A stupid oddity

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Mon Nov 24, 2003 9:25 pm

BOSTON GLOBE Warren Spahn obit: . Voted into the Hall of Fame in
1973, he played 21 seasons and recorded 363 wins, the
fifth-highest total in major league history. (In a baseball
oddity, Mr. Spahn's hit total for those 21 seasons was also
363.)****I don't think this is an oddity at all. Seeing as that the stats have nothing to do with each other, why is it interesting or worth mentioning?

Rio · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:46 am

Well, it is mildly interesting, and therefore worth printing, IMO. But calling it "a baseball oddity" is silly. Referring to it as a coincidence should have sufficed.

Bumfketeer · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 11:36 am

When I think of a baseball oddity, I think more along the lines of a game being won by a run scoring due to catcher's interference, or something along those lines.In high school, I wore No. 46 on the freshman football team. The same year, I drew No. 46 on the baseball team. Is this a sports oddity? Of course not. It's a mildly interesting coincidence. Which is what Spahn's thing is, too.Thanks for your post, Gary, which put into perspective what I was trying to say.

Oeditpus Rex · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:30 pm

It's apparent, if not obvious, that the Globe writer referred to the coincidence between Spahn's wins and hits. But I wonder if he/she wasn't also subtly noting the relative rarity these days of pitchers who can hit.I miss game situations in which Spahn or Drysdale or Robin Roberts were due up with runners on. As often as not, their managers would let them bat, and a lot of times that proved to be a good decision.

tim · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:32 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Oeditpus Rex:
It's apparent, if not obvious, that the Globe writer referred to the coincidence between Spahn's wins and hits. But I wonder if he/she wasn't also subtly noting the relative rarity these days of pitchers who can hit.I miss game situations in which Spahn or Drysdale or Robin Roberts were due up with runners on. As often as not, their managers would let them bat, and a lot of times that proved to be a good decision.<hr></blockquote>A Braves fan weighs in...Well, it was a different time for the game, to be sure. But the three guys you mentioned stayed in the game not because they were good hitters, but because they didn't have the specialized relief pitchers they have today. It was understood that the starting pitcher remained in the game until his arm fell off, or he passed out on the mound, or whatever. Spahn pitched almost 400 complete games. Compare that to Greg Maddux, who has 103.Spahn, Roberts and Drysdale were all below the Mendoza line as career hitters, although still better than most pitchers. Their averages are in line with today's best-hitting pitchers.The 363 wins by Spahn remain the most ever for a left-handed pitcher, a truly special record (he missed three seasons during the war) that doesn't belong in the same graf as the hits oddity.

Oeditpus Rex · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:51 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Tim Hathcock:
The 363 wins by Spahn remain the most ever for a left-handed pitcher, a truly special record (he missed three seasons during the war) that doesn't belong in the same graf as the hits oddity.<hr></blockquote>
You're right, and I guess it's so obvious that I neglected to mention it. Comparing wins to hits makes about as much sense and belongs together about as much as comparing apples to iron ore.I came back, though, to publicly wap myself on the forehead while saying, "How could I forget Gibson?"

tim · **Posted:** Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:07 pm

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Originally posted by Oeditpus Rex:

You're right, and I guess it's so obvious that I neglected to mention it. Comparing wins to hits makes about as much sense and belongs together about as much as comparing apples to iron ore.I came back, though, to publicly wap myself on the forehead while saying, "How could I forget Gibson?"<hr></blockquote>Yep, Gibson was a decent hitter (for a pitcher). But would we give a damn about that if he couldn't pitch? Gibson is among the best ever, but the one thing people remember about Terry Forster (a great hitter) was that Dave Letterman called him a "fat tub of goo," a designation Forster embraced.Although Forster had a lifetime batting average of .397, he was a better than average pitcher but far from the greatness of Gibson, Roberts, Spahn and Drysdale.Now, I sense I had better cease with the baseball chatter before Mr. Blanchard banishes my posts to the hinterlands.

ADKbrown · **Posted:** Sun Nov 30, 2003 2:39 pm

Of course, Babe Ruth was a pretty good hitting pitcher.

Testy Copy Editors

A stupid oddity

Who is online

What They're Saying

Useful Links