Baseball History: Five Interesting Statistical Quirks

Jamie Quirk hits home run in only career at bat with Cleveland Indians

Jamie Quirk had an 18 year career, existing as a utility man. Primarily a catcher, he spent time at third, in the outfield, and even had 22 appearances at shortstop. He bounced between the majors and the minors, a solid depth option, but not a player that one would rely upon as a primary option.

That was definitely the case in 1984, when Quirk appeared in just four games in the majors, with just three at bats. He was part of a rare September trade, being sent from the Chicago White Sox to the Cleveland Indians on September 24. His Indians career was brief, consisting of just a single at bat in his only appearance in an Indians uniform.

But what an appearance it was. On September 27, Quirk entered the game in the top of the ninth as a defensive substitute, taking over for pinch runner Tony Bernazard. He had a relatively quiet inning, and then came to bat with two out in the bottom of the frame, with Cleveland tied 3-3 with the Twins.

In what would be his only at bat in an Indians uniform, Quirk sent the fans home happy. He took Ron Davis deep, hitting a home run in his only Indians plate appearance. Davis had struck out the previous two batters, and prior to that homer, Davis was 0-2 with two strikeouts and a sacrifice fly. Quirk also had just 43 homers in those 18 years, and was not considered a threat with the bat at all. However, for one night, Quirk became the slugger the Indians needed.

Maybe all Jamie Quirk needed was to play in Cleveland more often. After all, he had a perfect career for the Tribe.

Stan Musial has 1815 hits at home and 1815 hits on road

There is no question that Stan Musial was one of the greatest players in baseball history. He was a seven time batting champion, and led the league in hits six times. Musial had 200 or more hits six times, and batted over .300 in all but four of his 22 years in the majors. A 24 time All Star and three time MVP, Musial was a true legend of the game.

Over his career, the St. Louis Cardinals icon produced a stellar .331/.417/.559 batting line, hitting 475 homers and 725 doubles. As he lost a year due to World War Two, it is possible that he would have ended up with 500 homers. He may have even been able to give Tris Speaker a run for the all time doubles mark, or could have come close.

However, of those accomplishments, it is his hit total that is truly unique. Musial finished his career with 3630 hits, the second most in baseball history when he retired. What makes his total interesting is that Musial had 1815 hits at home, and another 1815 hits on the road.

Musial was also fairly consistent in his other home/road splits. His batting average differed by only .010 points, and he had only 49 fewer runs and three fewer triples. No matter where he played, Musial was a true great, one who was also consistent year in and year out.

Stan Musial was a great hitter regardless of where he played. By collecting 1815 hits both on the road and at home, he proved that it did not matter where he was. He would still hit.

Old Hoss Radbourn has 59-12 record with 73 complete games

To be fair, statistics from the early days of baseball history can be viewed several ways. They are the relics of a bygone time, with numbers that simply will never be seen again. Quite a few baseball historians, including the likes of Bill James, regard statistics from that era with contempt.

And yet, it is impossible not to be amazed with these performances. One of those players whose statistics are beyond the realm of even the most unrealistic video games would be Old Hoss Radbourn. A true workhorse, he had a 59-12 record in 1884, with a league leading 1.38 ERA. Radbourn also led the league with 73 complete games, 678.2 innings, and 441 strikeouts.

Those complete games are what truly stand out. While 73 complete games are more than most teams have in a decade at this point, he reached that mark with just 71 decisions. That is an accomplishment that seems impossible, given that he had two more complete games than wins and losses.

However, it helps to remember the context. Back in 1884, night games were still over 50 years in the future. Games would last until it was too dark to play, occasionally resulting in a tie. As ties did not count towards a pitcher’s record, they would just appear in the standings, but leave that pitcher without a decision. In that incredible 1884 campaign, Radbourn ended up with two ties. Interestingly, he had the same thing happen in 1887 and 1888, when he had one more complete game than he did decisions.

Of course, Old Hoss Radbourn completed all but 14 of his career starts, and had only 15 more decisions than complete games. If he had a few more ties, those complete games could have been more than his lifetime decisions.

Sammy Sosa hits over 60 homers three times, does not lead the league

Sammy Sosa is the only player in baseball history to hit 60 or more homers in three different seasons. He is also the only player to not lead the league in homers in any season in which he hit 60 homers.

We all remember that first season. He and Mark McGwire battled throughout the 1998 campaign, seeking to better Roger Maris‘ home run record. Sosa would end the year with 66 homers, but McGwire hit 70 to be the new single season home run leader. However, Sosa won the MVP award, so he was able to get something for his efforts.

The following year, Sosa again hit 60 homers, belting 63 long balls. And again, he finished second behind McGwire, who hit 65 homers that year. Sosa would finally lead the league in home runs the following year, when he hit a mere 50 in 2000.

Then came 2001. Sosa was second once more, hitting 64 home runs. However, he was not really close in the home run race. That year, Barry Bonds exploded for 73 homers, setting a single season record that may not be matched. Sosa led the league again in 2002, but hit only 49 homers. He would not come close to the 60 home run mark again for the rest of his career.

Every player to hit 60 or more homers in a season has led the league. Except for one – Sammy Sosa, who finished second three times.

Eddie Murray leads majors in batting average, but does not lead either league

This may well be one of the more peculiar statistical oddities in baseball history. In 1990, Eddie Murray led the majors with his .330 batting average, but did not lead the league.

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How was that possible? It began when Willie McGee was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals. At the time, McGee had a .335 batting average, besting Murray’s end result. As he had enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, his batting average remained the top mark in the National League.

However, McGee did not hit nearly the same in Oakland. He had a .274 batting average, dropping his 1990 mark to .325 on the year. Meanwhile, the American League batting champion, George Brett, had a .329 batting average. While Brett earned some well deserved attention for leading the league in batting in a third decade, his batting average was still below Murray’s for the season.

Murray was not the only player to lead the majors in a category and not lead either league that season. McGee also suffered the same fate, as his 199 hits were the best in baseball. However, due to that August 29 trade, he finished outside of the top ten in the National League with his 168 hits with the Cardinals.

Next: Another day, another Ichiro milestone

Eddie Murray had an excellent year in 1990. Unfortunately, the major league batting champion was unable to take home a batting crown.