Adidas410s
04-14-2006, 01:22 PM
Phil...I didn't know you were this "big time" with your writing!!! :eek: j/k it's actually Jayson Stark that wrote this but the facts that he presents...well let's just say we can figure out where he gets it from! ;)
If Chris Shelton has as many homers as the Red Sox, and Oscar Villarreal has as many wins as the White Sox, and J.J. Putz has as many saves as Mariano Rivera, you know what that means.
It sure isn't last year anymore.
TRIVIALITY
Jim Leyland (among others) is trying to do something this year that eight other active managers have done -- make the playoffs in their first season managing their current teams. Can you name the eight who have done that?
(Answer at bottom.)
So let's all wish ourselves a Happy New Year with a deja-new edition of the Useless Information Department.
• There wasn't a single time last year that the Tigers got a win from their starting pitchers five games in a row. So naturally, all five Tigers starters won a game in the first five games of this season.
• The Tigers hadn't hit 15 home runs in any three-game span in their entire history -- all 105 seasons worth. So how many did they hit in the first three games of this season? That would be (what else?) 15.
• Last year, Dmitri Young hit three home runs on Opening Day. This year, he and Placido Polanco were the only Tigers starters who didn't make a trot in those first three games.
• Last year in Detroit, Shelton had no two-homer games all season. This year, he became the fourth man in history to have two two-homer games just in the first three games of the season. The others: Barry Bonds (2002), Eddie Mathews (1958) and Dolph Camilli (1935).
• Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez didn't have one game all last season in which he got four extra-base hits. So how many did he get in the Tigers' second game of this season? Four, naturally.
• Last year, the Devil Rays were the last team in the major leagues to throw a complete game. (In fact, they came within two games of becoming the first team in history not to throw one all season). But this year, of course, they were the first team to throw a complete game.
• The Braves never went eight games in any stretch last year without getting at least one win from their starting pitchers. But how many games did their starters win in the first eight games of this year? Well, zero, naturally.
• The Cardinals weren't swept by an NL Central team in any series all last year. So it figured that they got swept by the Cubs in their first series against an NL Central team this year.
• It took the White Sox 117 games last year to find out what a four-game losing streak felt like. It took them five games this year.
• Mark Buehrle and Freddy Garcia started the White Sox' first two games of this season -- and neither got an out beyond the fourth inning. So how many times did the two of them exit that early last year? Never, of course.
• But that wasn't all that happened to the White Sox in their first turn through the rotation. In Jon Garland's first start of the year, he gave up nine runs (to the Royals yet). Do we even need to tell you there wasn't one game all last season in which a White Sox starting pitcher gave up nine runs?
• The Indians played nine one-run games against the White Sox last year and lost them all. So who won the first one-run game between those teams this year? The Indians, naturally.
• Speaking of the Indians, Aaron Boone and Jason Michaels each had a four-hit game in that White Sox series last week. Anybody shocked that neither of them got four hits in any game last year?
• Jake Westbrook went a scenic 0-5 last April -- and won no games all year against the White Sox (0-4). Which meant he was clearly destined to start out 2-0 this April -- and win his first game of the year against the White Sox.
• The Braves didn't play a single game last year in which both teams scored in double figures. So what was the score of their Opening Day game with the Dodgers? Braves 11, Dodgers 10.
• The Dodgers, meanwhile, hadn't lost a game at Dodger Stadium in which they scored 10 runs or more in almost seven years (July 22, 1999). So what was that Opening Day score again? Amazing.
• The Brewers never made it to five games over .500 at any point last year. It took them five games to get there this season.
• The Twins never scored 13 runs in any game last year. They did it in their second game this year.
• Andy Pettitte didn't give up two homers in any start during the entire regular season last year. He gave up back-to-back homers in the first inning of this season.
• Johan Santana allowed 10 hits to Toronto in his first start of the year. So how many 10-hitters did he throw last year? None, of course.
• Vicente Padilla hadn't won an April start as a Phillie since April 19, 2003 (eight non-wins in a row). Naturally, he won his first two starts as a Ranger last week -- in a week in which no other Texas pitchers won any games.
• The Devil Rays won two of their first 17 road games last year. They won three on their first trip this year (in six games).
• But the Rockies topped them. Last year's Rockettes started out 1-15 on the road, didn't sweep a road series all year and, as reader Tyler Edgerton observes, didn't win their third road game until May 22. So naturally, they swept all three games of their first road series this year (in San Diego).
• Devil Rays first baseman Travis Lee hit two homers in his first 245 at-bats last year. He hit three in the first week this year.
• The Cubs hit two pinch homers all last season. They hit two in their first six pinch at-bats this season.
• Finally, the Astros didn't win a single 1-0 game all last year (although they lost six of them -- including the final game of the World Series). So this season, of course, they went out and won a 1-0 game on Opening Day.
If Chris Shelton has as many homers as the Red Sox, and Oscar Villarreal has as many wins as the White Sox, and J.J. Putz has as many saves as Mariano Rivera, you know what that means.
It sure isn't last year anymore.
TRIVIALITY
Jim Leyland (among others) is trying to do something this year that eight other active managers have done -- make the playoffs in their first season managing their current teams. Can you name the eight who have done that?
(Answer at bottom.)
So let's all wish ourselves a Happy New Year with a deja-new edition of the Useless Information Department.
• There wasn't a single time last year that the Tigers got a win from their starting pitchers five games in a row. So naturally, all five Tigers starters won a game in the first five games of this season.
• The Tigers hadn't hit 15 home runs in any three-game span in their entire history -- all 105 seasons worth. So how many did they hit in the first three games of this season? That would be (what else?) 15.
• Last year, Dmitri Young hit three home runs on Opening Day. This year, he and Placido Polanco were the only Tigers starters who didn't make a trot in those first three games.
• Last year in Detroit, Shelton had no two-homer games all season. This year, he became the fourth man in history to have two two-homer games just in the first three games of the season. The others: Barry Bonds (2002), Eddie Mathews (1958) and Dolph Camilli (1935).
• Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez didn't have one game all last season in which he got four extra-base hits. So how many did he get in the Tigers' second game of this season? Four, naturally.
• Last year, the Devil Rays were the last team in the major leagues to throw a complete game. (In fact, they came within two games of becoming the first team in history not to throw one all season). But this year, of course, they were the first team to throw a complete game.
• The Braves never went eight games in any stretch last year without getting at least one win from their starting pitchers. But how many games did their starters win in the first eight games of this year? Well, zero, naturally.
• The Cardinals weren't swept by an NL Central team in any series all last year. So it figured that they got swept by the Cubs in their first series against an NL Central team this year.
• It took the White Sox 117 games last year to find out what a four-game losing streak felt like. It took them five games this year.
• Mark Buehrle and Freddy Garcia started the White Sox' first two games of this season -- and neither got an out beyond the fourth inning. So how many times did the two of them exit that early last year? Never, of course.
• But that wasn't all that happened to the White Sox in their first turn through the rotation. In Jon Garland's first start of the year, he gave up nine runs (to the Royals yet). Do we even need to tell you there wasn't one game all last season in which a White Sox starting pitcher gave up nine runs?
• The Indians played nine one-run games against the White Sox last year and lost them all. So who won the first one-run game between those teams this year? The Indians, naturally.
• Speaking of the Indians, Aaron Boone and Jason Michaels each had a four-hit game in that White Sox series last week. Anybody shocked that neither of them got four hits in any game last year?
• Jake Westbrook went a scenic 0-5 last April -- and won no games all year against the White Sox (0-4). Which meant he was clearly destined to start out 2-0 this April -- and win his first game of the year against the White Sox.
• The Braves didn't play a single game last year in which both teams scored in double figures. So what was the score of their Opening Day game with the Dodgers? Braves 11, Dodgers 10.
• The Dodgers, meanwhile, hadn't lost a game at Dodger Stadium in which they scored 10 runs or more in almost seven years (July 22, 1999). So what was that Opening Day score again? Amazing.
• The Brewers never made it to five games over .500 at any point last year. It took them five games to get there this season.
• The Twins never scored 13 runs in any game last year. They did it in their second game this year.
• Andy Pettitte didn't give up two homers in any start during the entire regular season last year. He gave up back-to-back homers in the first inning of this season.
• Johan Santana allowed 10 hits to Toronto in his first start of the year. So how many 10-hitters did he throw last year? None, of course.
• Vicente Padilla hadn't won an April start as a Phillie since April 19, 2003 (eight non-wins in a row). Naturally, he won his first two starts as a Ranger last week -- in a week in which no other Texas pitchers won any games.
• The Devil Rays won two of their first 17 road games last year. They won three on their first trip this year (in six games).
• But the Rockies topped them. Last year's Rockettes started out 1-15 on the road, didn't sweep a road series all year and, as reader Tyler Edgerton observes, didn't win their third road game until May 22. So naturally, they swept all three games of their first road series this year (in San Diego).
• Devil Rays first baseman Travis Lee hit two homers in his first 245 at-bats last year. He hit three in the first week this year.
• The Cubs hit two pinch homers all last season. They hit two in their first six pinch at-bats this season.
• Finally, the Astros didn't win a single 1-0 game all last year (although they lost six of them -- including the final game of the World Series). So this season, of course, they went out and won a 1-0 game on Opening Day.