Sports

Baseball Stats: So Much More Than Just Numbers

The SF Giants have been on a tear since the All-Star break (7-1), but there so many other striking facts and figures around the world of baseball this week.

By Bill Arnold (Woodside High alum)
 
AROUND THE HORN

… When the Giants' Tim Lincecum struck out 11 Astros on July 14, it was the 32nd time he had posted a double-digit strikeout total in a major-league game; that's the second-most among active players, behind the 50 registered by Johan Santana of the Mets, but still a far cry from the major-league record held by Nolan Ryan who registered 10 or more K's in 215 contests.

… The all-fish team compiled by Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal features "Catfish" Hunter (SP), Brandon Puffer (RP), Ed Whiting (C), Sid Bream (1B), Johnny Ray (2B), Bobby Sturgeon (SS), Art Garibaldi (3B), Tim Salmon (OF), Kevin Bass (OF) and Mike Trout (OF).

… Barry Larkin's youngest daughter, Cymber, will sing the National Anthem at her father's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this Sunday.

 … Tuesday was the first time in A.L. history that as many as 11 teams were above .500 in the standings on the same day; the latest date on which the N.L. had at least that many teams above .500 was July 10, 2004, when 12 Senior Circuit clubs were above the break-even point.

… Baseball Iconoclasts, LLC, has announced they have received enough funding to finish their documentary about former major-league pitcher Dock Ellis; the group raised the final $35,000 they needed by posting the project on Kickstarter.com and receiving contributions from 365 individuals.

… If the Yankees post a winning record this July (they were 10-5 through Thursday), it would be the 20th consecutive July in which the club has won more games than they lost.

… Josh Willingham, who had 23 home runs through Thursday, could become the only Twins player not named Harmon Killebrew to hit 40 homers in a season; Killebrew clocked 40 or more for the club in seven campaigns.

… Fans who purchased special tickets to the Dodger game on July 15 received "Dodger Blue" yarmulkes as part of the team's celebration of Jewish Community Day at Dodger Stadium.

… National starter Gio Gonzalez is 40-2 in his career when his teammates proved more than two runs of offensive support.

… "The Human Flash," better known as Reds minor-leaguer Billy Hamilton, clocked an unbelievable time of 13.8 seconds when he rounded the bases on an inside-the-park home run for the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Southern League on July 15.

… Rockie Josh Rutledge was the embodiment of "something borrowed" when he made his MLB debut on July 13; the rookie infielder lost his luggage on the way from Double-A Tulsa to Denver and had to borrow Carlos Gonzalez's shoes and Troy Tulowitzki's glove, batting gloves and bats in his first game.

… 40-year-old Chipper Jones of the Braves is not the oldest major-leaguer to register a 14-game hitting streak; according to streak maven Trent McCotter, Cap Anson posted a 14-gamer at 45 years of age in 1897.

… Umpire Brian Runge, who worked second base at this year's All-Star Game, is part of the first three-generation combo of All-Star umpires; his grandfather, Ed, worked the "Midsummer Classic" four times and his father, Paul, worked it thrice.

… The Pirates registered their 50th victory of the year in their 90th game on Tuesday; it was the fewest games that the team needed to reach 50 wins since they did so in 89 games in 1992, their last winning season.

… On Tuesday night, Robinson Cano became the 23rd Yankee since 1918 to register a 20-game hit streak.

… Tuesday's game against the Orioles was the 22nd this season in which a Twins starter failed to pitch at least five innings.

… Beginning on Sunday, the A's are scheduled to face seven straight left-handed starters, the longest string of lefties faced since the Indians encountered nine in a row in 2009.

… The Reds started an all-right-handed lineup against a right-handed starter of the Diamondbacks on Tuesday; according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time a team started nine right-handed hitters (with no switch-hitters among them) against a righty-starter was on April 22, 2005, when the Astros did it against the Cardinals.

… Adam Dunn stole a base for the first time since 2008 when he swiped second against the Red Sox on Tuesday; the White Sox designated hitter went 1,431 days between steals.

… When pitcher Trevor Rosenthal made his MLB debut with the Cardinals on Wednesday, he became the 2,000th player in that franchise's history which began in 1882; the Cards are the only big-league club to have fielded that many players with the Cubs second at 1,911 and the Phillies third at 1,905.

EXTRA SPECIAL

Alfonso Soriano tallied two doubles and a pair of homers in his first game back from the All-Star Break on July 13, the third game in his career in which he has hit at least four extra-base hits. The Chicago Cub left fielder became the 12th major-leaguer to record four or more extras in three or more games in his career. Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio own the major-league record with five such games and Willie Stargell holds the National League mark with four. The 12 players who pounded out four or more extra-base knocks in a big-league game at least three times were:

Player (Years)                                                  Games

Lou Gehrig (1926, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934)     5

Joe DiMaggio (1936, 1937, 1941, 1948, 1950) 5

Willie Stargell (1965, 1968, 1970, 1973)           4

Babe Ruth (1918, 1922, 1927)                         3

Ty Cobb (1921, 1922, 1925)                            3

Les Bell (1925, 1926, 1928)                             3

Heinie Manush (1926, 1929, 1932)                   3

Jimmie Foxx (1932, 1933, 1933)                     3

Joe Medwick (1935, 1937, 1937)                     3

Adam LaRoche (2004, 2006, 2009)                  3

Dustin Pedroia (2008, 2010, 2011)                   3

Alfonso Soriano (2006, 2006, 2012)                 3

 

Other writers and sources contribute to Beyond the Box Score
Copyright 2012, Sports Features Group

 


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