The 51 Coolest Things That Happened In 2006
This is pretty long, but very interesting especially if you're at work with nothing better to do. Thanks to Max and the geeks over at mlb. The 51 Coolest Things That Happened In 2006 By Roger & Me So Much For The Sophomore Jinx Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard led the Major Leagues with 58 home runs and 149 RBIs. He blew past Mike Schmidt (48) to set a new franchise home run mark, and eclipsed Ralph Kiner (51) for the most by a second year player. Ryan walked 108 times and struck out 181 times yet still managed to hit .313 --- just the second player ever (Bobby Bonds, 1970) to pull off the .300 – 180 trick. Thirty-seven of those walks were intentional. On August 11th, the Reds intentionally walked Howard three times. The third time was with runners on first and second and nobody out IN A TIE GAME! Then on Labor Day, in another tie game, the Astros intentionally walked him to LEAD OFF THE NINTH. But for all of his numbers, the best thing about Howard is the person behind the stats. Consider that in just two years, Ryan has won the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award, the NL MVP, the Hank Aaron Award, The Players Choice Player of the Year, The Sporting News Player of the Year, The Ted Williams Award and The Josh Gibson Award, given by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to the top home run hitter in the Major Leagues. And when asked which of them was the most special, Howard said the Josh Gibson Award -- "because he never got a shot to play in the big leagues." Books and Rooks The Florida Marlins payroll in 2006 was $14,998,550. There were 14 Major League players who individually made more than that in 2005 and 12 in 2006. Florida still finished with a better record than seven other National League teams. The Marlins were the first team since 1900 to start as many as six rookies in their Opening Day lineup. The record for this feat still remains the first game ever played. Okay, We Got That Out of the Way Again The Cubs beat the Reds 16 – 7 in their 2006 Opener. It was the second straight year they scored 16 runs in the first game of the season. No team has ever scored that many runs in back to back openers. At no time between the two openers did the Cubs score 16 runs. Incredibly, Carlos Zambrano started both games and didn't win either one. Rusch Limbo Bronson Arroyo became the first pitcher to hit a home run and earn a victory in each of his first two starts of a season. Both home runs came off Glendon Rusch. Prior to that Bronson was 4-55 with two doubles. Their Three Sons In early April, the sons of three former Major Leaguers (Barry Bonds, Moises Alou and Lance Niekro) all scored on a double by Pedro Feliz. There have been times when three Major League sons were all on base at the same time, but this was the first time they all scored on a hit. Coors Light On April 16th, the Phillies became the first team ever to beat Colorado 1-0 at Coors Field. It was just the second 1-0 game at Coors since it opened in 1995. By year's end, there would be two more 1-0 games at Coors. Sabor a Beisbol On April 18th, seven different pitchers from Venezuela started games on the same day: Tony Armas, Jr. (Washington), Gustavo Chacin (Toronto), Victor Zambrano (Mets), Carlos Silva (Twins), Kelvim Escobar (Angels), Carlos Zamrano (Dodgers), and Felix Hernandez (Mariners). They went 3-3 with one no decision. He's Still Going At age 47, Julio Franco became the oldest player in baseball history to hit a home run. Jack Quinn (46) had held the record since 1930. Franco also is the oldest to hit a grand slam, a pinch hit home run and have a multi home run game. On September 10th, Julio made his first appearance at third base since October 2, 1982. And on September 30th he tied his career high with five RBIs in one game – a feat he has accomplished seven times – the first time on June 18, 1983 – the last time 12 years ago. Franco finished the September 30th game a triple short of the cycle. Kaz-am! When Kaz Matsui hit an inside the park home run in his first at bat of the season, he became the first player in baseball history to hit a home run in his first at bat of the year in each of his first three years in the Major Leagues. So There! One day after Milwaukee beat Cincinnati 11-0, Cincinnati beat Milwaukee, 11-0. The Big Interlocking NY Machine When the Yankees beat Toronto 17-6 on April 29th, they scored in every inning. It marked the first time the Yankees had scored in every inning since 1939. On June 5th, the Yankees set a franchise record by getting at least 10 hits in 12 straight games. The old record of 11 straight was held by the 1937 Yanks. On the Other Hand On April 26th, the Yankees waited out 14 walks by the Devil Rays and still lost the game, 4-2. Not one of the 14 Yankees who walked, scored. You Call This a Holiday? The Cardinals finally won a game on Cinco de Mayo. Dating back to 1993, they had lost 13 straight games on May 5th. A No Home Run Bonds Stat The Giants scored 34 runs in a three game series in May against Houston and Barry Bonds did not hit a home run in any of the three games. The last time the Giants scored that many runs in a three game series and Bonds did not hit a home run was in 1923. The Exclusive Two T Club On May 20th, Josh Beckett became the first Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run since Marty Pattin did so in 1972. It was the 10th home run hit by an AL pitcher since inter-league play began in 1997. The last Red Sox pitcher to hit a home run whose name does not include two "t's" was Bill Lee on September 11, 1972. Making Mom Happy We're not saying the family fix was in, but on May 16th, brothers Bengie and Jose Molina both stole bases in the same game – off each other. Way To Hang in There, Dude On May 14th, Mark Buehrle became the first pitcher to give up seven runs in the first inning and still get the win since Jack Powell got the victory for the 1900 St. Louis Cardinals. A Calendar Cycle On May 1st Travis Hafner hit a Grand Slam Home Run. On May 2nd he hit a three run blast. On May 3rd he hit a two run home. And on May 4th he hit a solo shot. Travis is now the first man ever to hit one homer per game, four games in a row, in descending order of men on base. Craig's List Update On May 29th, Craig Biggio became the 24th player in history to amass 10,000 at bats. That left him just 4,053 at bats behind the all-time leader, Pete Rose. Better Get Busy On That Plaque Derek Jeter got his 2000th career hit in his 1,571st game. Only Joe DiMaggio (1,537 games) reached 2000 hits any faster in a Yankee uniform. Derek finished 2006 with his fifth 200 hit season – second most in Yankees history to Lou Gehrig's eight. He is the first right-handed batter to have five 200 hit seasons since Kirby Puckett. An Inexact Science Nobody ever said drafting was easy. In 1999, St. Louis had three first-round draft picks and only one, Chris Duncan, has spent any time in the Major Leagues. That same year they also picked a junior college player in the 13th round with the 402nd overall pick – Albert Pujols. Stomping on the Snakes On June 11th, the Mets completed a four game sweep of Arizona in which they outscored them 37-9. Last year, the Mets also swept a four game series from the D-Backs in which they outscored them 39-7. It'll Get Easier, Won't It? Adam Loewen became the first pitcher in history to face a former Cy Young Award winner in each of his first four Major League starts. Adam faced Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson and Roy Halladay (twice). No pitcher ever faced the real Cy Young in his first four starts. A Monster Turf Year On June 30th the Red Sox set a Major League record with their 17th straight errorless game. The Sox would go on to set a Major League record with 108 errorless games in a season. Early Bird Special Outfield When Barry Bonds, Moises Alou and Steve Finley all started for the Giants on July 14th, they became the first trio of 40-year-olds in baseball history to start a game in the same outfield. Details, Details Just prior to the scheduled Brian Roberts Bobblehead Day, the Orioles received a shipment of 20,000 black Brian Roberts bobblehead dolls. Brian is white. The dolls were returned. Save This Date On July 15th, all 30 Major League clubs played games and not a single save was recorded, That's the first time this has happened since the save stat was adopted in 1969. Oh Wise One Ichiro Suzuki was asked at the All-Star Game how Seattle might make a run at the playoffs. Through his interpreter, he said this: "The problem usually isn't on the cover. You need to look much deeper. For example, if we're talking about a tree and the tree has a problem, you need to look at the root. But you cannot see the root. The mistake is to keep watering the fruit. That's not going to solve anything." That's My Boy On July 19th, Tony Gwynn, Jr. got his first Major League hit – a double. It was exactly 24 years to the day after his dad got his first Major League hit – also a double. Ah, Just Leave Him In There In June, St. Louis pitcher Jason Marquis allowed 13 runs in five innings against the White Sox. In July, he allowed 12 runs in five innings against the Braves. The last pitcher to give up 12 runs in two games in the same season was Chubby Dean of the 1940 Philadelphia A's. Keystone Consistency When Chase Utley's consecutive game hitting streak reached 30 games on July 30th, it marked the first time ever that a team had players with 30 game hitting streaks in consecutive seasons (Jimmy Rollins had hits in his final 36 games in 2005). Chase would go on to hit in 35 straight games, tying Luis Castillo for the longest streak ever by a second baseman. In the course of his streak, Chase had 23 multi-hit games. In his 56 game hitting streak in 1941, Joe DiMaggio had 22 multi-hit games. By season's end, the Phillies would become the first team in National League history to have a shortstop and second baseman with at least 25 home runs each. Bobby Doerr and Vern Stephens did it twice for the Red Sox. Now Add a Dash of Taveras Willy Taveras also had a 30 game hitting streak in 2006 – and on Labor Day, Willy, Chase and Jimmy all played in the same game – easily marking the first time ever that three men who had 30 game hitting streaks end in the same year all played in the same game. Whew! Don't Take the Stairs In 2006, Matt Stairs was traded from Kansas City to Texas. In his last game as a Royal, Kansas City lost 15-2. In their first game after he was acquired, the Rangers lost, 15-2. One For the Books On September 2nd, the Devil Rays turned the first 2-6-2 triple play in Major League history. That would be a strikeout looking – a runner on first thrown out stealing – and a runner on third thrown out trying to sneak home. One For the Telephone Books On August 26th, Sean Casey hit into the first 5-7-3 out at first base in the last half century. Chicago third baseman Joe Crede started the play. Crede was born in Jefferson City, Mo., where the area code is 573. Doo doo doo doo... Super Sub Heading into September, Travis Hafner had tied the Major League record for most Grand Slams in a season with six. But then Travis got hurt and the Indians inserted Kevin Kouzmanoff in his place. And on the first pitch he ever saw in the Major Leagues, Kevin hit a grand slam. He is just the third man ever to hit a slam in his first ML at bat. It first happened in 1898. It didn't happen again until 2005 – a 107 year span -- and then again by Kouzmanoff just one year after that. A Little Kernel of Revenge On August 7, 1997, Anaheim Angels minor leaguer Ramon Ortiz pitched a no-hitter for the Single A Cedar Rapids Kernels against the Quad City River Bandits – an Astros affiliate – and he got Aaron Miles for the final out. Nine years later, Ortiz, now with the Washington Nationals, took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against St. Louis, where it was broken up by -- Aaron Miles. U Saw This Coming When Dan Uggla and Chase Utley both hit home runs on September 9th, it marked the first time in Major League history that two players whose last names begin with the letter U had hit home runs in the same game. Lighting the Candle September 6th was Derrek Lee's 31st birthday and he promptly went out and hit a grand slam home run. Can't say he was surprised though, for Lee had also homered on his 28th, 29th and 30th birthdays. In Sickness or in Health, Fair or Foul In the ninth inning of a game against Minnesota on September 23rd, Baltimore's Jay Gibbons fouled a ball straight back over the screen and into the rib cage of his wife. "She's just a little bruised," he said, "but she's going to be okay." Not Quite Francoesque, But... On September 12th, Luis Gonzalez (39 years, 9 days) became the oldest player to hit 50 doubles in a season, eclipsing Tris Speaker, who did it in 1926 at the age of 38 years, 107 days. Still Watering the Root Ichiro Suzuki stole his 33rd straight base on September 16th to establish a new American League single season record. Willie Wilson stole 32 straight in 1980. Vince Coleman holds the Major League record with 44 straight in 1989. Ichiro also extended his Major League record of six straight 200 hit seasons to start off a career. Wade Boggs had seven straight 200 hit seasons and Wee Willie Keeler had eight straight -- but neither of those streaks was at the start of their career. Serious Numbers Alfonso Soriano became the first player ever to have 40 doubles, 40 home runs, and 40 stolen bases in a season. Odds Anyone? Mike Piazza and Alex Rodriguez both got their 2000th hit on July 21. Garrett Anderson and Manny Ramirez both got their 2000th hit on July 1. Weird. Pitcher Perfect On August 2, the Marlins used a pitcher (Brian Moehler) to pinch hit for pitcher Joe Borowski. Moehler got hit by a pitch and they sent pitcher Scott Olsen in to pinch run for Moehler. Two outs later, they called on pitcher Logan Kensing to pinch run for Olsen. So that's a pitcher pinch running for a pitcher who pinch-ran for a pitcher who pinch-hit for a pitcher. Devil of a Time On The Road Tampa Bay became the first team in history to lose 100 games despite having a winning record (41-40) at home. Still Chasing Legends Chase Utley joined Rogers Hornsby as the only second basemen ever to have 200 hits, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and 130 runs scored in one season. It's All About Finishing Strong The Yankees set a record for most consecutive post-season series in which they led the series at some point – 28 in a row starting in 1981. But they also became the first team ever to lose post-season series in which they were ahead in six straight seasons. World Series Woes In the last 50 regular seasons – covering nearly 8,000 games – Detroit pitchers never committed an error in four straight games. Then, in the 2006 World Series, Tigers pitchers made errors in five straight games. That's two more errors than Trevor Hoffman has committed in his entire career – and one more than the entire 29 man Reds pitching staff committed in all of 2006. Wild Stuff We've now had five straight World Series that included at least one wild card team. It should be noted, however, that the wild card teams that reached the World Series averaged 94.5 wins per season – and not one of them had the worst record in the playoff field during those years. That's Why They Play the Game Finally, if you needed any more proof that in baseball, anything can happen, consider that the St. Louis Cardinals finished more games over .500 in the post-season (six) than they did during the regular season (five). And that, my friends, is a first. – Jeff Scott Special thanks to all the bizarre baseball minds who keep track of things like this, including Dan Graziano, Dave Vincent, Jim Salisbury, Elias and of course, Jayson Stark. Special thanks to Productions research maven Roger Schlueter -- the best fact checker in the world.