Monday, February 18, 2013

Who Wore It Best? (0-9)

As if you couldn't spend any more time on there, Baseball-Reference has added uniform number data to the website.

Let's take a look at each number and see who ran up the highest career WAR and who wore it for the most seasons. 

The first list for each number shows each uni number's top ten by Wins Above Replacement. Players that only wore the number for a season or two were removed from the list. For instance, Jimmie Foxx actually tops the #1 list, having worn that number for the Cubs in 1944. But he wore 3 for the bulk of his career and he'll be on that list instead.

The second list shows the ten players that wore the number for the most seasons.



1

PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Ozzie Smith1973.0San Diego Padres (78, 79, 80, 81)
St. Louis Cardinals (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Lou Whitaker1971.4Detroit Tigers (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
Pee Wee Reese1663.1Brooklyn Dodgers (40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58)
Richie Ashburn1560.2Philadelphia Phillies (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
Chicago Cubs (60, 61)
New York Mets (62)
Bobby Doerr1347.4Boston Red Sox (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
Buddy Myer1143.7Washington Senators (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
Tony Fernandez1442.0Toronto Blue Jays (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 98, 99, 01)
San Diego Padres (92)
New York Mets (93)
Cleveland Indians (97)
Earle Combs740.0New York Yankees (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Rabbit Maranville339.4Boston Braves (32, 33, 35)
Rafael Furcal637.6Atlanta Braves (00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

And here's the list by season

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Ozzie Smith1973.0San Diego Padres (78, 79, 80, 81)
St. Louis Cardinals (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Lou Whitaker1971.4Detroit Tigers (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
Pee Wee Reese1663.1Brooklyn Dodgers (40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58)
Garry Templeton1524.9St. Louis Cardinals (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
San Diego Padres (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91)
Richie Ashburn1560.2Philadelphia Phillies (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
Chicago Cubs (60, 61)
New York Mets (62)
Luis Castillo1426.8Florida Marlins (97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Minnesota Twins (06, 07)
New York Mets (07, 08, 09, 10)
Tony Fernandez1442.0Toronto Blue Jays (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 98, 99, 01)
San Diego Padres (92)
New York Mets (93)
Cleveland Indians (97)
Jose Cardenal1416.9California Angels (66, 67)
Cleveland Indians (68, 69)
St. Louis Cardinals (70, 71)
Milwaukee Brewers (71)
Chicago Cubs (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
Philadelphia Phillies (78, 79)
Al Bumbry1322.3Baltimore Orioles (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
Bobby Doerr1347.4Boston Red Sox (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
Brian Roberts1226.3Baltimore Orioles (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12)
Lance Johnson1227.8Chicago White Sox (88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
New York Mets (96, 97)
Chicago Cubs (97, 98, 99)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.


By both WAR and seasons played, Smith, Whitaker and Reese are the top three #1's. It's pretty clear that by the top spot belongs to The Wizard and as you can see, he's pretty pumped about it.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2012/10/16/ozzie-4_3_r536_c534.jpg?1b79b3da202957124496e3768cfb7b67cdb10c81


2

Player Yrs WAR ▾ Team (click to sort by first year)
Charlie Gehringer 11 76.6 Detroit Tigers (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Derek Jeter 18 69.3 New York Yankees (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12)
Billy Herman 5 52.5 Chicago Cubs (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
Gabby Hartnett 4 50.7 Chicago Cubs (37, 38, 39, 40)
Mickey Cochrane 3 48.9 Philadelphia Athletics (31, 32, 33)
Tony Phillips 4 48.2 Oakland Athletics (86, 87, 88, 89)
Brett Butler 7 47.0 Cleveland Indians (84, 85, 86, 87)
San Francisco Giants (88, 89, 90)
Nellie Fox 13 46.3 Chicago White Sox (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
Houston Colt .45's (64)
Houston Astros (65)
Red Schoendienst 14 39.0 St. Louis Cardinals (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 63)
Dick Bartell 6 37.3 Philadelphia Phillies (32, 33)
New York Giants (35, 36, 37, 38)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.
PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Derek Jeter1869.3New York Yankees (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12)
Red Schoendienst1439.0St. Louis Cardinals (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 61, 62, 63)
Nellie Fox1346.3Chicago White Sox (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
Houston Colt .45's (64)
Houston Astros (65)
Randy Winn1224.5Tampa Bay Devil Rays (98, 99, 00, 01, 02)
Seattle Mariners (03, 04, 05)
San Francisco Giants (05, 06, 07, 08, 09)
Leo Durocher112.7St. Louis Cardinals (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Brooklyn Dodgers (38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45)
Charlie Gehringer1176.6Detroit Tigers (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Granny Hamner1115.6Philadelphia Phillies (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
Freddie Patek1121.3Pittsburgh Pirates (68, 69, 70)
Kansas City Royals (71, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
California Angels (80, 81)
Randy Jackson1010.4Chicago Cubs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
Brooklyn Dodgers (56, 57)
Cleveland Indians (58, 59)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58)
Jerry Remy1012.6California Angels (75, 76, 77)
Boston Red Sox (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
Red Rolfe1022.2New York Yankees (31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Jack Wilson1021.2Pittsburgh Pirates (03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09)
Seattle Mariners (10, 11)
Atlanta Braves (12)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

This is a two-horse race between Jeter and Gehringer. It'll be interesting to see if Jeter can catch Detroit's Hall of Fame second baseman, who currently sits 7.3 wins ahead. The Yanks' captain is signed for 2012 and 2013 with a player option for 2014, so I think he'll fall just short. 

However, with a boost from being the de facto face of baseball for most of the last two decades and the fact that Gehringer accrued more than a quarter of his value without a uniform number, I'll give Jeter the nod as the greatest #2.

It's worth noting that by similarity score, Jeter's number five comp is Gehringer and Gehringer's number nine comp is Jeter.

http://assets.gearlive.com/endscore/blogimages/derek-jeter-2.jpg

3


PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Babe Ruth7178.3New York Yankees (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
Boston Braves (35)
Alex Rodriguez10111.4Seattle Mariners (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00)
Texas Rangers (01, 02, 03)
Jimmie Foxx1293.5Philadelphia Athletics (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Boston Red Sox (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Ken Griffey379.2Cincinnati Reds (06, 07, 08)
Frankie Frisch668.0St. Louis Cardinals (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Bobby Grich567.3Baltimore Orioles (72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Alan Trammell1967.1Detroit Tigers (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Goose Goslin361.0Washington Senators (30)
St. Louis Browns (31, 32)
Willie Davis1556.8Los Angeles Dodgers (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
Texas Rangers (75)
San Diego Padres (76)
Harmon Killebrew1955.8Washington Senators (57, 58, 59, 60)
Minnesota Twins (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
Kansas City Royals (75)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Harold Baines2234.0Chicago White Sox (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 96, 97, 00, 01)
Texas Rangers (89, 90)
Oakland Athletics (90, 91, 92)
Baltimore Orioles (93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 00)
Alan Trammell1967.1Detroit Tigers (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Harmon Killebrew1955.8Washington Senators (57, 58, 59, 60)
Minnesota Twins (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
Kansas City Royals (75)
Dale Murphy1842.6Atlanta Braves (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Philadelphia Phillies (90, 91, 92)
Colorado Rockies (93)
Dick McAuliffe1634.3Detroit Tigers (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
Boston Red Sox (74, 75)
Willie Davis1556.8Los Angeles Dodgers (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
Texas Rangers (75)
San Diego Padres (76)
Phil Garner1426.5Oakland Athletics (73, 74, 76)
Pittsburgh Pirates (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
Houston Astros (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
Bud Harrelson1318.6New York Mets (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
Jimmie Foxx1293.5Philadelphia Athletics (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
Boston Red Sox (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
Eric Chavez1234.0Oakland Athletics (99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10)
Earl Averill1145.1Cleveland Indians (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
Boston Braves (41)
Cesar Izturis114.5Los Angeles Dodgers (02, 03, 04, 05, 06)
Chicago Cubs (06, 07)
Pittsburgh Pirates (07)
St. Louis Cardinals (08)
Baltimore Orioles (09, 10, 11)
Milwaukee Brewers (12)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

I'm not surprised to see Eric Chavez here, but how about Cesar Izturis?

The top three 3's by bWAR include Foxx, Rodriguez (who by the end of the season will have worn 13 for as many years as he did 3) and Ruth, who only wore the iconic number for the final seven seasons of his 22-year career. But even though he already had 470 homers before he wore it, there is only one answer for the greatest #3.


http://www.mikepalmer.info/Nat-Fein.jpg




4
Player Yrs WAR ▾ Team (click to sort by first year)
Rogers Hornsby 4 124.6 St. Louis Cardinals (23, 33)
St. Louis Browns (36, 37)
Lou Gehrig 11 108.5 New York Yankees (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
Mel Ott 15 104.0 New York Giants (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
Paul Molitor 18 72.5 Milwaukee Brewers (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
Minnesota Twins (96, 97, 98)
Luke Appling 17 69.9 Chicago White Sox (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
Bobby Grich 10 67.3 California Angels (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86)
Duke Snider 17 63.1 Brooklyn Dodgers (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
New York Mets (63)
Joe Cronin 14 61.9 Washington Senators (31, 32, 33, 34)
Boston Red Sox (35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
Goose Goslin 4 61.0 Detroit Tigers (34, 35, 36, 37)
Joe Gordon 4 54.0 Cleveland Indians (47, 48, 49, 50)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Paul Molitor1872.5Milwaukee Brewers (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
Minnesota Twins (96, 97, 98)
Duke Snider1763.1Brooklyn Dodgers (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
New York Mets (63)
Luke Appling1769.9Chicago White Sox (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
Mel Ott15104.0New York Giants (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
Joe Cronin1461.9Washington Senators (31, 32, 33, 34)
Boston Red Sox (35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
Marty Marion1329.6St. Louis Cardinals (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
St. Louis Browns (52, 53)
Lenny Dykstra1241.0New York Mets (85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
Philadelphia Phillies (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Carney Lansford1237.4Boston Red Sox (81, 82)
Oakland Athletics (83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
Bobby Higginson1120.2Detroit Tigers (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Jeff Blauser1118.8Atlanta Braves (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
Chicago Cubs (98, 99)
Lou Gehrig11108.5New York Yankees (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

A bunch of Hall of Famers here, but I'll go with the first player to get his number retired.

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Lou%20Gehrig%20Photo%20(19).jpg
 
5

Player Yrs WAR ▾ Team (click to sort by first year)
Albert Pujols 12 88.5 St. Louis Cardinals (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12)
George Brett 19 84.0 Kansas City Royals (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
Jeff Bagwell 15 76.7 Houston Astros (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Joe DiMaggio 12 75.1 New York Yankees (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
Brooks Robinson 21 72.7 Baltimore Orioles (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
Johnny Bench 17 72.3 Cincinnati Reds (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
Arky Vaughan 4 70.5 Pittsburgh Pirates (40, 41)
Brooklyn Dodgers (42, 43)
Lou Boudreau 12 59.1 Cleveland Indians (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
Hank Greenberg 11 55.1 Detroit Tigers (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46)
Pittsburgh Pirates (47)
John Olerud 8 53.7 New York Mets (97, 98, 99)
Seattle Mariners (00, 01, 02, 03, 04)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Brooks Robinson2172.7Baltimore Orioles (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
George Brett1984.0Kansas City Royals (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
Johnny Bench1772.3Cincinnati Reds (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
Jeff Bagwell1576.7Houston Astros (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Nomar Garciaparra1442.0Boston Red Sox (96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04)
Chicago Cubs (04, 05)
Los Angeles Dodgers (06, 07, 08)
Oakland Athletics (09)
Ray Durham1430.6Chicago White Sox (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02)
Oakland Athletics (02)
San Francisco Giants (03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Milwaukee Brewers (08)
Ron Gant1431.2Atlanta Braves (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
St. Louis Cardinals (96, 97, 98)
Philadelphia Phillies (99, 00)
Anaheim Angels (00)
Oakland Athletics (01, 03)
Brian Downing1447.8California Angels (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Texas Rangers (92)
Albert Pujols1288.5St. Louis Cardinals (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12)
George Scott1232.0Boston Red Sox (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 79)
Milwaukee Brewers (72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Lou Boudreau1259.1Cleveland Indians (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
Joe DiMaggio1275.1New York Yankees (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

Hank Aaron wore 5 during his rookie season in 1954 before switching to 44, but he's not on these lists. You could make a strong case for any of six different legends. Robinson wore it for the longest time and is the greatest defensive third baseman ever. Bench might be the best backstop of all time. Pujols leads in bWAR and will add to his total. Brett is just behind him and ranks higher than each of the others on B-R's EloRater list. And then there's only Joe DiMaggio Jeff Bagwell.

I'm just starting this exercise, but I don't think I'll find a tougher call. Since he still has nine years left on his contract and will likely end up with some incredible lifetime totals, I'll go with Albert Pujols.


http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/image_pictures/0326/4630/pujols_and_lidge_crop_340x234.jpg

6 

PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Stan Musial22123.4St. Louis Cardinals (41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
Al Kaline2187.4Detroit Tigers (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
Sal Bando1657.1Kansas City Athletics (66, 67)
Oakland Athletics (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Milwaukee Brewers (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
Joe Gordon754.0New York Yankees (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46)
Stan Hack950.7Chicago Cubs (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47)
Tony Lazzeri546.2New York Yankees (29, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Willie Wilson1643.5Kansas City Royals (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Oakland Athletics (92)
Chicago Cubs (93, 94)
Roy White1143.0New York Yankees (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
Carlos Delgado340.4Toronto Blue Jays (93, 94, 95)
Tony Oliva1339.7Minnesota Twins (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Stan Musial22123.4St. Louis Cardinals (41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
Al Kaline2187.4Detroit Tigers (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
Steve Garvey1934.4Los Angeles Dodgers (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
San Diego Padres (83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
Sal Bando1657.1Kansas City Athletics (66, 67)
Oakland Athletics (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Milwaukee Brewers (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
Ron Fairly1631.7Los Angeles Dodgers (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
Montreal Expos (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
Toronto Blue Jays (77)
California Angels (78)
Willie Wilson1643.5Kansas City Royals (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Oakland Athletics (92)
Chicago Cubs (93, 94)
Carl Furillo1531.8Brooklyn Dodgers (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
Los Angeles Dodgers (58, 59, 60)
J.T. Snow148.4California Angels (93, 94, 95, 96)
San Francisco Giants (97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 08)
Dan Wilson1410.9Cincinnati Reds (92, 93)
Seattle Mariners (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05)
Tony Oliva1339.7Minnesota Twins (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

It's nice to see J.T. Snow and Dan Wilson here, but this one goes to The Man (RIP).

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovDLE_1KPXIF_ATuj953sq4dQj3XSA2AA0yZA0-dJxtTeZfbXX2agD8pI5M86Ul7ZnzScAkH4wDETA2QmUXyJ4bZgz6tEzwO7rDhkT9yOQ5x0fAE-PoGp2nCReAghsIUBJcRj-PHZVkE/s1600/6+stan-musial.jpg

7
PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Mickey Mantle18105.5New York Yankees (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
Kenny Lofton1364.9Cleveland Indians (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 00, 01, 07)
Atlanta Braves (97)
Chicago Cubs (03)
Pittsburgh Pirates (03)
Philadelphia Phillies (05)
Texas Rangers (07)
Al Simmons564.3Philadelphia Athletics (31, 32)
Chicago White Sox (34, 35)
Washington Senators (38)
Ivan Rodriguez2163.7Texas Rangers (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 09)
Florida Marlins (03)
Detroit Tigers (04, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Washington Nationals (10, 11)
Craig Biggio1962.1Houston Astros (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07)
Reggie Smith1060.8Boston Red Sox (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
St. Louis Cardinals (74, 75, 76)
Bob Johnson452.8Philadelphia Athletics (34, 35, 36, 37)
Joe Medwick952.4St. Louis Cardinals (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
Brooklyn Dodgers (40, 43)
J.D. Drew1342.4St. Louis Cardinals (99, 00, 01, 02, 03)
Atlanta Braves (04)
Los Angeles Dodgers (05, 06)
Boston Red Sox (07, 08, 09, 10, 11)
Rocky Colavito542.0Detroit Tigers (60, 61, 62, 63)
Kansas City Athletics (64)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Ivan Rodriguez2163.7Texas Rangers (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 09)
Florida Marlins (03)
Detroit Tigers (04, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Washington Nationals (10, 11)
Craig Biggio1962.1Houston Astros (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07)
Mickey Mantle18105.5New York Yankees (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
Mark Belanger1637.6Baltimore Orioles (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
Ed Kranepool152.2New York Mets (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
Steve Yeager1416.6Los Angeles Dodgers (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
Seattle Mariners (86)
J.D. Drew1342.4St. Louis Cardinals (99, 00, 01, 02, 03)
Atlanta Braves (04)
Los Angeles Dodgers (05, 06)
Boston Red Sox (07, 08, 09, 10, 11)
Harvey Kuenn1322.8Detroit Tigers (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
Cleveland Indians (60)
San Francisco Giants (61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
Chicago Cubs (65, 66)
Kenny Lofton1364.9Cleveland Indians (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 00, 01, 07)
Atlanta Braves (97)
Chicago Cubs (03)
Pittsburgh Pirates (03)
Philadelphia Phillies (05)
Texas Rangers (07)
Rick Burleson1221.0Boston Red Sox (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
California Angels (81, 82, 83, 84, 86)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

Some impressive names here, and Joe Mauer should crack the top ten pretty soon. With apologies to Pudge Rodriguez, Craig Biggio and the overlooked Kenny Lofton, the choice is Mickey Mantle.

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/photo/0917/9490/mickey-mantle7_large.jpg


8
PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Joe Morgan1397.1Cincinnati Reds (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
Houston Astros (80)
San Francisco Giants (81, 82)
Philadelphia Phillies (83)
Oakland Athletics (84)
Cal Ripken2190.9Baltimore Orioles (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01)
Carl Yastrzemski2390.1Boston Red Sox (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
Gary Carter1866.4Montreal Expos (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 92)
New York Mets (85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
San Francisco Giants (90)
Los Angeles Dodgers (91)
Reggie Smith660.8Los Angeles Dodgers (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
Andre Dawson860.6Chicago Cubs (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
Florida Marlins (95, 96)
Yogi Berra1756.1New York Yankees (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
New York Mets (65)
Willie Stargell2154.2Pittsburgh Pirates (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
Bill Dickey1552.4New York Yankees (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46)
Bob Elliott747.6Pittsburgh Pirates (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Carl Yastrzemski2390.1Boston Red Sox (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
Cal Ripken2190.9Baltimore Orioles (81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01)
Willie Stargell2154.2Pittsburgh Pirates (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
Bob Boone1824.4Philadelphia Phillies (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
California Angels (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
Kansas City Royals (89, 90)
Gary Carter1866.4Montreal Expos (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 92)
New York Mets (85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
San Francisco Giants (90)
Los Angeles Dodgers (91)
Yogi Berra1756.1New York Yankees (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
New York Mets (65)
Doc Cramer154.3Philadelphia Athletics (33, 34, 35)
Boston Red Sox (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
Detroit Tigers (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
Bill Dickey1552.4New York Yankees (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46)
Andy Etchebarren159.3Baltimore Orioles (62, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
California Angels (75, 76, 77)
Milwaukee Brewers (78)
Gary Gaetti1537.9Minnesota Twins (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Kansas City Royals (94, 95)
St. Louis Cardinals (96, 97, 98)
Chicago Cubs (98, 99)
Alex Gonzalez138.7Toronto Blue Jays (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01)
Chicago Cubs (02, 03, 04)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (05)
Philadelphia Phillies (06)
Mark Loretta1317.0Milwaukee Brewers (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02)
Houston Astros (02, 07, 08)
San Diego Padres (03, 04, 05)
Joe Morgan1397.1Cincinnati Reds (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79)
Houston Astros (80)
San Francisco Giants (81, 82)
Philadelphia Phillies (83)
Oakland Athletics (84)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

A brutally tough decision here. We have three all-time great catchers, two 400-HR/3,000 H greats that played 20+ seasons with the same team, the best (or second-best) second baseman ever, plus Alex Gonzalez and Mark Loretta!

In a very close race, I'll give it to Cal Ripken since he wore 8 for his whole career while Joe Morgan didn't wear the number in his Houston days.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zO2OHOy5zaJ_icQlUGfUxeNpnZdGjPB504fGE4FB_mEA02l_KsRfq-EhyEbqfT7pzM_Ev8ey84CFSbUDp7HhzyNQE4-XAZxJ6balSz5xE3yIuUJAtVsV_DXbhQ9gLrfqeR7y6rANQDuG/s1600/610x_crop_340x234.jpg


9

PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Ted Williams19119.8Boston Red Sox (39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
Reggie Jackson968.4Oakland Athletics (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
Baltimore Orioles (76)
Graig Nettles1562.8New York Yankees (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
San Diego Padres (84, 85, 86)
Montreal Expos (88)
Joe Torre954.2St. Louis Cardinals (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
New York Mets (75, 76, 77)
John Olerud853.7Toronto Blue Jays (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Enos Slaughter1351.3St. Louis Cardinals (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
Gabby Hartnett650.7Chicago Cubs (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
New York Giants (41)
Minnie Minoso1647.5Chicago White Sox (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 61, 64, 76, 80)
Cleveland Indians (58, 59)
St. Louis Cardinals (62)
Washington Senators (63)
Matt Williams1543.5San Francisco Giants (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Cleveland Indians (97)
Arizona Diamondbacks (98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03)
Charlie Keller740.6New York Yankees (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 49)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

PlayerYrs ▾WARTeam (click to sort by first year)
Ted Williams19119.8Boston Red Sox (39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
Bill Mazeroski1732.3Pittsburgh Pirates (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
Marquis Grissom1626.7Montreal Expos (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
Atlanta Braves (95, 96)
Milwaukee Brewers (98, 99, 00)
Los Angeles Dodgers (01, 02)
San Francisco Giants (03, 04, 05)
Minnie Minoso1647.5Chicago White Sox (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 61, 64, 76, 80)
Cleveland Indians (58, 59)
St. Louis Cardinals (62)
Washington Senators (63)
Graig Nettles1562.8New York Yankees (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
San Diego Padres (84, 85, 86)
Montreal Expos (88)
Matt Williams1543.5San Francisco Giants (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
Cleveland Indians (97)
Arizona Diamondbacks (98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03)
Brady Anderson1432.2Baltimore Orioles (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01)
Cleveland Indians (02)
Terry Pendleton1425.1St. Louis Cardinals (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)
Atlanta Braves (91, 92, 93, 94)
Florida Marlins (95, 96)
Cincinnati Reds (97)
Enos Slaughter1351.3St. Louis Cardinals (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
Vinny Castilla1216.7Colorado Rockies (93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 04, 06)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays (00, 01)
Washington Nationals (05)
San Diego Padres (06)
Todd Hundley129.3New York Mets (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
Los Angeles Dodgers (99, 00, 03)
Chicago Cubs (01, 02)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

I love seeing Marquis Grissom here, and there are several solid Hall of Very Good-type players like Olerud, Torre and Nettles. That said, the greatest #9 is obviously Teddy Ballgame.

http://www.tedsarmy.com/.a/6a01310f9ede0b970c015391ef5820970b-800wi


And we can't forget those who wore 0 or 00! Below are the complete lists of those players.

0

PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Al Oliver840.2Texas Rangers (78, 79, 80, 81)
Montreal Expos (82, 83)
Philadelphia Phillies (84)
San Francisco Giants (84)
Los Angeles Dodgers (85)
Toronto Blue Jays (85)
George Scott132.0Kansas City Royals (79)
Oscar Gamble120.5Chicago White Sox (85)
Oddibe McDowell49.4Texas Rangers (85, 86, 87, 88)
Candy Maldonado18.1Toronto Blue Jays (95)
U.L. Washington17.9Pittsburgh Pirates (86)
Franklin Stubbs21.7Milwaukee Brewers (91, 92)
Rey Ordonez2-0.2New York Mets (96, 97)
Terry McDaniel1-0.4New York Mets (91)
Kerry Robinson2-0.7St. Louis Cardinals (02, 03)
Junior Ortiz6-1.2Pittsburgh Pirates (89)
Minnesota Twins (90, 91)
Cleveland Indians (92, 93)
Texas Rangers (94)
Mark Ryal1-1.5Chicago White Sox (85)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.


00

PlayerYrsWAR ▾Team (click to sort by first year)
Bobby Bonds155.7St. Louis Cardinals (80)
Jack Clark150.1San Diego Padres (90)
Bobo Newsom342.0Washington Senators (43, 46, 47)
Jose Canseco139.1Toronto Blue Jays (98)
Don Baylor124.4Oakland Athletics (88)
John Mayberry121.5Houston Astros (68)
Cliff Johnson214.4Toronto Blue Jays (85, 86)
Omar Olivares213.6St. Louis Cardinals (93)
Philadelphia Phillies (95)
Curt Leskanic211.5Milwaukee Brewers (00, 01)
Eddie Milner111.5Cincinnati Reds (88)
Tony Clark110.0New York Mets (03)
Jeffrey Leonard47.2San Francisco Giants (87, 88)
Milwaukee Brewers (88)
Seattle Mariners (89, 90)
Joe Page15.5Pittsburgh Pirates (54)
Rick White31.3Cleveland Indians (04)
Pittsburgh Pirates (05)
Cincinnati Reds (06)
Philadelphia Phillies (06)
Paul Dade30.4Cleveland Indians (77, 78, 79)
Brandon Watson3-0.5Washington Nationals (05, 06, 07)
Cincinnati Reds (06)
Kerry Robinson1-0.7Cincinnati Reds (99)
Curtis Goodwin2-1.5Cincinnati Reds (96, 97)
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/18/2013.

Far from a zero, Al Oliver banged out 2,743 hits to earn the top spot among 0's. I'll give the 00 nod to the oft-traveled Bobo Newsom, who was traded 16 times in his 20-year career.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/472396370_74a757589a.jpg

Monday, February 4, 2013

Super Bowl Host Teams

After last night's wacky Super Bowl, it's only 363 more days until the next one. For the first time, it will be played outdoors in a cold weather city, at MetLife (née Giants) Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on the outskirts of New York City.

The Giants and the Jets will try to become the first team (or teams) to play in a Super Bowl being held in their home stadium.

So how have teams performed knowing that the Super Bowl will be in their house that winter? Not well:

Year SB Host Host Team Record (Place) Playoffs
1966 I Los Angeles Rams 8-6 (3)
1967 II Miami Dolphins 4-10 (3)
1968 III Miami Dolphins 5-8-1 (3)
1969 IV New Orleans Saints 5-9 (3)
1970 V Miami Dolphins 10-4 (2) Div: L 21-14 @ OAK
1971 VI New Orleans Saints 4-8-2 (4)
1972 VII Los Angeles Rams 6-7-1 (3)
1973 VIII Houston Oilers 1-13 (4)
1974 IX New Orleans Saints 5-9 (3)
1975 X Miami Dolphins 10-4 (2)
1976 XI Pasadena Rams* 10-3-1 (1) Div: W 14-12 @ DAL





NFC Ch: L 24-13 v. MIN
1977 XII New Orleans Saints 3-11 (4)
1978 XIII Miami Dolphins 11-5 (2) WC: L 17-9 v. HOU
1979 XIV Pasadena Rams* 9-7 (1) Div: W 21-19 @ DAL





NFC Ch: W 9-0 @ TB





SB: L 31-19 v. PIT
1980 XV New Orleans Saints 1-15 (4)
1981 XVI Pontiac Lions 8-8 (2)
1982 XVII Pasadena Raiders/Rams** Raiders 8-1 (1) WC: W 27-10 v. CLE





Div: L 17-14 v. NYJ




Rams 2-7 (4)
1983 XVIII Tampa Buccaneers 2-14 (5)
1984 XIX Palo Alto 49ers 15-1 Div: W 21-10 v. NYG





NFC Ch: W 23-0 v. CHI





SB: W 38-16 v. MIA
1985 XX New Orleans Saints 5-11 (3)
1986 XXI Pasadena Raiders/Rams** Rams 10-6 (2) WC: L 19-7 @ WAS




Raiders 8-8 (3)
1987 XXII San Diego Chargers 8-7 (3)
1988 XXIII Miami Dolphins 6-10 (5)
1989 XXIV New Orleans Saints 9-7 (3)
1990 XXV Tampa Buccaneers 6-10 (2)
1991 XXVI Minneapolis Vikings 8-8 (3)
1992 XXVII Pasadena Raiders/Rams** Raiders 7-9 (4)




Rams 6-10 (3)
1993 XXVIII Atlanta Falcons 6-10 (3)
1994 XXIX Miami Dolphins 10-6 (1) WC: W 27-17 v. KC





Div: L 22-21 v. SD
1995 XXX Tempe Cardinals 4-12 (5)
1996 XXXI New Orleans Saints 3-13 (4)
1997 XXXII San Diego Chargers 4-12 (4)
1998 XXXIII Miami Dolphins 10-6 (2) WC: W 24-17 v. BUF





Div: L 38-3 @ DEN
1999 XXXIV Atlanta Falcons 5-11 (3)
2000 XXXV Tampa Buccaneers 10-6 (2) WC: L 21-3 @ PHI
2001 XXXVI New Orleans Saints 7-9 (3)
2002 XXXVII San Diego Chargers 8-8 (3)
2003 XXXVIII Houston Texans 5-11 (3)
2004 XXXIX Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7 (2)
2005 XL Detroit Lions 5-11 (3)
2006 XLI Miami Dolphins 6-10 (4)
2007 XLII Glendale Cardinals 8-8 (2)
2008 XLIII Tampa Buccaneers 9-7 (3)
2009 XLIV Miami Dolphins 7-9 (3)
2010 XLV Arlington Cowboys 6-10 (3)
2011 XLVI Indianapolis Colts 2-14 (4)
2012 XLVII New Orleans Saints 7-9 (2)
2013 XLVIII East Rutherford Giants/Jets





332-423-1




6.64--8.46


* Even though the game was played at the Rose Bowl and the Rams played their home games at the Coliseum, I counted the Rams as the host club as a representative of the L.A. region.

** I did the same thing with the Raiders once they moved south from Oakland. The Rams moved to Anaheim and the Raiders settled into the Coliseum, but I counted both teams as the host.  

*** The 49ers won Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Coliseum in Palo Alto, 30 miles south of Candlestick Park. This is the closest instance of a host team winning the title.
 
Cumulatively, host teams are almost 100 games under .500, with some dreadful Saints teams accounting for more than half of the margin. The average mark is roughly the equivalent of a 7-9 team.

In four cases, the host team not only missed the playoffs, but finished with the worst record in the league. The 1973 Oilers went 1-13, then traded the first pick of the draft to Dallas. The Cowboys used that to take Ed "Too Tall" Jones. Houston also included a third-round selection in the deal and Dallas chose quarterback Danny White, who would help guide the Cowboys to three straight NFC title games. The Saints went 1-15 in 1980 before taking Heisman-winning running back George Rogers with the top pick in '81, leaving the Giants with a guy named Lawrence Taylor. The Bucs were 2-14 in 1983, but didn't have a first-round pick the next year. The "Suck for Luck" Colts bottomed out last season at 2-14, but they seem to be in good shape moving forward with their heir to Peyton Manning.

As for teams aiming to play the game on their actual home field, only five have made the postseason. The Dolphins lost in the first round in 1970 and 1978. With Dan Marino in 1994 and 1998, they won the Wild Card game at home before falling on the road in the divisional round. The 2000 Bucs lost in the opening round and no host team has made the playoffs since.


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Decline in Complete Game Shutouts

On the great High Heat Stats, commenter Mike D was talking about the decline in complete game shutouts. Since I'm both bored and curious about the exact nature of the slide, I used the Baseball-Reference Play Index to find both the number of CG shutouts and the number of total games played in each season going back to 1916.



The notable markers that stand out include the precipitous drop at the end of the Dead Ball era in the early 1920's and the 1968 Year of the Pitcher that saw the greatest percentage in 50 years. We fell below ten percent in 1979 and haven't seen double digits since. The last season that even had five percent of games result in a CG shutout did not include the Rockies or Marlins.

The early part of the drop can be attributed to the explosion of specialized relief pitching, and it fell even further when run-scoring soared and reduced the number of overall shutouts as well. Now there aren't half as many CG shutouts as there were even in the early 90's.

The chart with all the data is below.





          CG  Total GM      PCT
1916 233 1227 18.99%
1917 247 1225 20.16%
1918 196 1006 19.48%
1919 189 1113 16.98%
1920 183 1228 14.90%
1921 120 1226 9.79%
1922 145 1231 11.78%
1923 123 1226 10.03%
1924 137 1224 11.19%
1925 106 1224 8.66%
1926 133 1222 10.88%
1927 127 1228 10.34%
1928 132 1227 10.76%
1929 120 1221 9.83%
1930 92 1232 7.47%
1931 132 1227 10.76%
1932 118 1228 9.61%
1933 166 1216 13.65%
1934 137 1215 11.28%
1935 149 1219 12.22%
1936 118 1228 9.61%
1937 137 1225 11.18%
1938 125 1207 10.36%
1939 128 1221 10.48%
1940 138 1228 11.24%
1941 162 1231 13.16%
1942 177 1215 14.57%
1943 196 1227 15.97%
1944 177 1231 14.38%
1945 186 1218 15.27%
1946 196 1233 15.90%
1947 175 1232 14.20%
1948 141 1230 11.46%
1949 171 1232 13.88%
1950 138 1230 11.22%
1951 165 1235 13.36%
1952 179 1231 14.54%
1953 156 1229 12.69%
1954 166 1231 13.48%
1955 159 1231 12.92%
1956 127 1232 10.31%
1957 139 1230 11.30%
1958 132 1231 10.72%
1959 158 1234 12.80%
1960 140 1232 11.36%
1961 154 1423 10.82%
1962 168 1618 10.38%
1963 234 1618 14.46%
1964 221 1620 13.64%
1965 191 1619 11.80%
1966 194 1613 12.03%
1967 226 1617 13.98%
1968 279 1619 17.23%
1969 242 1943 12.45%
1970 188 1943 9.68%
1971 265 1937 13.68%
1972 295 1858 15.88%
1973 236 1942 12.15%
1974 227 1941 11.70%
1975 223 1933 11.54%
1976 261 1939 13.46%
1977 176 2103 8.37%
1978 238 2102 11.32%
1979 175 2096 8.35%
1980 189 2101 9.00%
1981 135 1389 9.72%
1982 161 2106 7.64%
1983 180 2106 8.55%
1984 151 2104 7.18%
1985 163 2101 7.76%
1986 139 2102 6.61%
1987 138 2105 6.56%
1988 181 2098 8.63%
1989 150 2103 7.13%
1990 140 2105 6.65%
1991 107 2104 5.09%
1992 146 2106 6.93%
1993 99 2268 4.37%
1994 69 1599 4.32%
1995 88 2016 4.37%
1996 84 2266 3.71%
1997 89 2266 3.93%
1998 101 2430 4.16%
1999 64 2427 2.64%
2000 72 2428 2.97%
2001 74 2428 3.05%
2002 87 2425 3.59%
2003 72 2429 2.96%
2004 69 2428 2.84%
2005 63 2430 2.59%
2006 63 2429 2.59%
2007 43 2431 1.77%
2008 54 2428 2.22%
2009 63 2430 2.59%
2010 59 2430 2.43%
2011 75 2429 3.09%
2012 69 2430 2.84%

The Jerseys and Shirseys I Saw at Disney World

These are the sports jerseys and T-shirt jerseys I saw from Friday to Tuesday at Walt Disney World:

* Before I get to the list, there was one thing I saw more than any of these, even Mickey. There is a platypus named "Agent P" who was EVERYWHERE. Young and old alike wore Agent P hats and shirts and carried around Agent P toys and placards. Henceforth, Walt Disney World is now Platypus World.














Major League Baseball

Atlanta Braves

Chipper Jones (2x)

Boston Red Sox

Will Middlebrooks
Dustin Pedroia

Chicago Cubs

Alfonso Soriano

Cleveland Indians

Travis Hafner

Detroit Tigers

Magglio Ordonez
Justin Verlander

Miami Marlins

Mark Buehrle

Milwaukee Brewers

Ryan Braun

Minnesota Twins

Joe Mauer

New York Yankees

Robinson Cano
CC Sabathia

Pittsburgh Pirates

Andrew McCutchen

San Francisco Giants

Tim Lincecum

(A bunch of 2012 World Series Champion tees, but the leaders by far in the "champion t-shirt" category were Alabama fans with their fresh national championship gear)

Tampa Bay Rays

Evan Longoria (3x)

Toronto Blue Jays

Josh Johnson (brand new!)

Washington Nationals

Bryce Harper


National Football League

Baltimore Ravens

Joe Flacco (3x)

Ray Rice (2x)

Ed Reed

(There were not one, but two, families I saw on separate days that were all decked out in Ravens jerseys for Super Bowl week)

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo

DeMarcus Ware (Alternate 1994-style "Double Star" jersey that they wear on Thanksgiving)

Green Bay Packers

AJ Hawk

Aaron Rodgers (3x)

New England Patriots

Tom Brady

Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck

Marshawn Lynch

Russell Wilson

(This was a mom/dad/daughter trio all reppin' their team together)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman (Alternate Orange Creamsicle jersey)

Washington

Chris Cooley

Robert Griffin III (3x)

Alfred Morris

(Four of these five were from another large family wearing their jerseys at once)


National Basketball Association

Cleveland Cavaliers

Mark Price

Indiana Pacers

Paul George

Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin (looked like some kind of knock-off T-shirt)

Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant

Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Garnett (2x)

Sacramento Kings

Tyus Edney


National Hockey League

Philadelphia Flyers

Claude Giroux



* I was surprised there weren't any soccer jerseys.