April 24--Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers attempts to reach a fan who proposed marriage but can't reach her because she printed her cell-phone number on her sign at the park and was inundated with calls.
April 28--A St. Petersburg bar and grill holds a Sam Fuld (Tampa Bay outfielder) look-alike contest that is won by an 8-year-old girl.
May 6--Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies is the third pitcher ever to lose a game despite striking out at least 16 batters in a start of seven or fewer innings.
18--Both Kansas City Royals pinch runners (Mike Aviles and Jarrod Dyson) in the 9th inning of a tie game are picked off at first base.
May 24--Batting twice with two outs and runners in scoring position, Sam Fuld of the Tampa Bay Rays hits the ball on the screws twice, only to see it bounce off an infielder's glove into the hands of another infielder, who records the out.
May 25--Infielder Wilson Valdez of the Phillies is the first player since Babe Ruth (in 1921) to earn a pitching win after starting the game at another position.
June 18--For the first time in 32 years, the first batter of a game (Rickie Weeks of the Brewers) homers after his foul pop-up is dropped for an error.
June 26--For the second time this season, the winning run in the 10th inning scores on a wild pitch during an intentional walk (Kevin Jepsen of the Los Angeles Angles and Steve Cishek of the Florida Marlins were the culprits).
June 27--The Los Angeles Dodgers win 15-0 the day the club files for bankruptcy.
June 28--Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox and Jason Hammel of the Colorado Rockies--both 6 foot 6, 28-year-old righthanders--square off. While becoming the first opposing pitchers in 31 years not to strike out a batter in a 7-inning start, each fills the box score with identical totals in innings (7), runs (2), hits (6), walks (2) and even groundballs induced (12).
July 2--Due to umpire error, Cameron Maybin of the San Diego Padres walks on 3 balls and then scores the only run of the 1-0 game.
July 9---Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit is a solo home run off Tampa Bays' David Price, whose first hit allowed in the majors was also a solo home run to the Yankees shortstop.
July 14--Prince Fielder of the Brewers, deciding he needs sunglasses in the middle of an inning, calls time and borrows a pair from a fan.
July 20--Arizona's Stephen Drew breaks his ankle and Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez breaks his collarbone on consecutive plays at Chase Field.
July 28--The Oakland A's his for a "natural cycle," as their third through sixth batters in the first inning hit a single, double, triple and homer in that order.
Aug. 12--CC Sabathia of the Yankees and Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs both allow five home runs, only the second time in history that fate has befallen two pitchers on the same day.
Aug. 15--Only 22 teams are in action, but the slate features a 600th home run (Jim Thome, Minnesota Twins), a 300th save (Jason Isringhausen, New York Mets), a 2,000th game managed (Jack McKeon, Florida Marlins), a triple play and a pair of two-out walk-offs.
Sept. 1--Two crime-scene body outlines appear between third base and home in Milwaukee, where Ryan Braun fell twice the previous night trying for an inside-the-park homer.
Sept. 19--Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits almost certainly the first home run ever that survives both a broken bat and an umpire's video review.
Sept. 25--Under the assumption it was an inside-the-park home run for Esteban German, fireworks explode at Rangers Ballpark. Moments later, the play is scored a sacrifice fly and a four-base error.
Oct. 4--A 97-year-old Milwaukee man calls 911 because he wants to watch the Brewers-Diamondbacks NLDS matchup but can't find his TV remote. (Note: The police actually respond and find it.)
Oct. 5--Brewers lefty Randy Wolf (3.69 ERA, .266 OPP AVG in 33 starts) opposes Arizona's Joe Saunders, also a lefty (3.69 ERA, .266 OPP AVG in 33 starts) in an NLDS game.
Thanks to our friends at Athlon Sports for compiling this collection of odds-defying oddities.
No comments:
Post a Comment