Ben Lindbergh (51:01)
I would, I'd welcome his support, but I don't expect it. In Game 5 of the World Series, the Blue Jays had scored two runs in three pitches. Turns out that was enough scoring to win the game because the Dodger scored one run. Is there any way to figure out if that's a World Series record for the fastest winning run scored in playoff or World Series history? And Michael found that including this year's game five, there are 16 games in World Series history where a team scored two or more runs in the top of the first inning and didn't allow more than one run in the entire game. The quickest of any of them getting there got their last necessary run before this year was 2018, Game 5, when the Red Sox scored two runs in the first six pitches of the game and won 5 to 1. That's not just the World Series record, it's the record for any postseason game. But this year's Game five is now the record because it took even less time than that. And the game it took the record from was also a simultaneous record holder for both the World Series and the postseason as a whole. All right, we sorted that out and the last one. Here is a question that we got from Patreon supporter Robert, who says in his cup of Coffee newsletter this was in mid October. Craig Calcatera noted Mike Greenwell's passing with this observation. Greenwell was a third round draft pick by Boston in 1982. He broke into the bigs in 1985 and after some time moving up and down between the minors and the majors, stuck for good as the Red Sox everyday left fielder in 1988. He had big shoes to fill as Boston's three previous everyday left fielders, Jim Rice, Carl Yastremski and Ted Williams, would all eventually be inducted into the hall of Fame. Greenwell wasn't quite on their level, but enjoyed a fine career all the same, all 12 seasons of which came with the Red Sox. So here's Robert's question. In the modern era, what's the longest stretch in which a team's primary left fielders have played their entire careers for that team? So sort of this, this unbroken string, and I guess it's so worth noted that it was, it was not entirely unbroken. Robert did note that according to Baseball Reference, there were a couple of years between Yaz and Rice when Tommy Harper was the primary left fielder. So the Red Sox can't claim a consecutive streak of single term Left fielders from 1946 When Williams returned from World War II to 1996, the last season for Mike Greenwell the Gator. So what team would have the longest streak? And I put this to Michael as well and he found I'm not sure exactly how Baseball Reference makes their primary fielder determinations for the team seasons pages, but the metric I chose to use was which player made the most starts at this position for the season. Seems reasonable for cases where multiple players tied for the lead in starts. If any of them was a single franchise player, I counted it as valid. 50 years would be an incredible streak, but as Robert noted, a few things conspire against the Red Sox here. Even after Ted returned from World War II, his streak of patrolling the Green Monster was interrupted by a return to active duty in Korea, during which time Hoot Evers Hoot Evers was acquired from the Tigers to fill in. What a hoot. Then Yaz's tenure was interrupted twice, once when he was moved to center field for a season to let the rookie Tony Clingle try out left field. Then Tommy Harper was the primary left fielder in 1973 for one year before Jim Rice debuted. So the Red Sox longest streak of primary left fielders being single franchise guys is actually 18 seasons from 1974 to 1991. Yaz, rice and Greenwell Baseball Reference indicates Tommy Harper as the primary left fielder in 74, probably because in their calculations they first lock in Yaz at first base. While that is the position he played most often that year, his playing time was split 57% to 43% between first and left, and he still started more games and played more innings in left than Tommy Harper did. So Michael says, I don't have any problem with including 74 as part of the streak. 18 seasons is the record for any team having a streak of primary left fielders being single franchise guys. It is not the longest streak at any position though. That honor goes to the Yankees shortstops of 1932-1954, a 23 year span comprising the careers of Frankie Crisetti, the Crow and Phil Rizzuto plus one year of wartime call up Mike Milicevich to connect them. Another 18 year streak is currently active. Cincinnati has not fielded a primary first baseman who wasn't a lifetime Red since Scott Hatteberg in 2007, the year that Joey Votto was a September call up. Since Votto's retirement, the tradition has been carried on by Spencer Steer. The streak is currently at 18 seasons, but if Steer ends up moving to another team it would be reset to 15 years through 2022 that would reinstate the Twins as the longest streak of single franchise first baseman at 16 years with Kenter Beck and Scott Stahoviak from 1982-97. So the longest streaks at other positions 18 years for the Detroit Tigers at second base, Lou Whitaker alone from 78 to 95 snubbed yet again from the hall of Fame eligibility. We got to get into that with Jaffe at some point. Third base 18 years for the Orioles All Brooks Robinson 1958-75 Right field 18 years for the Pirates All Roberto Clemente 1955-72 Catcher 17 years tied between the Yankees with Bill Dickey and Mike Garbar 1929-45 Garbar and the Cardinals Yaddy alone 2005-2021 Yaddy or Molina and center field 17 years for the Yankees makes sense. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle 1946-62 and lastly, several teams have never had a single franchise player be the primary fielder for them at a given position in any season. Mostly expansion franchises, but a few surprising ones. The Diamondbacks never fielded a career long Diamondback as their primary catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman or left fielder. The Reyes have never fielded a career Ray as their primary catcher. The Rockies have never fielded a career Rocky as their primary left fielder. The Marlins have never had a career long Marlin as their primary first baseman, second baseman, third baseman or left fielder. The Blue Jays have never had a career Blue Jay as their primary center fielder or right fielder. The Mariners have never fielded a career Mariner as their primary shortstop or right fielder. The Padres never had a career Padre as their primary left fielder. Washington never a career long national or Expo as their primary right fielder. The Mets never a primary right fielder who was a Met only the Rangers never a career long Ranger as their primary first baseman or shortstop. And the Athletics have never had a primary center fielder who was an a only dating back to 1901. So that's fun. And if you want the shortstop streak limited to integration ERA only then the record belongs to the Big Red machine and Davey Concepcion 16 seasons 70 to 85 I was sort of sorry to see the news about Mike Greenwell because I had I had had fond associations with Mike Greenwell for whatever reason it's I I don't know why because I wasn't a Red Sox fan and I barely remember actually watching Mike Greenwell play because his last season was was 96. But I, I think, you know, a lot of Red Sox fans felt fond of him because he he came up and he had a big rookie year and then he had a huge, almost MVP year in, in 88. He was a runner up in the MVP and an all Star that year and the next year. And aesthetically pleasing stats like career.300 hitter, you know, like just walked more than he struck out. Was just like, you know, not quite as good as maybe he seemed like he was going to be originally and then retired after his age 32 season. But he was, he was fun for a while. He was. I had like, maybe it was because I had baseball cards of him and I, I ascribed a lot of value and prestige to having been an All Star when I was sorting my baseball cards. And Mike Greenwell was an All Star, so I, I think, you know, there's like, he's punching above his weight in how fondly fans remember him. Even me, who I was the opposite. The antithesis of a Red Sox fan. Also helps to have a good nickname. Gator. That's a good word. So RIP Mike Greenwell.
