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RUBBER GAME
Q: What is the history behind the term "rubber game?"
-- Cicely Deimund
A: The final game of a three game series in which the first two games are split is called the "rubber game." According to Paul Dickson's Baseball Dictionary, the term comes from the card game bridge, where a third game, called the "rubber game" is played when each player has won one of the first two.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

WIN PERCENTAGES
Q: Which 10 pitchers with at least 250 wins have the highest career win percentages when compared with the win percentages of the teams they played for?
-- DLochren@aol.com
A: 250-win pitchers (who pitched primarily after 1892) compared with rest-of-team: W Pct. Rest of team Roger Clemens .648 .502 Cy Young .618 .473 Grover Cleveland Alexander .642 .503 Walter Johnson .599 .462 Christy Mathewson .665 .537 Lefty Grove .680 .557 Tom Seaver .603 .482 Carl Hubbell .622 .530 Kid Nichols .634 .548 Ted Lyons .531 .447 Note: Clemens' figures are through '99, when he had 247 wins.
Back to top	-- Warren Corbett

COURTESY RUNNERS
Q: I seem to remember that runners were allowed (selected by the opposing manager) to temporarily replace an injured player on base. This was back in the 1930 to 1949 years. Who was the last?
-- Lkyedy@aol.com
A: The rule allowing courtesy runners was banned at the end of the 1949 season. I don't have a history of it, but note that we have a list of many occurrences of this phenomenon on our web site (www.retrosheet.org). The last one I know of occurred with the Indians in 1949, involving Ken Keltner. Although the opposing manager had to agree, he did not make the choice; that was done by the manager of the team involved.
Back to top	-- Dave W. Smith Retrosheet

RUNS ALLOWED
Q: Which pitcher has given up the most runs in a single inning? Which pitcher holds the record for a single game?
-- Darryl Thompson
A: The record for runs allowed in a single inning is 16, by Tony Mullane in the first inning on June 18, 1894. The post-1900 record is 13, by Lefty O'Doul. Dave Rowe set the mark for runs allowed in a game with 35 on July 24, 1882, and Al Travers owns the post-1900 record with 24.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

BEFORE THE SPLENDID SPLINTER
Q: Who was the last major league player to hit .400 or better prior to Ted Williams in '41?
-- Dan
A: Bill Terry hit .401 in 1930, and the only time .400 has been passed since then was by Ted Williams' .406 average in 1941.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

DO THE YANKEES EVER LOSE?
Q: How many times have the New York Yankees been to a World Series and not won? Who beat them?
-- Terry Penna
A: The Yankees have been to 36 World Series, of which they won 25 and lost 11. They lost to the Giants and Dodgers twice, the Cardinals three times, and the Braves, Pirates, and Reds once each.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

VALUE?
Q: I ran across a set of two volumes un-opened titled "The DiMaggio Albums". Volume 1 is dated 1932-1941 and Volume 2 is dated 1942-1951. Putnam looks like the author. Could you give an estimate on the worth if anything?
-- Evelyn
A: Amazon.com values this set from $49 to $75, depending on condition.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

AL VS. NL
Q: What is the current record between the NL and the AL in the World Series (in both number of titles won and games won)?
-- Sean
A: The American League has won 56 World Series, while the National League has won only 39. The American League's overall record in games is 305-251, with three ties.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

CONSECUTIVE DINGERS
Q: Can you tell me who hit the most consecutive home runs in major league history?
-- Y0Y0RICH@aol.com
A: The record for most consecutive home runs is four, held by many players. Lou Gehrig, Rocky Colavito, Bobby Lowe, and Mike Schmidt all hit four homers on consecutive at-bats in a single game, but many other players achieved the feat over the course of several games. The record for hitting a home run in consecutive games, but not at-bats, is 8, held by Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Ken Griffey Jr.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

MARIS TRADE
Q: When was Roger Maris traded from Cleveland to Kansas City, and what other players were involved?
-- Salberl22@aol.com
A: The Athletics acquired Roger Maris along with Preston Ward and Dick Tomanek during the 1958 season for Vic Power and Woody Held.
Back to top	-- Alex Friedman

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