12/56 days

February 2, 2011

12 days until pitchers and catchers
56 days until Opening Day

Trivia: Today is Groundhog Day, which according to Bill Murray legend is a day that happens over and over again with unpleasant results. Which current National holds the distinction of being the active MLB position player with the longest career hitless streak?

On this day: in 1936 the first class of players was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame – Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. Good group. The guys who didn’t make the cut are impressive, too – Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, Rogers Hornsby, George Sisler, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, and Connie Mack all got votes (and of course, they would all later get in), among many other great players. Evers and Chance got votes, but no Tinkers. Interestingly, banned-for-life Joe Jackson got a couple votes. A ton of guys who didn’t make it that year made it later. Obviously there will never ever again be a class like that 1936 class.

Speaking of not making the Hall of Fame: on this day in 2005 the trade that sent Sammy Sosa to the Orioles was finalized.  In return the Cubs got Jerry Hairston, Jr. and minor leaguers Mike Fontenot and Dave Crouthers. Crouthers (a pitcher) never saw the show. Hairston only lasted 38 games in Chicago before being traded again, eventually making his way to the Yankees and winning a World Series title in 2009.  Mike Fontenot was traded to the Giants and won a title last year. Sammy Sosa finished his career in 2007 with 609 homers, no championships, and a lifetime of cork jokes and steroids suspicion. And that was before the weird skin thing.

Baseball birthday: George Halas, 1895. Yes, that George Halas. Halas played 12 games in the outfield for the Yankees in 1919. In 22 at-bats, he knocked two hits (.091 BA).  Both hits were singles. Before baseball Halas played football for Navy. He and his teammates who won the 1919 Rose Bowl were granted their military discharge as a reward. Halas was MVP of that game.

1936 Hall of Fame class

Trivia Answer: In July and September of 2009, new Nationals “outfielder” Matt Stairs went 29 straight games without a hit, luckily with the Phillies at the time. As a side note, Livan Hernandez’s longest career hitless streak is 8 games.