Baseball Trivia (General)/Questions Answered by Expert Tom Schott
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Red Sox No Hitters, 1950-1970 | 1/25/2012 |
| Q: Tom, This is a question that covers a few categories. Maxim magazine published an article about a ... A: David, There were four Red Sox no-hitters thrown from 1950 to 1970. None of them, as far as I can ... | |
| Steve Korcheck | 12/13/2011 |
| Q: Steve Corchek (only spelling it like it sounds). Said he played for the Washington Senators. Met a ... A: Susan, I don't know if would be possible to run Korcheck down through his old club, but it is worth ... | |
| Wild Card World Series Winners | 10/18/2011 |
| Q: I've always disliked the idea of a wild card winning the World Series. Seems silly to me to consider ... A: Steve. I hate the idea of wild card teams myself, and it may get even worse with baseball ... | |
| General BB Questios | 10/7/2011 |
| Q: why does only one play per team wear the old time type uniform. why do most of the players wear what ... A: Larry, What do you mean by "old time type uniform"? If you are referring to the fact that some ... | |
| First Use of Base Coaches | 9/20/2011 |
| Q: What year were base coaches first allowed to be used in baseball games? A: Jack, The first guy to coach on the bases was a guy named Artie Latham . . . for Cincinnati in ... | |
| Oakland A's uniform | 9/17/2011 |
| Q: Why does the Oakland A's have an elephant on their (left) sleeve? Thanks, Nancy A: Nancy, It's a good question. Years ago, way back near the beginning of the 19th century, when ... | |
| Catcher signals | 8/30/2011 |
| Q: I heard an interview the other day with a professional catcher. He was talking about how he ... A: In the early days of the game it was the pitcher who signaled the pitch. But it eventually became ... | |
| Why is Pitcher's Mound Elevated? | 8/26/2011 |
| Q: Why is the pitcher,s mound in baseball elevated? A: Carol, Good question. The movement towards raising the pitcher's mound originated sometime in the ... | |
| Fielder's Choice? | 8/15/2011 |
| Q: I saw one your answers to another post regarding what is considered a Fielder's Choice. I'm ... A: David, 1. This would be scored as a base hit for the batter with the runner thrown out on the ... | |
| Shortstop Origin | 8/11/2011 |
| Q: Origin of shortstop specifically regarding placement in field - do you think this is because the ... A: According to Peter Morris in "A Game of Inches" vol. 1, the position began evolving in 1849. An ... | |
| Fielder's Choice | 8/4/2011 |
| Q: Game situation: Runner at second base, batter hits ground ball to shortstop who fields ball and ... A: Thomas: Here's the official definition of fielder's choice from the rules: FIELDER'S CHOICE is the ... | |
| 12 Worls Champion Dodgers Photos | 7/30/2011 |
| Q: Tom, I did some more research today and found that these photos had to be from the 1956 season ... A: Claudia, Here are the answers I got from the people that responded to my query. I don't know how ... | |
| Worst BA/Fewest HR for HOF Pitchers | 7/23/2011 |
| Q: worst batting average and fewest home runs? A: David, The worst batting average for a Hall of Fame pitcher based on at least 500 plate ... | |
| Post-season team scoring | 7/7/2011 |
| Q: I've been told that the 1981 NLDS and NLCS are the only post-season series (playoffs and World ... A: Research did not take long: there have been two World Series where the losing team in each game ... | |
| Post-season team scoring | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: I've been told that the 1981 NLDS and NLCS are the only post-season series (playoffs and World ... A: Bill, Yes, your information is correct. But it apples only to the 1981 NLCS and the NL Western ... | |
| 3-Game Win Droughts | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: Has a team ever gone an entire season without stringing together 3 wins? And if so, what is the ... A: Tim, Thanks for the interesting question. Three game droughts have occurred a bazillion times in ... | |
| Teams Scoring Every Inning | 6/28/2011 |
| Q: Tonight, the Dodgers scored in every inning except two (2) in their 15-0 win at Minnesota, so I was ... A: I am going to ignore games from the 19th century in this answer, and only consider games from the ... | |
| Percentage of Runs Scored as Result of HRs | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: What is the percent of all runs scored by home runs to total runs scored? Is there an historical ... A: Mike, The percentage of runs that are attributable to HRs . . . this question is going to take ... | |
| Most Consecutive Hits by a Team at Start of Game | 6/22/2011 |
| Q: The MN Twins played on 6-21-11 against the SF Giants. They started the game with all of the first 8 ... A: Hey, Robert, The greatest number of consecutive hits in the same inning by a MLB team is 11, by ... | |
| Bullpen Carts | 6/17/2011 |
| Q: can you help me win a family arugment? I remember as a kid in the 60"s seeing a golf cart type of ... A: You are not crazy. MLB teams did use golf carts, and some teams used real cars to deliver pitchers ... | |
| pitchers filling in | 6/14/2011 |
| Q: Schott, thanks for reading my question. I don't know a lot of baseball history, so my apologies if ... A: Rem, I have seen extra-inning games that ended up in situations like this. I cannot remember ... | |
| MLB Three Wins in One Day | 6/7/2011 |
| Q: I know of one major league baseball team that has won three games in one day. Has any other team ... A: There are three recorded instances of a tripleheader in Major League Baseball, indicating three ... | |
| Player Who Retired Mid-season after a Game | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: I once saw on the MLB network a short blurb about a player (a pitcher I think) who in the middle of ... A: CJ, I was not able to answer this question myself, but I have lots of knowledgeable baseball ... | |
| Halladay's 18 Straight Strikes | 5/1/2011 |
| Q: I just read that, in yesterday's game against the Mets, Roy Halladay started the game by throwing ... A: Steve, I don't think taken literally it would be mean consecutive strikeouts, but that is neither ... | |
| Rules clarification | 4/27/2011 |
| Q: This very well might be a simple question - but I've looked and I can't seem to find the answer. ... A: The batter is up the next inning. As for recording, whatever happened during the at bat in which the ... | |
| Question about Run Scoring on a Balk | 4/25/2011 |
| Q: The other night a Kansas City pitcher balked home a Cleveland runner from third base. Two questions ... A: Jim. 1. I cannot tell you whether the run is earned or not without knowing what the play-by-play ... | |
| No Grand Slam HRs, Season, Team | 4/20/2011 |
| Q: Has a team ever gone a whole season without a grand slam? A: A lot of teams did this, a lot. There were at least 2 teams, and usually several teams, that had no ... | |
| 2011 Ballparks | 4/3/2011 |
| Q: For 2011, according to left, center, and right field walls, what's the biggest field in the MLB ? A: Adam, Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_park#Current_Major_League_ballparks. There you ... | |
| Which More Rare: 3-Pitch Inning or Perfect Game? | 2/11/2011 |
| Q: I have always heard that the three pitch is the rarest thing to happen in all of baseball. But last ... A: Jim, The perfect game would be far, far more rare. There have only been 20 of those in baseball ... | |
| White Sox-Cubs Exhibition Game in 1907? | 2/5/2011 |
| Q: I've read that Marshall Field's held a company picnic at the Monon Park in Cedar Lake, Indiana in ... A: Carol, So sorry. I thought I had answered this days ago. In fact, I had typed up the response but ... | |
| HOF and Balks | 1/21/2011 |
| Q: Who (and what) determines what baseball players are kept off the ballot for Hall voting? Just for ... A: John, Once a player has been out of the game for 5 years, he is on the ballot and member of the BB ... | |
| Home-run vs. Strike-out Ratio | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: What players have the worst home-run to strike-out ratio? Obviously, with a minimum number of ... A: Great question! Attached is a table showing information on all the major leaguers with over 1500 Ks ... | |
| All Starters w/at least One Hit & One Run in a Game | 12/1/2010 |
| Q: Dr. Schott, While perusing the box score of the game that ended Lou Gerhrig's streak, I noticed ... A: This has happened hundreds and hundreds of times; it's happened hundreds of times when players on ... | |
| Pitchers batting Average | 10/30/2010 |
| Q: Which League (National or American) Pitchers have the best batting average? During World Series, ... A: I'm sorry I could not answer your question, but if you were offended by the reply and thought it ... | |
| Most HR by Decade, 1940-2009 | 9/16/2010 |
| Q: By decades (40s,50s,60s,70s,80s and 90s) who holds the record for the most home runs during each ... A: Hey, Jim: 1940s Ted Williams 234 1950s Duke Snider 326 1960s Harmon Killebrew 393 1970s ... | |
| Lowest Ball Count--Pitcher, Game | 9/16/2010 |
| Q: Last year I saw Cliff Lee pitch a complete game in which he threw very few pitches that were called ... A: I found a game that Greg Maddux pitched against the Cubs where threw a complete game of 76 pitches ... | |
| Tiger Pitching in Double-headers | 8/15/2010 |
| Q: how many detroit tigers pitchers have pitched both ends of a doulbe header and did he win both ... A: Why you dock me a point on the rating for knowledge is unbelievable. I spent 20 minutes combing ... | |
| New York Mets Winning Streak | 8/6/2010 |
| Q: What is the longest winning streak in the history of the New York Mets? Which teams did they beat? ... A: The longest Met winning streak is 11 games in a row, which they did 4 times in their history: Jun ... | |
| Fewest HRs, 3000+ ABs | 8/6/2010 |
| Q: who are the top 5 guys with the fewest home runs per ab? Duane Kuiper had 1 home run in 3379 ab. Is ... A: Kuiper is #1 in this category by far. The top five guys are right here: ... | |
| Baseball Online | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: Where is the best place online to look for baseball records? Baseball yearbooks, encyclopedias, etc. ... A: Chas, There's a ton of baseball stuff online. The prince of all sites is ... | |
| Fewest HRs, 3000+ PAs | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: what player (non-pitcher) has the fewest career home runs? should be I guess at least a 5 year ... A: Kim, I just pushed a button to remind you to rate my previous answer to the question, which you have ... | |
| Origin of the word "bunt" | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: Can you tell me the origin of the word "bunt" Thanks for your time Dan A: Two ways of looking at this. What's the word derived from in the language, and how did it come to be ... | |
| Trying to find a specific game | 7/8/2010 |
| Q: My friend's dad recently told me he was at a game in which home plate was stolen, an inside-the-park ... A: Well, Ryan, how about a game where we go 2 for 3? On May 19, 2010, there was a game between the NY ... | |
| Three-pitch Innings | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: What is the fewest number of pitches that it has ever taken to complete one-half an inning? I know ... A: Shannon, Three pitches is the fewest number of pitches it would take to retire the side. And this ... | |
| Ball/strike Question | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: In 2006 you wrote on this site: "Each foul ball is considered a strike as far as the pitcher's balls ... A: Don, It's easier to think of it this way: if a hitter swings it, it's a strike. Period. Balls that ... | |
| What does "pitch count" measure? | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: In 2006 you wrote on this site: "Each foul ball is considered a strike as far as the pitcher's balls ... A: Don: I'm not really sure what the question is. The subject asks one question, and the text in the ... | |
| Pitching Stats 2009 vs Steroid Era | 5/30/2010 |
| Q: Hope to find out AL pitcher's ERA at the height of steroids (your choice year) compared to 2009. ... A: Jim, How about 1999? Some representative stats for this year compared to 2009 ERA ... | |
| NYY in Shea Stadium | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: I'm trying to find out how many championship rings exactly the NY Yankees have; and when did they ... A: Louie, You're right about the 1974-75 seasons. The other time was in 1998, for one game, ... | |
| NY Yankee World Series Rings | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: I'm trying to find out how many championship rings exactly the NY Yankees have; and when did they ... A: Louie, Information I gave you below is incorrect! I discovered upon further poking around that the ... | |
| Baseball Trivia | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: In my office, I guess I have been designated as the official baseball "nut" (love those Cardinals) ... A: Randall, I can recommend a few aids for you: first of all, the greatest baseball site in existence: ... | |
| WHIP | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: What does "WHIP" mean when discussing pitching stats ? A: Changed subject line. Jim, The acronym stands for "Walks and hits per inning pitched." It's an ... | |
| Follow Up - Playoffs: Losing Home Record | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: Tom, No worries man, my friend Marc pointed out the 1981 season as a good example given the quirky ... A: The 1981 season was an abomination, no matter how you look at it. I could not remember what the ... | |
| Rookies on opening day starting lineup | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: Scott Sizemore and Austin Jackson from the Tigers are two rookies who were on the starting lineup on ... A: Travis Lee & Edwin Diaz for Arizona on March 31, 1998, were the only ones in the past 15 years ... | |
| Fielder's Choice | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: Here is the question again. Runner on 1st base. Batter hits a fly ball to right center field that ... A: Okay, Monte, I've now gotten definitive ruling for you. I was completely wrong in my first answer to ... | |
| Most Hits & Most Hits Allowed in a Shutout | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: what are the most hits a team has had in a nine inning game, and still failed to score a run? How ... A: Most hits in game without scoring a run: 14 NL: New York (vs Chicago), Sept ... | |
| Percent Left-handed Hitters, 2009 | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: I would like to know what was the % of left handed hitters in MLB in season 2009. A: In 2009, 28.5 percent of MLB hitters batted left-handed. (62.1 percent right, 9.3 percent switch). ... | |
| All Star Game Significance | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me who decides on the MLB all star players? Also, why does this game have any ... A: Good questions. Here's a short little recap on how the players in the game are chosen: All-Star ... | |
| Suspended Games in Consecutive Games Streaks | 12/30/2009 |
| Q: Suppose a player in the middle of a consecutive games streak misses playing in a game which ends up ... A: David, It would be an odd situation, but you are correct: the streak of consecutive games would not ... | |
| Consecutive HBP Record, Pitcher | 12/29/2009 |
| Q: On Aug. 21, 2004 Jeff Weaver hit three CONSECUTIVE batters. Is this a record? Thanks! A: Murray, Pitchers have hit three batters in an inning on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, the ... | |
| Greatest Small/Short Players | 12/24/2009 |
| Q: Hey Tom: I have an 11 year-old who is a pretty solid little league player. He's also extremely ... A: I've run four little studies for you, a list of short Hall of Fame hitters and pitchers, and then a ... | |
| HR--Metrodome, Turner Fld, Coors Fld, Citizens Bank Pk--2005-2009 | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: I need to find the TOTAL home runs hit in indivdual seasons from 2005-2009 for Citizens Bank ... A: Mike, Here you go, with revised title: Metrodome Coors Field ... | |
| Triple Steal | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: Double steals in MLB are fairly common. Has there ever been a successful triple steal? I have yet ... A: Brad, I'm very sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner. I thought I had answered this because I ... | |
| Steals of Home | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: Most fans know that Lou Gehrig holds the record for grand slams. Has there ever been an inside the ... A: Brad: Ty Cobb holds the lifetime steals of home record with 54. See: ... | |
| Score Deficit Overcome | 11/10/2009 |
| Q: Most fans know that Lou Gehrig holds the record for grand slams. Has there ever been an inside the ... A: Can't help you much on this one. I can tell you that the largest run deficit overcome by a team to ... | |
| Inside-the-Park Grand Slams | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: Most fans know that Lou Gehrig holds the record for grand slams. Has there ever been an inside the ... A: Brad, I'll give you the information I was able to find: There have been 224 inside-the-park ... | |
| baseball pitch count | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: What is the least possible number of pitches necessary for a pitcher to record a complete game? A: Mike, Not sure what you're meaning by "complete game," because games can be called after five ... | |
| WS HR Records | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: What is the record for total homeruns hit in a world seies game, and total in the series? A: Most HR in World Series game, both teams: 7, Oakland+San Francisco, October 27, 1989 Most HR in ... | |
| 2B + SS Combo HR Leaders | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I really enjoy home run trivia. What is the highest single season home run total for a shortstop-2nd ... A: Steve: Here's your top ten combos. HR Players Team Year 66 ... | |
| Miost SH, 2000-2009 | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: I was looking for who has the most sacrifice hits from 2000-2009 and can't find a stat engine ... A: Christopher, Here is a list of the top half dozen guys who got the most sacrifice hits from ... | |
| Largest Hit Differential between Loser w/most Hits over Winner, Game | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: could you please let me know what is the biggest hits differential where a losing team had more hits ... A: Daniel, Interesting question. The largest gap I could find since 1954 between a loser with more ... | |
| Most Wins, Team, 1980-89 | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: What team had the most cumulative wins in the 1980s? Did they also have the best winning percentage ... A: Here's a list of the four teams with the most wins in the 1980s, along with their winning ... | |
| Pitcher Starts w/o Getting an Out | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: When calculating how many innings a pitcher has worked, you always see the fractional inning as a ... A: Tom, If he has faced 1 batter or 10 batters without recording an out, the official innings pitched ... | |
| Teams w/3+ players > 30 HR | 9/23/2009 |
| Q: do any MLB team ever have 3 players or more with 30 or more homerun in a season? A: Bob, There have been many, many teams with 3 players with 30 HRs or more. There have even been 11 ... | |
| 1000 R, 2000 to 2009 | 9/22/2009 |
| Q: I heard this question on tv and didn't hear the answer. There are 6 players and 3 are Yankees Damon, ... A: Actually there are only two players with over a thousand runs scored since 2000. In fact, there are ... | |
| Played for 2 teams, same day | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: Asked on Mets broadcast last night, and we missed the answer. Please help. Name the only player to ... A: Rich, On August 4th [1982], Joel Youngblood became the first Major League player to play for two ... | |
| 10+ HRs, 20+ Years | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: I missed this answer on an AFLAC question last night. The question was name the 4 major league ... A: Dan, My research indicates there were a total of 11 guys who hit 10 or more home runs for 20 years ... | |
| Most Hits, No Runs, Game | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: What is the record for the most hits for a team in a 9 inning game where the team did not score any ... A: Ken, The record for most hits in a 9-inning game with no runs is 14. NL: New York (vs ... | |
| >20 HR; <.200 BA | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: There are 3 MLB players who have hit nore than 20 Hrs in an under .200 batting average season. Mark ... A: Actually, Greg, there are four guys, if you want to count right on .200: ... | |
| Cycle off One Pitcher | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: Has a player ever hit for the cycle with all four hits coming against the same pitcher? A: Paul, Yes, this has been done several times. After I found a half-dozen cases, I stopped looking. ... | |
| Teams with 6 or more hitters with 20+ HRs, season | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: How many teams have had 6 or more players with 20 home runs or more in a season ANSWER: Hi Bob, ... A: You know what? You're correct! It's my fault. I simply left the '61 Yankees off the list when I ... | |
| Teams with 6 or more hitters with 20+ HRs, season | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: How many teams have had 6 or more players with 20 home runs or more in a season A: Fourteen teams, and three of these had 7 such hitters. Nine of the teams are in this century, and ... | |
| Dodgers Exhibition Game | 8/20/2009 |
| Q: I submitted a question that appeared to be within your field, but got back a "not in my field" ... A: Skip, Sorry I could not help with this. I could certainly help you if we were talking about ... | |
| Most Players, 1 or more Hits, Game | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: WHAT IS THE RECORD FOR PLAYERS WITH HITS IN A GAME, WITH ONE CLUB? IF YOU HAVE THE DATE ALSO, IT ... A: Teams with the most players getting one or more hits in a game: AL 14 Cleveland (vs St. Louis) ... | |
| 1st Canadian Pitcher in All-Star Game | 8/9/2009 |
| Q: Who was the first Canadian to pitch in a ML all-star game? A: [Changed the subject line] Hi Jim, The first Canadian to actually pitch in an All-Star game was ... | |
| Doubles, Team Records, Game | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: What is the record for doubles by one team in a game? By both teams in a game? Thanks. A: Paul: Most doubles in a game by a team: AL - 12 Boston (vs Detroit), July 29, 1990 ... | |
| Numbers of hits, MLB, 2008 | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: How many runs per game, walks per game, hits per game, were recorded per game during each game of ... A: Bob, OK. I've generated a report that you can find at: ... | |
| Info on Perfect Games | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: I am a Chisox and Mark Buerhle fan. It is written that he threw the 18th perfect game in the history ... A: Tom, I cannot answer all these questions. There are more than two, for starters. But I can give ... | |
| Six--pitch inning? | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: What is the least amount of pitches that have been thrown in an inning? Theoretically the minimum is ... A: Sorry I misunderstood. From what I can see, a six-pitch inning has never happened, although the ... | |
| Ways to Reach First w/o a Hit | 7/23/2009 |
| Q: How many ways are there to reach first base without the benefit of a hit and what are they? A: Paul, The question has been answered by an expert here before. See: ... | |
| 9th inning comebacks | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: Some time between 1962 and 1965 I read in Sports Illustrated about two MLB teams that scored 13 ... A: I cannot verify that your information from Sports Illustrated is correct. What I can find is: The ... | |
| Best Chance to Surpass Rose? | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: Of the current active players in MLB, who has the best chance of collecting at least 4000 hits or ... A: Del, I can say without fear of being mistaken that nobody playing ball today has the slightest ... | |
| Why Record Hits? | 7/8/2009 |
| Q: What is the significance of recording the number of hits per inning/game in baseball. At the bottom ... A: Dawn, Hits are fundamental to the game of baseball. Hits are a key statistic in baseball both for ... | |
| Fielder's Choice Question | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: Is it scored as an FC when a bloop flyball drops to right field and the runner on first gets forced ... A: The case you describe would not be fielder's choice. A fielder's choice can occur only on a ground ... | |
| World Series rings | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: How much money does MLB spend each year on World Series rings? A: Pam, It's not MLB that spends the money, but the World Series winner. And the price for the rings ... | |
| Best HR-hitting Teams (most players >=20 HRs) | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: Which team has the season record for having the most good home-run hitters? Not the most home runs, ... A: Gary, Three American League teams had 7 players on the club who hit 20 or more home runs. I think ... | |
| Fewest Shutouts Allowed, Season | 6/30/2009 |
| Q: What major league team allowed the fewest shutouts over the course of an entire season? I am ... A: Bruce, No team has ever gone a whole season without being shutout, but several have allowed only ... | |
| Most HRs Dodger Stadium | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: First, I just want to thank you for answering the questions I have asked to date. It is very much ... A: Alex, I gave you bum information on this question. Karros has 270 =career= HRs, not all in Dodger ... | |
| Grand Slam HRs on 3-2 Count | 6/21/2009 |
| Q: I am curious to know if more grand slams are hit on a 3-2 count than any other? A: Randy, I picked ten teams at random for the 2008 season and checked to see what the count was ... | |
| Baseball strike zone | 6/21/2009 |
| Q: Nothing frustrates me more than what at times seems to be an amorphous strike zone. What IS the ... A: Eddie, There's nothing amorphous about the strike zone according to the rules. Major League ... | |
| Batting, NL Pitchers vs. AL DH, 2008 | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Can't find this answer. Any idea where I can locate batting stats between NL pitchers and AL DH's? ... A: Jim, Yes, you can go to www.baseball-reference.com and click on "leagues." After figuring what year ... | |
| Most Career HR vs. NY Yankees | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: I would like to know which player has the most lifetime home runs against the yankees A: It's not even close. Here are the top five guys with the most career home runs against the NY ... | |
| Pitching W's in Major Stadiums | 5/31/2009 |
| Q: Most pitching wins, one ballpark. Actually I was looking for most victories in the major parks, ... A: Rick, I'm sorry but my data can only give us the answer for home-away splits for pitchers since ... | |
| First MLB Use of Catcher's Mitt and Mask | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: When was catcher's equipment first used in the major leagues - glove and mask? A: There is a marvelous book that gives the answer to all these kinds of questions: Peter Morris, A ... | |
| 1st pitch by U S President | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: Do you know who the Athletics' catcher was when President William Howard Taft threw the 1st ... A: Cathy, I tried without success to locate the box score for this game on April 14, 1910. But I do ... | |
| On-field Signs by the Players | 5/26/2009 |
| Q: I emailed you a question yesterday that was quite unclear (and I am very sorry but I somehow managed ... A: Kobi, Ah, understand. A very good question from someone who is just learning the game. Ballplayers ... | |
| 9th Hole BA vs. Dodgers, 2006-2008 | 5/19/2009 |
| Q: It seems every time I look up a pitcher is getting a hit against my beloved Dodgers. Can you tell ... A: Keith, I cannot answer this question with complete precision because I can only give you the ... | |
| no hitters | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: which MLB team has thrown the fewest no hitters? A: There are four teams since 1901 that do not have a single no-hitter: NY Mets, Colorado Rockies, San ... | |
| Inning w/Most Runs Scored | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: Over time, in what inning in MLB are the most runs scored? I have heard it is the 1st but have no ... A: Peter, You are correct. It is the first inning, by far. I ran a check on the years 1954, 1960, ... | |
| Ball Out of Busch Stadium | 5/15/2009 |
| Q: I was at a St. Louis Cardinal game vs Houston back in the mid 80's and an Astro hit a ball out of ... A: It wasn't an Astro. It was a Redbird. I quote from the website: ... | |
| "Take Two & Hit to Left" | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: What does the admonition to "take two and hit to left" mean and where did it originate? I have ... A: I found a little more information after sending the note below. This website has a little more ... | |
| Percentage of Switch Hitters | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: of the approx. 16,000 total to play major league baseball, how many were full time switch hitters? A: Mark, I cannot answer this question precisely because I have no way of obtaining the information ... | |
| HR & SB in Same Game, Career Leaders | 5/12/2009 |
| Q: Barry Bonds is 1st on the all time homerun list and 32nd on the all time stolen base list. AMAZING ... A: Here's the list of the top ten guys with a HR and SB in same game. (My data runs only back to 1954. ... | |
| Teams with 3 of top 5 Hitters in the League | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: I know the 1993 Jays had the 3 top BA's in the AL (Olerud, Molitor and Alomar). Has anyone else ... A: Revision: Changed Subject Hello, Tony. Interesting question. The top three hitters with the 1993 ... | |
| Complete Games | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: Angels vs Royals. 5/9/09 Both pitchers winning *& losing have a complete game. Has that ever ... A: Hayden, This has happened thousands upon of times. It was quite common in baseball before the rise ... | |
| 2 Saves in One Day | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: Have any pitchers saved both games of a double header? Won both? I was surprised that I could not ... A: James, I just saw that you also asked for wins on the same day. The previous answer was for saves ... | |
| Left-handed Knucklers since 1969 | 5/8/2009 |
| Q: Have their been any left-handed knuckleball pitchers in the past 40 years? If so, who were they? A: Andrew: From 1969-2009, last 40 years LHP whose primary pitch was the knuckleball: Dan Boone ... | |
| Height of Pitcher's Mound | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: According to Jonathan Fraser Light in his book, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, pitching ... A: I cannot pinpoint a precise instance where a mound was 20 inches high, but given the propensities of ... | |
| Consecutive ABs w/o BB | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: Bengie Molina has gone over 80 at bats this season without a walk, what is the major league record ... A: Petr, From 1954 to present, the record is held by Mariano Duncan, who in 77 games from June 24, ... | |
| Lead Off Home Runs: Active Players | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: Rickey Henderson is the all time career leader at 81. Craig Biggio is second at 53. Both now retired ... A: Steve, Ricky Henderson hit 126 home runs in his first ten years in the major leagues, 1979-1988. ... | |
| Career HR Leaders, Switch Hitters | 4/26/2009 |
| Q: I have been told these two ball players represent each league for homers as switch hitters. American ... A: Steve, Only partially true. In the National League, the top two guys are: Chipper Jones, 408 home ... | |
| Lead Off Home Runs: Active Players | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: Rickey Henderson is the all time career leader at 81. Craig Biggio is second at 53. Both now retired ... A: Steve, A follow-up. I just gave you the totals for games when these guys were the first batter of ... | |
| Hitting for the Cycle Records | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I am composing a paper about hitting for the cycle. I am looking for a source book disc on line etc ... A: Charlie, Yes. You have to subscribe to the player index at baseball-reference.com. It will let you ... | |
| 1-0 Games: P has only run & P loses no-hitter | 4/13/2009 |
| Q: In recent history has a national league pitcher ever won a game by throwing a shut-out and scoring ... A: Mark, The pitcher scoring his team's only run while pitching a shutout has happened several ... | |
| Pitcher: 4 or more wins vs. Yankees since 1983 | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: !!! In the last 25 years, only five pitchers were successful four times to beat the New York ... A: Tino: Here they are: Pitcher Year Wins Roy Halladay 2008 5 ... | |
| First Recorded Triple play | 4/9/2009 |
| Q: What team and players recorded the first ever triple play, and on what date? Thanks A: Corey, First recorded triple play in baseball history was on: 5/13/1876 -- National League New ... | |
| Left-handed Shortstops | 4/8/2009 |
| Q: how many left handed short stops in pro baseball? A: Crystal, There is only one left-handed shortstop who ever played in the big leagues that I can ... | |
| HR Every AB, 4 HRs or 3 HRs (partial) | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: Has any player ever hit a homerun for all of their at bats in a game? A: Mike, I'm assuming you mean official at bats and not plate appearances. There are many, many ... | |
| Lead Off Home Runs | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: I know that Rickey Henderson holds the All-time record for lead-off home runs. Is that to start the ... A: Pat, A correction to what I just sent. The 39 lead-off home runs by Henderson were as the FIRST ... | |
| Minimum Number of Hitters for Complete Game | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: what is the min # of batters faced by a pitcher credited with pitching a complete game? A: Kyle, According to the Official Rules, a game is a regulation game after completion of ... | |
| 30 Combined Hits, 9 inning Game | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: how many teams have combined for 30 hits or more in a nine inning game can list a few thanks tom A: Nick, Many, many, many times has this been done. Every team in the big leagues has been involved. ... | |
| Height of Pitcher's Mound | 2/26/2009 |
| Q: What is the official major league height of the pitchers rubber over homeplate. What is the slope ... A: Hey Tom, College (and high school) fields share the same dimensions as the bigs. This site should ... | |
| WHIP in Baseball | 2/25/2009 |
| Q: Can you explain WHIP in the world of baseball and how it is calculated? Thanks! A: Elizabeth, The WHIP (walks & hits per inning pitched) is a measure of pitching effectiveness. It is ... | |
| ERA | 2/22/2009 |
| Q: What is the formula for earned runs average? And can you explain what that formula gives me in ... A: Elizabeth, Sure. The ERA is one of the key measures of pitching performance. It is average that is ... | |
| Pete Rose Hit Record | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I have heard that Pete Rose actually broke Cobb's record a day earlier at Wrigley field. Is this ... A: Chuck, As a matter of fact, Cobb's hit total according to Baseball-Reference.com is 4189. So this ... | |
| Balls and Strikes | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I have a baseball history question for ya: What are the origins of the terms "balls" and "strikes"? ... A: The term "strike" has been around since the very beginning, at the time of the first rule book, the ... | |
| Pete Rose Hit Record | 2/19/2009 |
| Q: I have heard that Pete Rose actually broke Cobb's record a day earlier at Wrigley field. Is this ... A: Chuck, There's nothing to the story. Rose broke Cobb's hit record on September 11, 1985 in ... | |
| Team Shutouts, Yearly | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: Where might I find the number of times a team has been shutout year by year? Thank you, Pete A: Pete, Use www.baseball-reference.com That site will allow you to pull up a team's yearly record by ... | |
| Dave Stieb, Consecutive 1-Hitters | 2/8/2009 |
| Q: We all know about johnny vander meer, but i'm convinced that something happened back in the ... A: Well, your memory is a little skewed, like all of us, but you're close. In 1988, Stieb ended the ... | |
| Ted Williams: Consecutive ABs w/o H | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: What's the most at bats Ted Williams went w/o getting a hit? A: Michael, Apparently Ted went 0 for 20 at bats, but I cannot tell you when that was. The source of ... | |
| Players w/3 HRs in a game & hit for cycle | 1/19/2009 |
| Q: James Hubert "Jim" King hit for the cycle and hit three home runs in a game. Are there any other who ... A: Steve, Sorry for the delay, but this was quite a little research project. It turns out that about ... | |
| SF GIANTS 1958 YEARBOOK? | 1/7/2009 |
| Q: I have what appears to be the first official sf giants yearbook the cover is a cartoon illustrated ... A: Kimberly, I wish I could help you with this question, but without being able to examine the object ... | |
| Casey Stengel & Dutch Zwilling | 1/6/2009 |
| Q: My sister has an old picture (from the early - late 1920's) of Casey Stengel and I think the guy's ... A: Michael, Interesting question! You can find information about Dutch Zwilling at: ... | |
| Most IP w/o Decision, Season | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: I was just wondering has there been a starting pitcher in the MLB that has gone an entire season ... A: James, No starter even came close to no decisions in an entire season. The longest any starter has ... | |
| Where Did MLB Players Come From before Farm Systems? | 12/12/2008 |
| Q: Is there a way to find details of how major league ball players were signed in the days before teams ... A: Michael, A good question. In the days before free agency, ball players were like property, meat. ... | |
| Yankee Stadium Dimensions | 12/11/2008 |
| Q: Did the demensions of the field at Yankee Stadium change at all between its opening through present ... A: Amazing! You ding me for not spending more of my time on this. Do you realize how many times the ... | |
| Records: Vander Meer v Sam Crawford | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: Whose record do you think will be broke first Johnny Vander Meer or Sam (Alias Wahoo) Crawford's? A: Wiley, I don't think either of these records will ever be broken, but of the two, as impossible as ... | |
| Mickey Owens | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: In the game 4 of the 1941 World Series Mickey Owens dropped the ball on the 3rd strike. He is best ... A: Paul, In 1941, Mickey Owens caught in 128 games and did have a .995 fielding percentage to lead the ... | |
| 1935 Boston Braves | 11/19/2008 |
| Q: In April of 1935, the Boston Braves stopped in Fayetteville, NC and played an exhibition game with ... A: Anne, It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to help you out. I spent some time scouring my ... | |
| DH & Pitcher Hitting in World Series | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: In World Series play, since the DH rule was established,it seems that American League pitchers have ... A: Mark, You will find three reports at the following sites. I'm sorry that you will have to arrive at ... | |
| Pitchers mound | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: When was the pitchers mound adopted or called for or invented? Why was it put into the game? I can ... A: John, Here's as good a discussion of the matter as you'll find: The height of the mound has not ... | |
| Pitchers with HR in World Series | 10/27/2008 |
| Q: Who are the pitchers who hit a home run in the World Series? Did one of them hit two? A: Sharon, Twelve pitchers, including Philly's Blanton tonight have hit HRs in the World Series. Dave ... | |
| Oldest WS Starting Pitcher? | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: Will Jamie Moyer be the oldest picher to start a world series game? A: Barry, No, Moyer will not be the oldest. That distinction belongs to Jack Quinn, who started Game 4 ... | |
| Runs Scored by Inning, Total, 2008 | 10/20/2008 |
| Q: i am in a baseball pool and would like to now what which innings in baseball produced the most and ... A: Steve: Here is a breakout of the runs scored in each of the first nine innings in MLB in 2008. I'm ... | |
| Manny Ramirez | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: will manny ramirez qualify for a ring if the sox win it all and what are the stats how many games ... A: Yes, Manny Ramirez will qualify for a World Series ring. He has played 53 games this season with the ... | |
| No-Hitter with No Recorded Ks | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: Has there ever been a no-hitter where the pitcher fails to record a strike-out? A: Fred, I can only go back to 1956 on this one. During that time, from then to now, there's only been ... | |
| Home Post Season Wins at Wrigley | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: Mike and Mike said the Cubs have only seven home post season wins since the went to Wrigley in 1916. ... A: Mark, I'm so sorry. I checked my figures that I gave you the other day and both of them were ... | |
| Best team to NOT make the playoffs | 9/27/2008 |
| Q: Tom, Can you tell me what team (during the Wild Card era, and before) had the best record of teams ... A: Jeremy, Good question. The best record for a team not making the playoffs or winning the pennant ... | |
| Tallest 2nd Baseman | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: Who holds the record as the tallest mlb player for the field position of second base? A: Ann, The tallest player ever to play a full season at second base was a guy named George Kelly, who ... | |
| Games Back | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: Tonight as the Red Sox and the Rays begin to play their records are 88-61 and 88-59 respectively. ... A: Games behind are figured like this: add the number of wins of the leading team to the number of ... | |
| LA Dodgers Ballparks | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: Tom, Do you know if the LA Dodgers ever played a game in a small stadium 'before' playing in the LA ... A: Roger, The Dodgers have never played a regularly scheduled season game in LA anywhere but Dodger ... | |
| 1,000+ hits in the same stadium? | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: What players have over 1,000 hits in the same stadium? There was an article in Newsday today saying ... A: Rob, I have completed the research on this. Very interesting. I've put the data in a Word document. ... | |
| Most HRs in a Game | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: Which player has hit the most home runs in a single game. MLB baseball? A: Llana, The answer is four home runs, and fifteen players in major league baseball, 13 since 1900, ... | |
| Pitched No-Hitter But Got Shut Out and Lost | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: Heard of a game some years ago, maybe 10 or so, where the winning pitcher had a shutout and the ... A: Dennis, This has actually happened twice since 1956. Below are the pitchers who pitched a no-hitter ... | |
| Stealing Home Record & Most Recent | 8/29/2008 |
| Q: When was the last time a major league player stoel home-- not as a part of a double steal but as a ... A: Darrell, Most steals of home, lifetime: Ty Cobb, 54 see: ... | |
| Most ABs in a Game w/o a Hit | 8/28/2008 |
| Q: Pat Burrell's 0 for 7 last night (other highlights: golden sombrero, 10 LOB, and 0 for 5 the night ... A: Matt, Double digits is possible, indeed. There have been five players in MLB who have gone 0 for 10 ... | |
| MLB baseball in Wheeling, W.Va. | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I read or heard somewhere that the Pirates once played a game in Wheeling, W.Va., and that a ball ... A: Ted, I cannot answer this question precisely, but it is quite probably true. Baseball teams used to ... | |
| .300 switch hitters | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: During a broadcast of a Cubs-Braves game, the announcers said only 4 men who were switch hitters hit ... A: John, That cannot possibly be right. Even without research I know that Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, ... | |
| Team w/Most Runs Allowed in 9th | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: I'm wondering if you know which baseball team statistically gives up the most runs in the ninth ... A: Scott, I could not help myself and went on and got the numbers for all the teams. Here's the ... | |
| What was the Longest At Bat? | 8/19/2008 |
| Q: what is the longest at bat in mlb history? A: Jon, I've been able to locate one account that can at least be documented. Bill James in his ... | |
| 1 or fewer HRs in 118.2+ IP | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: My son, Chris Volstad, 21 yrs old, has pitched 91 innings in AA as well as 27.2 innings in MLB so ... A: There have been many pitchers since 1901, the beginning of the modern era, who have given up one or ... | |
| Most Hits but no Runs | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: What team has scored the most hits in a game, without scoring a run ? A: Randy, NL: New York (vs. Chicago), Oct 3, 1999, 14 hits AL: Cleveland (vs. Washington), July 10, ... | |
| HR & RBI Leaders, 1950-1959 | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: what player hit the most ome runs and rbi's in the decade of the 1950's A: Mark, Leader for both home runs and RBIs was Duke Snider. HOME RUNS HR ... | |
| Most HRs, Consecutive At Bats | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: I know Mike hit four consecutive homeruns against the Cubs in a extra inning game, but didn't he ... A: Frank, I don't have the box scores of the Kiner games. Note what I said originally. Kiner hit 4 HRs ... | |
| Most HRs, Consecutive At Bats | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: I know Mike hit four consecutive homeruns against the Cubs in a extra inning game, but didn't he ... A: Frank, You're right about Schmidt hitting 4 HRs in consecutive plate appearances. He is the only ... | |
| Pitchers Giving Up HR to Maris & McGwire | 7/21/2008 |
| Q: recently given this trivia question by a very reputable "sports guy". would never question his ... A: Nick, If anybody did this, it's not the pitchers named. Not a single one of these pitchers gave up ... | |
| Most Runs Scored by a Losing Team | 7/20/2008 |
| Q: On July 4th, Florida scored 17 runs and lost. What is the most runs scored by a team in a losing ... A: Several people did worse than Mazerowski in this department: RUNS YEAR ... | |
| Most rare: 3-pitch inning or triple play? | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: What is rarer, a triple play or a three pitch inning? I don't think I've ever seen a three pitch ... A: Jerry, Three-pitch innings would be more rare. I cannot get precise figures for the triple plays, ... | |
| Ballplayer name correction | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: Tom, I have an unusual question for you. I will try to be as specific as possible. This is in ... A: Mike, This time I did turn up a "Pinnance," but he played long before the 40's and 50's. He was a ... | |
| Most Runs Scored in Extra Innings | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: I just finished watching the Nationals vs. the D-Backs game where there were 8 runs scored ... A: Chris, I assume your question is how many runs by both teams together after 9 innings. But a team ... | |
| Did a "Harston" play for a Louisville pro bb team? | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: Tom, I have a friend turning 60 this wk. He thinks his grandfather played for a professional ... A: Michael, Louisville had a major league team from 1876-77 and 1882-99. I'm sorry to tell you that no ... | |
| Most Runs Scored by a Losing Team | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: After last nights marlins scored 17 runs in a losing effort I was wondering if that was a record ... A: Michael, Amazingly enough, 17 runs and losing is far from the record. The most runs scored by a ... | |
| Fewest 3B's, Career, 3000+ ABs | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: On July 4th, Florida scored 17 runs and lost. What is the most runs scored by a team in a losing ... A: Steve, Giambi is far from the worst. Mark McGwire and Mike Piazza are worse. So is Cecil Fielder, ... | |
| Most Runs Scored by a Losing Team | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: On July 4th, Florida scored 17 runs and lost. What is the most runs scored by a team in a losing ... A: Steve, The most runs scored by a loser that I've been able to find is 23, in a game on Aug 25, ... | |
| Win without a pitch | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: I'm looking for the last pitcher to win a game without throwing a pitch. I think it's Al Osuna on ... A: Hey Marco, Last guy to do it was a few years ago. B.J. Ryan got a win on May 1, 2003 by coming in a ... | |
| >500 H w/3 Teams, Since 1950 | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: players who have 500 hits with 3 different teams since 1950 ( I think there are 10 ) thnx in ... A: Actually, I could only find 9--I may have missed one, though--this is tedious and time-heavy ... | |
| Manufacture of Baseballs | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: My dad who saw all the greats said in the 40,s the ball was dead and that their was less rubber in ... A: False. http://www.fogdog.com/fog-the-history-of-the-baseball--bg-527303.html ... | |
| Run Scored, Each Inning, Game | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: Has there ever been a major league baseball game where one team scored at least one run in every ... A: George, It's never happened in the American League for 9 innings. In the National League, three ... | |
| Grand Slam Singles | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I believe it was a phillie player who hit a grand slam and ran past the player on first base and was ... A: Michael, There have been four instances of a "grand slam single" that I've found, one of them by a ... | |
| Barry Bonds Inside the Park Home Runs | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: How many out of all Barry Bonds' home runs have been Inside the Park? A: Tony, I cannot give you a complete answer, but I can tell you that out of the 292 dingers he hit in ... | |
| Fewest 3B, 5000 ABs | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: which major league player with at least 5000 at bats had hit the fewest triples. thank you A: Louie, And the winner is: Mark McGuire. The list is about what you'd expect, although Canseco is a ... | |
| Fewest 3B, 5000 ABs | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: for those players with at least 5000 at bats, who has the fewest number of triples?? A: Tom, And the winner is: Mark McGuire. TRIPLES 3B AB 1 Mark ... | |
| unassisted triple play | 6/14/2008 |
| Q: my friend thinks this unusual play only happens once every 8-10 years, all teams included. I say an ... A: Jim, Your friend is much closer to being correct. I assume we're talking about this happening at ... | |
| Most runs given up by a pitcher, game | 6/8/2008 |
| Q: In the game today, Andy Petitte gave up ten runs. I thought to myself that you don't see a single ... A: Although it sounds incredible, Petite is nowhere near the record number of runs given up in a game. ... | |
| Rules Question | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: My son was playing baseball last night and he was at bat when the picther threw a wild ball. my son ... A: Zach, No. It's not. The umpire made the right call here. Baseball's rules are unforgiving in ... | |
| Most Foul Balls in One At Bat | 6/1/2008 |
| Q: which player has hit the most foul balls at one time at bat and how many were there? thank you A: Larry: We cannot be definitive about this one. The number appears to be somewhere in the ... | |
| Batting Around | 5/27/2008 |
| Q: I've just watched the Philadelphia Phillies bat around three times in the eight innings they came to ... A: I don't know what the record is, and I've got no way of researching it. It's probably three, but ... | |
| Largest Deficit Overcome--Regular Season | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: Which teams (and by what scores and overcoming what deficits) won games after coming back from being ... A: Dennis, My research turned up three teams that overcame 12-run deficits to win the game. The last ... | |
| Vic Power | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: How many times did Vic steal home? A: David, I cannot tell you exactly. But it was less than 10 times. He was not known as a base ... | |
| Rule Question on Double Steal | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: Tom: BASEBALL SCORING Q: Runners at first and third with two outs. Runner at first has NO wheels ... A: Wayne, Good question. I agree with the ump. If the runner on third breaks upon the pitch as did ... | |
| Most Career HRs before a Grand Slam | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering who (and how many) has the record for the most HRs in their career before hitting ... A: Ty, Sorry I cannot answer this one completely, but I can tell you what I've found. I cannot be ... | |
| Most Runs Allowed, Pitcher Wins | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: hey Tom, What is the most runs given up by a pitcher who still received the win for the game? A: Chris, I have not been able to nail this down definitively, but I have got some information for ... | |
| Full Time Pitcher--Season Losses = 0 | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: Did any full time pitcher ever go an entire season without losing a game ? A: Ernie, To answer the question, not really. The best I can discover is 12 wins, 0 losses, in 11 ... | |
| Five strikeouts in one inning? | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: I know there's a lot of players who struck out 4 players in one inning. Is there anyone who struck ... A: It's not been done on the big league level, and it's really pretty rare. Let me quote my source: "A ... | |
| Baseball MVPs | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: What team has had the most MVP players& has there ever been a team with 3 different players in a ... A: Bob, Most MVPs by a team are the New York Yankees with 22, followed by the St Louis Cardinals with ... | |
| Pitched a No-Hitter and Lost | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: How many times if any has a pitcher thrown a no hitter and lost A: Dave, I'll quote my source directly: On April 23, 1964, Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt 45's ... | |
| Baseball - pitcher with entire career with one team | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: .. I won some tickets to a Texas Rangers game many years ago with this question, but unfortunately ... A: Hey Jon, Last pitcher to do this is still doing it. John Smoltz has been with Atlanta for 20 years, ... | |
| Career home runs at Fenway Park | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: Who has hit the most career home runs as a visiting ball player at Fenway Park? A: Babe Ruth is the answer. Here's a list (all Hall of Famers): Most home runs by a visitor at Fenway. ... | |
| Mantle's Speed | 4/8/2008 |
| Q: I read that Mickey Mantle went from home to first base in 3.1 seconds.Do you know if this is true.If ... A: Charles, He ran like a bullet. I'm sure that this is true, although I cannot document the fact. I ... | |
| 3 Career ABs, 6 Outs | 4/8/2008 |
| Q: I'm looking for a player who apparently had a really short major league career... He had six outs in ... A: Marco, His name was Ron Wright, a DH for the Seattle Mariners for one game. He accounted for the ... | |
| Championship rings | 4/6/2008 |
| Q: Did the 1951 New York Giants baseball team receive National League Championship rings? My ... A: Dan, The practice of presenting rings did not exist in 1951, so you are correct that the Giants ... | |
| 3 lefty Starters on Staff | 4/5/2008 |
| Q: When was the last time a Major League team had 3 lefty starters on staff? (Like our 2008 Mariners) A: Josh, Not that long ago, actually. Last year, two National League teams had 3 lefties that ... | |
| 20 or More Runs Scored in a Game: 2007 | 4/3/2008 |
| Q: A friend of mine want to bet me that 20 runs were scored by one team more than 10 times last year. ... A: Mike, You will have to scan the scores, but it's not a big problem to check this out. It will only ... | |
| Last to Steal from First to Home in an Inning | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: Who was the last player to steal 2nd, 3rd and home all in one inning? A: Cathy, Oddly enough, the last instance in both leagues was in 1996. AL -- Chris Stynes, Kansas ... | |
| 200 hits in 2007 | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me the names and team of individual players in 2007 who had 200 or more hits for ... A: Jim, Sure. In the American League: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle, 238 Magglio Ordonez, Detroit, 213 ... | |
| Age of BB Players at Debut and Prime | 3/26/2008 |
| Q: What is the average age of a player that makes it to the majors (big leagues) to stay? Basically, at ... A: Ron, I am going to venture an educated guess on the average age a player arrives in the bigs to ... | |
| Six Questions | 3/25/2008 |
| Q: 1. What year did the BREWERS first start playing in Milwaukee? 2. How many CUBS are retired in ... A: 1. In 1970: the Seattle Pilots transfered to Milwaukee after a single season in 1969. 2. I don't ... | |
| Ways of Scoring from Third | 2/29/2008 |
| Q: How many ways can a player score from third base. I've come up with 9, but I've been told it's more ... A: Ryan, I came up with thirteen, and a buddy came up with another for a total of fourteen. These ... | |
| History of the Baseball | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: What year did baseballs start being made by machines and is there any difference in the baseballs ... A: Jim, http://www.fogdog.com/fog-the-history-of-the-baseball--bg-527303.html ... | |
| Most PA for .300+ Hitter w/o BB or HBP, Season | 2/10/2008 |
| Q: What player had the most plate appearences for a .300+ hitter without a walk or hit by pitch in a ... A: Damon, Interesting question. In 1877, a player named Levi Meyerle of the Chicago Cubs hit .327 with ... | |
| NYY HR from both sides of plate | 1/31/2008 |
| Q: Who was the first Yankee player not named Mickey Mantle to hit home runs from both side of the plare ... A: Tom Tresh hit homers from both sides as a Yankee three times, the first time on September 1, 1963. ... | |
| Most Runs by a Team in 9th Inning | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: In the early '60s I read in Sports Illustrated the twice this happened twice within two weeks or so. ... A: Dick, Here's the best I can do on this question. I cannot find a record of anything like you ... | |
| First Batting Helmet | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: Was Pee Wee Reese credited with being the first player in pro ball to wear a hard helmet and what ... A: Wilbur: same message. I just changed the subject for my records. TES Wilbur, The sources differ ... | |
| Tommy Raub | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: Tom I am looking for information about Tommy Raub, who player in the major league in 1903 and ... A: Bob, Here's his page at baseball-reference.com: ... | |
| Josh Gibson | 12/22/2007 |
| Q: Fact or fiction? Was Josh Gibson the only person to have hit a home run which left Yankee Stadium? ... A: Bill, Don't know whether it's fact or fiction. I cannot definitively answer your question because ... | |
| Last AL Pitcher to Hit before the DH Rule | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: WHO WAS THE LAST AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHER TO BAT BEFORE THE DESIGNATED HITTER RULE WENT INTO EFFECT? A: Robert, The last pitcher to hit before the DH rule went into effect in 1973 was Nolan Ryan of ... | |
| world series | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: has any team ever won the world series after losing the first three games? A: Ann, It's never happened in the World Series, and it's only happened one time in all of ... | |
| Most foul balls at 1 bat | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: What is the most foul balls hit at one at bat? A: Chris, I don't know how official this is, but here is something I found on the Baseball Fever web ... | |
| World Series Rings | 10/14/2007 |
| Q: you may have answered this question before so here goes...when was the 1st world series ring made ... A: Joseph, I have answered it . . . back in September. The first team to get rings was the NY ... | |
| 1941 World Series | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: What was the name of the catcher from the Dodgers who dropped the third strike in the 6th game of ... A: The year was 1941, and the catcher was Mickey Owen, and it was in the 9th inning of the 4th game. ... | |
| Sweeps in Post-season Playoffs | 10/6/2007 |
| Q: Tom. Has there ever been a year in which all the winners of the playoffs swept their opponents? ... A: Diane, Since the beginning of the (insane) wild card playoffs in 1995, it's never happened; it's ... | |
| Most Games w/o Making Playoffs | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: Which active player(s) have played the most games without making the playoffs? A: Thirteen guys have played over a thousand games withou ever making it to the post-season. Here's the ... | |
| MVPs Not on All-Star Team | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: any player to win league mvp who was not on the all star team that season? A: Martin, Good question! It's rare, but it's not unheard of for this to happen. It happened more ... | |
| Managers w/o Big League Experience as Player | 10/3/2007 |
| Q: Are there any major league managers that were never first an active major league player? A: Mark, I'm not sure if you're asking about current managers, or managers in baseball history. I'm ... | |
| First World Series rings | 9/26/2007 |
| Q: What year were the rings first given to the world champs? A: Mark, According to an article in “Sports Illustrated” from April 29, 1985, the first championship ... | |
| First and Last HRs of 20th Century | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: since you specialise in 19th century baseball who hit the first and last homeruns in the last ... A: I'll quote my source directly: The Last Home Run of the 20th Century Stepping up to the plate in ... | |
| Ruth-Williams Teammates | 9/23/2007 |
| Q: baseball trivia : who is the only player to be a teamate(player) of both babe ruth and ted williams A: John, In fact there were two players who were teammates of both Ruth and Williams: --Johnny ... | |
| Most HBP/game | 9/19/2007 |
| Q: What is the record for a player being hit by the ball in one game, if so how many times was he hit, ... A: In the National League, the record is 3 times in a game. This has happened 14 times and involved 11 ... | |
| Pitch Counts Per Team | 9/17/2007 |
| Q: Wht was the average number of pitches thrown in a game *per team*--not per pitcher--last year? And ... A: Peter, There is a really interesting article on this subject at: ... | |
| Triple Crown History | 9/14/2007 |
| Q: When was the first Triple Crown Award recognized? Also, is there an actual award? I know Mickey ... A: I guess that would depend on how you define "recognition." Today guys get curtain calls for almost ... | |
| Longest HR at Fenway | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: Who hit the longest home run at Fenway park, how far did it travel, where did it land? A: In Fenway Park, there is a single red seat in the right field bleachers: Section 42, Row 37, Seat ... | |
| Triple Crown History | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: When was the first Triple Crown Award recognized? Also, is there an actual award? I know Mickey ... A: David, According to information I've been able to discover, there is no physical award. A triple ... | |
| HOF Player w/fewest HRs | 8/28/2007 |
| Q: What non-pitcher in the Hall of Fame has the fewest career home runs? A: I would have thought it would have been an infielder, but it was not: it's Ray Schalk, a catcher for ... | |
| Teams Scoring Every Inning of 9-inning Game | 8/22/2007 |
| Q: wondering how many times in major league history a team has scored in every inning of a 9 inning ... A: It's a pretty rare occurrence. In the National League, this has happened 7 times since 1889 (only 3 ... | |
| Most HR Allowed, Career | 8/20/2007 |
| Q: I am curious which pitchers have allowed the most career home runs. Thanks ANSWER: Hi Rick, Here ... A: Sorry for the confusion here. I did the run only on pitchers with at least 2000 innings pitched. I ... | |
| Team Batting Averages | 8/19/2007 |
| Q: After 1936, only 1 team has had a seaon batting average of .300 or better (Red Sox, 1950, .302) ... A: Hey Kevin: Not many. 1937 Tigers .292 1938 Red Sox .299 Senators .293 1939 Red Sox .291 1950 ... | |
| Most HR Allowed, Career | 8/19/2007 |
| Q: I am curious which pitchers have allowed the most career home runs. Thanks A: Here are the top ten for the National League: HOME RUNS ALLOWED HR 1 Warren ... | |
| Leaving Gloves on the Field | 8/18/2007 |
| Q: I've heard that players used to leave their gloves on the field when they'd go into bat. Was it so ... A: Tracey, I remember seeing players do this in the old Southern Association in the 1950s. Each ... | |
| Longest Complete Game Pitched | 8/17/2007 |
| Q: What is the longest complete game pitched in the majors, and who pitched? A: Scott, Most Innings Pitched, Game NL—26—Leon Cadore, Brooklyn, May 1, 1920 (1-1 tie) Joe ... | |
| Most Runs Scored in the Bottom of the 9th | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: The answer given to the above question indicated that in the AL, the most runs scored in the 9th ... A: Ron, My initial error was in answering was in giving the reply you cite, but it was because I ... | |
| Most Runs Scored in the Bottom of the 9th | 8/14/2007 |
| Q: The answer given to the above question indicated that in the AL, the most runs scored in the 9th ... A: Ron, I'm sorry. I misunderstood the question. The rules were not different. I cannot be any more ... | |
| 2 HR in an Inning | 8/12/2007 |
| Q: How many players have hit 2 home runs in a single inning A: Whoops, Mattie Ordonez of the Tigers has just become the last AL player to hit 2 HR in an inning, in ... | |
| Wayne Terwilliger | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: I have heard there was a famous baseball player with the last name of Twilleger or Twilleager I am ... A: You must be talking about Wayne Terwilliger, who played in the 1950s. He is not all that famous. He ... | |
| Uni Numbers 1928 Yankees/Red Sox | 8/6/2007 |
| Q: I am presently writing a novel. There is a chapter wherein a baseball game takes place between a ... A: Glenna, In 1928, backs of the Red Sox jerseys were blank. Tom Glenna, You are correct that ... | |
| Throwing out baseballs | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: During a game, there can be ten consecutive ground balls that hit the infield dirt, and no one is ... A: Mike, Here's the answer from an umpire: Removing the ball after a pitch in the dirt usually ... | |
| Red Sox Who Hit for the Cycle | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: Didn't Tim Naehring hit for the cycle for the Red Sox? I believe he was the last player to do so ... A: Heather, Tim Naehring never did it. The last Red Sox hitter to do this was John Valentin on June ... | |
| Throwing out baseballs | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: During a game, there can be ten consecutive ground balls that hit the infield dirt, and no one is ... A: Mike, I don't really know, Mike. I can speculate that it's become standard practice for the umps ... | |
| Negro League Statistics | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: Tom -- records & benchmarks are very much in the news these days w/Glavine, Bonds & ARod. My ... A: Jim, I wish I could be of more assistance here, but we're really limited in this regard. First of ... | |
| Home Run in First Two At-Bats | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: Has anyone ever hit a home run in each of his first two at bats as a major leaguer? A: Buzz, You're wrong about Ray Durham. He got one hit, a single, in four at bats in his first game. ... | |
| Finding Pitchers' Batting Averages | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: Where can I find the all time batting avgs for all pitchers that have played in the Majors? Thanks ... A: Randy, You can find batting stats for any pitcher who ever hit in the majors at ... | |
| sac fly | 7/28/2007 |
| Q: while rules state a sacrifice fly as a fairly batted ball caught by a defender in which a runner ... A: Dan: It is a sac fly and the batter gets an RBI. The rule states that a sacrifice fly can be ... | |
| Most Runs Scored in 9th w/2 Outs | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: What is the most runs scored in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs? A: Just wanted to comment, in response to your comment, that he is correct. Info is from the Official ... | |
| Vic Power's Career CS | 7/20/2007 |
| Q: I've heard that there have been 8 players that have struck-out 6 times in a single game. Rick ... A: Dave, It goes without saying I'm not going to know if the number is not the one in the records. I ... | |
| More than 601 PAs, HR = 0 | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: I'm looking for the player who had the most plate appearances in one season without hitting a ... A: Marco, There are a huge number of players who did worse. Here are the top half dozen in the long ... | |
| Vic Power's Career CS | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: I've heard that there have been 8 players that have struck-out 6 times in a single game. Rick ... A: Vic Power was caught stealing 35 times in his career. He was successful 45 times. The only variable ... | |
| Southpaw Knuckle-ballers in Relief | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: who are the 2 left handed relief pitchers that threw knucle balls?? A: Actually, I found five lefties who threw knucklers in relief. Gene Bearden Phil La Plame ... | |
| Consecutive at-bays with hit | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Ty Wigginton tonight (7/17/07) tied the Devil Rays record with eight consecutive at-bats with a hit. ... A: Steve, The major league record for most consecutive ABs with a hit is 12. Held by two hitters in ... | |
| Most Hits in Game, both clubs | 7/17/2007 |
| Q: What is the record for the most hits in a 9 inning game for both teams combined? Also the record ... A: Most hits in a game by both clubs, 9 inning game: NL 51 -- Philadelphia 26, Chicago 25 Aug 25, ... | |
| MLB TEAM home run seasonal record | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: What TEAM holds the record for most home runs hit for the season? Which season? {My husband thinks ... A: Sally, Your husband is mistaken, if we're talking about the major league record. Here are the ... | |
| Pitchers Hitting | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: Can you list the top ten current pitchers on career hit totals and their averages. I am curious ... A: Here are your numbers, Craig. The numbers are not particularly small considering. All of the guys on ... | |
| Detroit Runs Scored Season Leader | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: Who holds the Tigers team record for most runs in a season? A: Ty Cobb. He scored 147 runs in 1911. Here's a list of the top ten Tigers in runs. RUNS ... | |
| All-Star Game MVP | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: Who was the last player to win the MVP award that was on the losing team? A: Greg, The last guy was Carl Yaztrzemski of the Red Sox in 1970. The NL won the game in 12 ... | |
| Baseball Park Size | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: I have always heard that baseball parks in the past were always larger than today, they used polo ... A: Patrick, Generally speaking, this is probably not so. But ballparks come in all shapes and sizes, ... | |
| Most runs in a double header | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: Today the Twins and White Sox have scored 30 runs in the opening game of a double header. What is ... A: Chris, Here are numbers: Most runs, doubleheader, by one team NL—43—Boston vs Cincinnati, Aug 21, ... | |
| Team batting average | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: As I watch the Padres team batting average march relentlessly toward the Mendoza line, I was ... A: Bill, The record holders for a World Series winner are the famous "Hitless Wonders"--the Chicago ... | |
| Height of the Mound | 7/5/2007 |
| Q: The mound height at Shibe Park was reportedly 20'. Was there no maximum in those days? When did ... A: It's a good question . . . since I've responded to something similar before, I decided to just ... | |
| astros #7 | 7/4/2007 |
| Q: since 1965 who has wore the uniform #7. i can't remember who had it besides craig biggio for the ... A: Until Biggio's third season, and but for one exception, this number has been a catcher's number for ... | |
| Pitching rules | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: Home team starting pitcher goes only 1.33 innings and leaves with his team losing, reliever comes in ... A: Marty, Are we talking baseball or softball? I can answer this if baseball rules apply. They are ... | |
| All -Time Stats | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: Sizemore is on pace for roughly 25 HR and 50 SB. How many other players have done that and who are ... A: P.J. It's a pretty rare feat. There have been 6 guys to accomplish this feat before, and it's ... | |
| Scoring Rule | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: Rule 7.12 Unless two are out, the status of a following runner is not affected by a preceding ... A: Yes, I think you are reading the rule correctly; that is the way I read it. In the case of the ... | |
| Fenway | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: Why are the centerfield seats at Fenway Park sometimes blocked off and not sold? A: Good question. For quite a while now, the dead center field section of ballparks on straight line ... | |
| HBP | 6/28/2007 |
| Q: What's the career record for most consecutive at bats without getting hit by a pitch A: Great question. I will be as precise as I can; to be completely precise would take more time than I ... | |
| Winning Pitcher | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: I was just hired as the official scorer for a minor league baseball team. The issue hasn't come up ... A: The rules are pretty explicit about the answer to your question. In the case you cite, the official ... | |
| Player - coach name | 6/25/2007 |
| Q: I have a 1968 basebball signed by 25 orioles. I can figure out all but 2. One is or appears to be ... A: Art, Since I cannot look at the ball, I'm a little bit limited in answering this question, but I do ... | |
| Scoring question | 6/22/2007 |
| Q: Had an odd thing happen the other day and i am not sure how to score it. Batter hits a ball over ... A: Joe, Yes, you are correct, because consider how you would have to score it otherwise. A homer ... | |
| Why foul line and pole? | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: >1) Why is it called the foul pole when it is inside the field of play at many stadiums? Shouldn't ... A: Bob, Language usage doesn't always follow logic. Though some would agree with you, the game as ... | |
| Frank Howard's 1st at bat | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: What did Frank Howard do at his first Major Leagus at bat with the Dodgers? I believe I was there at ... A: Bob, You're close. Frank Howard hit a home run on his second at-bat in the major leagues. Over ... | |
| Every Pitcher's Repertoire | 6/18/2007 |
| Q: .can you give me a website that can show me all the pitcher's repertoire in major league ... A: Gerald, There's no such site that I know of; that sort of information is scattered in all kinds ... | |
| >40 HRs & <40 SOs | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: I am a huge Ted Kluszewski fan. One of the first things that I had ever heard about him was that he ... A: Josh, Good question. Answer is yes, several times, but Big Klu was the only player ever to do it ... | |
| No-hitters in Rookie or Second Year | 6/13/2007 |
| Q: Justin Verlander just pitched a no-hitter in his second season. How many players have ever done it ... A: Dean, This was a good question and it took a little research to get the answer for you. In ... | |
| Most Lopsided Win | 6/9/2007 |
| Q: What is the most runs scored in a game? And if you can, what was the game won by most. As in, what ... A: The biggest margin of victory in modern baseball (since 1900) was 25 runs. The Boston Red Sox ... | |
| Stealing from 1st to Home | 6/2/2007 |
| Q: Has there ever been a person to steal all 4 bases in one at bat? what is the record of bases stolen ... A: I cannot tell you if these guys did this during one at bat, but several people have stolen from ... | |
| Origin of HBP Rule | 5/31/2007 |
| Q: My question is in regards to the hit by pitch. When and why did it come to be part of the rules of ... A: Hey Dave, Interesting question. The rule awarding the batter first base when hit by a pitch was ... | |
| HRs in Four NYC Ballparks | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: My son heard this question on a Mets telecast earlier this year. Unfortunately, he was not able to ... A: Steve, Four men who have hit a home run in all 4 New York Parks. Hank Aaron Wes Covington Jim ... | |
| Most Starts, 0 Shutouts | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: Who has the most career starts without pitching a shutout? And how many starts did he have? A: Brad, The list of guys could probably be longer; I only looked at the top ten in this category. ... | |
| Blue Jays Homers | 5/23/2007 |
| Q: How many times has a single Toronto Blue Jay player scored 3 home runs in one game? A: A Blue Jays player has hit 3 home runs in a game a total of 10 times (11 if you count the 4 home ... | |
| 1st Pitcher to Bat after DH Rule | 5/20/2007 |
| Q: who was the first american league pitcher to bat after the implementation of the deisgnated hitter ... A: Chicago White Sox right-hander Cy Acosta was the first to do it: on June 20, 1973. He struck out in ... | |
| Most runs scored in a loss | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: What's the most runs a major league team has scored in a game, yet lost? Also, if this has happened, ... A: Rich, The highest number that I've been able to find is 23, in a game on Aug 25, 1922, when the ... | |
| Why Nine Innings? | 5/8/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if there was a reason behind the number of innings in a baseball game? Do you know ... A: Heather, Here is a response to this question I found at: ... | |
| Team HR Percentage | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: What is the average amount (percentage) of runs scored by homeruns in a game or season for one ball ... A: Chris, This is a really excellent question. The answer depends, of course, on the time you're ... | |
| Most HRs vs the Yankees | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: the other day manny ramirez became the fifth guy to hit 50 home runs against the yankees. the ... A: Here are the guys you're looking for. Ramirez is in exulted company: Jimmie Foxx 70 Ted ... | |
| Good hitting ptichers | 5/2/2007 |
| Q: has there ever been a pitcher that batted better than the designated hitter in the american league? ... A: Nancy, To my knowledge, there has never been a pitcher who hit as well as a DH, but this is not a ... | |
| Baseball 90 ft. base distances | 4/25/2007 |
| Q: How was 90 feet decided upon as the standard distance between bases? Was it always 90 feet? ANSWER: ... A: Jerry, The Knickerbocker Rules are at: http://www.19cbaseball.com/knickerbockerRules.html A ... | |
| Baseball 90 ft. base distances | 4/24/2007 |
| Q: How was 90 feet decided upon as the standard distance between bases? Was it always 90 feet? A: Jerry, The 90-foot base paths go all the way back to when Alexander Cartwright and a committee ... | |
| Total number of pitches in a game | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: what is the record for most pitches thrown in one game? A: Raul, I can only find figures for the record since 1990. And that would be Tim Wakefield who ... | |
| First 200 HRs for same Manager | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: who is 3 players have hit 200 home runs with their same mgrs.? A: Eric, There are lots of players who hit 200 homers for the same manager. Hitting their first 200 ... | |
| HR on first two career at-bats | 3/21/2007 |
| Q: Who is the only player to hit a home run in his first two major league at bats? ANSWER: Debi, a St. ... A: Debi, Actually two of the people on your list hit homers on their first big league ... | |
| what is a lodge box? | 2/21/2007 |
| Q: I am not good with sports (wish I was) But I want to buy some tickets for my husband and his friends ... A: Kelly, Not a silly question at all. It's just another way of describing seating. It's not ... | |
| dugouts | 1/10/2007 |
| Q: Is there any reason for the term "dugout" other than the resemblence to one? Why are they actually ... A: Dave, The major league rules require that the dugout be roofed and closed at the back and either ... | |
| Dodgers 1955 | 11/4/2006 |
| Q: I have an old Zippo lighter that is engraved "Dodgers 1955" with a crown and world globe beside it. ... A: Ira, It is definitely not another team named "Dodgers." Any old-time baseball fan can tell you ... | |
| Batting Helmets | 10/28/2006 |
| Q: what year were batting helmets required and what was the grandfather rule A: Cliff, The Pittsburgh Pirates were the first team to wear them, in 1952. They became mandatory in ... | |
| Undefeated Baseball Teams | 10/28/2006 |
| Q: in the history of baseball has there ever been a pro team to go undefeated in the regular season? A: Joseph, A couple I've been able to discover . . . way in the early history of the game. The ... | |
| 4-Game WS Sweeps | 10/25/2006 |
| Q: How many 4 game sweeps have there been in the world series? A: Richard, There have been 17 total. Only two teams have swept the Series in four games more than ... | |
| Denny McClains 30th Win | 10/20/2006 |
| Q: What team did Denny McClain beat to get his 30th win in 1968? A: Sal, McLain got victory number 30 against Oakland at home on September 14. He got victory number ... | |
| Pitchers: 3 World Series Rings, 3 Teams | 10/19/2006 |
| Q: Besides Jack Morris, what other pitcher or pitchers have taken 3 or more world series ring with as ... A: John, Interesting question. Here is the list: Joe Bush Roger Craig (if you count Brooklyn & LA ... | |
| Last Inside-the-Park Grand Slam | 10/18/2006 |
| Q: Good evening, Tom! Thank you so much for the info that you sent! Do you think it's likely that ... A: Like you I wondered about that . . . it's been a while, hasn't it? But I concluded that such a rare ... | |
| Oldest Active MLB player | 10/18/2006 |
| Q: Last week I was watching a playoff game and a 48 year old black player was up to bat, I believe as a ... A: Carolyn, That would be Julio Franco, who has played for the Atlanta Braves for the past threee ... | |
| Last Inside-the-Park Grand Slam | 10/17/2006 |
| Q: .. Can you tell me who hit the last inside-the-park grand slam and when? Many thanks! A: The inside-the-park grand slam is a pretty rare feat. The last guy to get one was Randy Winn of the ... | |
| What is Pepper Ball? | 10/17/2006 |
| Q: My question relates to a stenciled words behind Home Plate at the "Old Tiger Stadium" that say's "NO ... A: Here's a good definition: pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts ... | |
| First Pitch Significance | 10/14/2006 |
| Q: I am very impressed! My follow upDid the Negro League practice the first pitch ceremonies?I was ... A: Gil, I found only a single reference to Jackie Robinson throwing out the first pitch at a Negro ... | |
| First Pitch Significance | 10/13/2006 |
| Q: I was trying to find more about the history (when it began) and the significance of the first pitch. ... A: Gil, As far as I can tell, the first ceremonial first pitch was thrown by President William ... | |
| Foul Balls | 10/13/2006 |
| Q: I believe in 2005 there was a ML player who hit 17 or 18 foul balls in a row. I want to know who it ... A: Joyce, There's no agreement on most number of foul balls in one at bat, much less consecutive. ... | |
| Scoring Fiasco on Dropped 3rd Strike | 9/10/2006 |
| Q: I'm a rules junkie, and I *think* I go this correct at the time, but I'd like a second opinion. ... A: "Prune" (what a cool moniker!) You are absolutely correct about this. The strikeout and the 1-3 ... | |
| saves | 9/3/2006 |
| Q: What major league pitcher has the most saves in a season and when is it considered a save(ei. # of ... A: Mike, Sorry I've been so slow at getting back to you on this. I had to be away from my desk for a ... | |
| Triple Team Double Headers | 9/2/2006 |
| Q: Has there ever been a double header with one team playing two differant teams in the same day? A: David, Yes. It's happened twice: Sept 25, 2000 at Jacobs Field, Cleveland Indians beat Chicago, ... | |
| SF Giants History | 8/29/2006 |
| Q: were the san francisco giants ever in any other city A: Oh, yes. They were originally the New York Giants, a team with a long history that dates back to ... | |
| Info on Babe Ruth | 8/6/2006 |
| Q: hey i am currently doing an assignment on babe ruth i was wondering if you have any stats on it, and ... A: Josh, There'a a ton of information about the Babe on the Web. ... | |
| Doubleheaders: Splits and Sweeps | 8/4/2006 |
| Q: I'm wondering how often doubleheaders have been swept vs. split in the history of baseball, or at ... A: Allan, Although I don't have any hard data--I've looked for a while--I can venture an educated ... | |
| Height of Pitching Mound | 8/2/2006 |
| Q: How high is a major league pitcher's mound? And can it be changed between games? Is the height set? A: The rules of baseball specify that the mound cannot be any higher than 15 inches. The height of the ... | |
| Team Hits In A Game | 8/1/2006 |
| Q: What is the record for most hits by a single team in a game? A: Chris, In the National League, it's 36 by the Philadelphia Phillies vs the Louisville Colonels ... | |
| Top 5 Players of each team | 7/12/2006 |
| Q: ..but a local radio station mentioned an upcoming promotion (Johnny Bench is the national ... A: Charlie, There is no specific site for this, Charlie. The only way you can get at who's "best" on ... | |
| Cincinnati Reds Father-Son Combos | 7/4/2006 |
| Q: what are the 4 fathers and sons that have played for the cincinnati reds (not nessicarily at the ... A: I'm working on this: I have gotten three of the four figured out, but I'm having trouble finding the ... | |
| Shortest Tenures for Big League Managers | 7/4/2006 |
| Q: I heard a radio conversation yesterday dealing with the shortest tenures/time on the job in ... A: This was a really interesting exercise. It took a little digging, but the information is pretty ... | |
| Baseball: which league is better? | 6/27/2006 |
| Q: to settle an argument as to which league is better. can you tell me the top 5 player by position who ... A: Ron, I need some clarification: are you asking for the lifetime statistics for these category ... | |
| Fielder's choice--actual result of play or thought process | 6/24/2006 |
| Q: My question is do you score a fielder's choice based on the decision of the fielder or the result of ... A: The fielder's choice is scored on the decision of the fielder, not the play result. It does not ... | |
| baseball | 6/24/2006 |
| Q: how many times has the home team in baseball scored in all nine innings? A: Interesting question and interesting answer: the long and short of it is in the AL no home team has ... | |
| Most Runs in a Game | 6/22/2006 |
| Q: what was the highest score ever recorded in the mlb.(ex) d-backs 34 yankees 2 A: Randy, The most recent information I can find is this, from ... | |
| Doubleheaders | 6/10/2006 |
| Q: Tom. The train travel of the early 20th century might have necesitated many doubleheaders. I've ... A: Rest assured, Kc, that I will let you know if I can find anything else on this, but it really ... | |
| Doubleheaders | 6/10/2006 |
| Q: When I grew up (late 60s & 70s), doubleheaders were very common. I can't find anything online that ... A: You're right, Kc. I poked around a bit on the Net and could not find specific information about the ... | |
| Fielders Choice | 5/30/2006 |
| Q: Tom, This is a scorekeeping question. With a man on first, hitter rolls a ground ball into the ... A: Jason, It would be scored as a hit in either case. To be scored a fielder's choice, there has to ... | |
| Barry Bonds | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: Tom Do you think that Barry Bonds has broken Babe Ruth's record? Back in 1969 the pitchers mound ... A: I personally don't think Bonds has broken =any= records since he's been juiced since 1999. I ... | |
| Comeback record (shutout) | 5/17/2006 |
| Q: As far as I can see, not a single report on yesterday's Yankee comeback from 9-0 answered the ... A: Steve: I cannot find anything bigger than this: June 18, 1911: Down 13-1 after five 1/2 innings, ... | |
| NY Yankees | 5/16/2006 |
| Q: I'm interested in your all-time NY Yankees team, incl. DH, closer, right & left-handed starters. ... A: Jim: As a Ranger fan, I hate the Yankees, but here goes. I stayed strictly to the position for ... | |
| Major league franchises | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: This was exactly what I was looking for, however are you sure about the Cubs? I'm a White Sox fan ... A: Well, Arni, I understand your situation, and I can readily sympathize. But I'm afraid I am correct ... | |
| Major league franchises | 5/3/2006 |
| Q: In order of age, I'm looking for the clubs that are at least 50 years old and have never moved from ... A: Arni, A little hard to decide exactly what you're looking for, but I took a shot at it. What I ... | |
| Who Invented baseball | 2/28/2006 |
| Q: my name is Matt Davis and I am sorry I you already got this email but I had to and couple points. I ... A: Matt, Thanks for your question. If you will go to this web site: ... | |
| Home run record | 2/28/2006 |
| Q: Will Barry Bonds break the all time record home run record for a career and if so does he desever ... A: Tom: In short, the answers are I don't know and no. It's looking dicey about Bonds' playing time ... | |
| Detroit Tigers | 1/28/2006 |
| Q: When was the last game that Lou Whitaker and Alam Trammel played together? A: Jennifer, I can't be any more specific than to tell you that it was probably in 1995. That was ... | |
| Umpires' Calls | 1/26/2006 |
| Q: Schott, (My previous question dealt with a science fair project in the form of an electronic ... A: Sarah, Well, my opinion, for what it is worth would be that it's a law of nature that the lower ... | |
| Umpires' Calls | 1/26/2006 |
| Q: Schott, My name is Sarah Bricault and I am currently developing a science fair project that ... A: Great project, Sarah! Good luck with it and thanks for asking my opinion. To tell you the truth I ... | |
| Baseball | 7/28/2005 |
| Q: Has there ever been a black third basemen? All other positions have had a black player. Am I right ... A: Charles, The two black guys who played third base that occur to me immediately are Jackie ... | |
| baseball triple crown | 7/11/2005 |
| Q: last player to win the baseball triple crown? homers, average, rbi's A: Kevin: The last man to win the Triple Crown in either league? Yaz! Carl Yastrzemski turned the ... | |
| batting | 7/1/2005 |
| Q: What is the most at-bats a player has started the season before dropping below a .1000 batting ... A: Tom, On September 18, 1977, Ted Cox debuted for the Boston Red Sox and had six consecutive hits ... | |
| Shut Outs | 6/30/2005 |
| Q: What is the record for the most hits in a game by a team that was shut out? A: Jim: The record for most hits by one team while being shut out is 14, set once in the NL and once ... | |
| pitcher's mound | 6/21/2005 |
| Q: I know that the height of the pitcher's mound was changed in 1969, but what I would really like to ... A: Frank, Good question. It was a combination of things that happened in 1968 that drove the bozo ... | |
| TOP 10 PITCHERS OF ALL TIME | 5/16/2005 |
| Q: 1. Walter Johnson 2. Cy Young 3. Roger Clemens 4. Christy Matthewson 5. Sandy Koufax 6. Grover ... A: You could argue endlessly about this question. What makes a great pitcher? Wins? ERA? Combination of ... | |
| Ruling | 5/15/2005 |
| Q: .. I was watching the Angels/Tigers game today. Nate Robertson gave up 6 runs in the 3rd inning, ... A: Hans-Lee Tan, Sure. Figgins gets on first by an error. Erstad forces him at second for out ... | |
| best pitchers | 5/10/2005 |
| Q: this is purely an opinion question but i was playing a game with my friends and we got onto best ... A: Your top five are certainly not ridiculous. Wouldn't you love to have a staff like that? I would ... | |
| steroid use | 2/12/2005 |
| Q: When did Major League baseball make steroid use illegal? A: I'm not certain, but I want to say it was only about three years ago. Obviously baseball has refused ... | |
| Hall of Fame | 2/6/2005 |
| Q: Saw a very good article by Dan Daly of the Washington Times (Washtimes.com) about QB Benny Friedman ... A: Two I can think of right off the bat are Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose. It is much easier to ... | |
| baseball | 11/1/2004 |
| Q: I used to live in Cincinnati and when I was way younger we were at a ball game in the old Crosley ... A: Carl, You are not imagining things. It was four times that Willie fanned. Check this out: » June ... | |
| the baseball | 9/6/2004 |
| Q: How many stitches are there in a major league baseball? What is the core of the ball made of? What ... A: Ron: A baseball has 108 stitches. The ball is made of layers of yarn wound over a core of ... | |
| Ceremonial First Pitch | 8/26/2004 |
| Q: I know you prefer on-the-field questions and I'm not sure if this would technically qualify as ... A: Tommy, Don't know for sure, but I think your guess is probably right. This is a TV thing, so ... | |
| steal | 7/27/2004 |
| Q: Tom, when is the last time someone successfuly (or heck, even attempted) to steal home. I'm not a ... A: Tim, It's rare, but it happens every year. I've done some poking around, and you might find the ... | |
| home run | 7/12/2004 |
| Q: what is the longest home run hit A: Tim, This is a question without a definite answer. Apparently several men: Cecil Fielder, Mickey ... | |
| baseball standings | 7/5/2004 |
| Q: I always hear sports announcers refering to how many "games back" a team is in the "loss column." ... A: Alyssa, I don't think these announcers are being very accurate. They might as well say "games ... | |
| phrase | 6/19/2004 |
| Q: can of corn-where did this saying come from and what does a easy fly ball and a can of corn have in ... A: Brian: Here's what Paul Dickson's Baseball Dictionary says: "The phrase has long been assumed ... | |
| Walks | 6/12/2004 |
| Q: Looking for the record for most consecutive walks by a pitcher. Does not have to be in one game. A: Kevin, The best I can come up with is most consecutive bb in an inning, which probably answers ... | |
| What is origin of term shortstop? | 3/13/2004 |
| Q: A: According to Dickson's Baseball Dictionary: "The position was originally that of short fielder at ... | |
| Pitcher's mound | 2/6/2004 |
| Q: In the beginning (1800s) there was a pitcher's box. Eventually the pitching area was raised - i.e., ... A: What are the dimensions of the pitching mound and why is it where it is? A regulation pitcher's ... | |
| MLB Divisons | 11/7/2003 |
| Q: I might be crazy or something but I can't understand why in the world in Major League Baseball there ... A: Doug, You are not crazy. What you see is simply another indication that MLB is crazy. Actually, ... | |
Baseball Trivia (General)
Answers by Expert:
Tom Schott
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I will deal with the major leagues only from 19th century to present. I`m good on baseball history, records, statistics, ballparks. I don't do off-the-field stuff. Please if you already know the answer to the question, please don't ask it. I don't want to play "stump the expert."
Experience
I've written on the subject, and I have substantial library of resources.
Organizations
SABR
Publications
Numerous encyclopedia, newspaper, magazine articles. One book, several book chapters.
Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in American history.
Awards and Honors
Bevy of writing awards.
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