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 […]
For all his gaudy career numbers, Eddie Murray doesn’t possess much in the way of single-year supremacy. There’s an AL-best number of walks in 1984 to go along with the circuit’s best on-base percentage (and the league’s best OPS+) that year, a few seasons with more intentional walks than any […]
Major League Baseball’s story in the 21st century has been significantly devoted to single-season longball feats – a Major League record here, an AL record there, a shuffling of NL and AL rookie records, perhaps a new record for catchers this season. The narrative has been much less consumed by […]
On May 1, 1966, Cleveland’s Sam McDowell went the distance on a one-hitter to defeat the White Sox, 1-0. The gem lowered the left-hander’s ERA to 1.55 and raised his shutout tally to two. The next time Cleveland played a ballgame, on May 3, the outcome looked familiar, thanks to […]
When Reggie Jackson hit 37 home runs before the 1969 All-Star break, that explosive first half saw the youngster (he turned 23 that May) wallop in bunches, with eight multi-home run games. Imagine that – before the Midsummer Classic that year, Jackson already had more multi-homer games than any other […]
To watch Paul Skenes apply the foundational brushstrokes to his self-portrait is to be constantly reminded of the exceptional and electric zaps that come with witnessing a newcomer stride to the mound and redistribute the balance of power between batter and pitcher so thoroughly in his favor. It’s to be […]
Almost exactly one year ago, 27-year-old Tarik Skubal opened the Tigers’ season with six innings of three-hit, no-run ball. The 1-0 final in Detroit’s favor was, in a way, the initial abracadabra in what turned out to be a magical, fantastical year for both pitcher and team. Now, Skubal – […]