25 posts tagged “short hops”
For some reason, I have always been attracted to the oddities that occur during the major-league season. So when I found this article by Jayson Stark, it was like I found a gold mine.
Stark lists the strangest, weirdest, most improbable occurrences of the 2008 season. Here were some of my favorites:
- The only Padre to steal a base in the entire month of July was that world-famous base bandit, Greg Maddux.
- Willy Taveras stole five bases in one game on June 14th -- but still didn't score a run.
- Dan Uggla committed more errors on back-to-back pitches in the All Star Game (two) then he'd committed in the previous 2 1/2 months (one). Then again, it was that kind of night. Uggla crammed three errors, three strikeouts, and a double-play groundout into FIVE INNINGS of the All Star Game -- a combination unmatched by any player in history in any regular-season, postseason, or All-Star Game ever played.
- No team in baseball made more out of its hitlessness than the Astros did in an Aug. 13 win over the Giants. The 'Stros put together a six-run sixth inning and somehow got an RBI from six different players without getting even ONE stinking hit in the inning. So how'd that happen? Two bases-loaded walks, two bases-loaded hit batters, and two sacrifice flies -- and presto. Put that six on the old scoreboard.
- The Nationals had losing streaks of 12 and nine games in their first 39 games after the All Star break. The Yankees haven't had a losing streak as long as either of those two since Sept. 21, 1982 -- which was more than 4,000 games ago.
- Angels rookie Sean Rodriguez will never forget his Sept. 4 strikeout against the Tigers -- because it came on a 4-and-2 pitch, when everybody lost track of the count, including the umpires AND Rodriguez. "That's a new trick of ours," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
If you get a chance, check out the article. The one about Bengie Molina is absolutely ridiculous.
Also, if you forgot any of the other oddities that occurred during the 2008 season, check out the archives of the short hops.
This will be the final edition of 'Short Hops' for the 2008 season. They will be back again next year.
- With apologies to Joe Maddon (the right man for the right team at the right time), managers exert far less influence on a club's fortunes than most fans think. Of the long-time gods of the profession -- Bobby Cox, Jim Leyland, Joe Torre, and Tony LaRussa -- only the latter may have done a little better than the talent available in the clubhouse.
Cox made 14 consecutive postseasons until his pitchers got old and the front office folded up the wallet. He's 16 games under .500 the last three years. Leyland's Tigers were projected to be a powerhouse, yet freefell to the A.L. Central basement. Torre -- whose club would have been eight or more games out in four of the other five divisions -- couldn't do a thing with the Dodgers until Manny Ramirez did it for him.
In his customarily profane way, Leyland articulated the accountability equilibrium between the puppeteer and the puppets when he admitted, "With the year we've had, I stunk. But I'll tell you what, I'm not the f****** Long Ranger."
- There may be no "New York, New York" in the playoffs, but baseball still has those little-town blues. Three of the four postseason entries in each league are from major markets.
- First baseman/outfielder Micah Hoffpauir drove in 100 runs in AAA this season. In 290 at bats. The fewest ABs in a 100-RBI major league season: 373 by Barry Bonds in 2004. Neither that performance nor his .342 average in 33 games with the Cubs was enough to earn Hoffpauir the final spot on their postseason roster, which went to Felix Pie.
- Tampa Bay did not start a pitcher all season who had celebrated his 26th birthday.
- Attention Ryan Howard-for-N.L. MVP types: The local chapter of the BWAA voted for the Phillies team MVP and the winner was...Brad Lidge.
- Is David Wright replacing A-Rod as the worm in the Big Apple? In an otherwise hot September for him, no Met gripped more down the stretch. On consecutive nights against the Cubs, he suffered ugly-looking strikeouts with a man in scoring position in walk-off situations. He finished with a .243 average with runners in scoring position, including .207 with multiple men in scoring position. Wright set the Mets RBI record with 124, but came to bat with 508 runners on base -- 43 more than the pro-rated total of the average player.
- Dusty Baker is the only manager who burns scented candles in his office. At all times. "I just like my office to smell good," he explains.
- With a loss on Sunday, Washington was a big winner, and with a win, Seattle was a big loser. The final-day results flip-flopped them for the first pick in next year's draft, which now goes to the Nats.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- How old is Jamie Moyer? So old that the pitcher he beat in his first major league start -- Steve Carlton -- is about to celebrate his 64th birthday. So old that the Cubs tried to hire him as a coach 15 years ago. So old that when he broke into the bigs, his father-in-law, Digger Phelps, still had five years of coaching left at Notre Dame. And at 45, he's sold old that he:
* Became, in June, the oldest non-knuckleballer since 1956 to strike out nine batters in a game.
* Will tie Phil Niekro's record for victories by a 45-or-older pitcher if he beats the Nationals this weekend.
* Is about to become the oldest pitcher with qualifying innings to record an ERA below 4.00.
- Brad Zeigler's run of 156.2 innings pitched without allowing a homer in the minors or majors over the past two seasons ended spectacularly this past week. The soft-tossing sidearmer served one up to Mark Teixeira on the 17th and another to Hank Blalock five days later, resulting in the first two blown saves of his career.
- The Astros got back in the race by winning 14 of 15 through September 11th, then promptly were outscored 38-5 in a five-game losing streak to fall by the wayside.
- Now that they've tired the 1933-1948 Phillies at 16, the Pirates will -- by this time next year -- stand alone as the professional sports franchise with the most consecutive losing seasons.
- The Yankees were curiously selective about the names and highlights they busted out during a tribute to the greatest of pinstripers during the Stadium's grand finale. Admitted users Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte were cited; Roger Clemens was not. Neither was Joe Torre.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around the game, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- Allowing prized 24-year-old Tim Lincecum to throw 138 pitches in a meaningless 7-0 game last Saturday just so he could get his first shutout was a chance, if not irresponsible decision by Giants manager Bruce Bochy. The kid has a small body and high-risk mechanics to begin with, and the output left him with the third-most pitches thrown (3,357) by any pitcher this season.
- The only thing shocking about Ned Yost's dismissal was that the Brewers took so long to wield the axe. Yost fancies himself tough, but under pressure, he gets tighter than a Ben Sheets curveball. This time last year, Milwaukee blew and 8.5 game lead with a late 19-24 skid exacerbated by their manager's ejection from three games (and suspension) during the final week. Similarly in 2008, Yost has had all the calming influence of a squirrel in a ladies restroom, tightening the screws on his young team with rebukes, over-the-top rants and incongruous decisions.
- If Ryan Howard strikes out 10 more times in the Phillies' last 11 games, he'll be the first big-leaguer ever to reach 200 -- but not even the first professional one this year. A minor league outfielder named Jeramy Laster did that for the Tigers' Lakeland club, hitting that number on the nose. In fact, Laster nearly whiffed his batting average (.204) and struck out more than twice as many times as he had hits (98).
- There's a chance that three Orioles will finish with 50 doubles. Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff have 48 (as of last week), with Nick Markakis close behind at 46. They've had only three players reach that level in their 108-year franchise history up to now.
- Victor Martinez's first career walk-off home run on Tuesday was the first ever allowed by Joe Nathan since he joined the Twins 335 appearances ago.
- The Twins have nearly twice as many bunt hits as any other team -- 59, to 30 for the Reds.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- Our nomination for the most underutilized player of 2008 is Jayson Werth. The Phillies flychaser is an above-average defender at all three outfield posts, can steal a base (16 for 17 this year) and can flat hit. Any kind of pitching. Yet, insisted old-school manager Charlie Manuel recently said, "When he improves against right-handers, he'll be a very good everyday player."
Uh, Manual must be confusing him with Geoff Jenkins, the slow, defensive liability he'd rather start in right field against right-handers. The lefty-hitting Jenkins' OPS against righties is .735 -- below that of the National League average. Righty Werth's is .788, yet Jenkins has robbed him of a couple hundred plate appearances.
Werth is mortal poison on southpaws, against whom he'd pounded 15 home runs in only 138 at bats, but to insistent are the Phillies that he can't play every day that, when Jenkins got hurt a couple weeks ago, they went out and got another portside-poking outfielder in Matt Stairs. Manuel started Stairs three times the first week he was on the roster, and not only was the ex-Blue Jay hitless in each game, but he had to be pulled in the sixth inning of every one when the opposition switched to a southpaw.
"Sometimes it's hard to shake a label," sighs Werth. Especially if your manager can't shake a bad habit.
- A's general manager Billy Beane fancies himself a "stat guy" -- a Strat-O-Matic aficionado who's been at the cutting edge of sabermetric revolution. So he must really love all those prospects he got when he traded ace Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks and slugger Nick Swisher to the White Sox last winter. Several have been responsible for some of the more interesting statistical notes of the season:
LHP Greg Smith: His 14 pickoffs are the most in baseball in a decade.
LHP Dana Eveland: Has allowed the fewest home runs (eight) of any pitcher with at least 25 starts.
OF Carlos Gonzalez: Was the first player since Johnny Mize in 1936 whose first seven big-league hits went for extra bases. All were doubles.
1B Chris Carter: Led all minor leaguers below the Triple-A level with 39 home runs for Class A Stockton.
LHP Gio Gonzalez: On Monday, allowed the 2499,998th, 249,999th, and 250,000th home runs in major league history.
OF Ryan Sweeney: Has not yet made an error in his 300-plus chances in the majors since 2006, nor in his 258 chances over the past two years in the minors.
LHP Brett Anderson: Made a start for Stockton in which he allowed eight runs in a third of an inning.
OF Aaron Cunningham: At .320 (8 for 25), now holds the record for highest average ever by an Alaskan with more than two at bats.
- The Brewers are 21-22 in games not started by CC Sabathia since they acquired the big fella. If manager Ned Yost blows this again, he could be gone.
- The Cy favorite who shouldn't be is Brandon Webb. After a smokin' six weeks, he's 10-7 with a 3.82 ERA since May 21st, including shellackings in his last three starts as the D-Backs struggle to stay in the postseason picture.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- While we can't blame the Brewers and manager Ned Yost for sticking up for their guy, Yost's snotty vilification of the Pirates official scorer in CC Sabathia's near-no-hitter was over the top. Scorer Bob Webb was making these types of calls 15 years before Yost became a major league manager. Ten scorers with at least a decade of experience were polled about the 45-foot roller that was bobbled by Sabathia; eight agreed with the ruling. Looking at the play, an objective case could be made either way -- hardly incontrovertible grounds to do something as unprecedented as awarding a no-no retroactively. Fact is, the controversy would be a mirror image if the batter, Andy LaRoche, was amidst a 40-game hitting streak. Hah hah. That's the irony. LaRoche was 21-for-131 (.160) in 2008, with one hit in his last 32 at bats, at the time.
- Gotta hand it to David Wright. He was still signing autographs outside Shea Stadium at 1:30 a.m. after the Mets' excruciating, seven-run-lead-blowing loss to the Phillies on August 26th.
- There is almost zero chance that the Orioles will break their string of finishing no better than 20th in the majors in ERA every year since the millennium.
- Victor Martinez, regarded in March by most fantasy-leaguers as the top offensive catcher in the game, just hit his first home run in 49 weeks. He's been hurt, but his previous one was 207 at bats ago.
- Teams scored seven or more runs in a game 295 times between July 23rd and September 2nd, but the A's weren't one of them. On Tuesday, their six-or-fewer streak reached 38.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around the game, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- By at least one criterion -- OPS -- Milton Bradley (1.020) is the best hitter in the American League. When he plays, that is. The problematic slugger hasn't been on the disabled list this season, a destination he's visited a dozen times (not including two suspensions) since 2002, resulting in almost 400 missed games. He has, however, been more day-to-day than Fidel Castro.
Just this month, Bradley has been unavailable due to back stiffness, a sinus problem, knee woes, and a quadriceps injury. In July, he missed time with an ejection and a forearm bruise. In June, it was a quad. In May, "light-headedness," another ejection, shoulder pain, and a hamstring tweak. And he was only intermittently available in April as he recovered from 2008 knee surgery.
The curious part of all this is that it's almost routine for the Rangers to inform, or at least imply, to the media that Bradley will be back in the lineup presently, only to have him declare himself out of commission at gametime. Something tells me that the itinerant outfielder will be wearing yet another uniform in 2009. Occasionally.
- Jack Cust recently tied his own Athletics record by striking out in a 19th consecutive game for the second time this season. Through Tuesday, he's fanned three or more times in 17 contests. He's up to 156 for the year -- a comfortable 32 more than his closest challenger to "defend" his A.L. crown, but still seven in arrears of N.L. leader Ryan Howard.
- Melvin Mora has been released by the Astros, played in Taiwan to keep his career on life support, virtually given away by the Mets, and scorned in Baltimore after a feeble 2007 season. Now 36, he's on the verge of a 100-RBI campaign after going .432-9-43 between July 17th and August 17th.
- The Rays are red hot and wildly entertaining. On Tuesday, they staged a gripping, last-at-bat come-from-behind win to overtake the Angels for the best record in the American League. The attendance was 15,902. An apologetic media member said, "West Coast teams just don't draw [there] during the week." Sorry, you'll have to do better than that. That night, the Rangers drew more against the Tigers. Two bad teams -- the Giants and Orioles -- attracted a crowd more than triple what the Rays hosted. The Indians drew more despite playing the Royals. And the Dodgers pulled in 46,687 against the Rockies. But of course, their fans were lured by the return to the majors of Tanyon Sturtze- a former Ray. P.S.- Does anyone find it funny that Sturtze and Scott Proctor have both been reunited with Joe Torre?
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- They say you can't steal first base -- but it almost seems that Willy Taveras can. With a dozen more swipes than his nearest competitor, he appears to be a lock to lead the N.L. But the disconnect is that the Rockies outfielder has 51 of them despite a skimpy on-base percentage of .302. Over a full season, only eight players have stolen 50 bags with a lower one. (It helps that he opened the year 18-for-18 when attempting to pilfer third.)
Rockies skipper Clint Hurdle almost always bats Fast Willy atop the order (a role in which his OBP is below .300), but Wednesday night's loss to Arizona illustrated the price to be paid for the center fielder's over-anxiousness. Taveras saw only nine pitches the whole game and went 0-for-4. Once he came up following a walk to .039-hitting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez and, rather than make misfiring Randy Johnson throw a strike, he popped up the first pitch and left two men on base. Later, again with two aboard, he fouled off the first offering and bounced into a double play on the second. Ironically, after going well over a year without a GIDP, it was Taveras' second in three games.
So if you were wondering why two teams dumped him before his 25th birthday, and why he's periodically benched despite the grand thievery, tremendous outfield defense, and a career batting average that stood at .293 before this year, now you know. His managers simply lose patience with his impatience.
- Eighteen starts into his season, Twins righty Kevin Slowey has yet to allow a first-inning run (a team record), and he hasn't walked anyone in 16 of his first 29 career starts (a major league mark).
- The Rangers went 13-12 in July despite an ERA of 6.63.
- On the same day that Jonny Gomes saw his Tampa Bay record for home runs by a rookie broken by Evan Longoria's 22nd, he was sent to the minors.
- Corey Patterson just snapped an 0-for-23 streak with runners in scoring position. Of course, he's not much better in any situation; he's the only guy in the majors with at least 250 plate appearances who's still looking up at the Mendoza line (.194).
- By the way, of the nine players hitting below .220 with that minimum, five are catchers (Jeff Mathis, Jason Varitek, Kenji Johjima, Paul Bako, Carlos Ruiz) and one (Daric Barton) used to be.
- Of all the nutty nuggets to come out of the Red Sox's 19-17 conquest of the Rangers on Tuesday, the best one is this: Texas' Scott Feldman was the first starter to allow 12 runs and not take the loss since Gene Packard of the 1918 Cardinals (who actually got a "W" against the Phillies).
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- When Joe Pepitone played for the Yankees in the 1960s, he was known as a carouser, a showboat, and an all-around piece of work. Supposedly he showed up at his very first spring training penniless, having blown his $25,000 signing bonus on a T'bird, a boat, a shark-skin suit, and a dog. He concluded his career in Japan, where his late-night exploits were so infamous that the word "Pepitone" -- and we're serious about this -- has been adopted into the country's vernacular to mean, roughly translated, "lazyass." The native Brooklynite returned to the States in time to pose full-frontally nude for Foxy Lady magazine and spend several months in Rikers for drug and weapon offenses.
Now 67, Pepi hasn't lost his eye for the ladies. In a recent interview concerning the last throes of Yankee Stadium, he said Whitey Ford was the one pitcher who most defined the ballpark, but "only because I like his wife." He then added that the current Yank he'd most want as a teammate was A-Rod because, "Maybe he will share Madonna."
- CC Sabathia's first four 2008 starts for the Brewers: 4-0, 1.36 ERA. His first four 2008 starts for the Indians: 0-3, 13.50.
- Jack Cust leads the A.L. in both walks (75) and strikeouts (135). That's more walks than hits (72), and the whiff total is 33 more than any other player with fewer than 375 at bats. Cust is batting .222, but .381 when he puts the ball in play.
- The Elias Sports Bureau reports that last Friday, Mariano Rivera earned the ninth save of his career in which he recorded at least five outs while protecting a one-run lead. Freshly minted Hall of Famer Goose Gossage did that 65 times.
- Hanley Ramirez has driven in himself more times (24) than he has knocked home teammates (23).
- On Saturday, Homer Bailey was the second Reds pitcher ever to allow as many as 15 hits in a start of less than five innings, but the fading uber-prospect can take solace that the other one is now in Cooperstown -- Eppa Rixey.
- John Lackey, who came within two outs of a no-hitter on Tuesday and within two outs of a two-hitter a couple of weeks ago, gave up 28 hits in 17.2 innings in his three starts between that pair of gems.
- The Giants used four relievers behind Barry Zito on Sunday. It doesn't matter how hardcore you are, you don't know squat about Osiris Matos, Sergio Romo, Geno Espinelli, and Alex Hinshaw, so don't say you do.
Every Saturday here at The Bronx Insider, I'll list a few 'Short Hops,' or oddities from around baseball, courtesy of athlonsports.com. Here are this week's:
- For the Orioles, Sunday is truly a day of rest. The last time they won on a Sunday was April 6th, the first Sabbath of the season, and it took a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth against Seattle, the worst team in the American League, to do it. Since then, Baltimore has dropped 15 consecutive Sunday matchups, including eight of the last 12 by one run. The Birds have scored an average of 2.7 runs per game during the streak, compared to 5.1 in every other game. Perhaps you math majors have already calculated that the odds of a .500 team (which the Orioles are, more or less) losing 15 consecutive games on any given day of the week are 3 in 10,000.
- Keiichi Yabu came out of the Giants bullpen and hit the first Brewers batter he faced on back-to-back days, with both scoring.
- After winning his 350th game 13 starts ago, Greg Maddux is still looking for No. 351.
- In Rich Harden's first two starts since being traded to the Cubs -- the highest-scoring team in the N.L. -- he's struck out 20 batters and allowed one run in 12.1 innings, yet is winless.
- On Monday, Pittsburgh's Kip Wells and K.C.'s Jimmy Gobble combined to allow 17 runs in 1.1 innings, putting 20 of the 24 batters they faced on the sacks. ("There aren't a lot of times when you watch 26 of the 27 outs in a game you started," sighed Wells.)
- For the first time in 54 tries this year, the Padres won a game in which they were trailing in the ninth inning. It took a three-run rally and a bases-loaded/no-outs escape by Trevor Hoffman against the Reds to do it.
- Blue Jays pitchers have allowed more home runs (four) to Adam Jones than any other hitter this year. The Orioles centerfielder has hit only two others all season.
- On the day (Tuesday) Jose Arredondo's hitless streak ended at 9.2 innings, Kyle Farnsworth reached 9. Batters went 0-for-33 in Arredondo's spree, the longest drought against a rookie since Wilson Alvarez (0-for-34, including his no-hitter) in 1991.
- Fantasy alert: Francisco Liriano's hung a 0.26 ERA over his last five starts in AAA. He'll be back in Minnie any day now.
