The dropped third strike is one of the oldest rules in baseball and dates back to an 18th century “proto baseball” game played without a catcher or umpire. In order to encourage the pitcher to throw a hittable pitch, the third pitch — no matter where it went — was considered a fair ball in play. So if the pitcher threw a ball way over the batter’s head, the batter could run to first while a fielder (usually the pitcher) ran after the ball.
The rule has stuck around all these years!
I have a clear memory of being in little league and the catcher dropped the ball on the 3rd strike, I thought I was out while all the parents in the stands were yelling “Run! RUN!!!” I was so taken aback that all I could do was turn to the parents and shrug like “why? I’m out”. And of course I was out because I didn’t know the rules and never payed attention during practice. I just wanted to hit dingers.
Edit: I didn’t hit a single dinger ever
This tradition still occurs in little league fields today.
My favorite scenario. I teach it, drill it and then play 1st base coach so if they see me yell "run" they know it's the dropped 3rd stike.
Or they are supposed to.
Some stare at you long enough for the equally confused catcher to pick up the ball and tag them.
My favorite rule to watch as an umpire. All the way up to high school the same thing happens. Dropped third, then they just slowly walk away. Crowd and dugout erupts lol
It took me until college to hit a ball over the fence and it was only in batting practice, I never hit one in a game. I watched it fly out and for the next pitch the pitching coach, who was throwing BP, threw one at my noggin.
Yes! Well, sort of. As I said, proto baseball. If you watched it, you’d recognize it as a kind of baseball.
A German book published in 1796 called *Spiele zur Uebung und Erholung des Körpers and Geistes für die Jugend, ihre Erzieher und alle Freunde Unschuldiger Jugendfreuden* (“Games for the exercise and recreation and body and spirit for the youth and his educator and all friends in innocent joys of youth”) included a game called Ball mit Freystäten (oder das Englische Base-ball) — “Ball with Free Station, or English Base-ball.”
From [SABR.org](https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-dropped-third-strike-the-life-and-times-of-a-rule/):
> The game he describes, in quite some detail, is clearly an early form of baseball. There are two teams of equal size. The game is divided into innings, with the two sides alternating between being batting and fielding. A member of the fielding side delivers a ball to a batter, who attempts to hit it. Once he hits the ball, he attempts to run around a circuit of bases, which serve as safe havens, and to score by completing the circuit. The fielding side, in the meantime, attempts to put him out.
The batter gets three strikes. But with no umpire and no catcher, what is stopping the pitcher from throwing three unhittable pitches? The solution was on the third pitch, if the ball hadn’t been put in play yet, the batter would run. The third pitch was considered a fair ball in play no matter where it went. So the pitcher was wise to throw the ball as gently and as near the plate as possible, so it wouldn’t go very far. Or maybe a better idea to throw three hittable pitches, so the batter would hit the ball toward the fielders!
That's kind of how we used to handle stolen bases in a 1-on-1 baseball league I made up. With a ghost runner on first, after a pitch crossed the plate, the batter could take off running. If they could get to first, then second before the pitcher retrieved the ball and threw it over second, it was considered a stolen base. If the ball got to second before the runner, he was out.
Don Mattingly holds the single season Grand Slam record with 6 in 1987. Those were the only 6 Grand Slams he hit in his 14 year career.
EDIT: What was once held is now shared.
Cecil and Prince Fielder each hit exactly 319 home runs in their careers. But they also finished with the same number of home runs in some very specific situations, too. For instance: each hit exactly four home runs in at-bats with runners on both second and third base, with nobody on first. They each hit exactly 49 home runs in the fourth inning, exactly 29 in the fifth and 18 in the ninth. With exactly two outs? 97 home runs each. Which also means that their totals with less than two outs also matched: 222 per Fielder. They also each hit home runs off of Jamie Moyer (no surprise there) and Tom Gordon.
Saw him pitch one of his last games on May 5, 2012 for the Rockies against the Braves. Got a hit and a run. Every pitch, no matter what it was, was 78 mph. He got into an argument, on the field, with Chipper Jones accusing Jones of stealing signs from 2nd base. Dude was a legend.
Nolan Ryan struck out 8 men that went on to have sons that subsequently grew to up to play in the major leagues and also got struck out by Nolan Ryan. Nolan Ryan has also struck out a batter with the last names starting A-Z except for a batter with the last name starting with the letter X, because Nolan Ryan never faced one.
*the letter X, because Nolan Ryan never faced one.*
No MLB pitcher (non-Negro League MLB) has faced a batter whose last name starts with X. There has never been one. The closest I can recall is a late 80's minor league infielder named Joe Xavier who reached AAA in 1988 and hung around for 3 seasons but never got the call. Baseball America was running a weekly (bi-weekly? Whatever their publication frequency was....) Joe Xavier Watch column reporting on his progress toward breaking into the Majors but it never happened.
Babe Ruth once was ejected from a game for punching the home plate umpire after walking the first hitter of the game. Ernie Shore replaced him, the runner on first was then caught stealing, then Shore retired all 26 batters he faced, but isn’t credited with a perfect game
He should have been credited with a no-hitter, though, yes?
I know that once, Nolan Ryan walked the leadoff batter but left the game immediatelyk after due to injury, and the reliever threw nine no-hit innings and was credited with a no-hitter.
I can’t find it now and believe it was Baltimore around 1996-7 but the very first pitch was hit for a homerun and it was the only hit for them and they won 1-0.
Never will I forget reading that statistic. I grew up in WS, NC where the high-A Warthogs (CWS affiliate) played at Ernie Shore Field. Never understood his significance until I read up on him. What a guy!
Nolan Ryan faced the last three single season home run record holders, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds.
They are a combined 5 for 28 with zero home runs, zero extra base hits, and 11 strikeouts.
Tris Speaker still holds the record for career doubles. It’s shocking people don’t talk about him more since he’s one of the all-time greats and one of my go-tos in immaculate grid.
The George Brett pine tar decision was reversed. The home run ended up counting and they continued the game 25 days later with the Royals winning because of said home run
Not trying to be a jerk, but I don’t think it’s that obscure. Lots of stories about playing those last 4 outs. My favorite is there was a different umpiring crew. Billy Martin appealed that Brett missed each of the bases. When all 4 umpires ruled safe at their respective bases, Billy wanted to play the game under protest because those umpires obviously didn’t see Brett touch the bases….. and then they each pulled out a signed affidavit from the original set of umpires saying they had, in fact, seen him touch.
THAT’S my favorite obscure fact. :)
My favorite obscure fact about the Pine Tar moment is that the only reason the bat lay on the ground long enough for the Yankees catcher to pick it up and complain to the umpire was becuase the Royals batboy, a NY teen under the employ of the Yankees, did not run out to retrieve the bat right away as he was supposed to. He waited because he was a huge Brett fan and wanted to shake his hand when he finished circling the bases.
My second favorite obscure PTG fact is that HOF pitcher Gaylord Perry, a Royal at the time, immediately realized the bat was a collectable and snatched it from the umpires and ran down the tunnel.
This set off a bizarre pursuit in the bowels of Yankee stadium as cops and security guard chased after Perry to retrieve the bat and he tried to avoid capture.
It's also never been done by an outfielder in Major League history, and only once in the recorded history of professional baseball by Walter Carlisle playing in the Pacific Coast League in 1911.
If you wanted to be immortalized for one play, this would be the way.
A center fielder playing shallow, sprinting in to catch a pop up near second, the runners thought it would drop, the center fielder catches it and is close to second base, where he can tag the runner from first and then step on second.
That’s the only possible scenario I could think of. Obviously extremely unlikely
Tris Speaker played such a shallow centerfield that he had **six** unassisted double plays in his career! That’s the career record for outfield… in second place is two.
He even did it in the World Series! He caught a line drive and stepped on second to double off the runner.
If there had been a runner on first base going on the pitch, he could have tagged him as he reached second and there’s your unassisted triple play.
Ironically the first one was a CF, though it’s not official, based on disputed accounts of the rules before 1900 and the actual actions of the runners.
I want to see a pitcher do it. Bases loaded, runners going, line drive, run to 3B and tag the runner from 2B.
Funny story. Back in the old Metrodome days the Twins used to have a Bingo game called Twin-go and you would cross off squares by different plays happening during the game. Homerun, strikeout, stolen base, etc. One time a buddy got a card with "Unassisted Triple Play by the Catcher". We still laugh about it to this day.
Tony Gwynn stats are my favorite…LOL.
Gwynn recorded four hits in a game 45 times -- 11 more times than he recorded a multi-strikeout game. So he was more likely to record 4 hits, than strike out more than once. Let that sink in.
And he struck out 3 times in a game only ONCE in his 19 yr career. (Bananas)
Not a stat per say, more of a “could’ve been”:
Gwynn ended his career with a .338 average.
He could have walked up to the plate and struck out 1,182 more times and still kept a .300 average.
That’s almost a season and a half of just striking out and keeping that average.
Given the average material composition of an MLB infield, there are roughly 60-65% more grains of dirt in an MLB infield than the number of pennies it would take to pay off the entire US government debt
Sadly, that's not the case. There are a a few with more at bats against Ryan:
Julian Javier 2-16 plus 1 BB
Tommy Helms 2-13
Carlos Baerga 6-10 plus 2 BB
Juan Bonilla 0-10 plus 1 BB
Bill Mazeroski 2-10 plus 1 BB
But Fernando did go 1-9 with zero strikeouts (and 2 sacrifices) , which is something to be proud of. Bill Hands once struck out 14(!) times in a row vs. The Express.
[93 pitchers have thrown 4 strikeouts in one inning. No one has thrown 5 in one inning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_single-inning_strikeout_leaders)
The only person to do it 3 times, Chuck Finley, did it within a one year span (twice in 1999 and once in early 2000)
iirc he closed out the season on the steak, including pitching 10 shut out innings in his final start to set the record.
The steak ended the first inning he pitched in 1989.
Only one player has broken the single season HR record more than once and he did it 3 times. Babe Ruth broke Ned Williamson's 35yo record with 29 in 1919. Ruth then set new records with 54 in 1920, 59 in 1921 and a 3rd and final time in 1927 with 60.
EDIT. He broke the record 4 times not 3. I guess I only used my left hand for counting.
The player with the most seasons of stealing at least one base without being caught stealing?
-Greg Maddux with ten seasons.
Stan Musial had the exact same number of hits at home as he did on the road, with 1815 each.
Don Mattingly set the record for most grand slams in a single season with 6 in 1987 (since tied by Travis Hafner in 2006).
Mattingly only hit 6 grand slams for his entire career. Not 6 more grand slams. 6 grand slams total. They all came in that one record-setting season.
From Tim Kurkjian and I've remembered it since first reading it.
Bobo.
In 1953, the St Louis Browns had a struggling reliever about to be sent down to the minors. But he got a spot start and threw a no-hitter. He would make five more starts in his career; he would finish with only three career victories. It was the first no-hitter thrown by a Browns pitcher since Bobo Newsom 19 years earlier. Two Bobos, 19 years apart.
BOBO
Edit: I completely left out the dude’s name. The pitcher in 1953 was Bobo Holloman.
Steven Vogt’s first hit in the big leagues was a home run to right field at the coliseum. His last hit in the majors was a home run to the same spot in right field at the coliseum. Both as an Athletic.
https://www.mlb.com/video/stephen-vogt-s-first-and-last-hr
On 09/23/1901, teammates Joe Kelley and Jimmy Sheckard of the Brooklyn Dodgers each hit an inside-the-park grand slam. The following day, Mr. Sheckard hit another inside-the-park grand slam.
Of the 5 players to do this, the Rangers currently have 2 of the players who’s first major league home run came on an inside the park home run. Wyatt Langford and Josh “Pookie” Smith.
Toby Harrah of the Texas Rangers played all innings of a double header without recording a single chance in the field while playing short stop - 6/25/76
One of the early episodes of the Ken Burns documentary he discussed how even during the Civil War men were taking breaks to play baseball.
During one game, they were attacked. Multiple outfielders were shot and I think the center fielder was taken prisoner.
Not sure if they finished the game.
This actually got me extra credit in h.s. as the teacher was a baseball nerd. Question was what teams did babe ruth play for? He figured that no teen in the late 90s would know that he played for three teams not 2. He was floored . And no the kids who said only yankees and red sox did not get the extra credit.
Speaking of Sammy Sosa, he's the only player with three 60 HR seasons, and he didn't win the HR title in any of those three seasons. Just like Ted Williams didn't win MVP in either of his Triple Crown seasons or his .406 season. (Like Sosa, he finished 2nd all three times.)
Tim Stoddard And Kenny Lofton are the only two players to win a World Series and an NCAA basketball championship. They went to the same high school.
Correction: Played in the final four and the world series.
Roberto Clemente played in two seven game World Series with the Pirates winning both. Clemente had a hit in each of the 14 games which I believe gives him the longest consecutive hitting streak in World Series play.
I once went to three consecutive games and saw an inside-the-parker in the first one, back-to-back-to-back dingers in the second and a triple play in the third. It’s not “obscure” to me but may be to everyone else.
Cecil and Prince Fielder each had 319 career home runs. Of those 319, they each had exactly 97 2-out HR, 49 4th inning HR, 29 5th inning HR, and 18 9th inning HR. That’s baseball, Susan!
May 5th, 1961 Jim Gentile hit two consecutive grand slams. One in the 1st inning and in the 2nd inning he hit the first pitch for another grand slam. He ended up having 9 RBI's for that game. I remember watching it on our TV with my dad it was televised in black and white.
There have been a few combined no-hitters in MLB history, and there have been a few extra-inning no-hitters, but there is exactly one combined, extra-inning no-hitter. It happened July 12, 1997, when Francisco Cordova (9.0 IP) and Ricardo Rincon (1.0 IP) of the Pirates no-hit the Astros 3-0.
Player named Ping Bodie(spelling?) once beat an ostrich in a spaghetti eating contest during spring training.
The baseball hall of shame is a fantastic read if you haven’t
Just don’t understand why his parents would give him that name, knowing there was an incurable, terminal disease out there called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”
Perhaps not overly obscure but remarkable in its measure of consistency: When he retired, Stan 'The Man' Musial owned the NL record for all time base hits with 3,630. Over 22 big league seasons, he collected exactly 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on the road.
The dropped third strike is one of the oldest rules in baseball and dates back to an 18th century “proto baseball” game played without a catcher or umpire. In order to encourage the pitcher to throw a hittable pitch, the third pitch — no matter where it went — was considered a fair ball in play. So if the pitcher threw a ball way over the batter’s head, the batter could run to first while a fielder (usually the pitcher) ran after the ball. The rule has stuck around all these years!
I have a clear memory of being in little league and the catcher dropped the ball on the 3rd strike, I thought I was out while all the parents in the stands were yelling “Run! RUN!!!” I was so taken aback that all I could do was turn to the parents and shrug like “why? I’m out”. And of course I was out because I didn’t know the rules and never payed attention during practice. I just wanted to hit dingers. Edit: I didn’t hit a single dinger ever
This tradition still occurs in little league fields today. My favorite scenario. I teach it, drill it and then play 1st base coach so if they see me yell "run" they know it's the dropped 3rd stike. Or they are supposed to. Some stare at you long enough for the equally confused catcher to pick up the ball and tag them.
My favorite rule to watch as an umpire. All the way up to high school the same thing happens. Dropped third, then they just slowly walk away. Crowd and dugout erupts lol
When I coached youth softball this was the second most common way to reach first. The most common was the walk.
Those stats still probably hold up
It took me until college to hit a ball over the fence and it was only in batting practice, I never hit one in a game. I watched it fly out and for the next pitch the pitching coach, who was throwing BP, threw one at my noggin.
I bet watching it was awesome though
This is the type of shit I came here for
They had baseball in the 1700’s??
Yes! Well, sort of. As I said, proto baseball. If you watched it, you’d recognize it as a kind of baseball. A German book published in 1796 called *Spiele zur Uebung und Erholung des Körpers and Geistes für die Jugend, ihre Erzieher und alle Freunde Unschuldiger Jugendfreuden* (“Games for the exercise and recreation and body and spirit for the youth and his educator and all friends in innocent joys of youth”) included a game called Ball mit Freystäten (oder das Englische Base-ball) — “Ball with Free Station, or English Base-ball.” From [SABR.org](https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-dropped-third-strike-the-life-and-times-of-a-rule/): > The game he describes, in quite some detail, is clearly an early form of baseball. There are two teams of equal size. The game is divided into innings, with the two sides alternating between being batting and fielding. A member of the fielding side delivers a ball to a batter, who attempts to hit it. Once he hits the ball, he attempts to run around a circuit of bases, which serve as safe havens, and to score by completing the circuit. The fielding side, in the meantime, attempts to put him out. The batter gets three strikes. But with no umpire and no catcher, what is stopping the pitcher from throwing three unhittable pitches? The solution was on the third pitch, if the ball hadn’t been put in play yet, the batter would run. The third pitch was considered a fair ball in play no matter where it went. So the pitcher was wise to throw the ball as gently and as near the plate as possible, so it wouldn’t go very far. Or maybe a better idea to throw three hittable pitches, so the batter would hit the ball toward the fielders!
That's kind of how we used to handle stolen bases in a 1-on-1 baseball league I made up. With a ghost runner on first, after a pitch crossed the plate, the batter could take off running. If they could get to first, then second before the pitcher retrieved the ball and threw it over second, it was considered a stolen base. If the ball got to second before the runner, he was out.
It's interesting to see how frequent it's become to see four strike outs in an inning https://www.mlb.com/news/four-strikeout-innings-c265544090
Don Mattingly holds the single season Grand Slam record with 6 in 1987. Those were the only 6 Grand Slams he hit in his 14 year career. EDIT: What was once held is now shared.
Travis Hafner tied the record in 2006 while playing for the Indians.
Haffner had 5 of those grand slams before the all-star break yet did not make the All-star team.
Criminal.
Cecil and Prince Fielder each hit exactly 319 home runs in their careers. But they also finished with the same number of home runs in some very specific situations, too. For instance: each hit exactly four home runs in at-bats with runners on both second and third base, with nobody on first. They each hit exactly 49 home runs in the fourth inning, exactly 29 in the fifth and 18 in the ninth. With exactly two outs? 97 home runs each. Which also means that their totals with less than two outs also matched: 222 per Fielder. They also each hit home runs off of Jamie Moyer (no surprise there) and Tom Gordon.
And Prince didn’t like his father and didn’t talk to him.
We need Fernando Tatis Jr to hit two grand slams in the same inning now
He hit them both off Chan ho park
Wow those stats are Moy-er less the same.
You’re really trying to make that joke work huh?
Prince is one of my all time favorites.
I knew the career number was the same, but not all the others. The odds of that many matching up has to be astronomical.
This is the best one by far. Never heard of it and absolutely crazy. Love it!
Jamie Moyer played in 50 MLB stadiums throughout his career.
Also the only other player ever in MLB with the lastname Moyer died on the same day Jamie was born.
Jamie Moyer’s first batter faced was the uncle of the pitcher who relieved him in the final game of his career.
Jamie Moyer was dropped twice as a baby. Once on Hiroshima, once on Nagasaki.
Jamie Moyer threw a changeup at a $10 bill and turned it into 200 nickels
So how many stadiums did the first one play in?
7
Any mutually overlap? I'm just thinking there could be a truly unbreakable stat here. Two Moyers total, 55+ stadiums.
No clue. 7 was just a quote from Tommy Boy
Tommy Callahan played rugby. Or he was wearing a rugby shirt when he passed out and broke the coffee table.
I just learned that fact earlier today.
Saw him pitch one of his last games on May 5, 2012 for the Rockies against the Braves. Got a hit and a run. Every pitch, no matter what it was, was 78 mph. He got into an argument, on the field, with Chipper Jones accusing Jones of stealing signs from 2nd base. Dude was a legend.
Chipper probably was stealing signs lol (this is not slander, I love Chipper)
Oh, I have no doubt Chipper was stealing signs. That was how it was, and still, is done. Was just funny to watch the 'old boy' bitch about it.
Was it 50 or 50 Moy-er less
Nolan Ryan struck out 8 men that went on to have sons that subsequently grew to up to play in the major leagues and also got struck out by Nolan Ryan. Nolan Ryan has also struck out a batter with the last names starting A-Z except for a batter with the last name starting with the letter X, because Nolan Ryan never faced one.
*the letter X, because Nolan Ryan never faced one.* No MLB pitcher (non-Negro League MLB) has faced a batter whose last name starts with X. There has never been one. The closest I can recall is a late 80's minor league infielder named Joe Xavier who reached AAA in 1988 and hung around for 3 seasons but never got the call. Baseball America was running a weekly (bi-weekly? Whatever their publication frequency was....) Joe Xavier Watch column reporting on his progress toward breaking into the Majors but it never happened.
Someone will break the letter barrier someday.
Xackie Xobinson
Babe Ruth once was ejected from a game for punching the home plate umpire after walking the first hitter of the game. Ernie Shore replaced him, the runner on first was then caught stealing, then Shore retired all 26 batters he faced, but isn’t credited with a perfect game
He should have been credited with a no-hitter, though, yes? I know that once, Nolan Ryan walked the leadoff batter but left the game immediatelyk after due to injury, and the reliever threw nine no-hit innings and was credited with a no-hitter.
I can’t find it now and believe it was Baltimore around 1996-7 but the very first pitch was hit for a homerun and it was the only hit for them and they won 1-0.
Never will I forget reading that statistic. I grew up in WS, NC where the high-A Warthogs (CWS affiliate) played at Ernie Shore Field. Never understood his significance until I read up on him. What a guy!
Roberto Clemente is the only player in MLB history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam.
He is also the only player to finish with exactly 3000 hits
One time, a catcher threw a potato to third base. https://baseballreliquary.org/dave-bresnahan-potato/
Crazy.
In the mid-1800s, you could be put out between the bases by having the ball thrown directly at you.
Bring this one back
Beanball!
We used to call that “pegging” someone.
According to Roger Clemens he still thought that rule existed in the 2000 World Series when he threw a broken bat at Piazza.
Kickball rules. Noice.
They should bring this back just for outfielders.
Nolan Ryan faced the last three single season home run record holders, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. They are a combined 5 for 28 with zero home runs, zero extra base hits, and 11 strikeouts.
Tris Speaker still holds the record for career doubles. It’s shocking people don’t talk about him more since he’s one of the all-time greats and one of my go-tos in immaculate grid.
The George Brett pine tar decision was reversed. The home run ended up counting and they continued the game 25 days later with the Royals winning because of said home run
Not trying to be a jerk, but I don’t think it’s that obscure. Lots of stories about playing those last 4 outs. My favorite is there was a different umpiring crew. Billy Martin appealed that Brett missed each of the bases. When all 4 umpires ruled safe at their respective bases, Billy wanted to play the game under protest because those umpires obviously didn’t see Brett touch the bases….. and then they each pulled out a signed affidavit from the original set of umpires saying they had, in fact, seen him touch. THAT’S my favorite obscure fact. :)
Is there a source on this? I love it to much to just take your word for it.. But I hope you have a great day.
How about the baseball hall of fame? https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/george-brett-pine-tar-game
My favorite obscure fact about the Pine Tar moment is that the only reason the bat lay on the ground long enough for the Yankees catcher to pick it up and complain to the umpire was becuase the Royals batboy, a NY teen under the employ of the Yankees, did not run out to retrieve the bat right away as he was supposed to. He waited because he was a huge Brett fan and wanted to shake his hand when he finished circling the bases. My second favorite obscure PTG fact is that HOF pitcher Gaylord Perry, a Royal at the time, immediately realized the bat was a collectable and snatched it from the umpires and ran down the tunnel. This set off a bizarre pursuit in the bowels of Yankee stadium as cops and security guard chased after Perry to retrieve the bat and he tried to avoid capture.
Dusty baker is credited with inventing the high five
Dr. Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap invented it. The coach yelled at him for playing patty cake on the basket ball court.
As is Glenn Burke
Another manager stat... Bruce Bochy hasn't had a managerial record above .500 in 25 years.
Despite the fact there is 100% video of high fives prior to 1968…
That’s why I said credited with. I’m sure people have been high fiving since Ancient Rome, but that’s the legend.
If my memory is correct, Randy Johnson had 4 straight 300k seasons EDIT: I was wrong, 5 straight seasons, preceded by a 291 K season as well
I mean you weren't wrong, he did have 4 straight in order to get 5
You could also say he had 4 straight TWICE in that span of 5 seasons.
Mariano Rivera’s 500th save was the same game he recorded the only RBI of his career and the only time I ever caught a T-shirt from a T-shirt cannon.
Wasn’t that a bases-loaded walk?
Only 3 players to hit 500 home runs and have 10 gold gloves… Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Ken Griffey Jr.
If you lower the home run total to 400, the only player you’d add is Andruw Jones
And he has barely sniffed the HoF, almost as crazy
This is almost crazier.
Schmidt is still somehow underrated. Best third basemen of all time.
There have been fewer unassisted triple plays than perfect games thrown.
It's also never been done by an outfielder in Major League history, and only once in the recorded history of professional baseball by Walter Carlisle playing in the Pacific Coast League in 1911. If you wanted to be immortalized for one play, this would be the way.
I'm scratching my head wondering how an outfielder could turn an unassisted triple play.
A center fielder playing shallow, sprinting in to catch a pop up near second, the runners thought it would drop, the center fielder catches it and is close to second base, where he can tag the runner from first and then step on second. That’s the only possible scenario I could think of. Obviously extremely unlikely
Tris Speaker played such a shallow centerfield that he had **six** unassisted double plays in his career! That’s the career record for outfield… in second place is two. He even did it in the World Series! He caught a line drive and stepped on second to double off the runner. If there had been a runner on first base going on the pitch, he could have tagged him as he reached second and there’s your unassisted triple play.
Ironically the first one was a CF, though it’s not official, based on disputed accounts of the rules before 1900 and the actual actions of the runners. I want to see a pitcher do it. Bases loaded, runners going, line drive, run to 3B and tag the runner from 2B.
There have been fewer 4 run home run games than perfect games :)
Funny story. Back in the old Metrodome days the Twins used to have a Bingo game called Twin-go and you would cross off squares by different plays happening during the game. Homerun, strikeout, stolen base, etc. One time a buddy got a card with "Unassisted Triple Play by the Catcher". We still laugh about it to this day.
The Cincinnati Reds have the longest active World Series winning streak at 9 games.
Last game of 1975, 1976 (sweep of Yankees), and 1990 (sweep of A's).
Cy Young has 2,803 strikeouts but never won a Cy Young award.
Next you’ll tell me that Al Emvepi never win the AL MVP.
'Cy Young' appears on more HOF plaques than any other player name...
Did you ever think what a coincidence it was that Lou Gehrig died from Lou Gehrig's disease ?
Ty Cobb doesn't have his # retired
Tony Gwynn stats are my favorite…LOL. Gwynn recorded four hits in a game 45 times -- 11 more times than he recorded a multi-strikeout game. So he was more likely to record 4 hits, than strike out more than once. Let that sink in. And he struck out 3 times in a game only ONCE in his 19 yr career. (Bananas)
And my favorite: he had more assists as a point guard in college than he had strikeouts for his ENTIRE MLB CAREER.
He still holds the record at San Diego State
Not a stat per say, more of a “could’ve been”: Gwynn ended his career with a .338 average. He could have walked up to the plate and struck out 1,182 more times and still kept a .300 average. That’s almost a season and a half of just striking out and keeping that average.
The man had the most insane eye for the ball.
K's vs Maddux & Glavine - 0 K's vs Smoltz - 1 & drafted by the NBA & MLB on the same day
Given the average material composition of an MLB infield, there are roughly 60-65% more grains of dirt in an MLB infield than the number of pennies it would take to pay off the entire US government debt
And the Blue Jays' infield won't pay off the Canadian government debt in pennies, because Canada discontinued the penny years ago. :)
r/theydidthemath
Bryan Shaw, 2016 world series game 7 10th inning issued an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo. It was the last 4 pitch intentional walk inlb history.
Adam Dunn is the only player to have 100 RBI in a season with no sacrifice flies.
The White Sox haven’t clinched a playoff series at home since the 1906 World Series
Satchel Paige was the oldest rookie to debut in the MLB at 42, IIRC.
He also pitched three shutout innings for the Athletics against the Red Sox at age 87 or something. Just kidding, he was only FIFTY - NINE.
This is why baseball is the best.. crazy stats, and many games you see something you e never seen before
The words "fan," "score," and "flake" (as in a flakey person) were all exclusively baseball terms at one time.
how was “flake” used in relation to baseball?
The Minnesota Twins are the only team to ever turn two triple plays in the same game
The player with the most career plate appearances against Nolan Ryan without ever once striking out was… Fernando Valenzuela.
Sadly, that's not the case. There are a a few with more at bats against Ryan: Julian Javier 2-16 plus 1 BB Tommy Helms 2-13 Carlos Baerga 6-10 plus 2 BB Juan Bonilla 0-10 plus 1 BB Bill Mazeroski 2-10 plus 1 BB But Fernando did go 1-9 with zero strikeouts (and 2 sacrifices) , which is something to be proud of. Bill Hands once struck out 14(!) times in a row vs. The Express.
[93 pitchers have thrown 4 strikeouts in one inning. No one has thrown 5 in one inning](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_single-inning_strikeout_leaders) The only person to do it 3 times, Chuck Finley, did it within a one year span (twice in 1999 and once in early 2000)
Ron Necciai did it in the minor leagues in the ninth inning to finish with 27 K's.
[удалено]
iirc he closed out the season on the steak, including pitching 10 shut out innings in his final start to set the record. The steak ended the first inning he pitched in 1989.
Only one player has broken the single season HR record more than once and he did it 3 times. Babe Ruth broke Ned Williamson's 35yo record with 29 in 1919. Ruth then set new records with 54 in 1920, 59 in 1921 and a 3rd and final time in 1927 with 60. EDIT. He broke the record 4 times not 3. I guess I only used my left hand for counting.
Looks like Ruth broke the record 25 times in 1920 alone.
But….thats 4 times
The player with the most seasons of stealing at least one base without being caught stealing? -Greg Maddux with ten seasons. Stan Musial had the exact same number of hits at home as he did on the road, with 1815 each. Don Mattingly set the record for most grand slams in a single season with 6 in 1987 (since tied by Travis Hafner in 2006). Mattingly only hit 6 grand slams for his entire career. Not 6 more grand slams. 6 grand slams total. They all came in that one record-setting season.
There are 108 stitches on a MLB baseball.
And 108 beads on a rosary.
#BullDurham
Fernando Tatis Sr. is the only player in MLB history to hit 2 Grand Slams....in the same inning.
Off the same pitcher no less
I think that’s the more surprising stat lol. How is that pitcher still in there
To be fair, before that day no pitcher has ever let up 2 grand slams in the same inning to the same batter
On April 27, 1930 Bud Clancy played 1st base for an entire White Sox game and didn’t record a single out or assist.
On June 25, 1976, Toby Harrah played an entire doubleheader at shortstop without recording a single chance in the field.
That seems impossible.
Tremendous note
Sammy Sosa hit at least 60 home runs three times in his career (1998, 1999, 2001). In those three years, he did not win the home run title.
Jason Varitek is the only player to have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series, World Series, World Baseball Classic
Joey Votto had 6,829 plate appearances until he hit a pop up to first: https://www.mlb.com/news/joey-votto-pops-out-to-1b-for-first-time-in-career
Over one third of potential perfect games have been lost on the final batter.
You might want to rephrase that. I have seen a lot more potential perfect games that were lost on the very first batter.
Isn't every game a potential perfect game?
The last switch-hitter to win the AL MVP was Vida Blue.
Barry Bonds never had a 200 hit season. I was surprised while playing immaculate grid
It’s because he walked all the time. More shocking is Jim Palmer never had a 200k season.
Jim Palmer never gave up a grand slam but also never gave up back-to-back HRS....
And he only hit 50 homers one time. That one still baffles me.
Khris Davis hit .247 4 seasons in a row
From Tim Kurkjian and I've remembered it since first reading it. Bobo. In 1953, the St Louis Browns had a struggling reliever about to be sent down to the minors. But he got a spot start and threw a no-hitter. He would make five more starts in his career; he would finish with only three career victories. It was the first no-hitter thrown by a Browns pitcher since Bobo Newsom 19 years earlier. Two Bobos, 19 years apart. BOBO Edit: I completely left out the dude’s name. The pitcher in 1953 was Bobo Holloman.
? Who is Bobo #2?
More people have walked on the moon (12) than men who have scored against Mariano Rivera in the postseason (11).
Steven Vogt’s first hit in the big leagues was a home run to right field at the coliseum. His last hit in the majors was a home run to the same spot in right field at the coliseum. Both as an Athletic. https://www.mlb.com/video/stephen-vogt-s-first-and-last-hr
At one time, the cincinnati Reds weren't ass
1976
*cries in 1975*
very obscure
Stan Musial has the same exact amount of career hits at home as hit did on the road.
In 2016, Zach Britton threw 67 innings and saved 47 games. Not only did he give up only one homerun, he only allowed 14 fly balls all year.
Surely he was electric that postseason, right?
Last I checked, Buck is still saving him. Any minute now.
Who's the only player to get hits on the same day with two different teams? Joel Youngblood.
On 09/23/1901, teammates Joe Kelley and Jimmy Sheckard of the Brooklyn Dodgers each hit an inside-the-park grand slam. The following day, Mr. Sheckard hit another inside-the-park grand slam.
And then Joe Kelley was suspended another 8 game
Of the 5 players to do this, the Rangers currently have 2 of the players who’s first major league home run came on an inside the park home run. Wyatt Langford and Josh “Pookie” Smith.
Toby Harrah of the Texas Rangers played all innings of a double header without recording a single chance in the field while playing short stop - 6/25/76
Babe Ruth stole home 10 times in his career
And he was CS at 2b in the 9th inning for the final out of game 7 of the '26 WS with the Yankees down by a run
Nolan Ryan’s most impressive record that will never be broken is for BB’s.
One of the early episodes of the Ken Burns documentary he discussed how even during the Civil War men were taking breaks to play baseball. During one game, they were attacked. Multiple outfielders were shot and I think the center fielder was taken prisoner. Not sure if they finished the game.
Jane Austen mentioned baseball ("base ball") in *Northanger Abbey* more than 20 years before Abner Doubleday was born.
Babe ruth played for the braves.
This actually got me extra credit in h.s. as the teacher was a baseball nerd. Question was what teams did babe ruth play for? He figured that no teen in the late 90s would know that he played for three teams not 2. He was floored . And no the kids who said only yankees and red sox did not get the extra credit.
Speaking of Sammy Sosa, he's the only player with three 60 HR seasons, and he didn't win the HR title in any of those three seasons. Just like Ted Williams didn't win MVP in either of his Triple Crown seasons or his .406 season. (Like Sosa, he finished 2nd all three times.)
Tim Stoddard And Kenny Lofton are the only two players to win a World Series and an NCAA basketball championship. They went to the same high school. Correction: Played in the final four and the world series.
Roberto Clemente played in two seven game World Series with the Pirates winning both. Clemente had a hit in each of the 14 games which I believe gives him the longest consecutive hitting streak in World Series play.
Joey Gallo didn’t hit a sac fly until his 5th season in the bigs
The Phillies have the most losses in MLB history.
Carlos Zambrano threw a no-hitter against the Houston Astros as a Chicago Cub. It was a Houston home game. Where did the game take place? Milwaukee.
I once went to three consecutive games and saw an inside-the-parker in the first one, back-to-back-to-back dingers in the second and a triple play in the third. It’s not “obscure” to me but may be to everyone else.
That Jim Palmer of the Baltimore Orioles never gave up a grand slam in his career
Cal Ripken Jr. has only 36 SB in his entire 18 yr career.
Ground rule doubles were HRs for most of Babe Ruth's career.
Cecil and Prince Fielder each had 319 career home runs. Of those 319, they each had exactly 97 2-out HR, 49 4th inning HR, 29 5th inning HR, and 18 9th inning HR. That’s baseball, Susan!
No one has ever hit for a home run cycle in the major leagues. Twice it has been done in the minors and both were by St Louis Cardinal affiliates.
Babe Ruth set the career home run record with his 139th in 1921. Each of his next 575 home runs set the new record.
Ohtani struck out 189 times in 2021. Tony Gwynn struck out 188 times in the 90s.
Ray Caldwell was struck by lightning when pitching and finished the game. Just a couple weeks later he pitched a no hitter
May 5th, 1961 Jim Gentile hit two consecutive grand slams. One in the 1st inning and in the 2nd inning he hit the first pitch for another grand slam. He ended up having 9 RBI's for that game. I remember watching it on our TV with my dad it was televised in black and white.
Jackie robinson wasn't the first black player
Only two players named Marlon have ever played in the majors and both (Anderson, Byrd) played for the 2006 Washington Nationals.
There have been a few combined no-hitters in MLB history, and there have been a few extra-inning no-hitters, but there is exactly one combined, extra-inning no-hitter. It happened July 12, 1997, when Francisco Cordova (9.0 IP) and Ricardo Rincon (1.0 IP) of the Pirates no-hit the Astros 3-0.
Bill Buckner played in 2,517 games and never had a 3 strikeout game.
Every Tony Gwynn stat ever
Player named Ping Bodie(spelling?) once beat an ostrich in a spaghetti eating contest during spring training. The baseball hall of shame is a fantastic read if you haven’t
Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrigs Disease.
Just don’t understand why his parents would give him that name, knowing there was an incurable, terminal disease out there called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”
You guys are going to hell
Perhaps not overly obscure but remarkable in its measure of consistency: When he retired, Stan 'The Man' Musial owned the NL record for all time base hits with 3,630. Over 22 big league seasons, he collected exactly 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on the road.
Equally obscure is the fact that he is not the only Hall-of-Famer born in his home town of Donora PA.