In his entry for “tater,” Paul Dickson (The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, Third Edition, 2009), mentions that “the term may have originated in the Negro Leagues as potato but took on new life when George Scott made a habit of calling his home runs “taters” after coming to the Boston Red […]
On July 6, 2025, Tarik Skubal and his Tigers were in Cleveland to take on Gavin Williams and his Guardians. Detroit’s southpaw was in complete – cruising beautifully – control, logging seven scoreless innings in which he fanned 10 with no walks. Williams nearly matched the reigning AL Cy Young […]
It’s been a banner year for the men behind the plate when at the plate – Cal Raleigh is a pair of big flies away from an unfathomable 60; Hunter Goodman will finish with around half that, but his longball tally has already established a new high mark for Rockies […]
Today’s high octane leadoff hitters are of a different makeup than those who dominated the role in the 20th century. Consider that going back to 1901, the single-year high marks for home runs, RBI, total bases and extra-base hits when batting leadoff all come from players in the 21st century, […]
A one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win. There’s a harmony in this event, the numerical synchronicity, the metered sound adding an extra layer of allure to an already compelling narrative: the tightest of contests where runs are the rarest mineral to be mined, the fellow on the mound taking on […]
Cast the script back to 1977 … The good: just 21 years old, Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton bats .322 and amasses 200 hits (both top-three marks in the NL) and paces the Senior Circuit with 18 triples. The bad: somehow, despite coming to the plate 644 times, Templeton draws 15 […]
In 1938, while producing more multi-home run games in a season (11) than anyone before, Hank Greenberg walloped 58 home runs. In all the years since, no one has surpassed those 11; in all the seasons since, no Tiger has matched those 58. As the game has evolved and four-base […]
In the entire statistical record covering Major League Baseball, there are 19 player seasons that can spread their metaphorical arms wide, wide, wide with the boast of at least 100 runs scored and driven in, 100 walks drawn and at least 20 home runs and 20 steals. There are a […]
When 19-year-old Mickey Mantle stepped onto the diamond for his big league debut on April 17, 1951, the single-season high mark for home runs by a switch-hitter rested at 35, courtesy of Ripper Collins’ efforts representing the 1934 Cardinals. When the 1955 campaign came to a close, the mark was […]
By the time Ken Griffey, Jr.’s fourth MLB season was behind him, the Mariners’ center fielder may have had to build an addition onto whatever space had been erected to display the signifiers of excellence and prominence: three Gold Gloves; a Silver Slugger; three All-Star nods as a starter for […]