Re: Stats Gone Wild! Plus Triple-Play Bonus

On May 14, 9:19=A0am, "art...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <art...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 13, 11:30 pm, M C Hamster <davol...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Tue, 13 May 2008 17:03:39 -0700 (PDT), "art...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"
>
> > <art...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >On May 13, 5:50 pm, Blinky the Shark <no.s...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >> slidge wrote:
> > >> >>>> In the second baseball game that I ever saw live, I saw a
5-4-3 =
triple
> > >> >>>> play. ?Manny Sanguillen was the batter who hit a sharp
grounder =
right
> > >> >>>> to (Ron Santo?) who stepped on third, threw to second and the
se=
cond
> > >> >>>> baseman threw it to first it to beat Manny.
>
> > >> >>>Oh, and a little bird tells me you saw your second live game on
Ju=
ly
> > >> >>>2, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium.
>
> > >> >> And the Cubs still lost the game, 7-4. =A0Gee, what a surprise.
>
> > >> They were already behind 7-2 at that point, the last two of those
> > >> seven PGH runs having been scored on the two previous plays.
>
> > >> > And Gene Alley went 1 for 4. =A0Typical.
>
> > >> That beat Clemente by one.
>
> > >he did get on via an error
> > >> The Cubs left 11 on base. =A0Ugh.
>
> > > 2 Pirate players hit home runs. Richie Hebner* and Bob something or
> > >other IIRC. Damn I should remember. It was only 36 years ago.
> > >*Or maybe Manny hit one? I know Bob did.
>
> > Bob Robertson and Manny Sanguillen.
>
> > Here ya
go.http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT197207020.shtm=
l
>
> Boy, they sure didn't know the value of OPS in those days. Both teams
> had lead off hitters with under .700 OPS? and Pepitone batting
> cleanup?

OPS was popularized by John Thorn and Pete Palmer in 1984.  Obviously
the slugging side of that was appreciated, at least informally, since
Ruth's day.  The idea that getting walks is a player trait, and not
just an occasional random event, developed more slowly.  I doubt that
it would have occured to any manager in 1972 to base a lineup on this.

This doesn't explain Pepitone batting cleanup.  My guess is that the
explanation for that lies in his 1971 BA of .307.  He had also had
years where he hit in the high twenties home runs, peaking at 31 in
1966.  He was only 31 years old in 1972, but near the end of his
career.  It may be that no one had yet noticed this.

Hmm...  Who was managing the Cubs?  Leo Durocher (unless this was
after he was fired).  Durocher was past his prime, too.

Richard R. Hershberger