Ben and Meg discuss the debate around Ventura and Ryan's brawl, Ohtani's impressive performance, Rizzo's concussion struggles, trade deadline impact, unique baseball players, and emotional aspects of MLB trades.
Mike Lowell holds the record for the highest career home run pull percentage at 97.8%, showcasing his dominance in pulling homers.
Chas McCormick and Jake Myers made history by both being left-handed throwers and right-handed batters in the same lineup, setting a rare MLB record.
The unique occurrence of pitchers throwing six matching speed and count pitches in a game has been seen with players like Freddie Garcia and Barry Zito.
Sean Chacon's significant range between pitches of 77 to 95 mph with matching speed and count numbers in a game raises intriguing pitching data discrepancies.
Deep dives
Longest pulled home run streak in AL/NL history
Mike Lowell has the highest career home run pull percentage at 97.8%, with a streak of 122 consecutive pulled home runs. Other players include Johnny Damon and Omar Vizquel with high pull percentages in their careers.
Left-handed throws and right-handed batters in MLB lineups
Chas McCormick and Jake Myers of the Houston Astros made history by both being left-handed throwers and right-handed batters in the same lineup. This rarity has only been seen a few times in MLB history, setting a record for the most 'sinister right-handers' in a lineup, tied for the record with McCormick and Myers.
Pitcher with the most pitches matching the speed to the pitch count number
The record for the most pitches in a game where the speed matched the pitch count number is six pitches. This unique occurrence has been seen in games pitched by various players like Freddie Garcia, Barry Zito, and Edwin Jackson, with each reaching six matching speed and count pitches in a game.
Pitcher with the widest range between matching speed and count pitches
Sean Chacon holds the record for the widest range between two pitches with matching speed and count numbers in the same game. On May 6th, 2008, he had a range of pitches from 77 to 95 mph that were aligned with the pitch count number, showcasing a significant gap between matching speed pitches.
Range of Pitch Speeds Recorded by PitchFX System
The podcast discusses instances where pitchers recorded a significant range of speeds during their pitches, raising questions about potential data errors. Examples include a 35 mph difference between the 54th and 89th pitches recorded in a game.
Birthdays of Major Leaguers and Relative Age Effect in Baseball
The episode delves into statistics related to Major League players' birthdays, highlighting August 4th as the day with the most major leaguers born. This discussion connects to the relative age effect in baseball, where August and September show higher birth rates among players due to youth baseball age cutoffs.
Jay Hap's Experience with Trades and Adjustments in Baseball
Jay Hap, a former MLB player, shares insights on being traded multiple times and the adjustments required when moving to new teams. He discusses the logistical challenges of trades, building relationships with new teammates and catchers, and adapting to potential pitching strategy changes suggested by new teams.
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley banter about Robin Ventura truthers defending Ventura on the 30th anniversary of his brawl with Nolan Ryan, Shohei Ohtani‘s 2023 WAR matching his full-season 2021 WAR and whether this Ohtani season would’ve won him an MVP award in 2022, the Yankees’ handling of Anthony Rizzo’s belatedly diagnosed post-concussion syndrome, whether […]
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
