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<\/a>Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n
A Good Pick for A tough Day as a “Hitter<\/em>“<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As always with Baseball Roundtable \u201cone thing leads to another\u201d<\/em> and perusing the box score of that Oeschger\/Cadore game led to another record that has stood the test of time.\u00a0 Braves\u2019 2B Charlie Pick<\/strong> \u2013 batting second, did not reach base a single time in eleven plate appearances. That zero-for-eleven represents the MLB record for plate appearances in a game without reaching base<\/strong>, as well as the record for the most times a specific batter was retired by the same in pitcher in the same game<\/strong> (in baseball, we do track everything). \u00a0\u00a0This, of course, was another thing that led to another<\/em> \u2013 and this post will look at some of the most futile days spent in the batter\u2019s box in MLB history.<\/p>\n But first, let\u2019s finish with Charlie Pick. \u00a0Pick was no pushover. He came into the game hitting a robust .324 over the Braves\u2019 first nine games of the season. (He would finish the season at .274.) Here\u2019s how his day went:<\/p>\n Over the course of the game, Pick\u2019s average dropped from .324 to .250.<\/p>\n Pick played in six MLB seasons (1914-16, 1918-20 \u2026 Nationals, Athletics, Cubs, Braves), hitting .261-3-86 in 367 games.<\/p>\n Side note: The only other player in the Braves\u2019 lineup that went hitless that day was catcher Mickey O\u2019Neil \u2013 and he was pulled for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth after going zero-for-two with a sacrifice bunt.<\/em><\/p>\n A Hard Day\u2019s Night<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The only other player to record a .000 on-base percentage in eleven plate appearances in a single game is Twins\u2019 shortstop Danny Thompson<\/strong> \u2013 and he falls slightly behind Pick here, since Thompson actually got on base once (via a fielder\u2019s choice) and scored a run. On May 12, 1972, Thompson went zero-for-ten, with two strikeouts and one sacrifice in 11 plate appearances, as the Twins fell to the Brewers 4-3 in 22-innings (in Milwaukee). \u00a0 Side note: Scoring rules on\u00a0 a fielder’s choice are that the players is not credited with a hit or time on base, but does record\u00a0 an at bat and plate appearance. )<\/em><\/p>\n Thompson\u2019s feat was a bit unique in that it took place over two days. The first 21-innings took the teams into the morning of May 13 and \u2013 due to the rule that no inning could start after one a.m., the game was suspended with the score knotted at three apiece. \u00a0After a break of just over 12 hours, the game was resumed and the Brewers won it in the very first resumed inning. Unlike the 26-inning Robins\/Braves game (above), the two teams used 13 pitchers and Thompson faced five different Brewers\u2019 hurlers (the Brewers used six pitchers).\u00a0 Fittingly, Thompson made the final out of the game (in the bottom of the twenty-second inning, facing Jim Lonborg.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n Thompson entered the game hitting .333 over 18 games. At the end of the 22 innings, his average was .294.\u00a0 For the season, Thompson hit .276-4-48 over 144 games.\u00a0 In a seven-season MLB career (1970-76 \u2026 Twins, Rangers), Thompson hit .248-15-194 in 694 games. \u00a0Thompson passed away on December 10, 1976, at the age of 29, from complications related to leukemia.<\/p>\n For those who like to know such things \u2013 <\/em>the losing pitcher in the May 12 game was the Twins\u2019 Bert Blyleven<\/strong>, who came in (after the suspension) to pitch the top of the twenty-second inning. After that one inning of work, Blyleven started the regularly scheduled May 13 game and pitched nine innings (three runs) in a 5-4, 15-inning Twins loss. \u00a0The winner in the May 12 game was the Brewers\u2019 Jim Colborn<\/strong>, who pitched the fifteenth through the twenty-first innings (six hits, no runs). Lonborg got the save in the May 12 game \u2013 coming in on May 13 to pitch the final inning of the suspended contest. Lonborg then started the regularly slated May 13 contest and went four innings (six hits, five walks, three runs). \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n April 15 \u2026 A Taxing Day for This Met<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On April 15, 1968.\u00a0 Mets\u2019 RF and clean-up hitter Ron Swoboda<\/strong> fanned five times and went zero-for-ten, as the Mets lost to the Astros 1-0 in 25 innings (in Houston).\u00a0 It\u2019s the most strikeouts by any player in a game in which he had double-digits in plate appearances and a.000 on-base percentage.<\/strong><\/em> Surprisingly, the clean-up hitter ending up leading off an inning in six of his ten plate appearances. Swoboda\u2019s game:<\/p>\n Second inning – Lead off fly out to RF of Don Wilson<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Fourth inning \u2013 Lead off pop out to first base off Wilson;<\/p>\n Sixth inning \u2013 One out (no one on base) strikeout off Wilson;<\/p>\n Eighth inning \u2013 Two out (no one on) strikeout off Wilson;<\/p>\n Eleventh inning \u2013 Lead off strikeout off John Buzhardt<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Thirteenth inning \u2013 Lead off fly out to CF off Danny Coombs<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Sixteenth inning \u2013 Lead off flyout to CF off Jim Ray<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Eighteenth inning \u2013 Two out (no one on) strikeout off Ray;<\/p>\n Twenty-first inning \u2013 Lead off strikeout off Wade Blasingame<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Twenty-third inning \u2013 Two out (no one on) flyball to RF off Blasingame.<\/p>\n Sidenote:\u00a0 The second most strikeouts by a player with a zero on-base percentage in a game with at least ten plate appearances is four \u2013 by Swoboda\u2019s teammate CF Tommy Agee<\/strong> in the same game.<\/em><\/p>\n Swoboda came into the game hitting .385 on the seasons (just four games) and left the field hitting .217.\u00a0 He hit .242-11-69 on the season and .242-73-344 over his nine-season MLB career (1965-73 \u2026 Mets, Expos, Yankees).<\/p>\n Mirror Images?\u00a0 More Roundtable \u201c#one thing leads to another<\/em>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The April 15, 1968 Mets Astros game went longer without a run scoring than any other game in MLB history. For the game:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n ___________________________________________<\/p>\n Before we move on to some strikeout marks, the chart below shows all the MLB players with a .000 on-base percentage in a game of ten or more plate appearances. A few notes:<\/p>\n Just eight players have fanned six times in an MLB game – and each of those instances came in an extra-inning contest. Lets\u2019 take a look at some of those performances.<\/p>\n A Perfect Six-for-Six \u2026 Cark Weilman and Alex Gonzalez<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The 1913 St. Louis Browns\u2019 Carl Weilman<\/strong> was the first player to strikeout six times in a game in which he had just six plate appearances. We can probably forgive him, though.\u00a0 He was after all, a pitcher (and he wasn\u2019t even slated to pitch that day.<\/p>\n On July 25, 1913, Weilman was called on in relief with one out in the first innings of the Browns-Nationals tilt (In Washington). Browns\u2019 starter George Baumgardner<\/strong> had given up hits three hits (two home runs) while retiring just one batter. Weilman came in and finished the contest, which ended in an 8-8, 15-inning tie.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Weilman, the Senators’ first two pitchers did not fare well and future Hall of Famer (and ultimately 12-time AL strikeout leader) Walter Johnson<\/strong> pitched 11 1\/3 innings\u00a0 in relief for the Senators. Four of Weilman\u2019s six whiffs were against Johnson. Of course, Weilman wasn\u2019t the only one to have trouble with Johnson\u2019s offerings.\u00a0 The Big Train fanned 15 batters in his 11 1\/3-inning relief stint.<\/p>\n Carl Weilman, who fanned a record six times in six plate appearances on July 25, 2012 also recorded six strikeouts as a pitcher that day.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Weilman pitched in eight MLB seasons (1912-17, 1919-20), all for the Browns.\u00a0 He went 84-93, 2.67.\u00a0 At the plate, he hit .170-0-25 in 560 plate appearances.\u00a0 Waler Johnson?\u00a0 Well, you know all about him.<\/p>\n Another “Six-for-Six” Strike outing.”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Among positions players, Blue Jays\u2019 SS Alex Gonzalez<\/strong> matched Weilman\u2019s six-whiffs in six plate appearances on September 9, 1998 \u2013 as the Blue Jays lost to the Indians (in Toronto) 6-3. Gonzalez, batting ninth, enjoyed<\/em> this day:<\/p>\n Second inning \u2013 Two out (two on bae) swinging strikeout versus Dwight Gooden<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Fourth inning \u2013 Two out (one on) swinging strikeout versus Gooden;<\/p>\n Seventh inning \u2013 One out (none on) swinging strikeout versus Gooden;<\/p>\n Ninth inning \u2013 Two out (none on) swinging strikeout versus Paul Shuey<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Eleventh inning- Two out (two on) strikeout looking versus Doug Jones<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Thirteenth inning \u2013 One out (one on) swinging strikeout versus Michael Jackson.<\/strong><\/p>\n Equal Opportunity (or more #InBaseballWeCountyEverything)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Giants used eight pitchers in the game, and Hoak was fanned by six of them: Al Worthington<\/strong>; Don Liddle;<\/strong>\u00a0Hoyt Wilhelm<\/strong>; Steve Ridzik<\/strong>; Wendy McCall<\/strong>; and Ruben Gomez.<\/strong><\/p>\n Hoak, by the way, almost didn\u2019t get that sixth whiff. \u00a0In the bottom of the final (seventeenth) inning and the Cubs down 6-5, the first two Cubs hitters were retired by Joe Margoneri. Cubs’ <\/strong>Pitcher Jim Brosnan was up next and the Cubs sent<\/em> Clyde McCullough <\/strong>up to pinch hit.\u00a0<\/strong>McCullough doubled, bringing up Hoak. Ruben Gomez was brought in to pitch and Hoak fanned to end the game.<\/p>\n ______________________________________<\/p>\n Now, Let\u2019s move on to five-strikeout games. There have been 199 of them \u2013 nothing very rare air there. Of those 199, 89 have been nine-inning contests.\u00a0 Still not very rare. There have, however, also just 20 players with multiple five strikeout games.\u00a0 So, let\u2019s go there<\/p>\n We\u2019ll start with players with multiple,\u00a0 five-strikeout game \u2013 all of nine innings.<\/p>\n Photo: Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Javier Baez<\/strong> leads the way there, with three such games. One each in 2017, 2019 and 2021.\u00a0 The opposing starting pitchers in those contests were: Carlos Rodon<\/strong> in 2017; Gerrit Cole<\/strong> in 2019; and Braxton Garrett<\/strong> in 2021.<\/p>\n Baez, still active, has 10 MLB seasons on his resume (2014-23 \u2026 Cubs, Mets, Tigers), His stat line is .256-175-591. Over his 1,142 MLB games, he has fanned 1,225 times – leading the league once (184 in 2021) and topping 150 whiffs in three seasons. His best season was 2018, when he hit .290, with 34 homers and a league-leading 11l RBI for the Cubs.<\/p>\n As the chart below show, multiple nine-inning strikeout game are a bit of a rarity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now, how about five strikeout games -including extra-inning tilts.<\/p>\n Number One in Platinum Sombreros<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Sammy Sosa<\/strong> leads the way here with four five-whiff games – one each in 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2003.\u00a0 The starting pitchers in those games were Tom Gordon<\/strong>; Dave Burba<\/strong>; Kip Wells<\/strong>; and Roy Oswalt<\/strong>. Sosa, is not a total surprise on this list. In 18 MLB seasons (1989-2005, 2007 \u2026 Rangers, White Sox, Cubs, Orioles, he\u00a0 fanned 3,306 times in 2,354 games. He led the league in whiffs three times and fanned 150 or more times in six seasons.\u00a0 He put up a pretty good offensive stat line despite the whiffs – .273-609-1,667 for his career. Sosa was a seven-time All Star, and the 1998 National League MVP \u2013 when he went ,308-66-158 for the Cubs. Sosa the league in runs scored three times, home runs twice and RBI three times.<\/p>\n Three is Company … or not<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ray Lankford<\/strong> has no company among players with three five-strikeout games in a single season. (See the\u00a0 chart\u00a0 immediately above or the chart at the end of at end of post. Yes, Lankford made it to two charts.)\u00a0 The Cardinals’ outfielder “accomplished” the feat in 1998 – racking up five-strikeout games on May 24, June 6 and August 8.\u00a0 \u00a0 Still. Lankford had a solid 1998 season, hitting .298-31-105, with 26 steals (151 strikeouts, his career high).\u00a0 Lankford played in 14 MLB seasons (1990-2002, 2004 … Cardinals, Padres).<\/p>\n Let\u2019s Get This Over with Fast<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ray Lanford<\/strong> may have racked up three five-whiff games in a single season, but Giancarlo Stanton<\/strong> had two five-strikeout games in less than a week.\u00a0 \u00a0On April 3, 2018 – as the Yankees lost to the Rays 11-4 in New York, Stanton went zero-for-five with five strikeouts. Playing LF and batting third in the lineup, his day went like this:<\/p>\n First inning \u2013 Two-out (no one on base) swinging strikeouts versus Chris Archer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Third inning -No out, (two on) strikeout looking versus Archer.<\/p>\n Fifth Inning \u2013 One out (one one) swinging strikeout versus Archer.<\/p>\n Seventh Inning \u2013 One out (two on) swinging strikeout versus Austin Pruitt<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Eighth inning – One out (bases loaded) swinging strikeout versus Sergio Romo<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Then, just five days later (April 8), in a 12-inning\u00a0 8-7 loss to the Orioles (in Yankee Stadium), Stanton (batting third and playing RF) had another five-whiff game – wit one strikeout against five different pitchers.<\/p>\n First inning \u2013 No outs (two on base) strikeout looking versus Mike Wright, Jr.<\/strong><\/p>\n Second inning – One out (none on) strikeout swinging versus Pedro Araujo<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Fourth inning \u2013 Two out (one on) strikeout looking versus Miguel Castro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Sixth inning \u2013 Could things get worse? One on, one out, Stanton swing at the first pitch from Tanner Scot<\/strong>t and lined into a double play.<\/p>\n Eighth inning – One out (one on) strikeout swinging versus Darren O\u2019Day<\/strong>;<\/p>\n Tenth inning \u2013 Two out (two on) First-pitch swinging, Stanton grounded into a force out at second.<\/p>\n Twelfth inning \u2013 With one on and two out, Stanton struck out on four pitches versus Brad Bach<\/strong> to end the game.<\/p>\n The two five-whiff games were the bookends of a six-game stretch during which Stanton came to the plate 30 times (28 at bats) and fanned 16.\u00a0 For the 2018 season, Stanton hit .266-38-100 and fanned 211 times in 705 plate appearances.\u00a0 To date, Stanton has fanned 1,820 times in 1,535 MLB games (2010-2023 \u2026 Marlins, Yankees).\u00a0 His stat line is .259-402-1,031. He has fanned more than 150 times in five seasons. Stanton is a five-time Al Star and was the AL MVP in 2017, when he hit .281, with a league-leading 59 home runs and a league-best 132 RBI in 159 games for the Marlins. He has topped 30 home runs in seven seasons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Primary resource:<\/em>\u00a0 Baseball-References.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.<\/strong><\/p>\n Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply<\/em> Top 66 Baseball Sites list.\u00a0 For the full list, click here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n——–SOME STRIKING PERFORMANCES——–<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Don Hoak<\/strong> shares the record for strikeout in a game and holds the record for being struck out by the most different pitchers in a game.<\/strong> \u00a0On May 2, 1956, Hoak \u2013 playing third base and leading off for the Cubs – came to the plate nine times in a Cubs 6-5, 17-inning loss to the Giants. He collected a single, a walk, a sacrifice and six whiffs (tying the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot<\/em> list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.\u00a0 To see the full list, click\u00a0here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT<\/h3>\n