Summary[]
Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Rich Hill’s heartbreaking no-hit bid and the new and not-improved Carter Capps, follow up on Albert Pujols and player nicknames, and answer listener emails about what constitutes a “journeyman,” Ryan Braun and the Hall of Fame, Ryan Goins’ new type of small-sample success, what would happen if teams played all of their games against each opponent in a single extended series, Harvey Haddix and the best starts ever, a pitcher’s single-minded pursuit of no-hitters, the uniqueness of Joey Gallo, Boston’s mysteriously league-leading intentional-walk total, how to talk to players, and more.
Topics[]
- Defining a 'journeyman'
- Ryan Braun's Hall of Fame case
- Ryan Goins' success in clutch situations
- Playing extended series against a team
- Best pitcher losses ever
- Harvey Haddix's almost perfect game
- Maximizing chances of a no-hitter
- Joey Gallo's high home-run and low RBI total
- Boston Red Sox high intentional walk total
- How to effectively interview players
Banter[]
- Rich Hill's lost opportunity for a perfect game and no-hitter
- Several listeners wrote in with reminders about player nicknames that are based on other players.
- Carter Capps' low whiff and strikeout rate
- Albert Pujols could theoretically hit .000/.000/.000 for 600 at-bats per season and maintain a positive WAR until 2025. This expands upon the answer to a listener question in Episode 1098 on whether Pujols is underpaid.
Email Questions[]
- Evan: "What are the minimum requirements to reach 'journeyman' status? Does anything pre-MLB debut count in your journey since you're at the disposal of the big league club? Justin Turner to me is not a journeyman, what say you?"
- Jason: "Does Ryan Braun deserve some Hall of Fame discussion? Assuming he plays another 5-8 seasons and stays healthy his career numbers are going to look mighty good. Your thoughts?"
- Curtis: "I just wanted to point out how ridiculous Ryan Goins' season was for those who don't follow the Jays. This year he is hitting increasingly well when the situation calls for better hits. Ryan Goins wRC+ with nobody on base is 14. With runners on base it is 107, with runners in scoring position it is 156, and with runners in scoring position and two outs it is 169 and with the bases loaded it is 411. Is there anything to this? How often do players have this dramatic of splits?"
- Luke: "How different would baseball be if teams played all their games against a team at once? Meaning if the Cubs had to play all 18 games against the Cardinals in a row, before playing all of their games against a different team, how would the results be different?"
- Samuel: "Imagine a pitcher good enough to start in a MLB rotation whose only goal is to throw a no-hitter in the majors. What can he reasonably do in order to maximize his chances?"
- Matt: "No player in baseball history has had a season in which he's posted 40 home runs and had fewer than 90 RBI. Joey Gallo has 25 home runs and 47 RBI, he's on pace for 38 home runs and just 71 RBI. Might we see more players putting up numbers like Gallo in the future?"
- Scott: "The Red Sox have four guys in the top ten of intentional walks which led me to notice that they are leading the AL in intentional walks. Their 40 intentional walks are 14 more than the Rays at number two. Why on earth are they getting so many free passes?"
- Cory: "Are there some topics you find that players tend to have more to say about or some ways of asking questions that tend to prompt them to reflect? How do the strategies differ for different types of sports writers? How much do you follow up when a question doesn't seem to land?"
Stat Blast[]
- Inspired by Rich Hill's recent outing, Jeff uses the Play Index to look up the highest game scores for pitchers in losses.
- Rich Hill finished his recent start with a game score of 91. This is 54th all-time for game score in losses.
- The highest ever is 118 by Art Nehf in 1918. Harvey Haddix had a game score of 107 which is the highest game score for a loss by a pitcher in the modern era.
- Jeff reviews several near no-hit bids from pitcher Jim Maloney.
Notes[]
- Rich Hill had reportedly never heard of the Harvey Haddix game where he took a perfect game into the 13th inning.
- Jeff says that to be a journeyman a player needs to have played with at least four organizations before the age of 30. Ben thinks it would be OK to consider a player's path through the minor leagues.
- Joey Gallo finished the 27 season with 41 home runs and 80 RBI.