Did You Know....? (Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, bigger, Mobile)

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by square peg

The Toledo Mud Hens is the only team affiliated with MLB with a feminine name, although I suppose a case could be made for the Phillies.

Better than Mud *****.

What about the Long Island Ducks, in the Atlantic League? In animal husbandry, only the female is referred to as a Duck, and the males are Drakes. "Mud hen" is the obsolete vernacular for both the male and female American Coot (Fulca Americana), which is not dimorphic nor domesticated, so the name Mud Hen applied to both sexes alike.

In the Arizona Fall League, the Peoria Javelinas is a Spanish feminine noun, as are the Piratas de Campeche and the Olmecas de Tabasco, in the Mexican League. In fact, "Pirata" is a feminine noun in Latin, so the Pittsburgh Pirates are, etymologically, feminine-named. Even "America" is a feminized extraction from Amerigo, so the entire American League has a feminine name. And the entire Sally League (South Atlantic League) and the now defunct Kitty League (Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League, 1903-1955) and Evangeline League (1934-57).

Actually, I learned something new here. I was also going to suggest the Wilmington Blue Rocks, associating the Delaware state bird (Blue Hen) with the Blue Plymouth Rock laying hens, which I thought were the same thing. But the Blue Rocks baseball team is named after the blue granite rocks that line the river near the city, unrelated to the Blue Hen chickens. Which, in turn, are not associated with an actual bird species, but the fact that Delaware's blue-clad revolutionary soldiers were likened to fighting *****.

[Fred314X]

...This makes me wonder about the number of teams with specifically male names. Offhand, the only one that comes to mind is the Yankees (that being an anglicized corruption of the Dutch Jan Kees--in Colonial times, "John Cheese" was a put-down of the English, which they adopted in turn with pride).

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by Fred314X

...This makes me wonder about the number of teams with specifically male names. Offhand, the only one that comes to mind is the Yankees (that being an anglicized corruption of the Dutch Jan Kees--in Colonial times, "John Cheese" was a put-down of the English, which they adopted in turn with pride).

Several other specifically male names:

San Diego Padres
Durham Bulls
Birmingham Barons
Clinton Lumber Kings
Auburn Doubledays (for Abner Doubleday)

Only the male Oriole or Cardinal is ever depicted on the team logos. They are dimorphic, and the female birds look very different. Even women's sports teams that use the nickname Cardinals always wear the male bird's colors.

The first female Texas Rangers were sworn in in 1993.

[square peg]

I wasn't sure if that one would hold up to the ol jtur scrutiny test.

Here's one that is apparently true. From the book Death At The Ballpark, by Robert M. Gorman and David Weeks: With a little rewording from me so as not to step on any toes.



Stanton Walker died in such an awkward fashion that his death has been written about in at least a few books. On 10/251902 Walker was a spectator at a game in Morristown, Ohio between Morristown and Bethesda. He was seated between Frank Hyde, who was scoring the game, and Leroy Wilson. Hyde asked Wilson for a knife so he could sharpen his pencil. Wilson opened the blade of his pocketknife and handed it to Walker to pass along to Hyde. Just as Walker took the knife a foul ball struck him on the hand and drove the blade into his chest. When asked by his astonished companions if he was hurt, Walker replied "Not much." Then suddenly, blood streamed from the wound and Walker was dead in a matter of minutes.

[Grandstander]

The most single season home runs hit by an age 21 player:

1) Eddie Mathews 1953 47
2) Albert Pujols 2001 37
3) Hal Trotsky 1934 35
4) Mike Stanton 2011 34
5) Miguel Cabrera 2004 33
T) Jose Canseco 1986 33
T) Bob Horner 1979 33
T) Jimmie Foxx 1929 33
9) Andruw Jones 1998 31
10) Rueben Sierra 1987 30

Stanton of course performed his heroics for the Florida, soon to be Miami Marlins. Next season they will open a new stadium. Here are the old (right) and new (left) dimensions:
Left corner 330/340
Left center 360/384
Center 404/415
Right center 385/392
Right corner 345/335

Stanton has already displayed more home run power in road games in his two year career, one bomb per 20 plate appearances in Miami, but one per 16 plate appearances in other parks. It remains to be seen how the new Miami facility plays, but the increased distances do not encourage predictions of enhanced offense.

The average ML home run traveled 394 feet in 2011. Stanton's home runs averaged 415 feet, so he may be less impacted by the new stadium than others, but it still seems likely to make his job harder. He bats righthanded, so the more cozy right corner isn't likely to help him much.

Information is from Baseball Reference and The Hardball Times.

[Grandstander]

Quick Quiz:

Terry Crowley
Orlando Cepeda
John Ellis
Mike Andrews
Gates Brown
Ed Kirkpatrick
Tommy McCraw
Ollie Brown
Tony Oliva
Ron Bloomberg
Billy North
Rico Carty

What distinction do those players have in common which would get them listed together?

[square peg]

Lotta early DHs there. I'll say that these were the first guys to appear as DH for their respective teams, which I can't possibly list. Well, I guess I could, but that's too much homework for right now. Bloomberg was a Yankee, Cepeda - Red Sox, Oliva - Twins, North - Athletics. Wait. Hmm... Mike Andrews played for them about that time too. So North must have been for someone else. Gates Brown - Detroit? Crowley - Orioles, Kirkpatrick - KC? ..........?

[Grandstander]

You got it...each was the first to appear as a DH for their clubs. Andrews was with the White Sox, Billy North with the A's. Your others are correct.

Ellis..Cleveland
McGraw..Angels
O. Brown..Brewers

Did you get to see any of Billy North's career? He was with the A's and the Giants for a long time, so I saw plenty. Among all the Bay Area players I've seen, North was the worst sport of them all. He was convinced that the umpires were wrong in every judgment made against him. If he didn't swing, it had to have been a ball. If it was a close play, he had to be safe. And he wanted the crowd to know this as well, but not so outlandishly conveyed as to get him thrown out of the game.

When the call went against him, North's head would fly back in surprise, his eyes wide with shock, his face a confused question mark, and then a slow incredulous stare at the offending umpire, as though checking to see if he was sane. If it was strike three he took forever getting out of the batter's box before finally accepting the outrageous injustice which had just overwhelmed him, and trudging back toward the dugout, muttering under his breath. To punish umps who called him out on the bases, he would remain on the ground for a time, slowly climb to his feet, and then head for the dugout at a pace you would associate with a mime doing "running man."

He argued a lot, but kept himself in check and didn't curse or throw bats onto the field. North knew possible way to show up an ump without getting tossed, they must have really hated him.

[jtur88]

In the 1948 and 1954 World Series, Alvin Dark batted .400 (6-for-15 with a walk) against HoF pitcher Bob Lemon. Dark and Lemon would then go on to become the only two managers (until now) to take over a World Series winning team and win the series again in their first year. That is something that Mike Matheny now has a chance to do for a third time.

[square peg]

In 1949, Dom DiMaggio hit safely in 34 consecutive games. In game #35 on his last at bat he hit a line drive past pitcher Vic Raschi's head and straight towards center field where it was caught by none other than his brother, Joe.