Hall of Fame outfielder Tris Speaker earns induction to the COG as an easy first ballot winner in the 102nd round of COG balloting. The all-time doubles king, Speaker compiled a remarkable 133.7 WAR over 22 seasons, including 15 straight campaigns (1909-23) above 5 WAR. Speaker’s career milestones exceeding 3000 hits, 1500 runs, 1500 RBI and 400 stolen bases have been matched by only one other player – his exact contemporary Ty Cobb.
More on Speaker after the jump.
All of these pitchers had a career winning record with 100 ERA+, all played in the American League, and all but three played for the Yankees. But, what distinguishes these pitchers among all others since 1914?
| Rk | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dwight Gooden |
| 2 | Dave Ferriss |
| 3 | Vic Raschi |
| 4 | Tim Hudson |
| 5 | Tiny Bonham |
| 6 | Roger Clemens |
| 7 | Chien-Ming Wang |
| 8 | Mike Mussina |
| 9 | Barry Zito |
| 10 | Hank Borowy |
Congratulations to Richard Chester! He knew that these ten pitchers were the fastest to win 40 starts from the beginning of their careers. Specifically, they are the only pitchers since 1914 to do so within their first 75 games.
As the Circle of Greats project approaches the final weekly voting rounds, I invite your feedback on:
(a) how those final rounds should be handled; and
(b) what our next HHS “project” might be
More after the jump.
This post is for voting and discussion in the 104th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This is the second of two rounds adding to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1887. Rules and lists are after the jump.
Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce, one of the game’s top pitchers during the 1950s, has died at the age of 88. Pierce debuted as a teenage fill-in for the Tigers in 1945 before moving on to the White Sox where he spent most of his career, teaming up in 1959 with Early Wynn and Dick Donovan to lead the Pale Hose to their first AL championship in 40 years. Pierce would finish his playing days with the Giants and play a key role in San Francisco’s pennant-winning season in 1962.
More on Pierce after the jump.
This post is for voting and discussion in the 103rd round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This is the first of two rounds adding to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1887. Rules and lists are after the jump.
The players in this quiz include some of the great sluggers in baseball history. But, what is the career accomplishment of which only these players can boast?
| Rk | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hank Aaron |
| 2 | Barry Bonds |
| 3 | Mel Ott |
| 4 | Frank Thomas |
| 5 | Manny Ramirez |
| 6 | Albert Pujols |
| 7 | Carlos Delgado |
Hint: an active player may join this group later this season.
Congratulations to David P and Scary Tuna! They teamed up to identify that only these players hit their 400th doubles and 400th home runs in the same season. More after the jump.
Ichiro Suzuki picked up two hits last night to move past 2900 for his career. He’s on pace to finish this season somewhere around 2925. Will he get another season to reach the finish line? I’ll look at that question after the jump.
In the 101st round of COG balloting, voters gave the nod to Hall of Fame first baseman George Sisler. While lacking the power numbers expected of the prototypical first baseman, Sisler made up for it by hitting for average and with his speed, putting up 6 straight seasons (1917-22) batting .340 with 140 OPS+ and 25 steals, the longest streak of such seasons by a first baseman and tied for the second longest stretch at any position, trailing only Ty Cobb‘s incomparable 11 straight campaigns (1909-19). And, Sisler had some pop too – placing in the top 3 in extra-base hits in 3 of 4 seasons (1919-22) with 100 RBI and 125 runs scored in each of the last three of those years.
More on Sisler after the jump.
This post is for voting and discussion in the 101st round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG). This round adds to the list of candidates eligible to receive your votes those players born in 1888. Rules and lists are after the jump.