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THE SANDY MAN CAN
Q: Who has the most strikeouts among left-handed pitchers?
-- Sitij
A: Steve Carlton holds the all-time strikeout record for lefthanders with 4,136. He is second overall, but still stands a healthy 1,600 behind Nolan Ryan. In a 23-year career with the Cardinals and Phillies, Carlton was good for a 3.22 ERA and led the majors in Ks five times. His 329 wins put him second among lefties, behind only Warren Spahn. Late bloomer Randy Johnson is the next southpaw on the strikeout list with 3,040. Already 37, Johnson would have to pitch until he was 44 (as Carlton did), and average 157 strikeouts per year to overtake Carlton. Though the Big Unit has already led the league in Ks six times, he may find it difficult to maintain those gaudy numbers in the coming years. Carlton averaged only 66 Ks over his last four seasons. The single-season record for strikeouts by a lefty was set by Sandy Koufax in 1965. That year, his next-to-last in the majors, he fanned an incredible 382 batters while compiling a 26-8 record with a 2.04 ERA. He was the unanimous choice for the Cy Young Award, but was narrowly beaten out by Roberto Clemente for MVP honors. Nolan Ryan beat Koufax’s total by a hair in 1973, when he struck out 383. Randy Johnson is also second among lefthanders on the single-season list. He struck out 364 in 1999.
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

THE MEN WHO RULED THE AMERICAN LEAGUE...AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVED THEM
Q: Can you provide a complete list of American League presidents to date?
-- Ron Widlewski
A: Ban Johnson, the founder and first president of the American League, intended for his new professional baseball organization to compete with the already-established National League. Fans took the upstart league seriously, as evidenced by the AL's comparable attendance to the NL in 1901-02. In 1903 Johnson decided to collaborate with NL President Harry Pulliam, and the World Series was born. With the institution of interleague play in 1997, the leagues lost a good deal of their individuality. In 2000, Commissioner Bud Selig decided that league presidents were no longer necessary. Here is the complete list of AL presidents from 1901 to 1999: 1901-27 Ban Johnson 1927-31 Ernest S. Barnard 1931-59 Will Harridge 1959-73 Joe Cronin 1974-84 Lee MacPhail 1984-94 Robert Brown 1994-99 Gene Budig
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

SLEEPY, DOPEY, HAPPY, GRUMPY, SPACEY, PARANOID, AND DOCK
Q: I once heard that Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter while on LSD. Is that true?
-- Craig
A: According to his autobiography, it is. On June 12, 1970, Ellis stoned the Padres for nine innings (no pun intended), leading his Pirates to a 2-0 win. Impressive in and of itself, but it became even more incredible when he later admitted to having taken LSD before the game. Coming out of Tony Gwynn’s mouth, this would have been an eye-opener, but Ellis was never a model citizen. He once intentionally beaned the first three batters he faced in a game against Cincinnati, supposedly to wake his teammates up. On another occasion, as Pittsburgh hitters were in the midst of a collective slump, Ellis walked into the clubhouse and promptly set the entire bat rack on fire. “We’re not using them anyway,” he explained.
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

HARD-LUCK LOSERS
Q: Has anyone ever thrown a no-hitter and still lost the game?
-- Craig
A: There have been over 200 no-hitters since the beginnings of baseball. Most have been shutouts, but occasionally the opposing team will score a run or two on some combination of walks, errors, wild pitches, etc. But on only four occasions has a team scored so few runs that their unhittable pitcher ended up on the losing end of the decision. The first was on April 24, 1964, when Astros’ righty Ken Johnson allowed no hits to Cincinnati but lost 1-0 on two walks and two errors. While Johnson was a hard-luck loser, perhaps Steve Barber deserved to lose his game. Though he tossed 8 2/3 no-hit innings on April 30, 1967, he also walked 10 and hit two. Barber explained it best: “They probably didn’t get a hit because I didn’t throw anything close to the plate.” Considering that the Tigers had a man on in every inning but the fifth, it’s almost surprising that they didn’t score until the ninth. With his team leading 1-0 and men on second and third, Barber bounced a changeup that backup catcher Larry Haney could not come up with, and Ray Oyler scored the tying run. After Barber walked the batter, Orioles manager Hank Bauer replaced him with reliever Stu Miller. Batter Don Wert smacked a sharp grounder up the middle, but shortstop Luis Aparicio got to it and flipped to second for the force. Second baseman Mark Belanger dropped the ball, allowing the winning run to score. Al Kaline grounded out to end the game, leaving the Tigers with a win but no hits. The Yankees’ Andy Hawkins came into his July 1, 1990 start with a 1-4 record, a 6.90 ERA, and the potential to be released any day. Though he finished that start with a complete-game no-hitter, he could not even enjoy that. In surrendering four runs, Hawkins set the record for the most lopsided no-hit defeat in history. The Comiskey Park scoreboard read all goose eggs going into the bottom of the eighth, and it appeared to be another 1-2-3 inning for Hawkins when Ron Karkovice and Scott Fletcher popped out to start the frame. However, Sammy Sosa reached on a Mike Blowers error, and Ozzie Guillen and Lance Johnson walked. With the bases loaded, Robin Ventura lofted a fly ball to left. Rookie Jim Leyritz, normally a catcher, could not navigate the swirling winds, and the ball dropped in for a 3-run error. Ivan Calderon also hit a high fly, but this time right-fielder Jesse Barfield lost the ball in the sun, allowing Ventura to score. And so, in the shining moment of his career, Andy Hawkins still lost the game 4-0. Lady Luck continued to frown on him, as he threw 11 shutout innings in his subsequent start, but wound up losing that game too. Red Sox pitcher Matt Young was the last to lose a no-no. On April 12, 1992, he no-hit Cleveland but was denied the chance to celebrate when Wade Boggs and company couldn’t score enough runs for him. The final score was 2-1 Indians. Interestingly enough, Roger Clemens hurled a two-hit shutout in the second game of the day’s doubleheader. Cleveland’s two total hits on the day set a record for doubleheaders.
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

FOUND: ON-BASE STREAK. BROWN FUR, ANSWERS TO "REX." OWNER CALL 555-1234.
Q: Who holds the record for reaching base safely in the most consecutive games?
-- Raymond Liu
A: Nobody knows. Apparently that record was never kept, and it is now near impossible to go back and determine what the record is or who holds it. One possibility is Joe DiMaggio, in that famous 1941 season. Everyone knows about the 56-game hitting streak, but what is less well known is that after the streak was broken on July 17, 1941 (though he did draw a walk), Joltin’ Joe immediately followed with a 16-game hitting streak. So if not for sterling defensive plays by Indians third baseman Ken Keltner and shortstop Lou Boudreau, the Yankee Clipper might have had a 73-game hitting streak. Even so, the walk allowed his streak of reaching base safely to continue, and eventually reach 73 games. However, this is just one possibility. Would it surprise anyone if Ted Williams, with his career .483 OBP, managed a longer streak at some point during his career?
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

FOUR ROUND TRIP TICKETS PLEASE
Q: Who has hit four home runs in a nine-inning game?
-- Joej914
A: Only nine players have ever hit four home runs in a nine-inning game. One might expect such a feat from Hall-of-Famers Ed Delahanty, Lou Gehrig, and Willie Mays. For other sluggers like Gil Hodges and Rocky Colavito, a four-homer day was also not unbelievable. Guys like Mark Whiten, on the other hand, will be remembered for their one amazing game...and not much else. No team has had two such achievements, though Chuck Klein and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies both hit four long balls in 10-inning contests. Only the Cincinnati Reds have been two-time victims. Here is the complete list, along with the dates they occurred: Bobby Lowe – May 30, 1894 Ed Delahanty – July 13, 1896 Lou Gehrig – June 3, 1932 Gil Hodges – August 31, 1950 Joe Adcock – July 31, 1954 Rocky Colavito – June 10, 1959 Willie Mays – April 30, 1961 Bob Horner – June 6, 1986 Mark Whiten – September 7, 1993
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

YOU CAN'T EXPECT TO WIN WITH A MEASLY 23 RUNS
Q: What was the highest combined score in history?
-- Lauren Babe
A: During the Dead Ball Era of 1900-1919, 1-0 scores were common occurrence. It was clearly evident that those days were over when Babe Ruth swatted 54 homers in 1920, but the real sign of the times was a game which featured the highest final score in history. On August 25, 1922, the Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies by a count of 26-23 at Wrigley Field. The 26 runs by a single team has since been surpassed, but the combined total of 49 runs has not. Fifty-one base knocks, 21 walks, and nine errors led to 22 different men scoring a run. The scoring barrage began in the second inning, when Phils pitcher Jimmy Ring became agitated after arguing with the umpire over some close pitches. Instead of settling down, he blew up, surrendering 10 runs in that inning alone. Left helpless was his manager Kaiser Wilhelm, who had no time to begin warming others in the pen. Oddly, Wilhelm chose to leave Ring in to pitch the third, and the result was more of the same. Very quickly the score was 25-6, and it appeared as if the game was long over. Even the wary Wrigley faithful had lit their victory cigars by the eighth inning, as Chicago still led by a count of 26-9. Yet the resilient Phils were far from through. Out came a series of rookie Cub pitchers, and the visiting club couldn’t wait to take advantage. Uel Eubanks was the first to feel their wrath, surrendering eight runs in just 2/3 of an inning. He would never again pitch in the majors. Ed Morris relieved and halted the onslaught in that inning, but allowed four runs in the ninth without recording an out. Tiny Osborne, the next rook, came on and immediately let two more men cross the plate, but managed to bring the slugfest to a halt when the hot Bevo LeBourveau whiffed with the bases juiced. Despite notching 23 runs, the Phillies could easily have had even more. The runners stranded in the ninth were just three of the 16 total men they left on. They also had 26 hits, more than the other team. However, neither team’s offense was anywhere near as explosive as they showed. Philadelphia finished seventh in runs scored on the year, while Chicago finished fourth.
Back to top	-- Jake Thomases

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