The 2013 World Series is expected to be the first in 55 years with a particular quirk. Something happened in the 1958 series between the Braves and Yankees that has not occurred in any subsequent World Series. Until this one.

What is this unusual occurrence?

Congratulations to John Autin! He identified that this is the first World Series since 1958 in which the game 1 starters both have 95 career wins with a .600 career winning percentage, and have both previously appeared in a World Series clinching game playing for their current teams.

In fact, neither of those two answers was the unusual occurrence I had detected. So, I’ll add a third answer – that Adam Wainwright and Jon Lester, like Whitey Ford and Warren Spahn in 1958, are both 29 years old or older and, unlike 18 other pairs of age 29+ game 1 starters since 1959, Wainwright and Lester have both played for only one franchise.

On September 1st, Houston’s rookie starter Brett Oberholtzer shut out the Mariners 2-0 as the Astros became the last team to record a complete game in the 2013 season. This is the first time in 3 years that every team has recorded a complete game.

While it’s certainly not news that complete games have been on a seemingly never-ending decline, I thought it would be interesting to take a statistical look at some of the resulting impacts on the game.

More on the complete game and the ever-changing dynamics of pitching after the jump.

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With one blip, pitching has dominated both LCS series. How much so?

The 15 total runs scored in games 1-4 of the NLCS? New low water mark.

13 total runs in games 1-3 of the ALCS? Never had less, and equaled only in Oakland’s 1970s dynasty years.

More after the jump.

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A famous pitcher established a new mark for an individual major league pitching record during the 1986 season. That pitcher extended his record during the 1987 season but finished the year sharing the record with another well known hurler. The second pitcher added to his total during the 1988 season to set a new mark for this record.

Question: What is the record and who are the pitchers who set new marks for it in 1986 and 1988?

Hint #1 – both pitchers are HOFers

Hint #2 – another well known pitcher may set a new mark for this record in the 2014 season

Congratulations to ReliefMan! He correctly identified that, from 1986 to 1988, first Steve Carlton and later Nolan Ryan held the record for the longest streak of consecutive starts without a complete game. Carlton set the record of 56 starts without a CG on Sep 23, 1986, later extending it to 59 games before notching his next CG in 1987. Ryan equaled Carlton’s total on Oct 4, 1987 and extended his streak to 66 games before his next CG in 1988. Today, Ryan’s mark is good for a tie with Jeremy Hellickson for 187th place, while Carlton has slid all the way to 260th spot, tied with Felix Doubront.

The current record-holder is Kirk Reuter who finished his career in 2005 riding a streak of 193 starts since his last CG in 1999. The active leader is Max Scherzer who has never pitched a complete game in 165 career starts. He is thus poised to pass Reuter with a full slate of starts in 2014. Unless, of course, Scherzer finally goes the distance in one of them.

The Dodgers look to turn around their fortunes at home. But history is not on their side.

Since the LCS switched to a best of 7 format in 1985, this is the 13th time a team has come home down 2-0 in the series. Two of those twelve previous series were in 1985 and both teams (the Cardinals and Royals) that were down 0-2 that year came back to win their series. But that comeback has happened only one other time since then; when the Red Sox stunned the Yankees in 2004 with a comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

More on game 3 after the jump.

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In the last 40 post-seasons (since 1973), these players have accomplished a feat that no other player can boast of. What is it?

Congratulations to John Autin! He correctly identified that these are the only players since 1973 to hit a World Series home run off a pitcher who won that season’s Cy Young Award.

Quite a mixture of players on this list. But there is a common thread connecting this group. In the post-war period (seasons since 1946), what is the unusual career accomplishment achieved only by these players?

Hint: there is one active player who is likely to join this group next season.

Congratulations to Richard Chester who correctly identified that these are the only post-war players with 200+ GIDP, more GIDP than home runs, and more triples than stolen bases. Despite being obviously speed-challenged, this group fared pretty well – all were All-Stars, all had at least one qualifying .300 batting season, all but Groat were better than 100 career OPS+, and all but Piniella compiled at least 35 WAR.

Andy Pafko, NL outfielder for 3 teams in 1940s and 1950s, passed away this week. A four-time All-Star, Pafko compiled over 36 WAR in a 17-year career of over 7000 PAs. Pafko’s career was also notable for the galaxy of star teammates he played with and some of the memorable teams and games he was a part of.

More on Andy Pafko after the jump.

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A few days ago, an HHS reader noticed that Eddie Collins had a season in 1910 with 81 runs, RBI and steals, and suggested this would be a good idea for one of my quizzes. So, as we wait for the deciding NLDS game tonight, why not?

None of these players had a triple crown season. But, they all had a season with a matched set of counting stats. What were those seasons? For bonus marks, what rookie had a matched set of 3 counting stats this season (min. 20 of each) that has never before been accomplished?

Hint: the matched counting stats are not the same for all these players. But, there is a common link connecting all of them.

Congratulations to aweb and Andrew (and others) who quickly identified that these players all had a season with their extra-base hit total matching two other counting stats. And congrats to Richard Chester for identifying Evan Gattis as the answer to the bonus question with his 21 HR, 2B and BB this season. The seasons are after the jump.

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Here’s an assortment of notable players, with a common thread connecting them. What is the career accomplishment of which each of these players can boast?

Hint: the career accomplishment includes a particular feat that each player accomplished in his career, plus something else about his career that distinguishes the player from all others with the same feat.

Congratulations to John Autin! He correctly identified (with a little help) that these are the last active players to have homered in the traditional ballparks in use before the 1950s franchise relocations. The particulars are after the jump.

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