On opening day in 1994, Cubs OF Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes Homered in each of his 1st three At Bats. He ended the season with only 8 Homers.
Obscure sports stats
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To build off that, he went on to be a star in Japan and had 468 HRs.
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I’ll never forget watching that game as a kid with my friends.
He retired there & came back here. Had a great spring but was cut by the Reds & retired
When he retired after the 2022 season, Yadi Molina ranked first all-time among catchers in putouts and second all-time among catchers with 130 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS); among active players, he ranked first with 845 assists, 40.21% of runners caught stealing, and 55 pickoffs.
From 2005 to 2022, the Cardinals allowed 887 stolen bases. The next closest team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowed 1,310.
There were only 1,370 stolen base attempts (stolen bases and runners caught stealing) against the Cardinals from 2005 to 2022. The Diamondbacks, the next closest team, had had runners attempt to steal 1,883 times. The average of all 30 teams in that time span was 2,146 attempts.
From 2005 to 2022, the Cardinals allowed 887 stolen bases. The next closest team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowed 1,310.
There were only 1,370 stolen base attempts (stolen bases and runners caught stealing) against the Cardinals from 2005 to 2022. The Diamondbacks, the next closest team, had had runners attempt to steal 1,883 times. The average of all 30 teams in that time span was 2,146 attempts.
And a ball magically stuck to his chest protector…
As a Cubs fan and Cardinal hater, Yadi is over rated by Cardinals fans. His career numbers are comparable to Jason Kendall. Yadi finished with a career WAR of 42.1 and Kendall's was 41.7.
He was a great catchers but gets more credit than he deserves. Yadi had a fielding % of .995 and Kendall's was .990. Yad has the edge and put outs and and caught stealing, which is commendable, but part of that is due to the Cardinals pitching staff and Yadi being on better teams throughout his career.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the greatest D'Brickashaw ever to play the game 
Speaking of no-hitters that weren't or shouldn't have been. I've heard the following story before. June 23, 1917.
Babe Ruth was starting a game on the mound for the Boston Red Sox. He walked the Washington Senators lead off hitter, Ray Morgan, on four pitches to start the game. Ruth argued with the home plate umpire about two of the pitches. The argument got heated and the ump threatened to throw Ruth out of the game if he didn't stop. To which Ruth said, "if you throw me out I will bust you in the nose." The umpire threw Ruth out of the game and Ruth threw two punches. The first one missed and the second connected with the side of the ump's head and grazed off his mask. Ruth was thrown out.
Pitcher Ernie Shore came in to pitch in relief of Ruth. Morgan was thrown out trying to steal second base. Then Shore retired the next 26 hitters in a row and the Red Sox won 4-0.
Since nothing like this had ever been seen before, a baseball committee wasn't sure how to score it. A perfect game was discussed since only 27 batters had been faced. But since Morgan had actually reached first base, a no-hitter was awarded instead. So Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore both got credit for the no-hitter and Babe Ruth went down as the only man to start a game and face the leadoff batter in what turns out to be an unofficial at-bat and still get credit for a no hitter.
Ruth is the only pitcher I am aware of who got credit for a no-hitter but didn't record an out.
Babe Ruth was starting a game on the mound for the Boston Red Sox. He walked the Washington Senators lead off hitter, Ray Morgan, on four pitches to start the game. Ruth argued with the home plate umpire about two of the pitches. The argument got heated and the ump threatened to throw Ruth out of the game if he didn't stop. To which Ruth said, "if you throw me out I will bust you in the nose." The umpire threw Ruth out of the game and Ruth threw two punches. The first one missed and the second connected with the side of the ump's head and grazed off his mask. Ruth was thrown out.
Pitcher Ernie Shore came in to pitch in relief of Ruth. Morgan was thrown out trying to steal second base. Then Shore retired the next 26 hitters in a row and the Red Sox won 4-0.
Since nothing like this had ever been seen before, a baseball committee wasn't sure how to score it. A perfect game was discussed since only 27 batters had been faced. But since Morgan had actually reached first base, a no-hitter was awarded instead. So Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore both got credit for the no-hitter and Babe Ruth went down as the only man to start a game and face the leadoff batter in what turns out to be an unofficial at-bat and still get credit for a no hitter.
Ruth is the only pitcher I am aware of who got credit for a no-hitter but didn't record an out.
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I remember watching that game.
You, sir, can go to Hell!
I remember when that happened because a friend of mine called me at the end of the season and we laughed about it. I said it must be a Cub thing because 20 years earlier, in 1974, the great slugging George Mitterwald of the Cubs also hit 3 homeruns in a game on April 17th and ended the season with seven. LOL
He doesn't know what he thinks he knows about football. And he knows even less about baseball.
Dang!! You must be one of those 130 year old people still getting Social Security.
Greg Maddux had 355 career wins and only had 310 3 -0 counts including intentional walks.
He also threw a 76 pitch complete game without getting into a single 3-ball count
Will Clark hit a home run in his first at bat in single A, Double A, Triple A and the Major Leagues.
Wow that is unbelievable. There are guys who have skipped AAA ball on their way to the bigs which makes this even more impressive. I would seriously doubt anyone else has done that.
But I do know a guy who hit a HR in his first MLB at bat and also hit a HR in his first two post season ABs. And he went on to hit more homeruns than anyone else who hit a HR in their first MLB at bat. But Aaron Judge will most likely pass him.
And I decided to go a little further on the subject. Not to upstage you but because I following the following to be VERY interesting. So, here it is. Ernie Koy and Heinie Mueller both hit homeruns in their first Major League at bat in 1938. What makes their feats even more obscure was the fact both men hit them on opening day April 19th in the same game for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
Even stranger? Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge also hit a HR in their first MLB at bat on August 13th 2016. These HRs came in the same game for the same team, the Yankees. They also came in consecutive at bats. Don't remember where we were but my brother and I saw the replay. I think it was a day game.
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John Miller hit a home run in his first and last MLB at bat, these were the only two home runs of his MLB career. (Had to look that one up)
I did look it up and Hoyt Wilhelm also hit one in his first AB too and he was a pitcher.
Accurate to say that this is unbelievable. Because it didn't happen. Will Clark played a total of 9 games in Class AA and AAA and did not homer in any of those games.
Ed and Scott Spezio were the first father-son combination to win a WS Championship for the same franchise. Ed and Scott both took home rings with the STL Cardinals, Ed twice, in 1964 and 1967, while Scott won a championship with the Angels in 2002, and in 2006 he helped the Cardinals to another World Series Championship. Ed played for legendary coach Gordie Gillespie at Lewis College while Scott grew up in and played for Morris High School.
Almost didn’t make the game because he forgot his glove and had to go back to Wrigley
Stan "The Man" Musial had 3,630 hits. Of these hits, exactly 1,815 were hit at home and 1,815 were hit on the road.
In 1948, Musial just missed out on the Triple Crown. He hit a home run in a game that was later nullified because of a rainout, which left him with 39 homers, one shy of league-leading Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize.
In 1948, Musial just missed out on the Triple Crown. He hit a home run in a game that was later nullified because of a rainout, which left him with 39 homers, one shy of league-leading Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize.
In 2024, the Baltimore Oriels hit into 71 double plays, breaking a record that stood for 79 years.
Take away all 894 goals Wayne Gretzky scored and he is STILL the All-time NHL points leader.
Mark McGwire got his first hit off Tommy John. Tommy John's dentist was Mark McGwire's dad.
Tommy John is former Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly's father-in-law.
I was bartender at the NCO Club at Hulman Field, Indiana when Tommy John came in, along with the Van Arsdale twins and Tommy McCraw. My regular Air Force unit shared a runway with the Indiana ANG.
I'd like to hear others personal obscure sports facts. Like, I had two little league coaches who played on World Series champions. Bob Hale with the '61 Yankees and Dave Bergman with the '84 Tigers.
In my high school career, I played against 4 "NFL" QBs. Jimmy Garoppolo, Tommy Rees, Scott Tolzien, and Jordan Lynch
Dave Bergman's mother was my substitute realtor 40 years ago when my usual realtor went on vacation Top that!
