MLB fun facts!

[Kurt]

So I'm a bit of a stat nerd.. Yes, like I'm sure lot's of you people here do, I sometimes I spend an hour or two just browsing baseballreference.com's stats. So given it is the off season and we are all sometimes bored. I thought this would be a good time to have a thread where we just post fun stat facts... For example....

 

Trevor Hoffman has never given up a grand slam.

 

and

 

Paul Molitor has had the most hits against Roger Clemens in his career. (well, he's tied with Harold Bains with 33 hits, but you get the picture.)

 

Now I know it would be funny to post things like "Joey Meyer never ate less than 4 hot dogs a day between 1986-1989" but I really love stupid stat facts and would love to hear what you got.

[splitterpfj]

In his career, on turf, Pete Rose had 2,133 hits in 7,043 AB's for an average of .302854.

 

On grass, he was 2,123 for 7,010, an average of .302853.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

henry aaron had a lifetime .197 ba as a ph

[dadofandrew]

That's because Hank was not "clutch".

 

Heh.

[RoseBowlMtg]

Two retired players lead all retired players @ their position in hits and are not in the Hall of Fame? Who are they and why?

[twobrewers]

Ted Simmons - Because the HOF hates him.

Pete Rose - Because the HOF hates him.

[RoseBowlMtg]

Ted Simmons - Because the HOF hates him.

 

Pete Rose - Because the HOF hates him.

Ding Ding Ding: So true our new bench coach:

Catchers BOLD Indicates Statistical Leader For HOF Catchers
Name [Link To Full Stats]	AVG	OBP	SLG	HITS	HR	RBI	RUNS	SB
Johnny Bench	.267	.345	.476	2,048	389	1,376	1,091	68
Yogi Berra	.285	.350	.482	2,150	358	1,430	1,175	30
Roger Bresnahan	.279	.386	.377	1,252	26	530	682	212
Roy Campanella	.276	.362	.500	1,161	242	856	627	25
Gary Carter	.262	.335	.439	2,092	324	1,225	1,025	39
Mickey Cochrane	.320	.419	.478	1,652	119	832	1,041	64
Bill Dickey	.313	.382	.486	1,969	202	1,209	930	36
Buck Ewing	.303	.351	.456	1,625	71	883	1,129	354
Rick Ferrell	.281	.378	.363	1,692	28	734	687	29
Carlton Fisk	.269	.343	.457	2,356	376	1,330	1,276	128
Gabby Hartnett	.297	.370	.489	1,912	236	1,179	867	28
Ernie Lombardi	.306	.358	.460	1,792	190	990	601	8
Ray Schalk	.253	.340	.316	1,345	11	594	579	177
Name [Link To Full Stats]	AVG	OBP	SLG	HITS	HR	RBI	RUNS	SB
Hall of Fame Catchers

OH yeah Simba's non-HOF stats: .285/.348/.437/2472/248/1383/non-factor

 

How about the rankings: 6/10/10/1/4/2

 

Highest average since Ernie Lombardi

Most doubles

Fewest HOF votes (17)

 

Welcome back Simba and hopefully the Brewers can perform as well as they did your first two years here!

[splitterpfj]

Rose moved around a lot on the diamond, are you sure he leads a position in hits?

[Kurt]

Bob Buhl holds the record for most at bats in a season without a hit. In 1962 we went 0 for 70.

[logan82]

Bob Buhl holds the record for most at bats in a season without a hit. In 1962 we went 0 for 70.

 

I bet if Sheets pitched a full season he would have a good chnace to break that record.

[Kurt]

In 2006 Juan Pierre went 185 at bats without an RBI.

 

There were 134 grand slams in 2007.

352 base on balls with the bases loaded and 58 were beaned.

 

Ben Sheets intentionally walked Ryan Hanigan on 8/14/07. It's was Hanigan's 2nd career at bat.

 

From 1918-1948, the Phillies only had one winning season.

 

Michael Young had 204 hits in 2003 and only had a OBP of .339

 

Paul Molitor holds the record for most RBI's while hitting less than 10 home runs in a single season. He had 113 RBIs w/ 9 HR in 1996.

[JimH5]

Dazzy Vance, a Hall of Famer won more games after turning age 40 than he did before turning 30.

[splitterpfj]

Detroit Tigers infielder William "Germany" Schaefer was credited with a steal of first base. With runners on the corners, he took off for second, to draw a throw and set a double-steal in motion, he slid in safely as the catcher held onto the ball. With that, he took off back to first base, again trying to draw a throw which never came. He was ruled safe at second base, and then safe at first.

[dadofandrew]

Who was scoring that game? What an idiot.

[Fatter than Joey]

Who was scoring that game? What an idiot.

 

It was not illegal at the time -- I suspect the scorer needed a way to explain how he was back at first.

[Zycho32]

Okay, question; Why exactly is Rick Ferrell in the Hall of Fame?

[Kurt]

Okay, question; Why exactly is Rick Ferrell in the Hall of Fame?

Heh. Look at his numbers for 1942.. He finished 21st for MVP that year?!?

 

Looking at his wikipedia page, I think these things have a lot to do with it..

"He retired having caught 1,806 games, an American League record that stood until Carlton Fisk surpassed it in 1988."

"After retiring, Ferrell served as a Senators coach, followed by over 30 years in the Detroit Tigers organization as a coach, scout, general manager, and, at over 80 years of age, executive consultant."

 

 

 

 

[TerraceReserved]

Having caught so many games is well and good, but a career OPS+ of 95? That's bad.

[pitchleague]

Rick Ferrell got into the HOF on a technicality. Back in the day, many writers would do a "courtesy" vote for a player, just to be nice so they could tell their grandchildren one day that they got a vote for the HOF. But one year, a TON of writers all submitted their "courtesy" vote for Ferrell. BINGO! He's a Hall of Famer.

 

True story.

 

I'll try to find the story in this book I've read (it's at home) and I'll quote it for you.

[JET15]

The only pitchers since 1900 with more than 250 strikeouts and less than 40 walks in a season [other than Ben Sheets] are Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Ferguson Jenkins.

 

Source

[TerraceReserved]

Sheets is the only pitcher in MLB history to throw 50+ innings and strike out a batter per inning, and walking less than one per nine innings. That year he pitched 106 innings and struck out 116 and walked 11. Umm Ben, in 08............. please pitch like you did in 04 or 06. Please.

[TooLiveBrew]

Dazzy Vance, a Hall of Famer won more games after turning age 40 than he did before turning 30.

 

See, HGH has been around for way longer than anyone's admitted! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[jschris]

Rick Ferrell got into the HOF on a technicality. Back in the day, many writers would do a "courtesy" vote for a player, just to be nice so they could tell their grandchildren one day that they got a vote for the HOF. But one year, a TON of writers all submitted their "courtesy" vote for Ferrell. BINGO! He's a Hall of Famer.

 

I could be wrong, but I think Rick Ferrell was elected by a bunch of his old baseball buddies on the Veteran's Committee, not the writers.

[splitterpfj]

Rick Ferrell - on the writers' ballot three years, received eleven total votes - elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee - 1984.

 

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=114086

[pitchleague]

but the story is still true. I swear. I didn't get a chance to get the book out last night.

 

So I was off on one detail (writers vs. veterans committee).