Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Wonder how many starts and innings Ruth had that year?

Posted by JM at 11:04 AM


 

Yeah, yeah, different game back then, everything's changed, Ohtani completes one game and the media faint with love and praise...

20 comments:

ranger_lp said...

The famous Marichal - Spahn game comes to mind...

https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-best-pitched-game-in-baseball-history-warren-spahn-and-juan-marichal/

August 15, 2023 at 11:43 AM
HoraceClarke66 said...

Ahh, THAT'S why he has the sore arm!

Good question, JM.

That year, the Babe ended up 23-12, 1.75, with 23 complete games, an AL-leading 9 shutouts, and 1 save. He threw a total of 323 2/3 innings—compared to 130 2/3 for Ohtani—and allowed 230 hits and 118 walks.

Deadfall era? Sure. Though in just his scattered hitting attempts, the Babe hit .272 with 3 homers and 11 extra-base hits, in just 136 at-bats.

The next season, Ruth was 24-13, 2.01, with a league-leading 35 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 2 saves. Lifetime, he would be 94-46, 2.28, with 107 complete games and 17 shutouts.

Also, he was 3-0, 0.87, with a save in the World Series, where he also set a record with 29 2/3 scoreless innings—a record that would stand until 1961, when Whitey Ford broke it. It might have been a longer streak, but the day before he gave up 2 runs to the Cubs in the 1918 Series, the Babe entertained himself by running up and down the aisles of a train, smashed men's straw boaters (it was a thing back then). He badly bruised his knuckles—but still pitched a complete-game win, to clinch the Series.

August 15, 2023 at 11:49 AM
HoraceClarke66 said...

Oh, and the game you bring up was against Walter Johnson, JM?

Ruth was widely considered the best left-handed pitcher in the game. But he also won 3/4 of his starts against The Big Train, the best right-handed pitcher in the game—and eventual winner of 416 games.

But hey, really, Ohtani is up to 10 wins this year!

August 15, 2023 at 11:51 AM
JM said...

Whoo. The man's a god.

August 15, 2023 at 12:16 PM
ranger_lp said...

Back in the day, they didn't try to throw 95+ mph on every pitch...pitchers aren't supposed to pace themselves any longer...

August 15, 2023 at 12:37 PM
JM said...

I don't know about that. Starters do pace themselves through their pitch plan, both for opposing players and for different times through the order. When starters are used out of the bullpen in big, pull out all the stops games, they throw with the idea they only have to pitch that inning or maybe one more. So they just let it rip. That's not what they do when they start.

August 15, 2023 at 1:46 PM
HoraceClarke66 said...

I think "pitching to contact" was more common back in the day.

And hey, to be honest, I don't think Babe Ruth would run up those mound stats today. I also don't think he would hit .342 lifetime. But he might well have hit, say, .320—with many MORE home runs (the average fence then was 28 feet FARTHER from home than it is today).

Instead of facing the fading starter for the 4th or 5th time late in the game, as Ruth often did, he would be facing some flamethrower fresh from the bullpen. On the other hand, he would also be facing the Rotten Apple—the Albert Abreu of the pen, or the guy who was tuckered out from overuse, or who just didn't have it that night. Common occurrences when you're throwing 3-6 pitchers out there every game...

August 15, 2023 at 2:06 PM
Rufus T. Firefly said...

The crack(head) ANAL-ytical team the Yankees have could probably turn Ruth into a .230 hitter who pulls everything weakly to deep second. With a era in the 4s.
Understandable, since he'd be on his third Tommy John surgery.

Plus, they have him play short and catch too.

August 15, 2023 at 2:14 PM
AboveAverage said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 15, 2023 at 2:17 PM
AboveAverage said...

And bat 2nd, Roofus

August 15, 2023 at 2:18 PM
HoraceClarke66 said...

Indeed! :)

August 15, 2023 at 2:31 PM
AboveAverage said...

After seeing the final score of yesterday's game I decided to rewatch Interstellar on my plane ride home.

As many of you might recall, there's a scene early on in the film where McConaughey's character Coop takes his family to a baseball game.

After a hit, as an outfielder gets the ball back into the infield, we cut to the Grandfather character (played by John Lithgow) as he says: "In my day we had real ballplayers"

After Lithgow says ballplayers, we cut to the pitcher with his back towards us. As he takes the throw back from the shortstop, Lithgow says: "Who are these Bums?"

The pitcher turns around to reveal that he's wearing a Yankees home jersey.

It was like getting hit with a bolt of Precognitive lightning.

Excellently played, Mr Nolan.

Perfectly summed up my feelings.

(And other than the first baseman, all of the visible players have the interlocking NY covered by their gloves until the pitcher reveal. The NY on the first baseman's jersey is slightly obscured by the netting and our eye following the action of the ball)

Unbelievable.

Here - take a look:

https://youtu.be/KJFBXErAal0

August 15, 2023 at 4:22 PM
HoraceClarke66 said...

Yeah, I remember that scene, AA!

Found that movie more than a little annoying, in the end. SPOILER ALERT:



So...he'd rather run back out to the far reaches of the galaxy in search of the dame who wouldn't give him a tumble, than learn about how his daughter's whole life went, before she dies? Hmm. Did like the scene where everything had got so dumbed down they were actually teaching the moon landing as a hoax, in school.

August 15, 2023 at 4:51 PM
BTR999 said...

A little surprised we did not bring up a fresh bullpen arm to use when Severino gets pulled in the third inning.

August 15, 2023 at 5:02 PM
Rufus T. Firefly said...

Yes, it will be an opener game.

The Ca$hole regime reminds me more of the movie Idiocracy. Before they stopped watering crops with Gatorade.

August 15, 2023 at 5:10 PM
Rufus T. Firefly said...

The only question tonight is: Will Severino get his ERA over 10? Or will it take a couple more starts? Because he'll get them.

August 15, 2023 at 5:13 PM
Doug K. said...

Rufus -

Not Gatorade. BRAWNDO! Dumbass. It's what plants crave. :)

August 15, 2023 at 6:26 PM
Doug K. said...

Just for the record I just bought a new Brawndo T-shirt to replace my old and fading one. I wear it a lot when I travel and there is always one person who looks at, smiles and gives me a nod.

August 15, 2023 at 6:28 PM
Rufus T. Firefly said...

Doug,

I knew it wasn't an actual brand name, but I forgot Brawndo and was too lazy to look it up.

When I had a few month stint in Valleyfield Quebec, their was a contingent loading ships to bring mining equipment to Baffin Island. They stayed at the same hotel as I did, for even longer than I did. One of them proudly wore a "Corbin Dallas Taxi Service" t-shirt at least once a week. I always got a chuckle out of it, and he said very few people knew the reference. Hosers.

August 15, 2023 at 6:45 PM
BernBabyBern said...

BTR,

Third inning?

You’re an optimist, I see.

August 15, 2023 at 7:35 PM

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