Marlins’ right-hander Edinson Volquez shut down the Diamondbacks in this season’s first no-hit game, the first of Volquez’s career and sixth in the short history of the Marlins franchise. And the legendary career of Albert Pujols reached another major milestone with home run no. 600. More after the jump.
Hall of Famer Jim Bunning has died at the age of 85. Author of the first NL perfect game of the modern era, Bunning recorded over 3500 IP and 200 wins in a 17 year career, mostly for the Tigers and Phillies. While often overlooked among the pioneers of the modern, high strikeout pitcher, Bunning established standards for consistency and longevity that few pitchers since have been able to match.
More on Bunning after the jump.
I imagine it must have made a splash at the time, but I completely missed Brandon Crawford‘s 7 hit game last August, only the fifth time since 1913 (and first since 1975) that a player has rolled a lucky seven (or more). But that wasn’t the only remarkable aspect of Crawford’s game; he also posted the 3rd highest recorded single game WPA score.
After the jump, more on baseball’s best WPA games and why Crawford’s is especially unusual.
Mookie Betts had a 2016 for the ages. Since 1901, here are the only guys to post 29+ fielding runs and 29+ batting runs. As with Mookie this year, most of these guys didn’t win their league MVP award.
Rk Player Year Rbat Rfield Age Tm Pos 1 Mookie Betts 2016 29.8 32.0 23 BOS *9/H 2 Chase Utley 2008 30.0 31.0 29 PHI *4/3 3 Albert Pujols 2007 51.3 31.0 27 STL *3/H 4 Scott Rolen 2004 40.2 30.0 29 STL *5 5 Ichiro Suzuki 2004 35.7 30.0 30 SEA *9/DH 6 Ken Griffey 1996 39.8 32.3 26 SEA *8/D 7 Al Kaline 1961 39.3 29.2 26 DET *98/H75
Marlins’ star right-hander José Fernandez has died tragically in a boating accident, aged only 24. The Cuban-born Fernandez, whose family arrived in America only after three attempts to defect, won the 2013 RoY, underwent successful Tommy John surgery in 2014 from which he returned to action in 2015, and posted a stellar 2016 season, leading the majors in FIP and SO/9.
More after the jump on the brief but brilliant career of José Fernandez.
Yankee catcher Gary Sanchez has been a sensation since his call-up at the beginning of August. So much so that, on Saturday’s Yankees-Red Sox telecast, Fox broadcaster John Smoltz (whom I much admire for his easy-to-listen-to voice and his thoughtful and often insightful commentary) uncharacteristically gushed something to the effect that Sanchez’s month-and-a-half of stellar play leading the Yankees back into the pennant chase was pretty much unheard of for a rookie. That seemed like quite a bold claim and one that would be worth looking into.
After the jump, more on Sanchez and other rookies who started their careers with a short season but a memorable one.
Ichiro Suzuki has become the 30th player to record 3000 major league hits. Ichiro’s 7th inning triple on Sunday off of Rockies’ left-hander Chris Rusin put him into that select company.
More on the 3000 hit club after the jump.
Or so it seems with the performances to start this season of two grizzled veterans and presumptive HOFers. I’m speaking, of course, of David Ortiz and Ichiro Suzuki who are reminding us why we won’t soon see their likes again.
More after the jump.
Those Bees are none other than youngsters Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts who, with help from Boston’s over-30 mainstays Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, have propelled the high-flying Red Sox to the top of the AL East standings.
More on Boston’s hot start after the jump.
Arrêté is French for stop, and that’s what Jake Arrieta did to the Reds on Thursday, holding Cincinnati hitless as the Cubs pounded their opponent by a 16-0 count. It’s the first no-hitter of the new season, the second of Arietta’s career, and his second in eleven regular season starts. The win pushes Arrieta’s record to a perfect 4-0 in four starts this season, with a microscopic 0.87 ERA.
More on Arrieta’s gem after the break.