trivial occurrences 2020

https://i.imgur.com/Zp1C3Dt.jpeg

I wonder if his arm even works these days...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EVGks-UU0AIl4VC?format=jpg&name=small

According to noted White Sox stats poster Jay Cuda, they are only the second team in baseball history to have--take a deep breath--zero runs, zero walks, zero extra-base hits, and 10 or more strikeouts in an Opening Day game. The previous instance was in 1967, when the San Francisco Giants faced Bob Gibson and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Tbf they should definitely have had a walk going by the scorecard

#OpeningDay
Umpire: Brian O'Nora
Final: Tigers 1, White Sox 0#RepDetroit // #WhiteSox#DETvsCWS // #CWSvsDET

More stats for this game 👇https://t.co/fASdPcVOMs pic.twitter.com/uFV9X0FshR

— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) March 29, 2024

Tyler Anderson vs. Chase Anderson--that seems worth noting.

the astros' manager and the orioles' manager are brothers-in-law because their wives are sisters

the list of current active leaders in shutouts includes a guy near the top whom i forgot existed.

Clayton Kershaw - 15
Justin Verlander - 9

tied for third place --

Gerrit Cole - 5
Max Scherzer - 5
Shelby Miller - 5

reminds me what a different time we're in, Tim Belcher (career w-l of 146-140, ERA of 4.16) tossed 18 shutouts and even if we take away the 8(!) he threw in 1989*, he'd still rank second among active dudes now.

Not that living to 100 is trivial, but I don't know where else to post this (and there's a great brush-with-fame story from 1951).

https://www.mlb.com/news/oldest-living-mlb-player-turns-100

There are quite a few brushes with fame in his bio, he's had an incredible life!

For the first time since 1910 and only the second time in the history of the baseball, the Colorado Rockies have trailed in all 28 games to start a season.

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 28, 2024

He can see Russia from his window:

https://www.mlb.com/news/dave-winfield-getting-statue-in-alaska

I checked this--true!

https://i.postimg.cc/DftZ4WvQ/moyer.jpg

From the article about Chadwick Tromp wearing 45:

Tromp is not the first player with a presidential last name to wear the jersey number corresponding with that POTUS’ term placement, however unintentionally. There’s Ben Ford, who pitched 19 unremarkable games in relief for the 2004 Milwaukee Brewers. Ford wore the No. 38; Gerald Ford was the 38th president.

He said he selected that number himself, but did so without knowing its historical significance and relation to the president.

“My parents’ names are actually Gerald and Betty Ford too,” Ben said, referring to the congruency between his family and the former president and first lady. “Ever since I was young, it’s always been talked about like that. I never even would have thought to have done that.”

U L Washington wore the No. 1 for the 1985 Expos. Buster Adams, who played in the 1940s wore, No. 2 and No. 6 in his career. John Adams was the second president and John Quincy Adams was the sixth. Two players named Jackson wore No. 7. Four players named Taylor wore No. 12. Six Johnsons wore No. 17, another 10 Johnsons wore No. 36. Three Wilsons wore 28. One Ike and one Dwight, both first names, wore the No. 34. Reggie Cleveland notably wore the No. 22, though not the No. 24.

There are other close calls. The Washington Senators had an infielder named John Kennedy, who wore No. 34 in 1962, No. 36 in 1963, and also shared a May 29 birthday with John F. Kennedy, the 35th president. There was also a John Fitzgerald who wore the No. 35 for his one big league appearance in 1958.

Then there’s No. 41 Guy Bush, who played with the Cubs in the 1920s and 30s. He died in 1985, four years before George H.W. Bush would become the 41st U.S. president.

Otis Nixon wore #1, as in "the first president to resign."