starter Bert Humphries was injured in the first inning. Zabel gave up just two runs (one earned) on nine hits, while walking one and fanning six.  By comparison, the last time a reliever went even nine innings was in 1988 (Neil Allen, Yankees/May 31) and 2025’s longest MLB relief appearance was 7 2/3 innings (Jonathan Cannon, White Sox, April 26).  

Perhaps, what could have been. 1915 would prove to be Zabel’s final MLB seasons (at age 24). In the Society for American Baseball Research Zabel biography, author Bill Lamb notes that Zabel “was never quite the same after his marathon outing. He lasted  only two innings in his next start, and was soon complaining of a sore arm.”  Bill Zabel pitched in three MLB seasons (1913-15 … Cubs), going 12-14, 2.71 in 66 games (25 starts, ten complee games, three shutouts.) 

______________________________________

Rommel’s MLB career, by the way, was not defined by that 29-hit outing. Rommel finished at 171-119, 3.54, in 501 appearances, 249 starts (145 complete games). He twice led the AL in wins (27-13 in 1922 & 21-10 in 1925), and won 15 or more games in five seasons.  In 1922, Rommel’s 27 wins came for an Athletics’ team that won only 65 games (89 losses).

For The Love of the Game

After retiring as a player, Eddie Rommel continued as a major-league coach and minor-league manager, before eventually working his way back to the major leagues as an umpire. He umpired in the majors for 22 seasons, along the way umpiring in six All Star Games and two World Series. 

 

Primary Resources: Stathead.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Eddie Rommel Society for American Baseball Research bio, by Tim Deale;

 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

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

P 1152

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.

This week, it’s a walk down memory lane … back to 1968.  Some of The Roundtable’s more experienced readers (Sounds better than “older,” doesn’t it?) will remember most of these tidbits. For younger readers, there may be a few eye openers.

The usual disclaimer: Negro Leagues game-by-game stats are not yet fully incorporated into MLB records.

The 1968 MLB season was known as “The Year of the Pitcher.”  In fact, pitchers were so dominant in 1968 that (effective for the 1969 season), MLB lowered the height of the pitcher’s mound from 15 inches to ten inches, set uniform rules for the slope of the mound and reduced the size of the strike zone from the top of the batter’s shoulder to his knees to between the batter’s armpits and knees.

I include the chart below to show the impact of the 1969 changes … and I added 2025 to give some indication of how today’s game compares with the late 1960s.  As you can see, from 1968-69 we did see a moderate increase in runs scored per game, batting average and slugging percentage and, from the pitchers’ point of view, earned run averages were up and shutouts were down.  Now, I do digress from topic here, but my attention was drawn to how major-league baseball today is a “power” game. While batting averages in 2025 were about the same as in 1969 (and hits per nine innings were 8.4 in both 1969 and 2025), runs per game, slugging percentage, home runs per nine innings were up, as was earned run average.  And, from the power pitching point of view, strikeouts are up – from 5.8 per nine innings in 1969 to 8.5 in 2025.  Of course, a lot goes into this: pitchers are throwing harder than ever, batters are looking for the long ball, relief specialists have become the norm (and let’s not forget the dreaded pitch counts).  But all of this is fodder for a future post.

Just sayin’ …

In 2025, with 30 MLB teams, fans saw just 29 total complete games pitched and no pitcher tossed more than one shutout.  In 1969, with 24 teams, there were 982 complete games and it took five shutouts to make MLB’s top ten shutout list.  

But, I digress (as I often do).  Now, back to our regularly scheduled topic – trivia from 1968. A few obvious tidbits:

• Denny McLain became the first 30-game winner since Dizzy Dean in 1934 (and there hasn’t been another since), putting up a 31-6, 1.96 mark, with 28 complete games and six shutouts in 41 starts. Side note: McLain’s 28 complete games were just one less than all 30 MLB teams combined in 2025. (Juan Marichal led MLB in complete games in 1968 withs 30 … in 38 starts.)
• Carl Yaszrremski won the American League batting championship with what remains the lowest average ever for a league leader at .301. He was the AL’s only .300 hitter.

Hey, Looks Like Those Rule Changes Worked

In 1968, the NL & AL saw just six qualifying batters hit .300 or better. After the rules changes, the 1969 season saw 18 qualifying batters hit .300+. (There were four more teams).

• In 1968, for the only time (in a non-shortened season) neither the AL nor the NL had a player score at least 100 runs. (Cubs’ 2B Glenn Beckert led the NL with 98; Tigers’ 2B Dick McAuliffe led the AL with 95.) The only other seasons when neither the AL or NL had a player score 100 runs were the shortened seasons of 1918 (WWI); 1981 (strike); 2020 (Covid).
• Bob Gibson led MLB with 13 shutouts. The highest in a season by a pitcher since 1916.  (More on Gibson’s remarkable season later in this post.).

Now, a little more detail on some other 1968 tidbits I found interesting.

Longest Ever 1-0 Game

On April 15, the Mets and Astros, playing in Houston, set the tone for the season, playing the longest 1-0 game in MLB history (24 innings) … and the winning run scored on an error. In the bottom of the 24^th, with Les Rohr on the mound for the Mets, Houston RF Norm Miller led off with a single to right; Rohr balked Miller to second; then intentionally walked LF Jimmy Wynn. 1B Rusty Staub grounded out second-to-first (with Miller going to third and Wynn to second).  John Bateman came in to pinch it for C Hal King and was intentionally walked to load the bases.  3B Bob Aspromonte then reached on an error by Mets’ SS Al Weiss and, on the play, Miller scored the game’s only run.  (Given the current placed runner in extra innings rule, I doubt this record for the longest 1-0 game will ever be broken.)

The two teams each had just 11 hits in the 24 innings (79 at bats each) … a .139 average for the game. There were just two extra-base hits in the game (one double for each team). The two squads were 1-for-23 with runners in scoring position. Those among the 14,219 fans who stayed to the end, got six hours and six minutes of “entertainment” for the price of a ticket.

Don Drysdale Get Stingy

Here’s another mark that will likely never be broken. From May 14 through June 4, Dodgers’ righty Don Drysdale made six starts. He went the distance in all six games … and did not give up a single run.  The six consecutive shutouts remain the MLB record.  Over the six games, Drysdale gave up just 27 hits and nine walks, while fanning 42. Surprisingly, despite the streak (and a total of eight shutouts in 1968), Drysdale ended the season at 14-12, 2.15 in 341 starts. The six consecutive shutouts were part of a record (since broken) 58-innings scoreless streak. To further illustrate how dominant the pitching was in 1968, Drysdale lost six games in which he gave up two or fewer earned runs and his 2.15 ERA did not even put him among the ten best qualifying pitchers (he was number 12).

Hall of Famer Drysdale, an All Star in eight seasons, finished his 14-season MLB career (1956-69 … Dodgers) at 209-168, 2.95, with 167 CG and 49 shutouts in 465 starts. He recorded an ERA under 3.00 in eight seasons.

Side Note; Dodgers’ righty Orel Hershiser broke Drysdale’s scoreless innings streak in 1988, with a 59-inning streak of goose eggs. Hershiser did not break Drysdale’ shutout streak, however. Hershiser’s streak included five consecutive shutouts in September.  Then, in his final start of the season, he went ten scoreless frames before being relieved in a Dodgers 2-1 loss to the Padres, reaching 59 scoreless frames.  In the first inning of his first start of the 1969 season, he gave up a run to the Reds.  

Bob Gibson Squeezes that ERA

In 1969, the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson put up a 22-9 mark with a 1.12 earned run average, with 28 complete game and 13 shutouts in 34 starts. His ERA was the fifth-lowest for a season (among pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched in the season) in MLB history and the lowest since 1906 (Dutch Leonard – 0.96). Between June 6 and September 2 of that season, Gibson started 18 games, going 16-1, with a 0.60 earned run average. The streak included 17 complete games and 12 shutouts.  The only game he did not finish in the span was came on August 4, when he went 11 innings (four earned run) in a Cardinals’ 6-5, 13-inning loss to the Cubs.

Don’t Worry Boys, I Got This

Bob Gibson threw 13 shutouts in 1968; equaling 2025’s total of one pitcher shutouts for all of MLB.

Hall of Famer Gibson pitched 17 MLB seasons (1959-75 … Cardinals), going 251-174, 2.91, with 255 complete games and 56 shutouts in 482 starts. In 1968-69, he completed 56 of 69 starts. He was an All Star in eight seasons and won 20 or more games in five.

Side note:  In 1944, the Kansas City Monarchs’ (Negro American League) Satchel Page finished with a 6-4, 1.10 record in 16 starts (98 1/3 innings).  

Pitchers Dominate 1968 All Star Game

The 1968 All Star Game – which featured some of MLB’s all-time hitting greats (like Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, Rod Carew, Carl Yastrzemski, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, and Johnny Bench) – saw only one run and eight total hits (20 strikeouts).  Further, it is the only All Star game that did not feature single earned run or RBI. The winning run scored in the bottom of the first (off AL starter Luis Tiant).  Mays led off with a single and went to second on a flubbed pickoff attempt. Curt Flood then walked, with Mays going to third on a wild pitch. Willie McCovey batted next and hit into a 4-6-3 double play, with Mays scoring what would be the game’s only run.

A couple of side notes: After SS Jim Fregosi opened the top of the first with a double, 20 consecutive AL hitters were retired in order. RF Tony Oliva broke the AL drought with a two-out double in the seventh.  The two teams were a combined 0-for-14 with runners in scoring positions.

Temporary Unicorn Status

On September 17, Gaylord Perry pitched a no-hitter for the Giants (in San Francisco) as they defeated Bob Gibson and the Cardinals 1-0. Perry walked two and fanned nine in the no-no. The very next day, the Cardinals’ Ray Washburn returned the favor – no-hitting the Giants in a 2-0 win. It was the first time – in 93 seasons and after 164 previous no-hitters (per MLB.com*) – that MLB saw no-hitters, involving the same two teams, in consecutive games (and in the same ballpark).

*- Does not include the National Association, which baseball-reference.com lists as having one no-hitter tossed in 1875.  And, as noted earlier, Negro Leagues game-by-game stats from 1920-48 are not yet fully documented and incorporated into MLB records.

Unicorn status was achieved, but it didn’t last long. The very next season, the Reds and Astros duplicated the feat. On April 30, 1969, the Reds’ Jim Maloney tossed a no-hitter, as the Reds topped the Astros in Cincinnati.  The next day (May 1), the Astros’ Don Wilson held the Reds hitless in a 4-0 win. These are still the only two instances in which no-hitters were tossed in consecutive games involving the same two teams.

Bucking the 1968 “Pitchers Rule” Trend

From May 12 through May 18, 1968, the Senators’ Frank Howard turned The Year of the Pitcher into The Week of the Hitter (at least for Howard). In that span, Howard set the (still-standing) MLB record for home runs in any one-week (seven-day) period. In six games, he hit 10 home runs (at least one in each contest), drove in 17 runs, scored 10 and collected 13 hits in 24 at bats (.542). Pitchers must have believed in The Year of the Pitcher. They only walked Howard once during that surge. Surprisingly, his Senators went just 3-3 over the six-game Howard binge.  Howard finished the 1968 season at .274-44-106, leading MLB in home runs (he was the only player to reach 40 homers that season).

Howard played in 16 MLB seasons (1958-73 … Dodgers, Senators/Rangers, Tigers), hitting .273-382-1,119. A four-time All Star, he led the league in home runs twice and RBI once. He was the 1960 NL Rookie of the Year (Dodgers), after a .268-23-77 season.

 

We’ll close with a pitcher who both honored and defied the 1968 Pitchers’ Rule trend.

From Both Sides Now

The Athletics’ Catfish Hunter added a bit of emphasis on The Year of the Pitcher on May 8, when he tossed a perfect game in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins (in Oakland). But he also defied the odds.  For, in this Year of the Pitcher, he collected three hits and drove in three runs (both all-time offensive records for pitchers tossing Perfect Games). Hunter is, in fact, the only pitcher to collect more than one hit while tossing a perfecto. Overall, in MLB’s 24 perfect games, only six pitchers have collected hits (although in ten of those games the pitcher did not bat).

Hunter finished 1968 13-13, 3.35 on the mound, with 11 complete games and two shutouts.  At the plate, he hit .232-1-8. The Hall of Famer played in 15 MLB seasons (1965-79 … Athletics, Yankees), going 224-166, 3.26 with 181 complete games and 42 shutouts in 476 starts. He was an eight-time All Star, five times won 20 or more games (consecutively, 1971-75) and was the 1974 AL Cy Young Award winner.

DH?  I don’t need no stinkin’ DH!!

Catfish Hunter’s .232 batting average in 1968 topped the American League’s overall average of .230.

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

 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

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

P 1156

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.

This week, a somewhat rare (but not unicorn) occurrence caught my attention – players who won an MLB Most Valuable Player Award while playing for a team with a losing record.    It’s only happened ten times (accomplished by six different players). Even rarer is the capturing of an MVP Award by a player with a last place team. That has happened just twice.

Later in this post, we will go through these occurrences player-by-player and season-by-season, but first some overall observations.

• The first player to capture an MVP Award with a sub-500 team was the Cubs’ Ernie Banks in 1958 and, proving it was not a fluke, he recorded MLB’s second MVP season with a losing squad the very next year. Others to win two MVP Awards with sub-.500 squads are Mike Trout (Angels, 2016 & 2019) and Shohei Ohtani, (Angels, 2021 & 2023).
• The first player to earn an MVP Award while playing for a last place team was the Cubs’ Andre Dawson (1987). The only other time it has happened was in 2003 (Alex Rodriguez, Rangers).
• The Cubs (3) and Angels (4) account for seven of the ten instances in which a player for a sub-.500 team captured a league MVP Award.

I also took a look at what (statistically) might have swayed the voters in these ten instances.  It appeared to be a “power struggle.”

First, I looked at raw numbers:

• Every one of the ten MVP winners had at least 300 total bases;
• Nine of the ten had 30 or more home runs in their MVP season;
• Nine of ten had at least 100 RBI;
• Seven of the ten had at least 100 runs scored.

Notably, the batting averages of these ten MVP winners ranged from .257 to .323, with five at .300 or better and five below .300.

A prime defensive position also seemed to help.   In six of these ten seasons, the honored player played with SS or CF.  (There were three Gold Glovers among the ten MVPs.)

I also looked at league leadership in specific categories.  Again, we appeared to be looking at a power game:

• Slugging percentage led the way, with five of the ten MVPs leading their league in that category;
• Four of the ten led in home runs;
• Four led in total bases;
• Four led in extra-base hits;
• Three each led in on-base percentage and RBI and, of course, there were the three Gold Gloves;
• Two led in runs scored;
• There were no batting champions and no league leaders in base hits nor stolen bases.

Now, let’s look deeper into the ten MVP winners from losing teams.  Note: In the charts, league leadership is designated by bold face.

 

Ernie Banks, SS, Cubs … 1958 & 1959 NL MVP

Cubs, 1958: 72-82, fifth place, 20 games out of first.

Cubs, 1959: 74-80, fifth place, 13 games out of first.  

Ernie Banks was the first player to take a home a league MVP Award while toiling for a team a sub .500 record – and he did it two seasons in a row.

In 1958, Banks (in his sixth MLB season) led the NL in games played (154), home runs (47), RBI (129), slugging percentage (.614), extra base hits (81) and total bases (379).  He was also second in the league in runs scored (119) and triples (11).  He finished second in the league in (among shortstops) in assists (468) and double plays (100) and was third in putouts (292).

 

Ernie Banks was the first National League Player to win back-to-back (1958-59) MVP Awards.

In 1959, Banks again led the NL in games played (155) and RBI (143).  He also led the senior circuit in intentional walks (20).  He finished second in the NL in home runs (45) and third in total bases (351). In the field, he led NL shortstops in assists (519), and was second in putouts (271) and double plays (95).

Hall of Famer Banks played in 19 MLB seasons (1953-71 … Cubs), hitting .274-512-1,636. He was an All Star in 11 seasons (played in 14 All Star Games due to the fact that two AS Games were played each season from 1959-62) and a one-time Gold Glover. He hit 40 or more home runs in five seasons (twice leading the league), drove in 100+ runs in eight (twice leading the league) and scored 100+ runs twice.  He also led the NL in games played six times.

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Andre Dawson, RF, Cubs … 1987 NL MVP

Cubs, 1987: 76-85, sixth place (last in NL East), 18 ½ games out of first.

Andre Dawson, in his age-32 season, was in his 12th MLB season when he captured the 1987 NL MVP Award.  It was his first season with the Cubs. He had played with the Expos from 1976-86, was granted free agency by the Expos (Oops!) after the 1986 season and signed with the Cubbies.

In 1987, Dawson hit .287 for the Cubs and led the NL in home runs (49) and RBI (137) – reaching what would be his career highs in both categories.   He was third in extra base hits (75). He also won a Gold Glove for his play in right field.

Andre Dawson was the first MLB player to win an MVP Award while playing for a last place team.

Hall of Famer Dawson played in 21 MLB seasons (1976-96 … Expos, Cubs, Red Sox, Marlins), going .279-438-1,591, with 314 steals and 1,373 runs scored.  He was an eight-time All Star, eight-time Gold Glover and the 1977 NL Rookie of the Year (.282-19-65, with 21 steals and 64 runs scored for the Expos).  He hit 20 or more home runs in 13 seasons, drove in 100 or more runs in four, twice scored 100 or more runs, hit .300+ five times and stole 20 or more bases in seven seasons.   He led the NL in hits in 1983 (189) and in intentional walks with 21in 1990.

__________

Cal Ripken, Jr., SS, Orioles … 1991 AL MVP

Orioles, 1991: 67-95, Sixth Place, (AL East) 24 games out of first.

Playing in all 162 games, Ripken (in his eleventh MLB season) combined a strong offensive season (.323-34-114), with Gold Glove-winning defense.  He led the AL in total bases (368) and extra-base hits (85). He finished second in the AL in hits (210), doubles (46) and slugging percentage (.566); and third in home runs (34). In the field, he led AL shortstops in assists (528), putouts (267), double plays (72) and fielding percentage (.986)

 

 

Hall of Famer Ripken played in 21 MLB seasons (1981-2001, Orioles), hitting .276-431-1,695, with 1,647 runs scored. He was an All Star in 19 seasons, a two-time MVP, two-time Gold Glover and the 1982 AL Rookie of the Year (.264-28-93). Ripken hit 20 or more home runs in 12 seasons, drove in 100+ runs in four, scored 100+ runs in three.

In his first full MLB season, Cal Ripken was the AL Rookie of the year (at ag 21). The very next season, he won his first AL MVP Award, after a .318-27-102 season for the Orioles – in which he led the AL in Games (162), Runs (121), hits (211) and doubles (47).

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Alex Rodriguez, SS, Rangers … 2003 AL MVP

2003 Rangers: 71-91, fourth place (last in AL West), 25 games out of first.

In 2003, Alex Rodriguez (in his tenth MLB season) won his first of three MVP Awards. (He had finished in the second or third  in AL MVP voting in three of his first seven full MLB seasons.)  In 2003, Rodriguez went .298-47-118, with 124 runs scored and 17 stolen bases (leading the league in runs and home runs).  He led the AL in slugging percentage (.600), was second in RBI (118) and third in extra base hits (83) and total bases (364). For good measure, he also picked up a Gold Glove for his play at SS.  At SS, he was first in the AL in double plays (111) and fielding percentage (.989) and third in the AL in putouts (227) and assists (464).

Rodriguez played in 22 MLB seasons (1994-2013, 2015-16 … Mariners, Rangers, Yankees), going .295-696-2,086, with 2,021 runs scored and 329 stolen bases. He led the league in runs scored five times (scoring 100 or more runs in 13 seasons); led in hits once (topping 200 hits three times); led in doubles once (54 in 1996); led in home runs five times (hitting 40+ in eight seasons … 50+ in three of those) and hit .300 or better nine times (winning one batting title, with a .358 average in 1996).  He also topped 20 steals in six seasons and led the AL in slugging percentage and total bases four times each. He was a 14-time All Star, two-time Gold Glover and three-time MVP.

Alex Rodriguez is in MLB’s all-time Top Ten in such key offensive categories as runs batted in (fourth); home runs (fifth); total bases (seventh); extra-base hits (seventh); and runs scored (eighth).

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Mike Trout, CF, Angels …. 2016 & 2019 AL MVP

2016 Angels: 74-88, fourth place (AL West), 21 games out of first.

2019 Angels: 72-90, fourth place (AL West), 35 games out of first.

Mike Trout won his second (of three, to date) MVP Award in 2016 (in his age-24 season). Trout hit .315-29-100, with 123 runs scored and 30 steals. He led the AL in runs scored, walks (116) and on-base percentage (.441) and was second in stolen bases.  He was also third in putouts as a CF (360) and fourth in assists (7).

 

In 2019, Trout picked up his third MVP Award (his second for a sub-.500 team).  He put up a .291-45-104, line, with 110 runs scored and 11 steals.  Although he didn’t lead the league in any of the traditional straight-number offensive categories, he did top the AL in on-base percentage (.438) and slugging percentage (.645).   He was second in the AL in home runs.

Trout has played in 15 MLB seasons (2011-25 … Angels), going .294-404-1,018, with 1,196 runs scored and 214 stolen bases.  He is an 11-time All Star, three-time MVP and 2012 AL Rookie of The Year (.326-30-83, with 129 runs scored and 49 steals in his age-20 season). Trout has led the league in runs four times (topping 100 runs in seven seasons); led in RBI once (with 100 or more RBI in three seasons); led in steals once (with 30 or more SB in three seasons). He has topped 25 home runs in ten seasons (hitting forty or more in three). He has also led the AL in total bases once, on-base percentage four times, slugging percentage three times and intentional walks three times.

__________

Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Marlins … 2017 NL MVP

Miami Marlins, 2017: 77-85, second place, (NL East), 20 games out of first.

Giancarlo Stanton turned on the power for the 2017 Marlins, going .281-59-132, with 123 runs scored. He led the NL in home runs and RBI, as well as extra-base hit (91) and slugging percentage (.631).  He was also second in runs scored. (An aside here: The very next season, Stanton was a Yankee – traded to New York for Starlin Castro, Jose Devers and Jorge Guzman).

Stanton (still active) has played in 16 MLB seasons (2010-2025 … Marlins, Yankees), going .258-453-1,169, with 943 runs scored. He has led the league in home runs twice (hitting 25 or more home runs in ten seasons); led in RBI once (with 100 or more RBI three times); and scored 100+ runs twice. He had also led the league in slugging percentage three times, total bases once and intentional walks once.

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Shohei Ohtani, DH/P, Angels … 2021 & 2023 AL MVP  

Angels 2021: 77-85, fourth place (AL West), 19 games out of first.

Angels 2023: 73-89, fourth place (AL West), 17 games out of first.

Shohei Ohtani is the wild card on this list (let’s face it, his stats … and talent … are kind of wild) – winning two (of his four) MVP Awards for a sub-.500 Angels squad and, in both cases, winning as a DH/P.

In 2021, Ohtani went .257-46-100, with 103 runs scored and 26 stolen bases.  While he did appear in seven games in the outfield, he was primarily used as a DH and pitcher. Offensively, he led the league in just two categories: triples (8) and intentional walks (20).  However, his 46 home runs ranked third in the AL; his 80 extra-base hits and .592 slugging percentage second; his 318 total bases fourth; his 96 walks third; and his .372 on-base percentage and 26 stolen bases fifth. On top of that, Ohani went 9-2, 3.18 in 23 starts on the mound, fanning 156 batters (44 walks) in 130 1/3 innings.

In 2023, Ohtani had an even better offensive season.  He went .304-44-95, with 102 runs and 20 steals in 135 games. He led the league in home runs, as well as in extra base its (78), total bases (325), on-base percentage (.412) and slugging percentage (.654). He also finished third in triples (8), fifth in walks (91) and second in intentional walks (21).  The cherry on top of the sundae? On the mound, he went 10-5, 3.14 in 23 starts, with one complete game (shutout) and 167 strikeouts (55 walks) in 132 innings.

This Week’s Unicorn.

In 2024, Shohei became the first (still only) MLB player to fashion a 50/50 (HR/SB) season, as he racked up 54 homers and 59 steals (in 63 attempts) to go with a .310 average, 130 RBI and 134 runs scored.

Ohtani (still active) has now played eight MLB seasons (2-18-25 … Angels, Dodgers). He is a five-time All-star, the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and a four-time MVP.  At the plate, he has gone .282-280-669, with 708 runs scored and 165 stolen bases.  He has led the league in home runs twice (topping 40 long balls in four seasons, surpassing 50 in two of those); led the league in runs scored twice (with 100+ runs in four seasons); led in RBI once (with 100 or more RBI three times); led in slugging percentage and total bases three times each (topping 400 total bases once); and led in on-base percentage twice.  On the mound, he has gone 39-20, 3.00 in 100 starts; fanning 670 batters in 528 2/3 innings. In 2022 (Angels), Ohtani had enough innings to qualify for the ERA title and other ratio measures.  He went 15-9, 2.33 in 28 starts – leading the AL in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9); finishing third in overall strikeouts; and fourth in earned run average.

One More Unicorn

Frank Robinson and Shohei Ohtani are the only players to win the Most Valuable Player Award in both the AL and NL. Robinson was the 1961 NL MVP (Reds) and the 1966 AL MVP (Orioles).  The unicorn? Ohtani is the only player to win multiple MVP Awards in both leagues: 2021 & 2023 AL MVP (Angels) and 2024 & 2025 NL MVP (Dodgers).

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

 

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

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

P 1155

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.  This week, what started out as a pretty simple idea took me down a statistical rabbit hole that made a short story long (another of those cases when, “With Baseball Roundtable, one thing always seems to lead to another”).

I started out thinking about brothers who have proven to be power brokers – basically brothers that have hit the most total MLB home runs.  That, of course, was too easy (and common knowledge); 768 long balls for Henry and Tommie Aaron (755 for Henry and 13 for Tommie). That really didn’t get at what I was looking for – brothers who both showed considerable big-league power. So, I dug deeper, looking for brothers who each hit 100 or more MLB home runs. Turns out there were ten sets of brothers who qualified, led by the 489 of Justin (325) and B.J. Upton (164).

Of course, “one thing led to another”, and I went on to look for brothers who exhibited power and speed – whose career stat lines included at least 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. Just two sets of qualifiers there: the Uptons again and Emil (Irish) and Bob Meusel.

Getting carried away (What’s new?), I went on to look at father-son combinations with at least 100 home runs and 100 steals each.  Found out there were more of those than qualifying brother combos. The father-son/100-100 duos:  Felipe and Moises Alou; Bobby Bonds and Barry Bonds; Jose Cruz and Jose Cruz; Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey, Jr.; Hal McRae and Brian McRae. Now, if you are interested, we get into the details.  (Also, if this kind of thing interests you, here’s link to an earlier post on pitching brothers who were both 20-game winners. Click here for that one.)

BROTHERS WITH AT LEAST 100 CAREER MLB HOMERS EACH

 

 

 

Justin & B.J. Upton … 489 HRs

Justin and B.J. Upton hit a combined 489 home runs, led by Justin’s 325 long balls. In his 16-season MLB career (2007-2022 … Diamondbacks, Braves, Padres, Tigers, Angels Mariners), outfielder Justin was a four-time All Star and hit 30 or more home runs in four seasons (25 or more in eight).  He also drove in 100+ twice and scored 100 or more runs in three campaigns. He also stole 151 bases.

Justin & B.J. Upton are one of just two brother combinations to each have at least 100 career homers and 100 career steals.  

B.J., an outfielder/third baseman, hit 164 long balls over 12 MLB seasons (2004, 2006-2016 … Rays, Braves, Padres, Blue Jays). He hit twenty or more homers in four seasons and stole more than 30 bases in five (three times topping 40 steals).  Overall, he notched 300 steals.

The Uptons were the “highest” brother draft picks in MLB history, with Justin being the first pick in the 2005 MLB draft (out of Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia) and B.J. (Melvin) being the second overall pick in the 2002 Draft (out of Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake).  They both made a quick tip to the big leagues, Justin at 19 years-342 days of age and B.J. at 19 years-347 days). They played together on the Atlanta Braves (2013-14) and San Diego Padres (2015).

On August 3, 2012, Justin and B. J. Upton each hit their 100^th career MLB home runs – B.J, for the Rays and Justin for the Diamondbacks. In 2013-14. When the brothers were both with the Braves, they homered in the same game six times, including back-to-back homers on April 23, 2013. 

Joe and Vince DiMaggio … 486 HRs

Joe and Vince DiMaggio combined for 486 long balls, lead by Joe’s 361. Hall of Famer Joe (CF) played in 13 seasons (1936-42, 1946-52, all for the Yankees). He was a 13-time All-star, three-time MVP and two-time batting champion. He hit 30 or more home runs in seven seasons, topped 100 RBI nine times (twice leading the league), and scored 100+ runs eight times (leading the AL with 151 in 1937).

Vince (also a CF) played in 10 MLB seasons (1937-1946 … Bees, Reds, Pirates, Phillies, Giants). While he only reached the 20-home run and 100 RBI marks once each (and lead the NL in strikeouts in six seasons), he made two All Star teams and was known as a superior center fielder with a strong arm.

A third brother, Dom DiMaggio (also a CF) played in 11 MLB seasons (1940-42, 1946-53 … Red Sox). Dom was a seven-time All Star. He hit just 87 home runs, but had a .298 career average and hit .300+ in five seasons (and had no season under .283). Dom scored 100+ runs in six seasons, twice leading the American League. He also ran up 100 career steals.

Kyle & Corey Seager … 463 HRs

Kyle and Corey Seager are the only pair of brothers on this list to each have 200+ career homers.

Kyle (3B) played in 11 MLB seasons (2011-2012 … Mariners) and hit .251-242-807. He was a one-time All Star and one-time Gold Glover. He hit 20 or more home runs in nine seasons (with two seasons of 30 or more) and drove in 100+runs in one season .

Corey (SS), still active in 2025, has played in 11 MLB seasons (2015-2015 … Dodgers, Rangers) and hit .289-221-667. The five-time All Star has recorded six seasons of 20+ home runs (three of 30 or more)  and was the 2016 NL Rookie of the Year (.308-26-72).

Ken & Clete Boyer … 444 homers

Just as the DiMaggio brothers were all All Stars in CF, Ken and Clete Boyer were both All Stars at third base. Ken played in 15 MLB seasons (1955-69 … Cardinals, Mets, Dodgers, White Sox). He was an All Star in seven seasons (an All Star 11 times, as two All Star Games were played each season from 1959 through 1962) and hit 282 home runs, topping 20 in eight campaigns. He drove in 100+ runs twice, leading the NL with 119 in 1964, and had 90 or more RBI in eight seasons.  He also scored 100 or more runs in three campaigns and hit .300+ in five seasons. Ken was the NL MVP in 1964 and earned five Gold Gloves.

Clete played in 16 MLB season (1955-57, 1959-71 … Athletics, Yankees, Braves). While he appeared in the most games at third base (2,439), he also saw time at SS (186 games) and second base (63 games).  Clete hit 20 home runs in just one season (26 in 1967). He won a Gold Glove at third base with the Braves in 1969.

A third Boyer brother, Cloyd, also made it to the major leagues – as a pitcher. Cloyd played in five MLB seasons (1949-52, 1955), going 20-23. 4.73 in 111 games (48 starts).

Bret and Aaron Boone … 378 HRs

The Boone family’s baseball roots (and apparently baseball genes) run deep. Brothers Bret and Aaron were preceded to the big leagues by their father Bob Boone (a catcher for 19 MLB seasons – 1972-90 – and a four-time All Star, with seven Gold Gloves and a .254-105-826 stat line), as well as by their grandfather Ray Boone (an infielder with 13 MLB seasons – 1948-60 – two All Star recognitions and a .275-151-737 stat line.)

Bret built his 14-season MLB career (1992-2005 … Mariners, Reds, Braves, Padres, Twins) as a second baseman – picking up three All Star recognitions and four gold gloves along the way. He hit 30+ home runs in two seasons and drove in 100+ runs three times (including a league-leading 141 for the 2001 Mariners). He also scored 100+ runs in three seasons.

Aaron was a corner infielder for 12 MLB seasons (1997-2003, 2005-2009 … Reds, Yankees, Indians, Marlins, Nationals, Astros). He was an All Star in 2003 and put up a final stat line of .263-126-555, with 519 runs scored and 107 steals. His best season was probably 2002 when he played in all 162 games for the Reds and hit .241, with 26 homers, 87 RBI, 83 runs scored and 32 steals.

Bret and Aaroon Boone played together on the 1997-98 Reds.

When Bret Boone made his MLB debut in 1992, the Boones became the first family with three generations of MLB players.  A 201 article on psacard.com noted that “Boone family members can be found on more than 2,800 different (baseball) cards. “

J.D. & Stephen Drew … 365 HRs

J.D.  played the outfield in 14 MLB seasons (1998-2011 …Cardinals, Dodgers, Red Sox). The one-time All Star (2008 Red Sox) put up a .278-242-795 stat line. J.D. hit 20 or more home runs in five seasons (a high of 31 in 2004), drove in a career-high 100 runs in 2006 (Dodgers) and topped 100 run scored (118. Braves) in 2004.

Stephen played in 12 MLB seasons (2006-2017 … Diamondbacks, Athletics, Red Sox, Yankees, Nationals), primarily as a SS (1,007 appearances), although he also took then field at 2B (180 games) and 3B (27 games). He hit .252, with 123 home runs, 424 RBI and 565 runs scored. His best season was 2008, when he hit .291-21-67, with 91 runs scored for the Diamondbacks (setting his career highs in HRs, RBI and runs).

A third Drew brother, Tim, made to the big leagues as a pitcher, going 2-4, 7.02 over five seasons (2000-2004), appearing in 35 games (11 starts).

All three Drew brothers – J.D., Stephen and Tim – were signed as MLB Draft first-round picks (the only trio of brothers with that distinction):  J.D. with the second overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft (out of Florida State University); Tim with the 28^th pick in the 1997 Draft (out of Lowndes High School); Stephen with the 15^th overall pick in 2004 (out of Florida State University).  

Roberto and Sandy Alomar, Jr. … 320 HRs

Roberto and Sandy Alomar were preceded in the major leagues by their father Sandy Alomar (more on Dad later). Roberto, a second baseman, had the most illustrious career – making it to the National Baseball Hall of fame. He played in 17 MLB seasons (1988-2004 … Padres, Blue Jays, Orioles, Indians, Mets, White Sox, Diamondbacks), going   .300-210-1,134, with 1,508 runs scored and 474 stolen baes. Roberto was a twelve-time All-Star and ten-time Gold Glover. He hit over .300 in nine seasons, drove in 100 or more runs twice, scored 100+ runs six times (including a league-leading 138 runs for the 1999 Indians) and hit 20 or more home runs in three seasons.

In the eleven seasons from 1991 through 2001, Roberto Alomar won ten Gold Gloves, while hitting .313-168-861.

Sandy Alomar, Jr.  donned the catcher’s gear for 20 MLB seasons (1988-2007 … Padres, Indians, White Sox, Rockies, Rangers, Dodgers, Mets), going .273-112-588, with 520 runs scored. He was the 1990 AL Rookie of the Year and a six-time All Star. His best season was 1997 (Indians), when he hit .324-21-83, with 63 runs scored (in 125 games) – setting his career highs in all four categories.

Like his sons after him, the elder Sandy Alomar had a long MLB career (1964-78 … Braves, Mets, White Sox, Angels, Yankees, Rangers.) Over those 15 seasons as a middle infielder, he hit .245-13-282, with 558 runs scored and 227 steals.

Brothers Roberto and Sandy Alomar were teammates on the 1988-89 Padres, 1999-2000 Indians and 2003-04 White Sox.

Yadier & Benjie Molina … 320 HRs

Yadier and Benjie Molina were both primarily catchers during their MLB careers. Yadier played in the majors for 19 seasons (2004-2022), all for the Cardinals. He hit .277-176-1,022, with 777 runs scored. Yadier twice hit 20 or more home runs in a season He was a ten-time All Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and four-time Platinum Glove winner.

In his first six MLB seasons Yadier Molina was a six-time All Star and four-time Gold Glover.

Benjie played in 13 MLB seasons (1998-2010 … Angels, Blue Jays, Giants and Rangers), hitting .274-144-711, with 457 runs scored.  The two-time Gold Glover’s best season was 2008 (Giants), when he hit .292-16-95, with 46 runs scored.

A third Molina brother, Jose, made it to the big leagues (also as a catcher). Jose played in 15 MLB seasons (1999, 2001-2014 … Cubs, Angels, Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays). Jose hit .233-39-223 in 947 games.

Dmitri & Delmon Young … 280 HRs

Dmitri and Delmon Young were both first-round MLB Draft picks: Dmitri fourth overall in 1991 (out of Rio Mesa High School) and Delmon first overall in 2002 (out of Adolfo Camarillo High School).

Dmitri (OF/1B/3B) played in 13 MLB seasons (1996-2008 … Cardinals, Cardinals, Tigers, Nationals) and hit .292-171-683, with 648 runs scored. Ther two-time All Star topped twenty home runs in three seasons and hit .300+ in five. His best season may have been 2003 (Tigers) when he hit .297-29-85.

Delmon (OF) played in ten MLB seasons (2006-15 … Rays, Twins, Tigers, Phillies, Orioles), hitting .283-109-566, with 473 runs scored. His best season was 2010 (Twins), when he hit .298-21-112, with 77 runs scored, reaching his career high in HR and RBI.  He hit .300+ in two seasons, although he did not have the number of at bats necessary to qualify for the batting title in either one – 2010 marked his highest qualifying average.

Irish and Bob Meusel … 262 HRs

Emil “Irish” and Bob Meusel established their credential as power-broking brothers back when it was a bit rarer to launch 100 career long balls.

Irish played in 11 MLB seasons (1914, 1918-27 … Nationals, Phillies, Giants, Robins), going .310-106-819, with 701 runs scored and 113 stolen bases. Irish only reached 20 home runs in one season (21 for the 1925 Giants). He drove in 100+ runs four times (a high of 132 in 1922). He was however, considered a consistent source of power at the time, hitting between 14 and 19 homes in five seasons.   He also twice scored 100 or more runs.

In the four seasons from 1922-25. Irish Meusel average .316 -16-118 per campaign.

Bob (OF/3B) player in 11 MLB seasons, 1920-30 …. Yankees, Reds), hitting .309-156-1,071, with 826 runs scored and 143 stolen bases.  He hit 20+ home runs in just two seasons, although he did lead the AL with 33 homers and 134 RBI for the 1925 Yankees. Bob drove in 100+ runs in five campaigns, hit .300+ in seven, scored 100+ runs twice and   stole 20+ bases twice.

Irish and Bob Meusel are one of only two sets of brothers to each record at least 100 MLB home runs and 100 MLB stolen bases.

 

 

Primary Resource: Stathead.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

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

P 1154

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.  This week, we’re looking at some of MLB’s wildest innings – whether they are defined by walks, batters hit or wild pitches.

A Record Eight Bases Loaded Walks In One Inning

On April 22, 1959, the Chicago White Sox completed what may be the wildest MLB offensive inning ever – an event Baseball Roundtable feels is worth revisiting. In the seventh inning of a 20-6 road win over the Kansas City Athletics, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs on just one base hit. In fact, they got only one ball out of the infield.

How “wild” was the inning?

• Three Athletics’ pitchers walked ten batters and hit one.
• There were also three Athletics’ errors.
• There were an MLB, single-inning record eight bases-loaded walks (and one bases-loaded hit by pitch).
• Nellie Fox drew two bases-loaded walks in the inning.

This unique offensive “outburst” would prove to be a portent of things to come. The 1959 AL pennant-winning White Sox became known as the “Go-Go Sox” for their ability to manufacture runs despite a punchless offense. (The Sox finished last in the league in home runs and sixth – out of the eight AL teams – in batting average and runs scored, but first in stolen bases and second in walks).

A few other tidbits from the game:

• The Sox sent 17 batters to the plate, but collected just one hit – and, in fact, got only one ball out of the infield.
• Sox hitters batted with the bases loaded 12 times and never got the ball past the pitcher.
• Eight different White Sox’ players drew walks.

Here’s how it went that inning:

Tom Gorman starts the inning on the mound for the Athletics.

• White Sox’ 1B Ray Boone safe on a throwing error by A’s shortstop Joe DeMaestri.
• RF Al Smith attempts to sacrifice Boone to second (score was 8-6 at the time) and reaches safely on an error by A’s third baseman Hal Smith.
• LF Johnny Callison singles to right, scoring Boone and Smith (with the help of an error by A’s right fielder Roger Maris). Callison ended up on third.
• SS Luis Aparicio walks – then steals second (runners now on second and third).
• P Bob Shaw walks (loading the bases).
• PH Earl Torgeson (batting for 3B Sammy Esposito) walks (scoring Callison). Note: Gorman got an 2-0 count on Torgeson and was replaced on the hill by Mark Freeman, who completed the walk.
• 2B Nellie Fox walks (scoring Aparicio).
• CF Jim Landis reaches on fielder’s choice – grounding back to pitcher Mark Freeman, who takes the force at home (bases still loaded).
• C Sherman Lollar walks (scoring Torgeson, bases still loaded).
• Boone makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks.
• Smith makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Landis).
• Callison, who had the only hit of the inning in his first plate appearance, is hit by a pitch (scoring Lollar, bases still loaded). Lou Skizas comes in to run for Callison.
• Aparicio draws his second walk of the inning (scoring Boone, bases still loaded).
• Shaw strikes out.
• PH Bubba Phillips (batting for Torgeson, who batted for Esposito earlier in the inning) walks (scoring Smith, bases still full).
• Fox draws his second bases-loaded walk of the inning (scoring Skizas).
• Landis grounds out pitcher-to-first to end the inning.

The 20-runs the White Sox scored that day were the most they plated in any game that season.  Side note: It did not start out like it was going to be a good day for the White Sox.  The A’s knocked Chicago’s starting pitcher Early Wynn – who would go on to lead the AL in wins with 22 – out of the game with six runs on six hits and two walks in the first 1 2/3 innings. The Sox actually trailed 6-1 after two frames.

Of course, with Baseball Roundtable, one thing to another.  So, I began looking for other “Wild Innings.”  Read on for those.

Most Walks Drawn in an Inning – 11 … Yankees, third inning, September 11, 1949 (versus Nationals)

Okay, this game was already a mismatch. The Yankees came into the contest 83-50, in first place in the American League.  The Nationals were 44-91, in last place 40 games off the pace.  Starting for the Bronx bombers was Allie Reynolds (15-4, 4.07 on the season). On the bump for the Nationals was Paul Calvert (6-14, 5.48).  Still, when the Yankees came up in the bottom of the third frame, the score was 0-0.

Then this happened.

Calvert starts the inning on the mound.

• Yankee SS Phil Rizzuto walks.
• RF Cliff Mapes walks.
• 3B Bobby Brown hits a two-run double to right.
• CF Joe DiMaggio reaches on a throwing error by Nationals’ 3B Eddie Yost, with Brown scoring and DiMaggio ending up on third.
• C Yogi Berra hits an RBI double.

Dick Welteroth replaces Calvert on the mound.

• LF Charlie Keller walks.
• 1B Joe Collins walks, loading the bases.
• 2B Jerry Coleman walks, forcing in Berra, sacks still full.
• P Allie Reynolds helps his own cause with a two-run single; Coleman goes to second.
• During Rizzuto’s second plate appearance of the inning, Coleman is picked off second.
• Rizzuto singles, Reynolds goes to third.
• Mapes draws his second walk of the inning. Rizzuto goes to second.

Julio Gonzalez comes in to relieve Welteroth.

• Brown walks, loading the bases.
• DiMaggio flies out to left, Rizzuto scores and Mapes goes to third.
• Berra walks, loading the bases.
• Keller walks, forcing in Mapes.
• Collins walks, forcing in Brown.

Buzz Dozier comes in to pitch.

• Coleman walks, forcing in Berra.
• Reynolds ends the inning by popping out to second.

End result:  12 runs on four hits, 11 walks and an error. The Yankees went on to win 20-0, as four Nationals pitchers give up 17 hits and 17 walks.

Wildest Game Ever?   A Pretty Good Bet.

On May 9, 1916, the Tigers took on the Athletics in Philadelphia. The contest was “no-contest”,” as the visiting Bengals topped the Athletics 16-2.   While the approximately 4,500 Athletics’ fans in attendances did not get to see an As’ win, they did have the “pleasure” of witnessing some dubious (Modern Era – post-1900) record-setting (records that still stand today).

The Tigers not only pounded out 12 hits, they also drew a Modern Era (for a nine-inning game) 18 walks off a trio of Athletics’ hurlers.   In fact, eight of the 12 Tigers who crossed the plate got on base via a free pass. Twelve of the free passes were surrendered by Athletics’ southpaw Carl Ray, who came into the game in the top of the third, with the A’s already trailing 9-0. Ray pitched the final seven frames (Taking one for the team?) and gave up seven runs (just four earned … there were four Athletics’ errors during his time on the mound) on six hits and that dozen walks.  Ray, by the way, pitched in just two MLB seasons (1915-16) … a total of 16 2/3 innings, putting up a 0-2, 4.82 record, with 20 hits and 20 walks surrendered. He fanned 11.

But, back to our regularly scheduled program. The Tigers tried hard to keep up with the Athletics in terms of traveling on the wild side. Tiger pitchers issued 12 free passe in the game – and the combined 30 walks remains the MLB record for a single game. The damage was limited to just two runs by the fact that Tiger hurlers gave up just three hits and the Tigers’ defense made no miscues.

A little surprise, despite a total of 18 runs, 15 hits, 30 walks and five errors the game took just two hours and 30 minutes.

For those who like to know such things, the all-time record for walks drawn by a team in a nine-inning game is 19. On September 21, 1887, when the America Association’s Louisville Colonels drew 19 walks in a 16-8 win over the Cleveland Blues in Louisville. This record gets a special nod since, in 1887, it took five balls to draw a walk.

From Both Sides Now. A Wild Unicorn.

On May 6, 2019, Giants hurlers tied the MLB record for batters hit in an inning with four – and they did it with a twist – as switch-pitcher Pat Venditte became the first (and still only) moundsman to hit a batter while pitching right-handed and left-handed in the same inning, while also tying the MLB single-pitcher record for batters hit in an inning with three (shared by more than 30 hurlers).   It all happened in the bottom of the sixth.

Venditte, who replaced Nick Vincent on the mound in the fifth, was on the hill for the Giants.

• LH-hitting 1B Joey Votto flies out to left. (Venditte throwing LH.)
• RH- hitting 3B Eugenio Suarez is hit by Venditte’s first pitch. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• RH-hitting RF Yasiel Puig walks on a 3-2 pitch. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• RH-hitting 2B Kyle Farmer singles to short, loading the bases. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• RH-hitting SS Jose Iglesias hits a two-run single to left. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• RH-hitting Curt Casali hits an RBI single to center. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• RH-hitting Lf Jose Peraza is hit by a pitch, again Venditte’s first pitch. (Venditte throwing RH.)
• LH-hitting Josh VanMeter pinch hits for pitcher Anthony DeSclafani,
• VanMeter hit by Venditte’s first pitch (Venditte pitching left-handed.)

Sam Dyson relieves Venditte.

• CF Nick Senzel strikes out looking.
• Votto is hit by an 0-2 pitch.
• Suarez grounds out to third.

Five runs, three hits, one walk, four hit by pitch.

The Giants, by the way, lost to the Reds by a 12-4 score.

For those who like to know such things, The only other MLB game in which four players were hit by a pitch in the same half inning took place in the second inning of an August 19, 1893 game between the Boston Beaneaters and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The hurlers were the Pirates’ Philip “Red” Ehret and William “Adonis” Terry (who each hit two batters). The most batters hit in a game by one pitcher is six John Grimes of the National League Saint Louis Browns on July 31, 1897 and Ed Knouff of the American Association Baltimore Orioles on April 25, 1887.

Baseball Roundtable Extra

On October 3, 2000 – in the top of the third inning of Game One of the National League Division Series between St. Louis and Atlanta, Redbird’s starter 21-year-old rookie Rick Ankiel (who had gone 11-7, 3.50 during the season) did something that has never been matched in the Modern Era and occurred only only one other time in MLB history.  He threw five wild pitches in a single inning. His inning went like this:

• Atlanta P Greg Maddux walked on four pitches.
• 2B Rafael Furcal, popped out to first on a 1-2 pitch.
• Maddux took second on an 0-1 wild pitch to CF Andruw Jones.
• Maddux took third on a 2-1 wild pitch to Jones.
• Jones walked on a 3-1 pitch.
• Andruw Jones went to second on a 2-2 wild pitch to 3B Chipper Jones.
• Jones struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch.
• 1B Andres Galarraga walked on a 3-2 wild pitch, Maddux scoring and A. Jones going to second.
• RF Brian Jordan singled home A. Jones on the first pitch from Ankiel.
• Galarraga went to third and Jordan to second on 1-1 wild pitch to LF Reggie Sanders.
• Sanders walked on a 3-1 pitch.
• SS Walt Weiss hit a two-run single on an 0-1 pitch.
• Mike James relieved Ankiel and got C Javy Lopez to pop out to end the inning.

The Cardinals, by the way, won the game 7-5.

Post-season records are separate from the regular season, so the record of five wild pitches in an inning of a regular-season game still belong to Bert Cunningham of the Buffalo Bisons (Players League), who threw five wild pitches in the first inning of a loss to the Chicago Pirates on September 15, 1890.

Side note:  It is generally agreed that rookie Ankiel got a grand case of the “yips” in the 2000 post-season.  A noted earlier, during the 2000 season, he went 11-7, 3.50 in 31 games (30 starts), finishing second to Rafael Furcal in NL Rookie of the Year voting.  In 175 innings, he threw just 12 wild pitches. (I ‘ll do the math, that’s one per every 14.6 innings.) He also walked 4.6 batters per nine frames.  Ankiel pitched in three games in the 2000 post season – one in the NL Division Series and two in the NL Championship Series. In four innings, he gave up seven runs on five hits and 11 walks and threw nine wild pitches.

There was, by the way, plenty of reason to expect Akiel to shine in the big leagues. He was second-round Cardinals’ Draft pick in 1997 (after being name the USA Today High School Player of the Year). In 1998, Ankiel was a Carolina League All Star and the Cardinals Minor-League Player of the year,  after going 12-6, 2.63 and fanning 222 batters, at A and High-A.   He was also Minor League Player of the Year for Baseball America and USA Today in 1999, after going 13-3, 2.35 and fanning 194 batters in 137 2/3 innings.

To make a long story short (or at least less long), Ankiel did not bounce right back after that 2000 post-season melt-down. After that 11-win rookie campaign, he saw more minor-league than major-league action, went 2-2, 6.62 in 11 MLB games (34 innings) from 2001-2004, and underwent elbow surgery along the way.  By 2005, Ankiel reportedly was ready to retire from baseball. The Cardinals, however, saw potential in Ankiel’s athleticism and baseball skills and convinced him to “reboot” as an outfielder.

By August 9, 2007, Ankiel was back in the major-leagues, starting in right field for the Cardinals and popping a three-run homer in his first MLB outfield start. He went on play seven MLB seasons in the outfield (2007-2017), primarily center field. His final MLB batting stat line was .240-76-251 and, in 2008, he hit .264-25-71 in 120 games for the Cardinals.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; Rick Ankiel;s triumph over the yips should make him a Hall of Famer, by Kale Mintz, Cut4 (by MLB.com), December 30, 2018.

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

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

P 1153

 

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.  This week, we’re looking at games in which a team came away with a victory (in a non-shortened game) without the benefit of a single base hit.  It’s happened just six times in Modern Era (post-1900) MLB history (Disclaimer: Negro Leagues individual game records from 1920-48 have not been fully incorporated into the MLB record book.)

 

Two of those games were officially recognized no-hitters.  The four others were games in which the home team was hitless, but leading, and did not bat in the bottom of the ninth inning.  (In 1991, MLB adopted a rule that to be a no-hitter, the pitcher or pitchers must have pitched at least nine innings.)

First, the two recognized no-hitters.

April 23, 1964 … Reds 1 – Colt .45s 0

The April 23, 1964 Reds/Colt .45s contest (in Houston) was a real nail-biter. After eight innings, the game was still scoreless and Colt .45s’ starter Ken Johnson had held the Reds without a hit. In fact, he had allowed only two baserunners (both on walks), while fanning nine.

Reds’ starter Joe Nuxhall had also pitched well, although not as spectacularly. Over the first eight frames, he had allowed no runs on five hits and a walk, with four strikeouts.

In the ninth, Johnson stayed on his no-hit pace, but started his own problems with an error.  The inning started with Johnson retiring Nuxhall on a groundball to third. Then, Reds’ 2B Pete Rose attempted to bunt for a hit. Johnson fielded the ball but threw wildly to first base, with Rose not only safe on the error, but making it to second base. Next up was 3B Chico Ruiz, who added injury to insult, hitting a line drive off Johnson’s leg that ricocheted to Colt .45s’ 3B Bob Aspromonte, whose strong-armed throw beat Ruiz to first (1-5-3 if you’re keeping score). The hustling Rose went to third on the play. Next up was CF Vada Pinson, who hit a grounder to veteran 2B Nellie Fox, who bobbled it, allowing Pinson to reach first and Rose to score. Johnson, pitching on adrenalin and a sore leg, next retired RF and cleanup hitter Frank Robinson (fly out to LF) to end the inning – no hitter intact, but down by a 1-0 score.

The Colt .45s had a chance to tie it in the ninth, as 1B Pete Runnels reached first with two outs on a disputed play (ruled an error on Reds’ 1B Deron Johnson). Nuxhall retired the next batter, PH John Weekly, on strikes. And, Ken Johnson ended up as – and still is – the only MLB pitcher to complete a nine-inning, single- pitcher, no-hitter and lose.  A Roundtable unicorn.

In his loss, Johnson gave up one unearned run, allowed no hits, walked two and fanned nine.

April 30, 1967 … Tigers 2 – Orioles 1

On April 30, 1967, the Orioles faced the Tigers in a Sunday doubleheader (in Baltimore). The Tigers prevailed in Game One by a 2-1 score – despite being held hitless by Orioles’ starter Steve Barber and reliever Stu Miller. The game was scoreless through the first seven innings; although it wasn’t a typical pitcher’s duel.  Through the seventh, Tigers’ starter Earl Wilson had allowed just two baserunners (both singles), while Barber (who had not given up a hit) had walked five batters, hit two and managed to strand seven Detroit baserunners.

Barber pitched around a pair of walks (one intentional) in a scoreless top of the eighth (no-hitter still intact). In the bottom of the inning, the Orioles finally got to Wilson.  LF Curt Blefary walked to open the inning and was sacrificed to second by 2B Woodie Held. Wilson them intentionally walked PH Charley Lau to get to Barber.  The move backfired as Barber walked (unintentionally) to load the baes. A sacrifice fly by SS Luis Aparicio scored Blefary before an infield fly out by CF Russ Snyder ended the inning with Barber and the Orioles now up 1-0 (and looking toward a no-hit/no-run victory).

Then came the ninth, and Barber’s undoing. Tigers’ 1B Norm Cash walked to open the inning (and Dick Tracewski came in as a pinch runner).  Tracewski did not have to run to second, as Barber next walked SS Ray Oyler (with Jake Wood coming in to run for Oyler).  Wilson next laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving the runners to second and third. Still, there was hope, as Barber got dangerous pinch hitter Willie Horton on a foul pop out.  Unfortunately, Barber uncorked a wild pitch to the next batter (CF Mickey Stanley), scoring Tracewski and went on to walk Stanley (Barber’s tenth walk of the game). At this point, Miller was brought in to relieve Barber. Tigers’ 3B Don Wert was up next and grounded to Orioles’ SS Aparicio for what looked like the final out. Aparicio went for the force at second base, but second baseman Mark Belanger mishandled the ball and a second run scored.  Tigers’ RF Al Kaline then grounded out to end the frame with Detroit, still hitless, now up 2-1.

Reliever Fred Gladding came on for the Tigers in the ninth and retired the Orioles in order.  End result: 2-1 Tigers’ victory; a win for Wilson; a save for Gladding; a loss for Barber; and an official combined no-hitter for Miller and Barber. Barber was credited with 8 2/3 innings pitched, no hits, two runs (one earned), ten walks and three strikeouts. Miller pitched 1/3 of an inning, facing just two batters (one reached base due to an error) and, of course, allowing no hits.

Now, let’s look at the remaining games from our chart. In each case, the home (and hitless) team was leading and, therefore, did not bat in the bottom of the ninth – preventing the pitchers on the losing (visiting) squad from completing the minimum of nine innings pitched for a no-hitter.  (I’d like to see this rule changed to recognize no-hitters in games in which the pitcher or pitchers pitched eight innings, if the game ended because the home team had the lead going into the bottom of the ninth.)

July 1, 1990 … White Sox 4- Yankees 0

Of all these, the White Sox scored the most runs in a hitless victory – four.  They all came in the eighth inning of a scoreless game (in Chicago).  Hawkins, working on a no-hitter, had retired the first 15 batters he faced and, through seven innings, had given up three walks (three strikeouts). Notably, the eighth inning started with Yankees’ starter Andy Hawkins retiring the first two ChiSox’ hitters (C Ron Karkovice and 2B Scott Fletcher) on easy infield pop ups. Then, with two out in the eighth, disaster struck. Hawkins got RF Sammy Sosa to ground a 1-2 pitch to third baseman Mike Blowers (who knocked down the ball – on his backhand side – but whose throw to first was late).  The scorekeeper ruled what should have been the final out of the frame as an error on Blowers – and Sosa ended up perched on first (with Hawkins’ no-no still intact).  Sosa then stole second, in the middle of a walk to SS Ozzie Guillen. Hawkins, perhaps flustered, walked CF Lance Johnson on four pitches, loading the bases. Still, it looked like he had pitched his way out of the inning on his next pitch (to 3B Robin Ventura), which resulted in a flyball to LF Jim Leyritz. The ball clanked off Leyritz’ glove and all three runners scored (with Ventura ending up on second). Next up was DH Ivan Calderon, who hit a fly ball to deep right on a 1-2 pitch. Yankees’ RF Jesse Barfield mishandled this this one for another error and a fourth run. Finally, the inning ended – with four runs across – on a pop out to short by LF Dan Pasqua. Four runs (all unearned), on no hits, two walks and three errors (all after two outs). For the game, Hawkins was credited with a complete game (loss), eight innings pitched, no hits allowed, five walks and three strikeouts.

Well, at least Hawkins had nis no-hitter. Oops! The following year, MLB passed a rule that, in order for a game to be officially recognized as a no-hitter the pitcher (or pitchers) must have pitched at least nine innings.  Since the home team White Sox (leading 4-0) did not bat in the bottom of the ninth, Hawkins, who lost the game in 1990, lost nis no-hitter in 1991.

April 12, 1992 … Indians 2 – Red Sox 1

This game was the first contest in a doubleheader – played on April 12, 1992 in Cleveland. Matt Young started for the Red Sox and Charles Nagy opened on the mound for the Indians.  It was Young’s first start of the season and Nagy’s second (Nagy had tossed a complete game in a 2-0 loss at Baltimore on April 6.)  In the April 12 game, the Red Sox outhit the Indians 9-0, but the Indians won the game 2-1.  Young took the loss and, while he did not give up a hit in eight innings of work, he did walk seven (six strikeouts) and both runners who scored reached base via a free pass.

The Indians scored in the bottom of the first, as leadoff hitter CF Kenny Lofton drew a four-pitch walk. Then, with number-two hitter DH Glenallen Hill at the plate, Lofton stole second and third base, swiping third as Hill fanned on a 3-2 pitch. Lofton scored the game’s first run as number-three hitter 2B Carlos Baerga reached on an errant throw by Red Sox’ shortstop Luis Rivera. Young then retired the next two batters – LF Albert Belle and RF Mark Whiten – on outfield flies.

The Indians scored again in the third frame. Young walked number-nine hitter SS Mark Lewis and Lofton to open the inning, then a Hill grounder resulted in the force of Lofton at second base.  Hill, who had reached on the fielder’s choice, stole second on Young’s second pitch Baerga. Lewis then scored on a groundball by Baerga.

The Red Sox did get one run back in the fourth inning on a single by CF Ellis Burks, a walk to 1B Mo Vaughn and a Rivera single – but it wasn’t enough. In the contest, the Red Sox left 11 men on base.

Young threw 120 pitches in his eight hitless innings – seven walks, six strikeouts and two earned runs.

June 28, 2008 …. Dodgers 1 – Angels 0

On Saturday night June 28, 2008, more than 55,000 fans showed up at Dodger Stadium to see the Dodgers take on the Angels.  The pitching matchup featured the Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (6-7, 3.64) versus the Angels’ Jered Weaver 7-7, 4.15). While Dodgers’ fans got see their hometown heroes held hitless by a pair of Angels’ hurlers, they also got to see a 1-0 Dodgers’ win – thanks to a couple of Angel errors and the speed of Dodgers’ CF Matt Kemp.

The game was scoreless for the first 4 1/2 innings. Billingsley had given up just one hit and two walks in five innings of work (six strikeouts), while Weaver had allowed just one baserunner (a walk to Dodger C Russell Martin) and fanned two over four innings.

The bottom of the fifth saw the Dodgers produce what would be the game’s only run – in the space of two Dodger batters, four pitches and two Angels’ fielding miscues.  Kemp reached base on a little “nubber” in front of home that Weaver couldn’t handle.  Then, with 3B Blake DeWitt at the plate, Kemp stole second on a 0-1 pitch and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Angels’ C Jeff Mathis.  Kemp then scored on a DeWitt sacrifice fly and that was it for the evening’s offense. Weaver went on to pitch six innings, giving up no hits (three walks) and the one unearned run, while walking three and fanning six (a total of 97 pitches, 59 strikes).  Jose Arredondo pitched the seventh and eighth (the Dodgers, leading, did not bat in the ninth).  Arredondo retired six straight batters, fanning three.

Meanwhile, Billingsley pitched seven innings, giving up three hits and three walks, holding the Angels scoreless and fanning seven.

Jonathan Broxton pitched the eighth for the Dodgers giving up one hit (and fanning) one, while Takashi Saito pitched the ninth and survived a two-out double and walk without surrendering a run. For the hitless Dodgers, Billingsley got the win, Broxton a hold and Saito a save. Weaver, of course, took the loss for the Angels.

The Angels, who came into Dodger Stadium as the AL West leaders (48-32) did not do much against the Dodger pitching (the Dodgers were 36-42 as the crosstown series began). The Halos scored just one run in the three games, losing the first game 6-0, the second game 1-0 and winning the finale 1-0.  The Dodgers and Angels, by the way, finished the season first in their respective division races: the Angels at 100-62, the Dodgers at 84-78.

May 15, 2022 … Pirates 1- Reds O

On May 15, 2022 – as the Reds and Pirates faced off in Pittsburgh – few, if any, fans were expecting a pitchers’ duel. Starting for the Reds was 22-year-old rookie righthander Hunter Greene (making just his seventh MLB start and sporting a 1-5, 7.62 record). On the mound for the Pirates was veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (in his 12^th MLB campaign and with a 1-1, 2.70 record on the season).

The two starters both made it through seven innings with allowing a run. In his seven frames, Quintana allowed just three hits (all singles) and one walk, while fanning five.  The rookie Greene was even better. Through seven frames had had yet to allow a hit (three walks and nine strikeouts).

In the top of the eight, Chris Statton replaced Quintana (at 89 pitches) on the mound and held the Reds scoreless, pitching around a double and a walk. Greene faltered in the bottom of the eighth, although he did not give up a hit. After retiring Reds’ RF Jack Suwinski on a grounder to first, Greene walked the number-eight and number-nine hitters – SS Rodolfo Castro and C Michael Perez – both on 3-2 pitches. By this time, Greene had thrown 118 pitches and manager David Bell brought in Art Warren in relief. Warren walked the first batter he faced, Pirates’ LF Ben Gamel, on four pitches, loading the bases with one out. 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes was up next and grounded to second (producing a 4-6 force-out second base), with Castro scoring on the play. The next batter, CF Bryan Reynolds, popped out to short to end the inning – Pirates, without a hit, up 1-0.

David Bednar came on to pitch the ninth for the Pirates and retired the Reds in order. Greene took the loss, Stratton got a win and Bednar logged a save.  Greene was credited with 7 1/3 innings pitched, no hits one run (earned), five walks and nine strikeouts. Warren pitched 2/3 of an inning, no hits, one walk).  Here again, since the home (and hitless) team was ahead and did not bat in the ninth, Greene and Warren did not complete the nine innings pitched to qualify for an official no-hitter.

For those who like to know such things. Greene went on to a 5-13, 4.44 rookie season and Quintana finished 2022 at 6-7, 2.93 (and in a Cardinals uniform).

Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT. Follow me there for post notifications and links.

Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.  

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

P 1152

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. And sometimes, like this week, it’s an event in the category of “We’ll probably never see that again.”

This week’s Tidbit focuses on a September, 12, 1969 Mets/Pirate doubleheader. Right away, the odds against a repeat are high, since this was a single-admission Twilight-Night Twin Bill.  (How many of those can we expect in the future?) But it gets rarer. The Mets won both games by 1-0 score. Side note: You would think that is the fewest runs ever scored in a doubleheader, but there was, in fact, one Twin Bill that saw only one run scored (more on that later).  Finally, to top off the uniqueness of this doubleheader: In each game the only (and, of course, winning) run was driven in by the starting (and winning) pitcher.  With the paucity of single-admission doubleheaders and the universal DH now in force, I think we can safely say, we’re looking at a unicorn.

In Game One (scheduled to makeup a July 5 rainout), southpaw Jerry Koosman started on the mound for the Mets (Koosman, a 1969 All Star, was 13-9, 2.48 at the time). Opposing him was the Pirates’ righty Bob Moose (10-2, 3.30). The expected pitcher’s duel materialized, as the two matched zeroes over the first four innings.  Then, in the top of the fifth, Mets’ 3B Bobby Pfeil singled to LF after RF Ron Swoboda opened the frame with a strikeout.  C Duffy Dyer then singled to CF, sending Pfeil to third (Dwyer went to second as the throw in went to third).  Koosman (3-for-69 on the season) was up next and singled to RF – driving in what proved to be the game’s only tally (and Koosman’s only RBI of the season). Koosman, ultimately, went the distance, tossing a three-hit shutout (three walks, four strikeouts).  Moose gave up one run over eight innings (five hits, three walks, ten whiffs). Chuck Hartenstein pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pirates.

The Game Two pitching matchup was less “anticipated.” It featured starters Don Cardwell (6-9, 3.10) for the Mets and Dock Ellis (9-15, 3.92) for the Pirates.  However, another pitchers’ duel did materialize.  The only tally came early, in the top of the second, as the Mets again edged the Pirates by a 1-0 score. The run scored when Mets SS Bud Harrelson doubled of Ellis with two outs and no one on – and was then driven home on a Don Cardwell single. (Cardwell was hitting .171 – 7-for-41 at the time). It was Cardwell’s fifth RBI of the campaign.

Ultimately, Cardwell went eight innings and gave up four nits (one walk and three strikeouts). Closer Tug McGraw pitched a scoreless ninth for the victorious Mets. Ellis also went eight frames, giving up one run on six hits, with three walks and eleven strikeouts. Hartenstein again pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pirates.

To illustrate how times have changed. That September 12 Twin Bill was the 19^th of 21 doubleheaders the Mets would play that season and the 15th of 19 doubleheaders played by the Pirates. Further, in 1969, 17.3 percent of all NL games and 18.9 percent of all AL games played were part of doubleheaders. In 2025, there were a total of 30 doubleheaders (about 1.2 percent of all games), no team had more than six (Cardinals and Orioles) and nine teams played no Twin Bills (Rays, Mariners, Astros, Rangers, A’s, Angels, Dodgers, Giants, Diamondbacks). For an intriguing look at the origin, rise and decline of doubleheaders in MLB, I suggest The Hardball Times three-part Series “History of the Doubleheader” by Chris Jaffe.

Now for a few more Twin Bill Tidbits.

A Bit of a Scoring Drought

The fewest runs scored in a doubleheader? It may surprise you (because it’s not two.)   The answer is one.  On September 4, 1902, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Beaneaters matched up in a doubleheader in Boston. Game One went to Boston 1-0 (in one hour and twenty minutes). Game Two ended in a nine-inning 0-0 tie (one hour and 30 minutes)

A Bit of a Scoring Deluge

The record for runs scored in a doubleheader – both teams – is 54.  It has been done twice.  On August 21, 1894, the National League Boston Beaneaters swept a doubleheader from the Cincinnati Reds by score of 18-3 and 25-8. Then, on Independence Day in 1939, there were lots of fireworks on the field in Philadelphia, as the Red Sox topped the Athletics 17-7 and 18-12.

The most hits in a doubleheader is 73, in a July 6, 1929 Cardinals/Phillies Twin Bill (in Philadelphus), In Game one the Phillies toped the Cardinals 10-6, with the Cardinals outhitting the Phillies 15-13. The Phillies got revenge in game two, blasting the Phillies 28-6 and outhitting them 28-17. Sign of the times: Each of these high-scoring games took slightly less than 2 ½ hours to complete.

18 Games in 12 Days

The 1928 Boston Braves played a record nine consecutive doubleheaders over a 12-day span (September 4-15). During the streak, they swept one doubleheader, were swept six times and split two – for a four win-fourteen loss record.  Notably, six players played every inning of those games (RF Lance Richbourg; LF Eddie Brown; 1B George Sisler; 2B Rogers Hornsby; 3B Les Bell; SS Doc Farrell). The team used eight different starting pitchers during the 18-game stretch – none more often than Bob Smith, who started four contests (including both ends of one doubleheader).

Nearly 60 percent doubleheaders … Now, that’s a Tough Schedule

The 1945 Boston Braves played an MLB-record 46 doubleheaders. Let’s put that in perspective – 59.7 percent of the games they played that season were part of doubleheaders. How did they do?  They won 42 of those games, lost 48 and tied two.  Basically, they played .466 ball in twin bills, a bit better than their .403 winning percentage on days when they played just one game.  By the way, just so you don’t think those 46 doubleheaders were a one-off event, the 1943 White Sox hold the AL record for doubleheaders in a season at 44.  Both extreme totals can be attributed to wartime scheduling.

Let’s Play …. Three?

While, there have been three occasions in which major-league teams have played three games in a single day, research by Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) member Bill Nowlin indicates there has been only one “true” (read single-admission) triple header.  That came on October 2, 1920, with the 80-69 Reds facing the 77-73 Pirates at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field.  With four contests left in the season, the previous two Pirates-Reds games cancelled due to weather and third place and a World Series’ share at stake, the teams faced off in a one-day, three-game series starting at noon. Long story short, the Reds won the first two games (13-4 and 7-3), while the Pirates took the final game 6-0 (called – darkness – after six innings).  Only five players played in all three games (making them all, of course, single-day MLB record holders). They were the Reds’ Morrie Rath (2B-RF) and Pat Duncan (LF) and the Pirates’ Cotton Tierney (2B-SS), Clyde Barnhart (3B) and Fred Nicholson (PH-RF-LF).

Two other instances of three-games-in-a-day matchups have occurred – on September 1, 1890 (Brooklyn Bridegrooms versus Pittsburgh Innocents) and September 7, 1896 (Baltimore Orioles versus Louisville Colonels). In both of those, the first contest was a separate-admission morning game, with a second admission required for the afternoon doubleheader.

A Good Day’s Work (Back to our “Pitchers’ Rule Focus)

On September 26, 1908, Cubs’ righty Ed Reulbach started both games of a doubleheader against Brooklyn (Superbas).  He went the distance in both contests, giving up just nine hits – and no runs – over the 18 innings.  Reulbach is the only MLB pitcher ever to record two complete-game shutouts in a single day. The final scores were 3-0 and 6-0.

 

Don’t Worry – I Got This

In August of 1903, the Giants’ Joe McGinnity started both games of a doubleheader three times – August 1, August 8 and August 31.  In those starts, he picked up six complete-game victories – giving up a total of 10 runs in the six contests. By the way, the Giants played 11 doubleheaders that month. Surprisingly, on the August days when he pitched only one game (another six starts), McGinnity went 1-5 and gave up 28 runs. For the season, he was 31-20, 2.43, with 44 complete games in 48 starts.  No wonder his nickname was “Iron Joe.”

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; History of the Doubleheader, by Chris Jaffe, July 2010; October 2, 1920: Reds, Pirates Split Three Games in the Last Major-League Tripleheader, Bill Knowlin, Society for American Baseball Research.

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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. This week, we’re looking at a double unicorn: The only player to win a league MVP Award, while leading  the league in both strikeouts and errors, as well as the only player to win a Gold Glove in a season in which he led MLB in errors. 

The player was Twins’ shortstop Zoilo Versalles, who helped lead the Twins to the AL pennant, while leading the AL with 122 strikeouts and leading the major leagues in total errors with 39.

Versalles put up a .273-19-77 line at the plate, with a league-leading 126 runs scored and 27 steals in 32 attempts (in 160 games). He also led the league in doubles with 45, triples with 12 and total bases with 308. In the field, while he may have led MLB with 39 errors, among AL shortstops, he was first in double plays turned, second in assists and fourth in putouts. He is seen as the spark plug that led the Twins to the 1965 American League pennant.  That season, he reached his career highs in games (160), at bats (666); hits (182); doubles; runs; RBI; steals; total bases; On-Base Percentage (.319); and Slugging Percentage (.462).

Side note:  In Versalles’ 1965 MVP and Gold Glove season, White Sox’ shortstop Ron Hansen … who played one more game than Versalles … finished ahead of Versalles in putouts (287 to 248), assists (527 to 487), trailed Versalles in double plays 97 to 105) and led Versalles in Fielding Percentage (.969 to .950) and Range Factor (5.06 to 4.59).

Versalles, by the way, is one of nine MLB players to win an MVP Award, while leading the league in strikeouts.Primary Resource: Baseball-REference.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. For the full list click here. 

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

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