Chat here for World Series, Game 2

And here are a few items of pointless drivel to contemplate during the breaks.

Michael Wacha is the 7th-youngest pitcher to start Game 2 of a World Series. This table shows the 11 Game 2 starters under age 23; the IP and GS columns are their career regular-season totals of innings and starts at the time of the game in question. Wacha is the most inexperienced, with only Mel Stottlemyre also lacking at least one full season’s work.

Rk	Player	Age	Date	IP	GS	Tm	Opp	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
1	Jim Palmer	20.356	1966-10-06	300	36	BAL	LAD	W 6-0	SHO9 ,W	9.0	4	0	0	3	6	0
2	Chief Bender	21.158	1905-10-10	703	76	PHA	NYG	W 3-0	SHO9 ,W	9.0	4	0	0	3	9	0
3	Babe Ruth	21.246	1916-10-09	564	71	BOS	BRO	W 2-1	CG 14 ,W	14.0	6	1	1	3	4	1
4	Dwight Gooden	21.337	1986-10-19	745	99	NYM	BOS	L 3-9	GS-5 ,L	5.0	8	6	5	2	6	2
5	Waite Hoyt	22.027	1921-10-06	775	85	NYY	NYG	W 3-0	SHO9 ,W	9.0	2	0	0	5	5	0
6	Al Downing	22.097	1963-10-03	186	23	NYY	LAD	L 1-4	GS-5 ,L	5.0	7	3	3	1	6	1
7	Michael Wacha	22.115	2013-10-24	65	9	STL	BOS	???	GS
8	Bill James	22.212	1914-10-10	468	51	BSN	PHA	W 1-0	SHO9 ,W	9.0	2	0	0	3	8	0
9	Ross Grimsley	22.282	1972-10-15	359	54	CIN	OAK	L 1-2	GS-5 ,L	5.0	6	2	2	0	1	1
10	Hal Schumacher	22.315	1933-10-04	378	48	NYG	WSH	W 6-1	CG 9 ,W	9.0	5	1	1	4	2	1
11	Mel Stottlemyre	22.330	1964-10-08	96	12	NYY	STL	W 8-3	CG 9 ,W	9.0	7	3	3	2	4	0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used / Generated 10/24/2013.

____________________

Mike Napoli in hitter’s counts this year, including postseason:

Totals: 32 for 69 (.464 BA), 7 HRs, 8 doubles, .884 SLG.
2-0 count: 7-13, 3 HRs, 3 doubles.
3-0 count: 2-3, 2 HRs.
2-1 count: 9-23, 2 doubles.
3-1 count: 14-30, 2 HRs, 3 doubles.

____________________

Lastly, for no particular reason, the fewest career wins for a World Series Game 1 starter … because, where have you gone, Anthony Reyes? You beat my Tigers, and that was about the last good thing that happened for you in baseball.
(This is total career wins, not wins up to that Game 1 start.)

Car. Wins	Player	Age	Date	Tm	Opp	Rslt	App,Dec	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	Pit	Str	GSc
13	Anthony Reyes	25.005	2006-10-21	STL	DET	W 7-2	GS-9 ,W	8.0	4	2	2	1	4	1	91	67	69
30	Joe Black	28.236	1952-10-01	BRO	NYY	W 4-2	CG 9 ,W	9.0	6	2	2	2	6	1			71
34	Jose Santiago	27.050	1967-10-04	BOS	STL	L 1-2	GS-7 ,L	7.0	10	2	2	3	5	0			51
40	Mark Thurmond	28.027	1984-10-09	SDP	DET	L 2-3	GS-5 ,L	5.0	7	3	3	3	2	1	117	66	40
50	Mule Watson	26.360	1923-10-10	NYG	NYY	W 5-4	GS-2	2.0	4	3	3	1	1	0			36
56	Spec Shea	26.363	1947-09-30	NYY	BRO	W 5-3	GS-5 ,W	5.0	2	1	1	2	3	0			60
57	Joe Magrane	23.107	1987-10-17	STL	MIN	L 1-10	GS-4 ,L	3.0	4	5	5	4	1	0	59	30	28
65	Ernie Shore	24.198	1915-10-08	BOS	PHI	L 1-3	CG 8 ,L	8.0	5	3	3	4	2	0			58
65	Ernie Shore	25.197	1916-10-07	BOS	BRO	W 6-5	GS-9 ,W	8.2	9	5	3	3	5	0			52
66	Jim Konstanty	33.216	1950-10-04	PHI	NYY	L 0-1	GS-8 ,L	8.0	4	1	1	4	0	0			66
69	Scott Garrelts	27.349	1989-10-14	SFG	OAK	L 0-5	GS-4 ,L	4.0	7	5	4	1	5	2	76	47	34

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used / Generated 10/24/2013.

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Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Longest team World Series game winning streaks:
1. Yankees (1996-2000), 14 wins in a row
2. Yankees (1927-1932), 12 wins in a row
3. Yankees (1937-1941), 10 wins in a row
T4. Red Sox (2004-current) and Reds (1975-1990), 9 wins in a row

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

birtelcom, thanks for that timely notice. 🙂

Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Call it a premeditated jinx, on behalf of my family members from St. Louis.

donburgh

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

Couldn’t the Reds streak be listed as (1975-present)?

Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to donburgh

True dat. The Reds haven’t been to the Series in 23 years, but they also haven’t lost a Series game since Carlton Fisk hit that body English homer, which I watched on TV with some Boston fans in my college dorm lounge.

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to donburgh

Same for the Braves. They have the longest active WS losing streak at 8 games, and could break a tie with the Phillies in Atlanta’s next trip to the Classic.

The Phillies were swept in consecutive WS appearances that were only 35 years apart. But, that’s better than the Indians who had a 6-game WS losing streak that spanned 41 years.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Only 3 games in WS history have featured scoreless work by both starters:
— 1991, Game 7, Morris (9) and Smoltz (7.1)
— 1995, Game 6, Glavine (8) and D.Martinez (4.2)
— 2005, Game 4, F.Garcia (7) and Backe (7)

In the live-ball era, the only Game 2 with a 70+ Game Score by both starters was 1969, Koosman over McNally.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL196910120.shtml

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

If there are any Cards fans out there … I held off posting that until after the Sox were out in the 3rd. 🙂

Richard Chester

11 years ago

On tonight’s game they quickly posted a list, I think, of longest number of days between WS starts. Did anyone catch all of the names, there were only a few? Lackey was one.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Richard, I didn’t see that feature, but here’s what I make out for longest spans between World Series starts:

1) 5,853 days — Dennis Martinez
2) 4,755 days — Steve Carlton
3) 4,750 days — Roger Clemens
4) 4,015 days — John Lackey
5) 4,010 days — Pete Alexander
6) 3,656 days — Al Downing
7) 3,651 days — Kenny Rogers
8) 3,641 days — Burleigh Grimes
9) 3,282 days — Warren Spahn
10) 2,929 days — Bert Blyleven

(Obtained via P-I and Excel.)

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

(That was not counting the 37 years between WS starts for “Bill Lee,” of course.)

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

I got the same top ten by years, I did not do the number of days.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Big Papi’s HR was just the second behind-to-ahead HR HIT in Red Sox WS history.

The first was in 1916, Game 4, by Larry Gardner off Rube Marquard — a 3-run, inside-the-park HR in Ebbets Field:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO191610110.shtml

Gardner hit just 2 in that regular season, but he homered in consecutive WS games.

James Smyth

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

This got me to check out trailing-to-leading plate appearances in the World Series. Last night had two in the sixth inning or later (Ortiz HR and Carpenter’s sac fly/errors). It’s only the third WS game to feature two of these plays at that late stage. Game 1 – 1908 http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET190810100.shtml Cubs up 5-4 in the bottom of the 8th, but Ty Cobb’s at 1st and Wahoo Sam Crawford is at 3rd with 0 outs. Claude Rossman singles to tie the game, and when 2B Johnny Evers gets the relay he tries to throw out Cobb going from 1st to 3rd.… Read more »

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Mamas, don’t let your pitchers make throws in the Series!

Cryin’ shame that those 2 runs are charged to Lackey. (cough)

Voomo Zanzibar

11 years ago

Wow.
Trevor Rosenthal.
Just added a perfect inning to this postseason resume.
Look out Mo:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosentr01.shtml#pitching_postseason::none

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Voomo Zanzibar

“Wow” is right. Rosenthal now ranks 9th with 14 consecutive scoreless relief outings in the postseason. By innings, his 16.2 scoreless IP is 5th-longest for a reliever in the postseason, after Mo (33.1), Papelbon (26), Ken Dayley (20.1) and Chad Bradford (18.1).

Daniel Longmire

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

Lost in this discussion (and the narrative of this Series so far) is the work put in by Koji Uehara this post-season: 10 IP, 5 H, 1 ER (that game-losing home run in Tampa), 13 K, and NO walks.

Since September 6th, his numbers become even more mind-boggling: 21 IP, 9 H, 0.86 ERA, 27 K, and STILL no walks!

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Three of Wacha’s four postseason starts have been followed by (only) Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal. In the other one, lefties Siegrist and Choate each faced one batter before Martinez & Rosenthal brought it home.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

I could be wrong on this, but it seems that there are now 3 World Series sac flies on which 2 runs scored (including subsequent errors). And all 3 were hit by the Cards: 1982, Game 4, 2nd inning — Tommy Herr hit a deep fly ball to Gorman Thomas, who stumbled after the catch, and Willie McGee and Ozzie Smith both scored. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIL/MIL198210160.shtml 2004, Game 1, 4th inning — Mike Matheny flied to RF, scoring Jim Edmonds. 1B Kevin Millar cut Trot Nixon’s throw and then threw wildly to 3rd, letting Reggie Sanders score, and sending Tony Womack to… Read more »

Editor

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

And it’s only happened one other time in the other post-season series, by Baltimore in game 3 of the 1983 ALCS.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA198310070.shtml

Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Yadier has now been the starting catcher in nine World Series game wins. The most starts as a catcher, other than for the Yankees, in World Series game victories: Mickey Cochrane 18 Roy Campanella 13 Johnny Bench and John Roseboro 12 Tim McCarver 11 Johnny Kling and Jimmy Wilson 10 Yadier Molina, Frank Snyder and Walker Cooper 9 Molina is hoping to be, sometime next week, the starting catcher in his third World Series-clinching win. Cochrane and Roseboro are to date the only non-Yankees to start at catcher in three WS-clinching wins. Dickey and Berra each had seven such starts… Read more »

Yippeeyappee

11 years ago

John Autin, are Mike Napoli’s at-bats counted twice if he had a 2-0 count that subsequently went to 2-1?

Sure glad the Jays were able to get 17 saves from Frank Francisco after they acquired him for Napoli.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Yippeeyappee

Yippee, the Napoli results are for PAs settled on that particular count.

Jimbo

11 years ago

Fun WS fact that will get lost in history. The “home run” that Beltran “robbed” Ortiz of, would’ve tied Ortiz with Beltran at 16 post season home runs.

Didn’t bother Ortiz much, as within about 24 hours he had tied Beltran and passed him.

birtelcom

11 years ago

Most total WPA for a hitter over the 2013 post-season so far:
1. Carlos Beltran 1.490
2. David Ortiz .866
3. Jacoby Ellsbury .615
4. Carl Crawford .550
5. Pedro Alvarez .540
6. Victor Martinez .492
7. Marlon Byrd .491
8. Yoenis Cespedes .482
9. Jose Lobaton .450
10. Chris Johnson .394

Worst:
Stephen Drew -.879
Omar Infante -.711
Michael Young -.615

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

Beltran is now at 2.727 post-season WPA for his career. Pete Rose, who Adam Darowski had as the all-time leader in post-season hitter WAR in a post at Beyond the Box Score two years ago, finished at 2.640 according to b-ref.

B-ref does not make it easy to calculate these numbers, but it looks like it may be that Beltran is currently the all-time leader in career post-season hitter WPA. Of course, this sort of WPA total can change dramatically in a single game.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to birtelcom

birtelcom, a link to postseason WPA top and bottom 44 was posted by Dan Szymborski on an SBNation thread:

List:

Thread: http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/10/25/5028324/greatest-clutch-hitters-posteason-world-series-david-ortiz-reggie-jackson

Don’t know who compiled it, or how. It would take heavy labor, or a stroke of ingenuity.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

It could be done using PI. It would take about 20 PI searches and copying over 110 results spreadsheets and pasting them into an Excel spreadsheet.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

I was able to duplicate the list in post #25 using the PI and Excel spreadsheets.

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Question for someone adept with FanGraphs — Can you find postseason leaders there, for any class of stats?

I can find regular-season career leaders in WPA (via Leaders – Career – Win Probability), and I can find individual career postseason WPA stats (on individual player pages). But I can’t find any way to group players’ postseason stats.

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

What would be great if the PI Season Finder could add a Regular Season/Post-Season/Combined option.

Editor

birtelcom

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

So updating the list Szymborski posted, the top hitters all-time in career post-season Win Probability Added as of this morning are (assuming Szymborski’s list was right in the first place):
David Ortiz 3.10
Albert Pujols 2.91
Carlos Beltran 2.88
Lance Berkman 2.70
Pete Rose 2.63
Lou Gehrig 2.30
Charlie Keller 1.86
David Freese 1.82
Dave Henderson 1.79

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

Since 1947, an African-American regular has appeared in all but the following World Series, if I’m not mistaken: — 1950, Yankees-Phillies — 2007, Red Sox-Rockies — 2010, Giants-Rangers — 2011, Cardinals-Rangers (Edwin Jackson started once for STL) — 2013, Cardinals-Red Sox In 1950, both teams still practiced segregation. In 2007, Coco Crisp was a regular all year for Boston, but he slumped in the playoffs (maybe injured, too?) and didn’t start any WS game, getting just a couple ABs off the bench. LaTroy Hawkins pitched twice in relief. In 2010, 2011 and 2013, neither team had an African-American in the… Read more »

no statistician but

11 years ago

Reply to John Autin

JA: Here’s something I came across while looking for something else: From 1949 to 1968 the NL MVP selection was an African American 14 times. in the next 40 years AfAms won the NL award about half the time. Since 2007 there have been no AfAm winners in either league. The AL has run far behind in this regard except in the 1969-1978 decade, but it has produced more Hispanic and Hispanic-American MVPs. Don Newcombe won the first CY, but there have been very few AfAm winners since. I’m not clear about Sabathia’s ethic background, but if his heritage is… Read more »

Author

John Autin

11 years ago

All the talk of postseason feats by Ortiz and Beltran reminded me of George Brett. Nine of his 10 postseason HRs produced a lead or a tie, all in the WS or LCS — one behind Ruth for that WS/LCS leadership, followed by Jeter’s 8.

JasonZ

11 years ago

John and NSB, RE: African Americans in MLB

The lack of recent African American regulars appearing in the WS is reflective of the decline
in general.

African Americans in MLB…

1974-27%
1995-19%
2013-8.5%

The best African American athletes in America
no longer play baseball.

Haven’t for many years.

They play football and basketball.

no statistician but

11 years ago

Reply to JasonZ

Correct, JasonZ. African Americans don’t attend baseball games much either. I vaguely remember reading an article some years ago, at least ten, on the subject, but I don’t recall what social aspects were ascribed to causing the decline. I can say this with certainty: kids of all ethnic backgrounds have stopped playing pickup baseball in the parks. In fact, they’ve stopped using parks for much of anything once they’re beyond the playground age that isn’t organized into teams and leagues. We lived across the street from a smallish park in the late 1970s through the 1980s. The neighborhood grade-schoolers using… Read more »

11 years ago

Reply to no statistician but

NSB: I was born in 1969 and my childhood was much like yours (though more backyard football than baseball).

A year ago I walked through my old childhood neighborhood on a summer Sunday afternoon. I walked block after block after block and I saw a grand total of 2 kids playing outside. Sad….

JasonZ

11 years ago

Another factor is travel baseball.

Better have lots of time and money.

The committment they require is ridiculous.