February 24, 2011
Third basemen are remembering how to slide
34 days until Opening Day
Whose hat to wear? Trivia: 25 players have hit at least 500 career home runs. How many teams can claim they had the most of those players play for them at one time or another? For instance, Eddie Matthews and Gary Sheffield each have 500 home runs and each at one time played for the Tigers, so Detroit gets to say it had two 500-home run hitters. (Hint: two teams are tied for the most players.)
All-Time baseball birthdays: Today is the birthday of Honus Wagner and Eddie Murray. The Flying Dutchman and Steady Eddie are both all-time greats, as you know. Wagner hit .350 or more 6 times, Murray had 504 home runs, both had well over 3,000 hits, etc. Here are some things you might not have known: Wagner stole 723 bases and Murray hit 9 walk-off home runs. They both had brothers who also played in the majors (Butts Wagner and Rich Murray).
Great names also born today: Pinky Pittenger, Bugs Raymond, Champ Osteen, Con Lucid, Stubby Clapp, Steamboat Struss.
Random stat: I can’t tell you why I was looking up Vladimir Guerrero stats, but I was. Did you know he hasn’t hit more than 44 home runs in a season? Surprising for a guy who is not likely to but very possibly could end up with 500 home runs, if he sticks around long enough. Doubly surprising for a guy whose nickname is The Impaler.
I think Vlad will turn into one of those guys who has great career stats but makes you think “Well, was he ever really the best at his position? Was he ever dominant for a stretch of years?” And then we’ll have to have that stupid argument about whether those criteria are requisite to get into the Hall. How about this stat? His career batting average is .320 and he has 1433 RBI. How many other guys in the history of baseball can claim those two criteria? Only 11 others, and every single last one of them is a Hall of Famer. (Cobb, Speaker, Heilmann, Ruth, Hornsby, Gehrig, Simmons, Foxx, DiMaggio, Williams, Musial)
Not to mention once upon a time he carried a turbo-charged cannon on his shoulder. He’s never finished worse than 5th in the league in assists from right field, and he led the league three times. He’s second on the active list for that somewhat obscure stat.
Hmm, impromptu bonus trivia: Who is first on the active list for career assists from right field?
Third basemen are remembering how to slide
34 days until Opening Day
Whose hat to wear? Trivia: 25 players have hit at least 500 career home runs. How many teams can claim they had the most of those players play for them at one time or another? For instance, Eddie Matthews and Gary Sheffield each have 500 home runs and each at one time played for the Tigers, so Detroit gets to say it had two 500-home run hitters. (Hint: two teams are tied for the most players.)
All-Time baseball birthdays: Today is the birthday of Honus Wagner and Eddie Murray. The Flying Dutchman and Steady Eddie are both all-time greats, as you know. Wagner hit .350 or more 6 times, Murray had 504 home runs, both had well over 3,000 hits, etc. Here are some things you might not have known: Wagner stole 723 bases and Murray hit 9 walk-off home runs. They both had brothers who also played in the majors (Butts Wagner and Rich Murray).
Great names also born today: Pinky Pittenger, Bugs Raymond, Champ Osteen, Con Lucid, Stubby Clapp, Steamboat Struss.
Random stat: I can’t tell you why I was looking up Vladimir Guerrero stats, but I was. Did you know he hasn’t hit more than 44 home runs in a season? Surprising for a guy who is not likely to but very possibly could end up with 500 home runs, if he sticks around long enough. Doubly surprising for a guy whose nickname is The Impaler.
I think Vlad will turn into one of those guys who has great career stats but makes you think “Well, was he ever really the best at his position? Was he ever dominant for a stretch of years?” And then we’ll have to have that stupid argument about whether those criteria are requisite to get into the Hall. How about this stat? His career batting average is .320 and he has 1433 RBI. How many other guys in the history of baseball can claim those two criteria? Only 11 others, and every single last one of them is a Hall of Famer. (Cobb, Speaker, Heilmann, Ruth, Hornsby, Gehrig, Simmons, Foxx, DiMaggio, Williams, Musial)
Not to mention once upon a time he carried a turbo-charged cannon on his shoulder. He’s never finished worse than 5th in the league in assists from right field, and he led the league three times. He’s second on the active list for that somewhat obscure stat.
Hmm, impromptu bonus trivia: Who is first on the active list for career assists from right field?
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| Once sold for $2.8 million. Not the player, just the card. |
Trivia answer: The teams who can claim at one time or another scratching onto their lineup cards the most players who would retire with over 500 home runs are the Orioles and Yankees, with five each. The Orioles were Eddie Murray, Reggie Jackson, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Robinson, and Sammy Sosa. The Yankees were Gary Sheffield, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, and Babe Ruth.
Bonus trivia answer: The active leader for career assists from right field is Bobby Abreu, with 130 (Vlad has 128).
Trivia answer: The teams who can claim at one time or another scratching onto their lineup cards the most players who would retire with over 500 home runs are the Orioles and Yankees, with five each. The Orioles were Eddie Murray, Reggie Jackson, Rafael Palmeiro, Frank Robinson, and Sammy Sosa. The Yankees were Gary Sheffield, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, and Babe Ruth.
Bonus trivia answer: The active leader for career assists from right field is Bobby Abreu, with 130 (Vlad has 128).
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