Surprising Stats

[1905 Giants]

You guys ever run across stats when looking at a player that really stand out to you?

For example:
-Ken Griffey Sr. and Amos Otis had a higher lifetime OPS+ than Bobby Thomson (118 and 114 to 110)
-Despite leading the league in steals for his first six seasons, Vince Coleman's OPS+ was only over 100 in the last one.
-Minnie Minoso, despite not being hot on the Hall of Fame vote, had a higher OPS+ than Jim Rice, Andre Dawson, Bobby Bonds, and Johnny Bench, all known power hitters and in or close to the Hall of Fame. (Granted, he played in fewer seasons than Dawson but it's still pretty impressive)

[ipitch]

Randy Velarde had more 200-hit seasons than all of the following players, combined.

Mark Grace
Edgar Martinez
Chipper Jones
Mel Ott
Will Clark
Ted Williams
Lou Boudreau
Roberto Alomar
Enos Slaughter
Manny Ramirez
Barry Bonds
Mickey Mantle
Orlando Cepeda
Frank Thomas
Ken Griffey Jr.
Duke Snider
Carl Yastrzemski

[fabio61]

Reggie Jackson never had back to back 30HR seasons.
The only player to ground into 3 DPs in a WS game was Willie Mays.
In 1946, Johnny Sain didn't strike out once or draw a single walk. He put the ball in play ever single time up (104 PA).
Sain also struck out only 20 times in 856 career PA.
In Randy Johnson's 20K game in 2001, the 1B-man got 4 of the 20 putouts.
Terry Forster - a Relief Pitcher, had a .397 career batting avg.

[m8644]

not a player stat, but from 1979 all the way to 1994.....no team in baseball had more wins than the Expos.

(not really surprising to certain fans who knew that Montreal was known to put quality teams on the field quite often, but I'd think the Expos would not be the first team you think of with a stat like that)

[Zoltan]

in 2000, Todd Helton hit .372/.463/.698 with 42 HR, 147 RBI, 216 H, 59 2B, and finished 5th in MVP voting. 5th!? That surprised me even more than the stats did.

[Francoeurstein]

in 2000, Todd Helton hit .372/.463/.698 with 42 HR, 147 RBI, 216 H, 59 2B, and finished 5th in MVP voting. 5th!? That surprised me even more than the stats did.

He had a great year, but he benefited largely from his home ballpark. Even though his road stats were solid, his OPS was about .170 points lower than his home stats, and he had 12 less home runs. His OPS+ which is adjusted for ballparks was 163, which was 3rd in his league. He could have won the MVP that year, but the writers didn't feel right giving it to someone with such an advantage.

[Zoltan]

He had a great year, but he benefited largely from his home ballpark. Even though his road stats were solid, his OPS was about .170 points lower than his home stats, and he had 12 less home runs. His OPS+ which is adjusted for ballparks was 163, which was 3rd in his league. He could have won the MVP that year, but the writers didn't feel right giving it to someone with such an advantage.

I see. Yeah i suppose i forgot to account for his home park, Coors Field. Still though, very impressive numbers, no matter what your home park is.

[ol' aches and pains]

Randy Velarde had more 200-hit seasons than all of the following players, combined.

Mark Grace
Edgar Martinez
Chipper Jones
Mel Ott
Will Clark
Ted Williams
Lou Boudreau
Roberto Alomar
Enos Slaughter
Manny Ramirez
Barry Bonds
Mickey Mantle
Orlando Cepeda
Frank Thomas
Ken Griffey Jr.
Duke Snider
Carl Yastrzemski

That is surprising! I would have sworn that Yaz had 200 hits in a season at least once. I thought Manny did too, but he never even came particularly close.

[1905 Giants]

Here's one: Allie Reynolds was 21 and 53 in games with 0-2 runs scored

[tag0519]

Rod Carew 1977 14 HR 100 RBI's
and
Hank Aaron never had more than 47 HR's in a season

[Honus Wagner Rules]

He had a great year, but he benefited largely from his home ballpark. Even though his road stats were solid, his OPS was about .170 points lower than his home stats, and he had 12 less home runs. His OPS+ which is adjusted for ballparks was 163, which was 3rd in his league. He could have won the MVP that year, but the writers didn't feel right giving it to someone with such an advantage.

As late as August 28, 2000 Helton was hitting .397 (186 for 469), two hits short of .400.

[abolishthedh]

Tom Glavine in 1988 went 7-17. This was his first full season. That, IMO, proves that great players will prove themselves over time and that it is not all about big-splash rookie years. Sometimes the greats have a learning curve.

[RuthMayBond]

Here's one: Allie Reynolds was 21 and 53 in games with 0-2 runs scored

Not sure why that is so surprising

[Buzzaldrin]

In 1930, Chuck Klein hit .386 with 40 homers, 170 RBI, 250 hits, and a .687 slugging percentage. He led the league in zero of those categories. That is the only year in baseball history for which that would hold true.

[Dude Paskert]

Lou Gehrig never hit 50 homers...had years of 49, 49, 47, and 46.

Keith Moreland went 12 for 15 stealing bases for the Cubs in 1985...Ron Cey was a speed demon compared to this guy. Must have been some catchers in the NL with broken arms that year.

Whitey Ford only won 20 or more games twice, both times for Ralph Houk. Stengel only started him over 30 times once and had Ford pitching relief a handful of games a year...Casey had funny ideas about how to run a team, but I guess he made it work somehow.

[Buzzaldrin]

Lou should've in 1927. He was actually leading Ruth in homers toward the end of the season; he had 45 homers as of September 6th, but hit only 2 more the next whole month. By contrast, Ruth hit 17 the last month of the season to finish at 60.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Not sure why that is so surprising

The great pitchers are supposed to win those games. Reynolds almost was elected to the HOF a couple years ago.

[Matthew C.]

Tom Glavine in 1988 went 7-17. This was his first full season. That, IMO, proves that great players will prove themselves over time and that it is not all about big-splash rookie years. Sometimes the greats have a learning curve.

Glavine was a fastball/curveball pitcher until he discovered that changeup right before 1991, his first Cy Young season.

[ipitch]

The great pitchers are supposed to win those games. Reynolds almost was elected to the HOF a couple years ago.

Actually, I think '1905 Giants' is saying that Reynolds' 21-53 record in games with 0-2 runs scored (run support) is quite good.

I randomly checked 5 great pitchers records in games with 0-2 runs of support:
Maddux: 42-141
Clemens: 31-113
Ford: 25-64
Carlton: 46-160
Palmer: 34-105

It's obviously very difficult to win games with such little run support.

[Buzzaldrin]

Check more! That's really cool to see. Who was over .500?

[ipitch]

Check more! That's really cool to see. Who was over .500?

I doubt anyone is, except for maybe a few pitchers with very short careers.

Bob Gibson: 37-111
Juan Marichal: 27-87
Sandy Koufax: 31-51
Nolan Ryan: 43-200(!)
Pedro Martínez: 24-69
Randy Johnson: 37-106

[Muncus Agruncus]

Could you check Ed Walsh?

[ipitch]

Could you check Ed Walsh?

No, some of his stats are unavailable because he pitched too long ago.

[RuthMayBond]

Could you check Ed Walsh?

Two runs of support back around 1908 & 1909 wasn't that bad. Now in 1930, not so much

[Muncus Agruncus]

Okay. Retrosheet doesn't have the old games? I haven't looked at that site in a few years.