A place for the discussion of all things not closely related to the sport and its competitive side. (Locked down several times a year during the major championships)
I've remember (and am blown away) by this trivia tidbit:
wikianswers wrote:Marshall McDougall currently of the Texas Rangers holds the NCAA overall and Division I record with six home runs for Florida State on May 9,1999 vs Maryland. They were also in consecutive AB.
Hamilton also had a double for 18 total bases, which was cited as an AL record... which means that somebody in the NL once had more. (Pujols a couple of years ago, but in a game sans 4 dingers?)
From the caption in the wiki article listed above for 4 homer games:
Shawn Green was one of two players to hit four home runs in a game in 2002. Green also hit a double and a single in the game for 19 total bases, an MLB record.
On a (distantly) related note, as a kid I was at Yankee Stadium in about 1953 when Mickey Mantle parked 3 HR's against the old Washington Senators. Oddly, I read a few years ago that was Mantle's only 3-homer game, and no 4 homer game either.
Obviously waaay to early to think about the end of the season, but Hamilton now a Triple Crown candidate, which is almost as rare as a 4-homer game. And in the last half century has become even more so.
gh wrote:Obviously waaay to early to think about the end of the season, but Hamilton now a Triple Crown candidate, which is almost as rare as a 4-homer game. And in the last half century has become even more so.
In the last half century Triple Crowns are much rarer. At this rate, in five years there will be zero TC winners in the previous half century. Makes sense - four-homer games require some skill and a bit of luck but there are no lucky triple crowns.
4 homer games:
Josh Hamilton - 2012 Carlos Delgado - 2003 Shawn Green - 2002 Mike Cameron - 2002 Mark Whiten - 1993 Bob Horner - 1986 Mike Schmidt - 1976
actually, there are some "lucky" Triple Crowns, and Robinson is a good case in point. If you look at the list of AL batting champions through the years, his .316 would have won on only very few occasions. He got "lucky" in that the rest of the league was down in that department that year.
If there was any luck for Frank or Yaz's .301 in 67 it was bad luck - years with dominant pitching. Fact is Frank and Yaz were better than anyone else for an entire season - no luck about it.
My fiancee and I were supposed to go to that game (I live literally right across the street from Camden Yards), but the weather was pretty crappy and she was feeling a bit under the weather anyway, so we gave our tickets to some friends of ours. Egg on my face.
bad hammy wrote:If there was any luck for Frank or Yaz's .301 in 67 it was bad luck - years with dominant pitching. Fact is Frank and Yaz were better than anyone else for an entire season - no luck about it.
Remember pitchers were really dominant in those days. Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968, Fergie Jenkins' 6 year streak of 20 wins. McClain's 30 wins etc. Then they lowered the mound to lessen the balance.
We had a great, great Track star at Huntington HS( NY ) in 1959 ( Allen Chapman ) and had high hopes he would win Suffolk County Athlete of the Year, but he got beat out by a 3 sport star ( football, basketball, and oh yes, baseball) named Carl Yazstremski. Some kid from out in the Hamptons... father was a potato farmer. Wonder how he turned out ?
bad hammy wrote:If there was any luck for Frank or Yaz's .301 in 67 it was bad luck - years with dominant pitching. Fact is Frank and Yaz were better than anyone else for an entire season - no luck about it.
Remember pitchers were really dominant in those days. Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968, Fergie Jenkins' 6 year streak of 20 wins. McClain's 30 wins etc. Then they lowered the mound to lessen the balance.
The mound was lowered after the '68 season which is fairly well known but what's not as well known is that the strike zone was altered before the '63 and '69 seasons. Made larger first and smaller second. That was one reason for the pitching dominance during those 5 seasons.
bad hammy wrote:If there was any luck for Frank or Yaz's .301 in 67 it was bad luck - years with dominant pitching. Fact is Frank and Yaz were better than anyone else for an entire season - no luck about it.
Remember pitchers were really dominant in those days. Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968, Fergie Jenkins' 6 year streak of 20 wins. McClain's 30 wins etc. Then they lowered the mound to lessen the balance.
The mound was lowered after the '68 season which is fairly well known but what's not as well known is that the strike zone was altered before the '63 and '69 seasons. Made larger first and smaller second. That was one reason for the pitching dominance during those 5 seasons.
Also with only 16 teams up until 1969, pitching was a lot less diluted.
so in a a decade chock-full of awesome pitchers, who won the most games? (coincidentally, I just came across this stat the other day; nothing I can claim to have known)
bad hammy wrote:If there was any luck for Frank or Yaz's .301 in 67 it was bad luck - years with dominant pitching. Fact is Frank and Yaz were better than anyone else for an entire season - no luck about it.
Remember pitchers were really dominant in those days. Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA in 1968, Fergie Jenkins' 6 year streak of 20 wins. McClain's 30 wins etc. Then they lowered the mound to lessen the balance.
The mound was lowered after the '68 season which is fairly well known but what's not as well known is that the strike zone was altered before the '63 and '69 seasons. Made larger first and smaller second. That was one reason for the pitching dominance during those 5 seasons.
Also with only 16 teams up until 1969, pitching was a lot less diluted.
You are incorrect about the first point and the facts don't support the second point.....although the theory has some sense to it.
RPG dropped beginning in 1963 and had a downward trend until 1968 to the point in which games were averaging a run per game per team less than in the mid to late fifties through 1962. RPG then began to increase in 1969.
As for a 10 year stretch Fergie Jenkins won 199 from 1967-76. And that was, for the most part, playing with the Cubs in Wrigley Field, where I remember him losing a few 1-0 games.
1900s Christy Mathewson236 Cy Young 230 Joe McGinnity218 Jack Chesbro 192 Vic Willis 188 Eddie Plank 186 Rube Waddell 183 Sam Leever 166 Jack Powell 160 George Mullin 157
1910s Walter Johnson 265 Pete Alexander208 Eddie Cicotte 162 Hippo Vaughn 156 Slim Sallee 149 Rube Marquard 144 Eddie Plank 140 Christy Mathewson137 Claude Hendrix 135 Hooks Dauss 125
1920s Burleigh Grimes 190 Eppa Rixey 166 Pete Alexander165 Herb Pennock 162 Waite Hoyt 161 Urban Shocker 156 Eddie Rommel 154 Jesse Haines 153 George Uhle 152 Red Faber 149
1930s Lefty Grove 199 Carl Hubbell 188 Red Ruffing 175 Wes Ferrell 170 Lefty Gomez 165 Mel Harder 158 Larry French 156 Tommy Bridges 150 Paul Derringer 148 Dizzy Dean 147
1940s Hal Newhouser170 Bob Feller 137 Rip Sewell 133 Dizzy Trout 129 Dutch Leonard 122 Bucky Walters 122 Mort Cooper 114 Claude Passeau 111 Kirby Higbe 105 Harry Brecheen 105 Bobo Newsom 105
1950s Warren Spahn 202 Robin Roberts 199 Early Wynn 188 Billy Pierce 155 Bob Lemon 150 Mike Garcia 128 Lew Burdette 126 Don Newcombe126 Whitey Ford 121 Johnny Antonelli 116
1960s Juan Marichal 191 Bob Gibson 164 Don Drysdale 158 Jim Bunning 150 Jim Kaat 142 Larry Jackson 141 Sandy Koufax 137 Jim Maloney 134 Milt Pappas 131 Camilo Pascual 127
1970s Jim Palmer 186 Gaylord Perry 184 Steve Carlton 178 Tom Seaver 178 Fergie Jenkins 178 Catfish Hunter 169 Don Sutton 166 Phil Niekro 164 Nolan Ryan 155 Vida Blue 155
1980s Jack Morris 162 Dave Stieb 140 Bob Welch 137 Fernando Valenzuela128 Charlie Hough 128 Bert Blyleven 123 Nolan Ryan 122 Jim Clancy 119 Frank Viola 117 Rick Sutcliffe 116
1990s Greg Maddux 176 Tom Glavine 164 Roger Clemens 152 Randy Johnson 150 Kevin Brown 143 John Smoltz 143 David Cone 141 Mike Mussina 136 Chuck Finley 135 Scott Erickson 130
2000s Andy Pettitte 148 Randy Johnson 143 Jamie Moyer 140 Roy Halladay 139 Tim Hudson 137 Roy Oswalt 137 CC Sabathia 136 Mark Buehrle 135 Greg Maddux 134 Mike Mussina 134
Last edited by DrJay on Sun May 13, 2012 5:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1900s Christy Mathewson236 Cy Young 230 Joe McGinnity218 Jack Chesbro 192 Vic Willis 188 Eddie Plank 186 Rube Waddell 183 Sam Leever 166 Jack Powell 160 George Mullin 157
1910s Walter Johnson 265 Pete Alexander208 Eddie Cicotte 162 Hippo Vaughn 156 Slim Sallee 149 Rube Marquard 144 Eddie Plank 140 Christy Mathewson137 Claude Hendrix 135 Hooks Dauss 125
1920s Burleigh Grimes 190 Eppa Rixey 166 Pete Alexander165 Herb Pennock 162 Waite Hoyt 161 Urban Shocker 156 Eddie Rommel 154 Jesse Haines 153 George Uhle 152 Red Faber 149
1930s Lefty Grove 199 Carl Hubbell 188 Red Ruffing 175 Wes Ferrell 170 Lefty Gomez 165 Mel Harder 158 Larry French 156 Tommy Bridges 150 Paul Derringer 148 Dizzy Dean 147
1940s Hal Newhouser170 Bob Feller 137 Rip Sewell 133 Dizzy Trout 129 Dutch Leonard 122 Bucky Walters 122 Mort Cooper 114 Claude Passeau 111 Kirby Higbe 105 Harry Brecheen 105 Bobo Newsom 105
1950s Warren Spahn 202 Robin Roberts 199 Early Wynn 188 Billy Pierce 155 Bob Lemon 150 Mike Garcia 128 Lew Burdette 126 Don Newcombe126 Whitey Ford 121 Johnny Antonelli 116
1960s Juan Marichal 191 Bob Gibson 164 Don Drysdale 158 Jim Bunning 150 Jim Kaat 142 Larry Jackson 141 Sandy Koufax 137 Jim Maloney 134 Milt Pappas 131 Camilo Pascual 127
1970s Jim Palmer 186 Gaylord Perry 184 Steve Carlton 178 Tom Seaver 178 Fergie Jenkins 178 Catfish Hunter 169 Don Sutton 166 Phil Niekro 164 Nolan Ryan 155 Vida Blue 155
1980s Jack Morris 162 Dave Stieb 140 Bob Welch 137 Fernando Valenzuela128 Charlie Hough 128 Bert Blyleven 123 Nolan Ryan 122 Jim Clancy 119 Frank Viola 117 Rick Sutcliffe 116
1990s Greg Maddux 176 Tom Glavine 164 Roger Clemens 152 Randy Johnson 150 Kevin Brown 143 John Smoltz 143 David Cone 141 Mike Mussina 136 Chuck Finley 135 Scott Erickson 130
2000 (through 2006) Randy Johnson 120 Greg Maddux 112 Tim Hudson 108 Curt Schilling 108 Andy Pettitte 105 Bartolo Colon 104 Mark Mulder 103 Mike Mussina 103 Tom Glavine 103 Barry Zito 102
Impressive that its only been done 5 times since 1900, and only once since the 1920s - by Spahn. Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Pete Alexander (Grover Cleveland), and Spahn - pretty strong group.
bambam wrote:Impressive that its only been done 5 times since 1900, and only once since the 1920s - by Spahn. Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Pete Alexander (Grover Cleveland), and Spahn - pretty strong group.
More of a reflection on how the game has changed than anything.
