Hal W. Smith was born in 1930 and was a starting catcher in 648 major league regular season games, in a career running from 1955 to 1964.  In 1960, Hal W., playing for the Pirates against the Yankees, hit a Game 7, eighth inning, come-from-behind, three-run homer that might have been remembered as one of the most important hits in World Series history, if it hadn’t been followed an inning later by his teammate Bill Mazeroski’s Series-ending walk-off home run.  Hal W. had originally been signed by the Yankees, but they’d traded him away after the 1954 season, as part of the huge, multi-player deal that brought Don Larsen, among others, to New York. Continue reading →

The other day I was having a chat with Graham and Dan about Bill Dahlen, Jack Glassock, and the 2016 Pre-Integration Committee ballot. You know, like normal young men do.

Graham asked me if Dahlen’s case is still strong if you don’t use WAR. I replied…

@grahamdude @leftfielddan Only non-Hall SS with 2000+ H and 110+ OPS+: Dahlen, Glasscock, Trammell, McKean (perhaps worst defender ever).

— Hall of Stats (@HallOfStats) February 28, 2014

That’s a neat little fact about my three favorite non-Hall of Fame shortstops… and Ed McKean. So Graham asked about McKean (who I called one of the worst defenders ever):

@HallOfStats @LeftFieldDan I see Ed McKean as having 4.1 dWAR. Is he bad through some other metric?

— Graham Womack (@grahamdude) February 28, 2014

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No, I’m not lamenting the unwritten rule that’s deprived us of left-throwing shortstops ever since Ragtime was the rage and hot dogs came with gloves — not right now, anyway. This is for the left-only batter, a species that’s become almost as rare.

Left-swinging Arky Vaughan came to bat for the 5,000th time in 1939, and Cecil Travis followed in ’46. That made four LHBs out of 41 shortstops with 5,000 plate appearances to date. Now let’s play a game: Of the 78 shortstops to cross 5,000 PAs since then, think of one who hit left-handed only.

Got one? You’re sure? All right, then — I will now divine your answer:

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The latest new toy from Baseball-Reference’s Play Index is the ability to condition a search to include only World Series-winning, or pennant-winning, or post-season-participating, teams.  After the jump, a first shot at a very simple search with the new capability.  Continue reading →

These batters are connected by dint of a certain career batting accomplishment that only they have achieved since 1946. What is it?

1. Joe Medwick
2. Bob Elliott
3. Del Ennis
4. Stan Musial
5. Joe Adcock
6. Dick Groat
7. Hank Aaron
8. Dave Winfield
9. Eddie Murray

Hint: Derek Jeter could be the next player to make this list.

Congratulations to RJ! He correctly identified that these are the only players since 1946 who were active leaders in career GIDP without leading the majors in that category in any season. More after the jump.

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Barring major surprises this year, the 2015 season will begin with no active player owning 3,000 hits. That’s not unusual (see end of post), but it naturally makes us wonder who’ll be the next to that milestone. Who do you think has the best shot at 3,000 hits? The obvious candidates, and more, after the jump:

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Since 1916, many pitchers have accomplished a certain game feat once in a career, several have done it twice, and one even did it three times. But, only these three moundsmen have managed that feat twice in the same season.

Dennis Martinez
Claude Willoughby
Dizzy Dean

What is this most unusual of repeat performances?

Congratulations to John Autin! He correctly identified that these are the only pitchers to start two games in the same season in which an opposing player hit for the cycle. More after the jump.

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This post is for voting and discussion in the 49th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round completes the addition of players born in 1931.  Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

An array of worthy challengers was no impediment for Mickey Mantle, who led wire-to-wire for a first ballot win and enshrinement in the Circle of Greats. Mantle was mentioned on over 85% of ballots with runner-up Eddie Mathews, also on the COG ballot for the first time, exceeding 60%. Jim Bunning and all of the holdovers in their last round of eligibility managed to attract sufficient support to remain on the ballot.

A much-heralded phenom from Oklahoma, Mantle had a tough time as a 19 year-old rookie in the Big Apple. Some tough love from his father in a famous phone call back home set the Mick straight, and onto his path to stardom as one of the outstanding center-fielders in major-league history. At his retirement after 18 seasons, Mantle’s 109.7 career WAR (15th all-time) was 4th among center-fielders, trailing only HOFers Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, and contemporary Willie Mays (who also debuted in the 1951 season). Forty-five seasons later, those four still hold down the same top 4 spots with no player since coming within 25 WAR of Mantle.

More on the Commerce Comet after the jump.

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OK, I’m a little late with the Olympic imagery. Anyway … What feat has been achieved by only these five pitchers? No one in this century has even had an opportunity to do it.

• Mordecai Brown for Cubs vs. Tigers, 1907 game 5 (clincher) and 1908 game 4
• Wild Bill Hallahan for Cardinals vs. Athletics, 1930 game 3 and 1931 game 2
• Christy Mathewson for Giants vs. Athletics, 1905 games 1, 3 and 5 (clincher), and 1913 game 2
• Art Nehf for Giants vs. Yankees, 1921 game 8 (clincher) and 1923 game 3 (both by 1-0)
• Allie Reynolds for Yankees vs. Dodgers, 1949 game 1 and 1952 game 4

Congratulations to Richard Chester! These five are the only pitchers with two World Series shutouts against the same team in different seasons. No one’s had a chance to do it this century because no pitcher has faced the same team in more than one Series; last year saw the first rematch of the century, but no pitcher from 2004 was on the same side in 2013. And of course, there hasn’t been an individual WS shutout since Josh Beckett’s 2003 clincher.