Category: Baseball History

Two marks of a great pitcher are the power to blow the ball by hitters, and the control to make them swing at those heaters. This is a rare combination, found in only the best of the best. Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan regularly threw smoke, but were often near the top of the […]

It is tough to win 20 games for three different clubs, because pitchers that are good enough to have at least three 20-win seasons are usually coveted by their original team. However, since 1900 four hurlers have pulled it off. If Roger Clemens continues at his torrid pace (15-1 as of this […]

Not surprisingly, Mickey Mantle holds the record for longest ball ever hit. The Mick was widely renowned for his tape-measure blasts, but this one took the cake. The date was September 10, 1960, and the powerhouse Yankees were at Briggs Stadium in Detroit to play the Tigers. Righthander Paul Foytack was pitching to Mantle in the seventh […]

On July 21, 1945, Philadelphia’s George Kell set the American League record for most at-bats in one game without a hit. He went 0-10 in a 24-inning marathon between the Athletics and the Detroit Tigers. Although Kell owns the American League record for most at-bats in a game without a hit, he does not hold the major league […]

While the Dead Ball Era (1900-1919) was a great time for pitchers, 1968 is generally considered the “Year of the Pitcher.” This title is especially appropriate for the American League, where the league slugging percentage (.340) was the lowest since 1915, and on-base percentage (.300) was the lowest since 1908. Batting […]

Though player-managers were a common occurrence during the early part of the century, they became an endangered species after the early 1950s and have been extinct since 1986. Pete Rose was the last to do it, managing the Reds for the last three years of his career. He played terribly at first […]

“The Barber” was the nickname of 1950s pitcher Sal Maglie. Born Salvatore Anthony Maglie, the righthander saw the most success with the New York Giants in the early ‘50s. He went 18-4 in 1950 despite starting only 16 games. Included in his 2.71 ERA was a streak of 45 consecutive scoreless innings, broken […]

Boston Red Sox third baseman Pinky Higgins and Tigers first baseman Walt Dropo share the record with 12 consecutive base hits. Starting on June 19, 1938, Higgins went 4-for-4 in three straight games to surpass the mark of 11 set by Tris Speaker. This streak suggests that Higgins had a fantastic year at the plate, but […]

Before Ted Turner bought the Braves in 1976, the club had been owned for three decades by contractor Lou Perini. With star pitchers Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain returning from the war, Perini had high hopes for the franchise when he purchased it in 1946. Except for a first-place finish in 1948, however, the team struggled mightily, […]

While Babe Ruth is the consensus pick for best slugging pitcher of all time (in 1915 he fell just three dingers short of the league leader, in almost 300 fewer at-bats), he should perhaps be considered a hitter trapped in a pitcher’s body. Considering only players who pitched their entire careers, the […]