The Player who Never Played
There is a major league baseball player who played in 105 games and never batted. He never played in the field. This is a player in the Baseball Almanac who never swung a bat or caught a ball yet he played in 105 Major League baseball games.
Hopes Dashed for $75 Million: Jake Arrieta
The fans in Philadelphia envisioned a great pitcher leading to playoffs and maybe even a World Series. They got a below average team and a pitcher who was never healthy enough to contribute. Despite the results, Jake Arrieta received $75,000,000. The fans got overpriced tickets and hot dogs.
Phillies are a Cheat Code in a Video Game
“The Phillies lineup has been demonstrating offensive domination. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos are hitting home runs as if they've created their own characters in MLB The Show, producing home runs on demand.”
The First 40-40 $5 million Man
Jose Canseco was Major League Baseball’s first $5 million man. It’s fair to say that since that contract was signed, inflation has made the $5 million contract almost an insulting joke given Canseco’s impact on the game as one of the original “Bash Brothers” with fellow Oakland A, Mark McGuire.
Ocular Enhancers
Endy Chavez has been robbed of his place in history. He should have been the start of a rally for the Mets in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS to beat the Cardinals and move on. With Jim Edmonds on first and Scott Rolen at the plate, Chavez who had somehow managed to hit .306 robbed a home run that would have put the Cardinals up 3-1 and threw to first base to double up Edmonds.
Sometimes Less is More
Looking at the highest and lowest payrolls, there doesn’t seem to make much difference in creating winners. Specifically, twelve teams made the playoffs. Seven of the twelve had payrolls in the bottom half of the thirty teams.
The Amazing Story of Rube Waddell
"August 19th in 1900, Rube Waddell pitched two complete games in one day. This was amazing because in the first game, he pitched 17 innings. While the second game only lasted 5 innings, he did pitch all 22 innings of a double header, allowing only 1 run."
Heart Breaking One Hitter
"Given that this has only happened 11 times, how unbelievable is it that 3 of those two-out one-hitters happened to the same pitcher in less than twelve months? Dave Stieb was a consistently good starting pitcher, yet he experienced the most disheartening pitching experience three different times.”
Navigating the Journey from Campus to Contracts: A Deep Dive with Agent Mason Williams
Explore the world of collegiate sports and the journey to the pros with Brendan Lemieux's new podcast, "Campus to Contracts." In the debut episode, pro-sports agent Mason Williams dives deep into the ever-evolving landscape facing young athletes. From the pressures of new opportunities like NIL deals to the crucial role of parents, get ready for a candid look into the sports world. Watch now!