trivial occurrences 2018

Dierker and Wilson for sure, then I draw a blank. And I should know because of Ball Four.

Checked, and I have zero recollection of the third guy. I don't think he's even mentioned in Ball Four.

I remember Tom Griffin bcz he pitched throughout the '70s.

Verlander/Cole are the first consecutive 14-K games ever. Surprised--thought Ryan/Tanana, Johnson/Schilling, McDowell/Tiant, etc. might have done it.

Verlander (again): that bizarre loss last week was tied for the 15th-toughest ever by Game Score:

http://www.billjamesonline.com/being_a_good_loser/

What a, uh, lively trio of games: historically tough loss, historically great no-hitter, and in between a game where he gets ejected in the 4th and breaks his 10-K streak.

Raisel Iglesias appeared in 59 games this year, mostly as the Reds' closer, and he has 11 losses.

That's not a "coincidence"--that's Twilight Zone-bizarre, if only for a day.

https://www.mlb.com/news/bruce-bochy-career-managerial-record-coincidence

Astros are the first team since the Brooklyn Bridegrooms on Aug. 6-7, 1894 to have a game in which they scored at least 20 runs and a different game in which they allowed at least 20 runs within a three-game span.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 11, 2019

mariners have used an MLB-record 65 players this season (and will likely go to at least 66), passing the 2014 rangers' 64

#dipoto

I wonder where Mitch Garver's season stacks up compared to other power-hitting catchers. he has 30 HR, 29 as a catcher. it's probably a bit too obscure to find the fewest AB to 30 HR at the catcher position, but he might be about to blow past it, having appeared in only 83 games.

it looks like the Braves may very well have three players hit 40+ HR (Acuna has 39, Freeman 38, Donaldson 37), which would be only the fourth time in MLB history it's occurred. The other three times: twice by the Rockies ('96 w/Burks, Galarraga, and Castilla & '97 w/Walker, Galarraga, and Castilla), and of course the '73 Braves (Aaron, Evans, Davey Johnson).

seattle's kyle lewis is the second player to homer in each of his first three MLB games

he hit a career-high 11 over 122 games for double-a arkansas this year (which tbf is one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the minors)

We should start a new thread for Home Run Records Not Broken in 2019. I'll start:

1) No one will hit 74 HR this year.
2) No one will hit 763 HR this year.

After that, I get stuck.

i'm told that 16 teams are on pace to break their single-season homer records

the two homered-in-their-first-three-games guys, kyle lewis and trevor story, both (at different times) played for modesto in the california league and both lived with the same host family

The Diamondbacks had just 1 baserunner tonight, a Nick Ahmed 3B, but won 1-0 vs the Reds.

They're the 1st team in the Modern Era (since 1900) to win a game with just 1 baserunner, in a 9+ inning game.

(Which means the Reds are the 1st team to lose such a game)

h/t @EliasSports

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 15, 2019

At 24 years, 287 days, Pete Alonso is the third-youngest player to hit 50 in a season. Only Prince Fielder (23 years, 139 days) and Willie Mays (24, 137) were younger.

After his two-bagger on Sunday afternoon, Pete Alonso became the first rookie in MLB history to record 30 doubles and 50 home runs.

Nick Castellanos on the cusp of 60 doubles

https://www.mlb.com/news/nicholas-castellanos-on-historic-doubles-pace

Doubles at Comerica (210 PAs): 17
Doubles at Wrigley (119 PAs): 17

last week i was kinda hoping that one of the yankees would, in a three-game series, match castellanos' total of three homers in 49 games at comerica

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EFPEosdW4AAwFr8?format=jpg&name=small

now we're in deep

Austin Hays of the @Orioles is the first MLB rookie to have 5+ RBI, a stolen base and an outfield assist in the same game since RBI became an official stat in 1920.#Birdland

— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) September 24, 2019

50 HRs and a SLG under .600:
Cecil Fielder, 1990
Greg Vaughn, 1998
Andruw Jones, 2005
Pete Alonso, 2019https://t.co/fHrRvZh1Hwhttps://t.co/MsqIeDThFl

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) September 25, 2019

Eugenio Suarez on the cusp of possibly sharing that distinction

Alonso 52 ties Judge

"When I think of baseball history, I think old-timey guys like Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds,'' Alonso said. "Geez, I mean, to think that as a rookie I hit more homers than everyone except for one guy, it's nuts. It's crazy. I'm not trying to sound any other way. It's just, wow.''

lol

tim anderson's 15 walks are the fewest ever for a batting champion

15???!

lol batting champions

There's a reason they're not called "walking champions"...

*grabs crotch, spits chew*

Roberto Pérez just became one of only 9 catchers to play 100 games with 0 passed balls.

I told him that last week and I don't think he knew, and thank god he made it through the last week without my jinx taking him out.

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) September 30, 2019

from the Effectively Wild FB group:

If the Rays beat the Astros (107), Yankees (103) & Dodgers (106) that would have to be the most opposing team wins beaten, right? If so, was there even another year with a possible higher total when the playoffs started (WC game not counting)?

Red Sox have the top 2, 2004 with 298 and 2018 with 295.

Any AL team would take the record if they beat the Dodgers in the WS. If the AL WS team beats the Astros at some point, they’re guaranteed to take the record regardless of NL team.

Assuming he plays on Wednesday, Molina will pass Chipper Jones for the National League record for most postseason games with 94.

They're currently tied for 9th most all-time, with all eight players ahead of them being primarily AL players https://t.co/F4M8gP1s10 pic.twitter.com/IZZRFhJv9f

— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) October 8, 2019

"The 6th player to make an error on his birthday in the World Series"

Every single division has won a World Series in the last 6 years. No repeats. Also happened 2001-06.

ok, if the 6 divisions can agree to keep taking turns, and in the same order, we won't have to watch the playoffs any more. and if the teams in each division can agree on taking turns of who wins every year, we don't have to watch baseball at all!

topic A at the winter meetings

rando trivia:

during the 1980s and 90s, there were only two players (in two different seasons) who won the "slash-stat triple crown" (leading the league in BA, OBP, and SLG). who were they, and which years?

larry walker for the latter

yessir

hint: the other one is on the other end of the time period in question

George Brett 1980?

George fucking Brett

four catchers who were with the cardinals are in the hall of fame. who are they?

(note: current hall of famer yadier molina is not one)

nor is darrell porter

nope. and not tim mccarver.

hint: only one of the four got in his for work as a cardinals catcher.

Madison Bumgarner has 19 career HR.

Since 2010, only 3 of SF's 420 draft picks have hit *more* career homers (for any team, combined) than that.

Matt Duffy -- 22 HR (16 w/SF)
Joe Panik -- 38 HR (36 w/SF)
Adam Duvall -- 97 HR (3 w/SF)

(h/t Jason Ratliff of @MLBPipeline)

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) December 16, 2019