Our mailbox is always full of esoteric questions from our readers. So every week, we pass along some of their most interesting queries to baseball historians who know the answers.
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PINPOINT CONTROL
Q: What is the longest streak for consecutive innings pitched without issuing a walk, and who accomplished this feat?
-- Scott Crain
A: The record for most consecutive innings pitched in a season without walking a batter is 84.1, accomplished by Bill Fischer in 1962.
Q: What two players won eight batting titles and at what age did they accomplish this?
-- Rdafybabe@aol.com
A: Tony Gwynn and Honus Wagner each were crowned batting champion eight times, and Ty Cobb holds the record with 12 titles. Cobb won nine in a row and 12 in 13 years, with his final batting title coming in 1919, at age 32. Wagner's final crown came in 1911 at age 37, and Gwynn's most recent year atop the leaderboard was in 1997, at age 37.
A: Slugging percentage is computed by dividing a player's total bases by number of at-bats. A player who goes 2-4 with a double and a single would have 3 total bases in 4 at-bats, for a slugging percentage of .750.
Q: When was the last time the Sox or Cubs were in the World Series?
-- LynKaiser@aol.com
A: The Cubs last made it to the World Series in 1945, and have not won a championship since 1908. The Red Sox last appeared in 1986, but, in part to the infamous Bill Buckner play, have not won since 1918.
Q: I have found a book by Tom Meany, titled Babe Ruth, The Big Moments of the Big Fellow. The copyright is 1947 by the A.S. Barnes and Company. I would like to know if you have any idea of the value of this book.
-- Ann Marie Lallier
A: The book is priced between $12 and $50 on Amazon.com.
Q: Who is the only rookie pitcher to win a Cy Young award?
-- Cubsfan061687@aol.com
A: Fernando Valenzuela was the only rookie ever to win the Cy Young award. In 1981, he was 13-7 with a 2.48 ERA in the shortened season. He led the league in innings, strikouts, and shutouts, and led the Dodgers to a World Series win.