And here are a few items of pointless drivel to contemplate during the breaks.
Chat here for World Series, Game 2
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Monthly Archives: October 2013
“Never seen THAT in a Serious!”
There are many things we’ve never seen in a World Series. These are a few of them:
Postseason of the Starting Pitcher
Since playoffs were expanded to include the wild card round in 1995, there have been 103 starting pitcher performances that have resulted in a game score of 75 or more. That’s an average of 5.42 per year. This year’s total of 11 is more than twice the average, and is equaled only by the 11 such outings in 2010.
We’ll take a look at 2013’s 11 performances after the jump. Continue reading
Four Thoughts on the 2013 World Series
After dispatching both the Dodgers and Tigers in hard fought 6 game series, the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals find themselves on the cusp of a title. And while this World Series match up may not have fans all over the country jumping for joy, the mood in St. Louis and Boston will reach a fevered pitch over the next week. So without further delay, let’s dive right in:
The DH in the World Series
The World Series begins (at last) on Wednesday. Both teams can use a designated hitter in the games in Boston — games 1 and 2, and games 6 and 7, if necessary. So here’s a quick, stats-centric overview of the DH in the World Series.
Quiz – World Series Preview (solved)
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.
Circle of Greats: 1941 Balloting
This post is for voting and discussion in the 34th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats. This round adds to the ballot those players born in 1941. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading
Circle of Greats 1942 Round Results: Fergalicious
Nolan Ryan crept as close as one vote back during this week’s voting but Fergie Jenkins, in his first ballot appearance, ultimately pulled away with a strong showing. Jenkins appeared on well over half the ballots to become the 33rd player inducted into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on Jenkins, and the balloting results, after the jump (or you can click here first for another Fergie: Fergalicious ). Continue reading
Most Frequent Franchise Matchups in the World Series
With the Red Sox and Cardinals meeting each other for the fourth time in World Series history, a list of the matchups that have occurred most frequently might be appropriate. Here is a list of all the combinations that have occurred more than twice:
11 World Series meetings: Yankees/Dodgers
7 World Series meetings: Yankees/Giants
5 World Series meetings: Yankees/Cardinals
4 World Series meetings: Yankees/Braves, Athletics/Giants, Tigers/Cubs, Red Sox/Cardinals (including 2013)
3 World Series meetings: Yankees/Reds, Tigers/Cardinals
I count a total of ten matchups that have occurred exactly twice: the Yankees with the Cubs, Phils and Pirates; the A’s with the Cubs, Reds, Dodgers and Cards; the Indians with the Braves (Native American nickname vs. Native American nickname); the Senators (now known as the Twins) with the Giants; and the Orioles with the Pirates.
Wacha like a man: Cardinals 9, Dodgers 0
Michael Wacha held L.A. to two hits over 7 innings, leading the Cards into the World Series with his second win of the NLCS and third in this postseason (totals 21 IP, one run, 8 hits, 4 walks, 21 strikeouts). St. Louis pitchers allowed just three baserunners, matching the fewest in a series clincher. (The Mets’ Bobby Jones one-hit the Giants in the his third win in the 2000 NLDS.) They faced 29 batters, one off the clincher record set by Atlanta in the 1996 NLCS, game 7.