I missed that one. You definitely hit on one of the things that make the game attractive. And now in the age of computers and maximum data/recordkeeping, the fun has gone up exponentially.
ESPN has at least a half dozen ridiculously fun and wacky trivia stats every show.
Caught one this morning on Barry ... said he's hit more home runs on Friday than any other day of the week. :-)
on winning without a pitch-- Here is a bizarre case, again the Orioles, back in the good ol' days when they were good. I'll Futility Infielder tell the tale:
Lenn Sakata The Midget Wrestler Catches On
ODD JOBS COME WITH THE TERRITORY of being a futility infielder. Like the Boy Scouts, the futilityman's motto is "be prepared." Perhaps no futility infielder maximized this maxim better than Baltimore Oriole Lenn Sakata did on August 24, 1983. Sakata entered the game at second base with the O's trailing the Toronto Blue Jays, 2-1 in the 8th inning. The Jays scored in that inning, widening the gap to 3-1. But with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Sakata drew a walk and, two singles later, came around to score the tying run.
The rally had left the Orioles lineup in a helter-skelter state, requiring manager Joe Altobelli to do some juggling. Having pinch-hit for catcher Joe Nolan, who himself had pinch-hit for starting catcher Rick Dempsey in the 7th, Altobelli was down to his emergency backstop. Sakata donned the tools of ignorance while leftfielder John Lowenstein came in to play second base and pinch-hitter Gary Roenicke (normally Lowenstein's platoon partner in left), took over at third.
The makeshift infield wasn't much help as pitcher Tim Stoddard surrendered a leadoff homer to Jays DH Cliff Johnson and then a single to Barry Bonnell. Lefty Tippy Martinez entered the game in relief of Stoddard and promptly picked off Bonnell, who had taken a big lead against the inexperienced catcher. Dave Collins drew a walk from Martinez, and in preparing to challenge Sakata's arm, was picked off by Martinez as well. Willie Upshaw then beat out a single to Lowenstein. Yet again, Martinez picked off the runner, ending one of the most bizarre half-innings in major-league history. But the game wasn't over yet. Some guy named Ripken led off the Oriole 10th with a homer, tying the score. With two on and two out, Sakata poked a 3-run homer off of Randy Moffitt to give the O's the victory, 7-4. As they say, you could look it up.
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