As a companion to the current Circle of Greats election, here are some of the players featured on this week’s ballot.

They didn’t strike the mother lode like the famous 49ers, but these are the only players born in 1909 to have a particular season batting feat that at least their mothers could be proud of. What is it?

This was a tough one. The solution is all of these players were born in 1909 and had a season of 100+ games played with twice as many walks as doubles and more strikeouts than RBI. More after the jump.

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The Braves are one of the National League’s founding franchises, operating continuously since 1876. But, its origins go back even further than that, to the Boston Red Stockings of the National Association, a team that was itself formed from the remnants of the Cincinnati Red Stockings when that club, baseball’s first all-professional team, folded prior to the National Association’s first season in 1871.

The Red Stockings changed their nickname to the Beaneaters in 1883, to the Doves in 1907, the Rustlers in 1911 and finally the Braves in 1912. Except for the 1936 to 1940 seasons when Boston was known as the Bees, the Braves nickname has remained in use ever since, even through two franchise moves, first to Milwaukee in 1953 and then to Atlanta in 1966.

The Braves are the fifth of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise. Have fun!

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Josh Donaldson, one of the best two-way players in baseball, has been dealt to Toronto.

With 15.4 WAR in 2013-14 (second to Mike Trout), Donaldson ties Chuck Knoblauch for the most age 27-28 WAR of any player who changed teams going into or during age 29. Even if you don’t buy his top-notch defensive metrics, Donaldson ranked 6th in offensive WAR for the last two years. He’s a player.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates trace their beginnings to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys, one of the American Association’s original teams in 1882. The Alleghenys joined the National League in 1887 and adopted the Pirates nickname in 1891. When the National League contracted from twelve to eight teams in 1900, Barney Dreyfuss acquired a controlling interest in the Pirates and brought to Pittsburgh many of the best players from his former club, the now defunct Louisville Colonels. Included was the gentleman at left, the legendary Honus Wagner.

The Pirates are the fourth of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise. Have fun!

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Happy Thanksgiving! This post is for voting and discussion in the 78th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1909. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

In one of the closest and latest-decided elections in Circle of Greats history, Joe Gordon just edged out his contemporary Lou Boudreau, and slugger Harmon Killebrew as well, each by a single vote. Gordon becomes, just barely, the 77th inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats.  More on “Flash” Gordon, and the voting, after the jump. Continue reading →

Following up from an earlier post on starting pitchers, this post looks at 2014 results for relief pitchers for metrics provided by Pitch FX, the measurement system used by MLB to track every pitch thrown in every major league game. Part 1 looks at reliever results based on pitches thrown in the strike zone and outside of it. Part 2 will look at results based on pitch type, movement and velocity.

Using PitchFX data available at FanGraphs.com, I’ve compiled a series of tables and charts highlighting the 2014 pitching leaders in a variety of statistical categories. Some of the results will make a lot of sense but others may be more surprising. Take a look after the jump.

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The Cincinnati Reds trace their origins to an independent club formed in 1881 that became a charter member of the American Association in 1882, before transfering to the National League in 1890 (an earlier NL Cincinnati Reds club was the progenitor of the AA club, but is considered a separate franchise owing to a year’s gap in the operation of the two entities). More popularly, the Reds identify themselves with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, formed in 1866 and a member of the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) from 1867 to 1870, the latter two years operating as a fully professional club.

The Reds are the third of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise. Have fun!

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 77th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round completes the addition to the ballot of those players born in 1910. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

Whitey Ford may have been the most avidly discussed candidate we’ve had in the Circle of Greats voting, but he has ultimately prevailed, in his 25th round on the COG eligible list. Ford becomes the 76th inductee into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats.  More on Whitey, and the voting, after the jump. Continue reading →