As we approach the home stretch before this year’s playoffs, the oddity that is the new wild card system looms. To determine the final entrant in the real playoff tournament, fans are now guaranteed two winner-take-all games every year to separate the real wild card entrant from the pretender. Reminds me of the bizarre special fan vote to determine the last man on the All-Star roster.

Though this wild card qualifier will officially be a post-season game, it really feels more like a playoff game added on to the regular season. So, in tribute to the real regular season winner-take-all games, here’s a remembrance of what once were pretty rare occurrences but now will be happening every year.

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Adam Dunn’s most unusual season is an endless source of quirky statistical curiosities. Dunn launched two more bombs Friday night for a total of 38, with over five weeks still left in the season. Forty is obviously in sight, and fifty long balls is not out of the question. Yet our hero’s batting average remains precariously close to the Mendoza line.

After the jump, I’ll look at Adam’s season in context, using David Letterman’s famous statistical analysis tool, the Top 10 list.

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Thursday’s wild and woolly game at Fenway caught my attention for any number of reasons. Of course, it was an extreme game, but interesting for how it illustrates a lot of the traits and trends that mark baseball of the present day.

I’ll let you absorb the line score, then talk a bit more about the game (or even go on a bit of a rant) after the jump.

                1  2  3   4  5  6   7  8  9  10    R H E
                -  -  -   -  -  -   -  -  -   -    -  - -
Angels          0  0  8   0  0  0   1  0  3   2 ..14 20 1
Red Sox         1  5  0   0  1  2   0  2  1   1 ..13 18 2

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Most of our quizzes are about unusual exploits of groups of players. This one is a bit different.

After the jump you’ll find lists of specific teams and seasons. There is something that all of these teams have in common. Your task is simple – find that common link.

Congratulations (again) to Richard Chester! He identified that in the years indicated for each franchise, that year’s team had the greatest number of players on its roster born in the team’s state (in the case of Toronto and Montreal, born in Canada). For ties, the year indicated is the most recent.

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In 2011, Blue Jays’ starter Ricky Romero had a breakout season with 6.2 WAR and an All-Star selection, but this year … not so much. Perhaps, another in baseball’s rich history of players who suddenly shine brightly on the biggest stage, then just as quickly fade away, never again to approach that brief flirtation with stardom?

You’ve probably heard that sentiment expressed in various ways and, perhaps, without thinking a great deal about it, presumed there was some measure of truth to it. Well, I’m here to tell you – it ain’t necessarily so. In fact, the true one-year wonder may indeed be about as likely as catching lightning in a bottle.

After the jump, I’ll look more closely at the one-year wonder phenomenon (or non-phenomenon). If you’re like me, I suspect you may be surprised.

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As has already been remarked upon, the rookie seasons of Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are reminding a lot of people of earlier rookie seasons way back in 1951 by two players who would become first ballot HOFers. The similarities include the players being the same ages, playing the same positions, and being in different leagues. Potentially, Trout and Harper could face each other in the post season, as happened with the earlier pair in 1951.

After the jump, I’ll look more at the similarities, and differences, in these pairs of players 61 seasons removed from each other.

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Much has been written this season about the exploits of Adam Dunn. But, until now (and with apologies to William Shakespeare), probably not this.

Dunn is among a short list of players with a peculiar “accomplishment”. Though all have played only in the expansion era, these are the only players to make this list among all players to have played their entire careers since 1901.

The quiz has been solved. Congratulations to Richard Chester! He identified that these players all have careers of 5000 PAs or more with career OPS+ of 125, yet career WAR of only 25 or less (or a 5:1 or worse OPS+ to WAR ratio). Thus, despite good offensive numbers, these players’ WAR scores are reduced dramatically due to poor defense.

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Mariners’ ace Felix Hernandez collected his and the team’s first-ever perfecto, fanning 12 Rays in a 1-0 victory, as Seattle took the rubber match of a 3-game set with Tampa Bay. The key defensive play came on the first hitter of the game as Eric Thames tracked down a Sam Fuld drive on the warning track in the right-center field gap.

For Hernandez, the game also marked his first no-hitter after a one-hitter in 2007 and four previous two-hitters, most recently against the Yankees two starts ago on August 4th. Hernandez continues his recent hot streak with his 5th straight start allowing 5 hits or less over 7 innings or more, the longest such streak in MLB this season.

It was the third time this season the Mariners have been involved in a no-hit game, the previous times being on the losing end of Philip Humber‘s April 21st perfect game for the White Sox, and a Mariners’ team no-hitter against the Dodgers on June 8th. Seattle is the first team with two no-hit games in the same regular season since the Angels in 1973 (Nolan Ryan twice) and the Cubs in 1972 (Burt Hooton and Milt Pappas). Roy Halladay, of course, had a regular season perfect game and a post-season no-hitter for the Phillies in 2010.

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Quick – have you had a bad day at work this year? Pretty silly question, right. Well, if you’re among a select group of pitchers, maybe it’s not such a silly question. I’m talking about guys who deliver an honest day’s work almost every time they pitch and almost never have an “off day”.

As of this writing, there are still 5 pitchers this year who have put in a honest day’s work (HDW) every time they’ve pitched, and one (Ivan Nova) who had his streak snapped with his most recent outing earlier this week. After the jump, I’ll look more at the most reliable performers among major league pitchers.

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Cliff Lee of the Phillies is having one weird season. As of this writing, Lee is sporting a 2-6 W-L record after 19 starts, with rate stats comparable to his career averages.

So, what’s so unusual? I’ll take a look after the jump.

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