Who might play in all 162 games (or more) this year?
Posted by Andy on September 22, 2011
I did a little bit of manual searching to find out which players have appeared in all their team's games so far and thus have a chance to appear in all 162 this season.
Prince Fielder has appeared in all 156 of the Brewers' games.
Matt Kemp has appeared in all 154 of the Dodgers' games.
And that's it...
There's a slim chance that the Brewers could end up playing 163 games this year if they end up tied for the division, but that's not all that likely.
Here are all the players to appear in more than 162 games in a season:
| Rk | Player | G | Year | Age | Tm | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maury Wills | 165 | 1962 | 29 | LAD | 759 |
| 2 | Frank Taveras | 164 | 1979 | 29 | TOT | 725 |
| 3 | Cesar Tovar | 164 | 1967 | 26 | MIN | 726 |
| 4 | Ron Santo | 164 | 1965 | 25 | CHC | 704 |
| 5 | Billy Williams | 164 | 1965 | 27 | CHC | 719 |
| 6 | Jose Pagan | 164 | 1962 | 27 | SFG | 644 |
| 7 | Justin Morneau | 163 | 2008 | 27 | MIN | 712 |
| 8 | Hideki Matsui | 163 | 2003 | 29 | NYY | 695 |
| 9 | Albert Belle | 163 | 1998 | 31 | CHW | 706 |
| 10 | Cal Ripken | 163 | 1996 | 35 | BAL | 707 |
| 11 | Todd Zeile | 163 | 1996 | 30 | TOT | 704 |
| 12 | Bobby Bonilla | 163 | 1989 | 26 | PIT | 698 |
| 13 | Jose Oquendo | 163 | 1989 | 25 | STL | 650 |
| 14 | Tony Fernandez | 163 | 1986 | 24 | TOR | 727 |
| 15 | Greg Walker | 163 | 1985 | 25 | CHW | 650 |
| 16 | Steve Garvey | 163 | 1980 | 31 | LAD | 704 |
| 17 | Al Oliver | 163 | 1980 | 33 | TEX | 709 |
| 18 | Pete Rose | 163 | 1979 | 38 | PHI | 730 |
| 19 | Jim Rice | 163 | 1978 | 25 | BOS | 746 |
| 20 | Willie Montanez | 163 | 1976 | 28 | TOT | 691 |
| 21 | Pete Rose | 163 | 1974 | 33 | CIN | 770 |
| 22 | Billy Williams | 163 | 1969 | 31 | CHC | 708 |
| 23 | Billy Williams | 163 | 1968 | 30 | CHC | 699 |
| 24 | Harmon Killebrew | 163 | 1967 | 31 | MIN | 689 |
| 25 | Bill Mazeroski | 163 | 1967 | 30 | PIT | 679 |
| 26 | Don Buford | 163 | 1966 | 29 | CHW | 698 |
| 27 | Ernie Banks | 163 | 1965 | 34 | CHC | 680 |
| 28 | Leo Cardenas | 163 | 1964 | 25 | CIN | 652 |
| 29 | Brooks Robinson | 163 | 1964 | 27 | BAL | 685 |
| 30 | Leon Wagner | 163 | 1964 | 30 | CLE | 710 |
| 31 | Tommy Davis | 163 | 1962 | 23 | LAD | 711 |
| 32 | Rocky Colavito | 163 | 1961 | 27 | DET | 708 |
| 33 | Brooks Robinson | 163 | 1961 | 24 | BAL | 736 |
There are a number of different ways that a player can reach more than 162 games. Here are a few examples from the above list:
- Maury Wills appeared in all of the Dodgers' games in 1962, and that included 3 extras because divisional ties used to be settled by a 3-game series instead of a single game playoff.
- In 1967, Cesar Tovar's Twins played in two tie games. Going by the rules of the day, the game stats themselves counted but the games were replayed in their entirety. Tovar appeared in all of them and thus ended up with 164 games.
- In 1979 Frank Taveras appeared in each of the Pirates' first 11 games and was then traded to the Mets. Because of a scheduling difference, the first game he appeared in for the Mets was only their 10th of the season. He went on to appear in all but one of the rest of the games of the season (he sat out team game #152) and the Mets also played an extra game thanks to a tie in May. So Taveras ended up with 164 games played that year, and could have topped 162 even without that tie game in May.
- There are many examples, such as Justin Morneau in 2008, of a player appearing in 163 games that include a 1-game playoff at the end of the season.
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:21 am
Matt Kemp won't get to 162, because one of the games against the Nats got rained out and won't be rescheduled.
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:34 am
I remember a kid trying to get me to bite on a Tony Fernandez "error card" (back when error cards were all the rage, because Donruss couldn't be bothered QA'ing their cards) by pointing to the 163 games on the back.
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:37 am
Interesting that Billy Williams did it in consecutive years.
Also interesting that Cal Ripken made this list only once.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:20 am
Interesting that more people don't have more than 162 due to being traded to teams with more games left to play. When you look at team records in mid-season, you can see some rather sizable gaps in games played due to rainouts and scheduling differences.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:24 am
#4, it requires a perfect storm, of course. A player has to get traded between just the right pair of teams that have a difference in the schedule, and in most cases (Taveras being an exception) he has to play in every single game on both sides...not all that easy to do.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:24 am
#3
The pre-1988 Cubs probably had a greater-than-normal number of ties thanks to the lack of lights at Wrigley Field.
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:51 am
There are a few players here who make the list even though they didn't play in every game that season. Ernie Banks for one must have missed a game because two of his teammates have 164 games played while he 'only' has 163. Same for Tommy Davis. Bunch of slackers... taking days off....
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:07 am
It's funny how much commentators rag on Prince for being "out of shape" when he's one of the few players in the game who consistently plays almost every game, every year.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:09 am
The pre-1988 Cubs probably had a greater-than-normal number of ties thanks to the lack of lights at Wrigley Field.
That's what I thought, too. And yet it's true only only for the postwar years, and even then only by a very slim margin.
Ties in home games, 1946-87: Cubs 17, Braves 16, White Sox 15, Tigers 13, Browns/Orioles 11. The Cardinals, Senators I/Twins and Pirates had 9; Phillies, Indians, Red Sox and A's, 8; Dodgers, 7; Reds and Yankees, 6; Mets, 5; Astros, Giants, Pilots/Brewers and Royals, 2; and Padres, 1.
Ties in all games, 1946-87: Cubs 29, White Sox 26, Tigers and Braves 24, Cardinals 21, all other teams fewer than 20.
Ties in home games, 1901-87: Senators I/Twins 63, Browns/Orioles 61, Cardinals 59, Braves 57, White Sox 54, Cubs 48, A's 46, Giants 45, Indians 44, Dodgers and Reds 43, Red Sox 41, Tigers and Pirates 40, Yankees 38, Phillies 35. No other team has more than six — and that team is the St. Louis Terriers, which operated only in 1914 and 1915.
Ties in all games, 1901-87: Senators I/Twins 108, Browns/Orioles 107, Braves 106, Cardinals 103, White Sox 100, Cubs 97, Tigers 95, Pirates and Indians 92, Giants and Yankees 91, Dodgers 90, A's 89, Reds 86, Red Sox 82, Phillies 75. No other team has more than eight (Mets).
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:12 am
That Frank Taveras season equates to 164 games of fans sitting along the first-base line fearing for their very lives; man was a touch scatter-armed.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:13 am
I was looking at Gherig's stats recently and was surprised by how many seasons he had with more than 154 games. Did the Yanks end up in that many ties?
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:15 am
Gehrig had 2 seasons of 157, 1 of 156, and 4 of 155, back when the season was 154 games long. Were those divisional tiebreakers? Tie games replayed? Were things just screwy back then? He didn't even lead the league in GP all those years!
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:25 am
Before night games arrived, most teams had at least one or two ties every season. I think, from a quick scan of Retrosheet's yearly standings, that the first season in which there were no ties for any big-league team was 1976.
Here's a dude I'd like to acknowledge: Jimmy Barrett, centerfielder for the 1904 Tigers. The Tigers played 152 games to a decision, plus a record 10 ties. Barrett played in every game, 162 all told. That must have been the record before Colavito and Robinson appeared in 163 games in 1961.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:27 am
I've seen gaps mid season where teams had as many as 8 (or even more) games played more than another team. One day it'll happen just right and a player will play something ridiculous like 169 games. Throw in a playoff game and one day I dream of seeing a player hit 170.
But yeah, numerous variables are needed to hit together.
In theory, it's probably possible for a player to get close to 200 games in a single regular season. It would require the player getting repeatedly traded to teams that have played less games and managing to make the transitions quickly. Now that would be a neat gimmick for someone to pull off.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:34 am
1976 was indeed the first tie-less regular season. The entire NL first had no ties in 1925, the entire AL in 1930. Barring trades (e.g., Willie Montañez, 1976), don't look for any games-played records from those seasons. (-;þ
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:39 am
I wonder what the record is for the fewest number of games played by a player who played all of his teams games (in non-strike shortened seasons)....kind of the opposite of what Tim is talking about in #4.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:39 am
Andy and BSK, those weren't divisional ties they were ties for the pennant, which is what the season used to be all about.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:49 am
Prince Fielder has not only played in all 156 Brewers games this year, he has started every one (153 - 1B / 3 - DH). Three other players (Uggla, Votto, Castro) have logged more innings, though, because Fielder has come out in the late innings more often. Kemp has started all but one of the Dodger games.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:55 am
@14,
It wouldn't require that the player be traded to a team that has played in fewer games. That really wouldn't work because the season is only about 180 days long. He'd could play day AND night games for different teams (via trades) on the same day 38 times. 162 + 38 = 200
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 am
DVD-
Indeed. My youth is showing.
I also wonder about players who maxed out at 162, but would have had more if not for cancelled games. For instance, a player might be traded mid-year to a team with more games remaining that his former team, play every game for both teams, but only get to 162 because of a rain-out that wasn't made up. His teammates would have 161, but he'd have 162. No idea how to search for this... GP > Team Games?
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:57 am
Stupid Miguel Cabrera's baby, ruining everything.
September 22nd, 2011 at 11:58 am
Is it stupid Miguel Cabrera's baby, or Miguel Cabrera's stupid baby?
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:36 pm
In retrospect, can there be any doubt that the Giants from 1962 to 1971 needed at least an 80 OPS+ from their regular shortstop to reach the postseason?
1962: Regular shortstop José Pagán, OPS+ 81, won NL pennant by one game
1963: Regular SS Pagán, OPS+ 67, missed the postseason
1964: Regular SS Pagán, OPS+ 56, missed the postseason
1965: Regular SS Dick Schofield, OPS+ 46, missed the postseason
1966: Regular SS Tito Fuentes, OPS+ 73, missed the postseason
1967: Regular SS Hal Lanier, OPS+ 42, missed the postseason
1968: Regular SS Lanier, OPS+ 38, missed the postseason
1969: Regular SS Lanier, OPS+ 46, missed the postseason
1970: Regular SS Lanier, OPS+ 46, missed the postseason
1971: Regular SS Chris Speier, OPS+ 80, won NL West by one game
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Can someone explain Matsui's playing 163 in 2003. What am I missing?
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:49 pm
#24 There was a tie and a re-play of the game. I am hazy on the rules of when a game gets replayed, vs simply suspended and completed at a later time, but that's what happened.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Nevermind, I see they had a tie. I didn't know that was a rule as recently as 2003.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Thanks Andy, I knew (and still know) almost nothing of that rule.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Wow, I just looked up Dick Schofield and found something SHOCKING!
Both Dick Schofield Sr. and Dick Schofield Jr had long careers. Both posted a career OPS+ of 73. Like father like son.
Would've never guessed they were related to Jayson Werth.
September 22nd, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Werth's OBP and SLG this year are just a bit better than the career marks posted by his uncle and his grandfather (seriously).
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:03 pm
#212/BSK - In Gehrig's era, before night games, there were usually a number of tie games. That, plus the rained-out games, meant that there was a lot of variability in the actual number of games played. Despite a 154-game schedule, there were frequently less or more than 154 games actually played, sometimes more than a couple games.
Since GP is a counting stat, playing in all of your team's games doesn't guarantee leading the league in GP.
@13/ Kahuna Tuna - Checking the game-played leaders for 154-game schedule years, it appears the leader indeed is Jimmy Barret of the 1904 Tigers.
@16/ Jeremy - I'd start with Gehrig's 149 in 1935, for the fewest number of games played by a player who played all of his team's games (in non-strike shortened seasons).
Is there any way to check if a player played every inning of every game in a year? I read that Ripken did this only four times during The Streak.
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:13 pm
@30,
This is an INcomplete list of players that played every inning in a season.
Luke Appling - 1935 White Sox
Richie Ashburn - 1953 Phillies
Earl Averill (2) - 1929 and 1932 Indians
Gene Baker - 1955 Reds
Sal Bando - 1969 Athletics
Ernie Banks - 1958 Cubs
Beau Bell - 1936 Browns
Les Bell (2) - 1925 Cardinals and 1928 Braves
Wally Berger - 1931 Braves
Sam Bohne - 1921 Reds
Jim Bottomley - 1925 Cardinals
Eddie Brown - 1925 Dodgers
Jack Burns - 1934 Browns
Dolph Camilli - 1935 Phillies
Ripper Collins - 1934 Cardinals
Harry Craft - 1938 Reds
Doc Cramer - 1935 Athletics
Red Cress - 1930 Browns
Kiki Cuyler - 1930 Cubs
Taylor Douthit - 1928 Cardinals
Pat Duncan - 1920 Reds
Pete Fox - 1938 Tigers
Travis Fryman - 1995 Tigers
Augie Galan - 1935 Cubs
Lou Gehrig - 1931 Yankees
Charlie Gehringer (2) - 1928 and 1930 Tigers
Wally Gerber - 1923 Browns
Hank Greenberg - 1935 Tigers
Buddy Hassett - 1936 Dodgers
Rogers Hornsby (2) - 1921 Cardinals and 1927 Giants
George Kelly - 1920 Giants
Chuck Klein (2) - 1932 and 1933 Phillies
Lyn Lary - 1937 Indians
Frank Malzone - 1959 Red Sox
Frank McCormick - 1938 Reds
Marty McManus - 1925 Browns
Wally Moses - 1937 Athletics
Eddie Murray - 1984 Orioles
Mel Ott - 1934 Giants
Juan Pierre - 2004 Marlins
Tony Piet - 1932 Pirates
Del Pratt - 1922 Red Sox
Cal Ripken (4) - 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986 Orioles
Red Rolfe - 1939 Yankees
Jack Rothrock - 1934 Cardinals
Ron Santo (2) - 1963 and 1965 Cubs
Joe Sewell (2) - 1924 and 1925 Indians
Richie Sexson - 2003 Brewers
Al Simmons - 1924 Athletics
George Sisler - 1920 Browns
Gus Suhr (2) - 1932 and 1933 Pirates
Phil Todt - 1926 Red Sox
Mickey Vernon - 1953 Senators
Paul Waner - 1933 Pirates
Pinky Whitney - 1929 Phillies
Billy Williams - 1965 Cubs
Glenn Wright (2) - 1924 and 1925 Pirates
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Leo Durocher would play his grandmother 9 innings for 162 games....
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:18 pm
@31 OMG Juan Pierre and Richie Sexson
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Well geez in 2003 Sexson had a 140 OPS+ but only 2.9 WAR due to a big negative contribution from dWAR.
Lowest WAR for a player with 140 OPS+ and qualifying for batting title:
Generated 9/22/2011.
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:23 pm
In 1985, the ChiSox and BoSox played to a 1-1 tie in a July game rained out after 8 innings at Fenway. That game was made up as part of a doubleheader.
In addition, the Sox and Sox were to play at Comiskey during the first week of August, but they lost two games to the player's strike. One of them was made up as part of a doubleheader on August 8th, and the other was made up later.
Greg Walker played in all of them. Bill Buckner of the Red Sox finished with 162 games played.
In other White Sox news from this list, Albert Belle had the longest active consecutive game streak when Cal Ripken took a day off to end his long streak.
If a game at Wrigley was tied when it got dark, it was suspended and resumed the next time those teams played. There was a Dodgers-Cubs game in 1982 that was 1-1 after 18 innings and resumed the next day for 3 innings. Cub fans claim Eric Gregg blew two calls at the plate...one in the 8th that could have ended the game in regulation and one in the 21st that gave the Dodgers a lead they should not have had.
September 22nd, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Good research, Statboy!
Phil Todt - 1926 Red Sox
The only player to play first base for the team that season. Whether or not it actually showed up in his pay envelope, Todt qualified for combat pay — those Red Sox finished with a record of 46-107.
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Division play did not start until 1969. As far as I can tell 1962 was the only "pennant playoff" that was more than one game.-- Sad but true. Old enough to remember when it was just the World Series in October.
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:07 pm
@ #16--it would have to be some 18th century guy, back when they played far fewer league games. If you want to count it, the Union Association had one team that folded after only 9 league games--I wouldn't be surprised if all their starters played all 9 games. Since the 162 game schedule came in, IIRC the fewest games played by any team (not counting strike years) is something like 159.
@ # 8--his dad was kind of like that too. In his prime, after coming back from Japan, Cecil played 150+ games every year up to age 33 except for the strike years of 1994 and 1995. His games played fell off pretty quickly after that, though.
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:26 pm
@37: As far as I can tell 1962 was the only "pennant playoff" that was more than one game.
Besides 1962, there were three pre-1969 seasons in which two NL teams finished the season in a tie and played a best-of-three series to determine the pennant winner: 1946 (Cardinals and Dodgers), 1951 (Giants and Dodgers), and 1959 (Dodgers and Braves). During this period the AL used a single-game playoff to break pennant ties. See this Retrosheet page.
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
@39 : Thanks, could not find that info. Interesting, all ties involved either Dodgers or Red Sox until 1995.
September 22nd, 2011 at 3:25 pm
@38/ David P Stokes - fewest games playing in all of team's games in a year:
I thought that #16/ Jeremy was referring to 154 games seasons, otherwise (as you say) just go back to the very first NL seasons (61 in 1877), or 33 in 1871, if you consider the NA a "major league". That's why I suggested Gehrig's 149 games in 1935.
September 22nd, 2011 at 4:59 pm
The 1904 AL was very odd. Boston went 95-59 (.617 W%, 154 G) and New York went 92-59 (.609 W%, 151 G) but they just gave the pennant to the Americans (Red Sox) although the Highlanders (Yankees) had a chance to tie them if they went 3-0 in the 3 games they didn't get to play.
Boston had 3 ties, including 2 vs NY, but obviously made them up since they played 154 games. New York had 4 ties but its hard to tell if they were made up or where the missed games came from.
September 22nd, 2011 at 7:48 pm
How about that 38-year old Charlie Hustle? Next oldest is Cal Ripkin at 35. Amazing!
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:02 pm
The 1908 AL was even odder, ending up like this:
Detroit 90 63
Cleveland 90 64
Chicago 88 64
Had the schedule been completed, there could have been a three way tie for first. However, I believe it had been decided earlier not to finish the games, though I'm not sure of the reasoning.
Had they made them up, it would have made for an interesting scheduling situation in the age of train travel. The make-up games would have been:
DET @ WAS
STL @ CHI
CHI @ WAS
Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago all finished their schedules on 10/6, but Washington continued making up games with the Yankees until 10/8. So here's what might have happened:
10/7: St Louis pops up to Chicago. If the Browns win, the Sox are done. If the Sox win, they head for Washington.
10/9: Detroit plays at Washington. If they win, it's all over. If they lose, they drop into a tie with a fingernailless Cleveland team, and the Sox can join them with a win over Washington. Might they make the Senators play a doubleheader against two different teams?
And then there's the play-off games, and all this time the World Series is scheduled to begin on 10/10.
Maybe it's just as well they forgot about the games.
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:08 pm
@44, meanwhile over in the senior circuit the Cubs and Giants replayed the Merkle boner game
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Only catchers and pitchers(and of course banged up players) need time off in baseball.
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:53 am
Frank Taveras justly deserved his one game of rest in 1979. I say game of rest, because it was not a day off - he just got to sit out the second game of a double-header.
The Mets had a brutal closing schedule that year, with 6 double-headers in an 11-day span, from Sep 18-28. The game Taveras sat out was in the 3rd double-header in as many days.
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:41 am
I know that we all know how amazing Cal Ripken was, but am I the only one that is STILL impressed by the fact that even though he only played every inning of every game four times during the streak, those four times were in consecutive years (1983-1986)?
So, I got curious and checked out '82 and '87 to see how many games on either side of those four seasons he played. On 6/4/82, he was pinch hit for in the top of the 9th inning by Jim Dwyer in a game the Orioles lost, so he played all 8 innings in the field. Before that, the last time he didn't play the field was when he sat out the second game of a doubleheader on May 29, 1982, which of course, was the last game he sat out until September of '98.
So after he was pinch hit for, he played every inning of the last 114 games in 1982. Then, 1983-162, 1984-162, 1985-161, 1986- 162. In '87, he played every inning of the first 142 games and in the team's 143rd game of the season on 9/14/87, after batting in the 8th, he was lifted (injury?) defensively, and replaced by current Rangers manager Ron Washington.
So, from 6/5/82 to 9/13/87, Cal Ripken played every inning of 903 consecutive games. I mean, I don't take sick days either, but that is just unfathomable...
September 23rd, 2011 at 10:44 am
@46/ Steve Says: "Only catchers and pitchers(and of course banged up players) need time off in baseball."
Steve - in other words, by the end of the year, pretty much anyone who plays regularly...
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Is there anywhere to look to see who currently has the longest active games played streak? I seem to remember looking at a list years ago on players who had streaks over 500. The only person who was on there twice (I believe) was Charlie Hustle.
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Cal Ripken Jr. played every inning of the first 142 games and in the team's 143rd game of the season on 9/14/87, after batting in the 8th, he was lifted (injury?) defensively, and replaced by current Rangers manager Ron Washington.
I think he came out of the 9/14/87 game because his team was trailing 18-3 in the top of the ninth, en route to its seventh straight loss.
So, from 6/5/82 to 9/13/87, Cal Ripken played every inning of 903 consecutive games.
9/13/87 was an off day for the Orioles, but your point stands, Jay. My rough calculation is that Ripken's 903-game every-inning streak, plus the first eight innings of the 9/14/87 game, covered 8,263 innings. Iron, or titanium?
September 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
What? The 13th was an off day and he still came out of the game early on the 14th?? What a slacker. There aren't enough superlatives to describe what Cal means to the game, and I'm not even an Orioles fan. If it weren't him and the streak, MLB would have had a MUCH tougher time winning the fans back after the '94 debacle. The fact that he's a classy individual as well just adds to the mystique.
September 23rd, 2011 at 3:04 pm
What? The 13th was an off day and he still came out of the game early on the 14th??
The O's had just finished a three-game series in Boston. I figured Ripken might have stayed over an extra day to run the Boston Marathon, but it's always held in April.
That 9/14/87 game was the one in which O's pitchers surrendered 10 home runs, a record that still stands. If I'd stood around in cold Canadian weather to see that debacle after making it through 8,263 consecutive less-discouraging innings, I'd probably have opted to grab a little pine too.
September 23rd, 2011 at 8:03 pm
@36.
Playing every inning of the season, by searching for teams having only one player playing a given position.
Shockingly easy using Play Index. Here they are by position, since 1901.
- C - never done, unsurprisingly
- 1B - 35 teams, 32 before 1950. Last was 2003 Brewers, Richie Sexson.
- 2B - 11 teams, 10 before 1950. Last was 1955 Cubs, Gene Baker.
- 3B - 15 teams, 10 before 1950. Last was 1995 Tigers, Travis Fryman.
- SS - 20 teams, 15 before 1950. Last was 1986 Orioles, Cal Ripken.
- LF - 9 teams, all before 1950. Last was 1949 Phillies, Del Ennis
- CF - 15 teams, 13 before 1950. Last was 2004 Marlins, Juan Pierre
- RF - 9 teams, all before 1950. Last was 1947 Giants, Willard Marshall
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:38 pm
Ah, yes, one of my favorite trivia questions:
Who led American League shortstops in games played in 1986? And the person who did this did not share this lead.
Casual baseball fans will possibly know that Cal Ripken played in every game for a long period of time, including 1986, and that he played shortstop, so "obviously" he is the answer to this question.
As for that 9/14/1987 game, the reason I've heard for his removal from the game is that his father, Cal Sr., who was the Orioles' manager at the time, took him out of the game so that he wouldn't feel the pressure of also having to keep a consecutive innings streak going as well as the consecutive games streak.
September 24th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
@55
The answer is in comment #2.
September 24th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
@56 - Yes, I know. But I brought it up because outside of this group, this is not the type of thing that would be well-known.