Your Ideas, Thoughts and Links
Posted by Raphy on September 7, 2009
In response to the request for an open suggestions page, I present you with this thread. I will try to monitor it so that it won't be closed. Additionally, I will try to check the site spam folder regularly so that if your comment with a link gets swallowed up, it will be brought back to life. I know that there will be a "Your Suggestions" page soon, but consider this as a backup for now. As Andy said, please have a little patience with this blog, as it is only a minor part of a major website. If this thread is giving you any trouble, please email me raphysotd at gmail.com.
September 7th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
One more for today...how Earl Weaver changed the DH rule:
http://prestonjg.wordpress.com/
September 8th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I posted a long response yesterday that never made it here. I thanked Jed for answering my triple and triple play question. Then I told some more triple stories. I don't have time to post them again now, but maybe I'll have a chance to do so in the future.
Do we need to be specially registered to start blog posts here?
September 8th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
You had too many links for the Spam Filter's liking. I restored it (#100).
September 9th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for restoring the message, Raphy. When it didn't get posted, I thought maybe there was a limit of 99 comments for a blog entry, since it was message #100.
My new idea, also based on a recent Phillies experience - What is the most number of solo home runs hit by a team in a game in which they accounted for all of that team's scoring in that game? The Phillies got five solo homers in their 5-3 win over the Nationals on Tuesday. Obviously, this happens a lot for some low numbers, such as 1 or 2 or even 3. (And by the way, this was in Washington, not in Citizen's Bank Park.)
September 10th, 2009 at 12:27 am
Oakland scored 6 runs on 6 home runs on 3 August 1991, losing to the Twins, 8-6. No team has beaten that in the era covered by Play Index.
September 10th, 2009 at 12:36 am
My latest post is about a left-handed throwing shortstop (at least officially) you won't be able to find using Play Index (because B-R.com has him erroneously listed as a righty)...
http://prestonjg.wordpress.com/
September 10th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Thanks, Gerry, for the answer regarding the solo home runs.
September 12th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
My latest post is an extensive history of pitchers who have started both games of a doubleheader...
http://prestonjg.wordpress.com/
September 15th, 2009 at 12:52 am
A few more items regarding triple plays:
In games where they've hit into a triple play, more players have tripled (6) than have been caught stealing (5), hit by a pitch (4), or sacrificed (3).
Details: TP + CS -- Rey Sanchez, Cubs, 8/23/93; Chuck Carr, Marlins, 9/29/93; Tim Naehring, Red Sox, 6/6/96; Stan Javier, Giants, 5/10/97; Mark McLemore, Mariners, 8/1/01 (McLemore also tripled in this game).
TP + HBP: Orlando Cepeda, Giants, 5/31/64; Eddie Brinkman, Senators, 7/15/69 (Brinkman also tripled in this game); Brian Downing, Rangers, 6/1/91; Geronimo Berroa, A's, 5/14/94.
TP + SH: Johnny O'Brien, Pirates, 7/19/55; Larry Bowa, Cubs, 8/3/82; Jody Reed, Red Sox, 7/17/90 (Reed also was on base for two triple plays, one of them later in the 7/17/90 game).
I also looked at runners who were on base at the time a triple play occurred. I was hoping to find that some player had been involved in nine triple plays, or that some poor dude with a six-game major-league career had been tripled off in one of the games. No such luck. Frank Robinson was the sole leader, with four games -- not surprising, since his Oriole teammate Brooks was the hit-into-TP leader with four. (Oddly, Frank was on base only one time for a Brooks triple play.)
Seven players were on base in three separate triple plays: Don Baylor, Barry Bonds, Tino Martinez, Manny Mota, Placido Polanco, Boog Powell (each time with Brooks Robinson batting), and George Scott.
Most obscure player to be on base during two separate triple plays during this time period is undoubtedly Hal King, with 799 career plate appearances; Braves' opponents got him twice in a three-week period in 1971, once with Leo Foster batting and once with Oscar Brown.
Most obscure player to be on base for one triple play, 1954-2008, is John Harris, Angels, 131 career PA, tripled off during a Don Baylor at-bat in an April 1981 game against the Mariners. Ron Campbell, 168 PA, one of three Cubs retired in the course of a Joey Amalfitano at-bat against the Mets in late 1966, might rate as even more obscure because his career ended so long ago.
Okay. I'm done talking about triple plays.
September 18th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Would baseball allow a team to play a home double header against 2 different teams if it were necessary?
For instance:
Cubs vs. Reds at 1:05 then Cubs vs. Pirates at 7:35 both at Wrigley Field the same day...
September 18th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
What is the quickest a player has ever gotten all of his 1st of major categories (hit, 2B, 3B, HR, SB...)?