Our readers may be aware that COG balloting has been temporarily suspended in the middle of the 1910 round. To tide us over until Part 2 of that round, here’s a quiz involving players born in 1910 and who also share the distinction of a certain seasonal batting accomplishment. What might that be?

Not much interest in solving this one, so I’ll cut to the chase. These are the only players born in 1910 to have a season with matching double-digit totals for walks and RBI and who also played, at some point in their careers, on the same team as another such player. More after the jump.

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Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks

The Cubs are the second of the original NL clubs in our Mount Rushmore series. Your task is to choose the four players who best represent this franchise that has operated continuously since the NL was founded in 1876. Have fun!

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Most of our readers are probably familiar with PitchFX, the computerized measurement system used by MLB to track every pitch thrown in every major league game. The system provides a wealth of statistical data, ranging from type of pitch, pitch velocity and break (vertical and horizontal) as well as pitch location and resulting swing and contact rates.

Using PitchFX data available at FanGraphs.com, I’ve compiled a series of tables and charts highlighting the 2014 pitching leaders in a variety of statistical categories. Some of the results will make a lot of sense but others may be more surprising. Take a look after the jump.

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Two years ago, Andy did a series on choosing the top 4 players representing each major league franchise. Andy finished the American League teams and had started with some of the National League expansion franchises. Those posts and the voting results can be found here.

Since we’ve now begun a long off-season, I thought it might be fun to finish that series by running through the original NL franchises.

To start, readers are asked to choose the 4 players that best represent the Philadelphia Phillies. No rules other than that. Have fun! Continue reading →

I mean that lovingly. But we all know that San Francisco’s different — and a place where difference is celebrated. In that vein, and while Giants fans are still too giddy to feel how affronted, let’s see just how offbeat is this dynasty of 2010-12-14.

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There may be no major league games for a while, but at least there is the COG. This post is for voting and discussion in the 76th round of balloting for the Circle of Greats (COG).  This round begins to add to the ballot those players born in 1910. Rules and lists are after the jump. Continue reading →

There may be no Hall of Famer who lost a higher percentage of his potential career value as a result of World War II than Hank Greenberg. But COG voters did not let Greenberg’s lost baseball years stand in the way of making him a quick, clear choice as the 76th player inducted into the High Heat Stats Circle of Greats. More on Hank, and the voting, after the jump. Continue reading →

Tonight, the Royals and Giants take the field for game 7, the 37th time the Fall Classic has had a winner-take-all final game. Home teams are riding a 9 game winning streak in game 7 that goes back to 1982. But, before that, it was a very different trend with the visitors posting a 13-3 game 7 record from 1952 to 1979. Overall, it’s a narrow 19-17 edge for home team in game 7.

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Game 6: @Royals 10, Giants 0 — Jake Peavy was on a very short leash, but it still proved too much rope.

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@Giants 5, Royals 0, Giants go up 3-2 — Madison Bumgarner’s eight strikeouts are fairly modest by today’s standards for an utterly dominant game. But he got them when they counted most:

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