Sweating Rookies
Posted by Steve Lombardi on November 7, 2007
I was just playing around with Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Batting Event Finder - looking at all IBB that were issued in the first innings of games in 2007 - when I noticed that Ben Sheets gave an IBB to Ryan Hanigan during the 1st inning of a game on September 14, 2007. I found this one interesting because Sheets was losing this game, 4-0, at the time of the IBB, again, in the first inning. And, it was Ryan Hanigan's second PA in his big league career!
This got me wondering as to how many batters had just one PA in their first big league game - and who were issued an IBB in that one PA. Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com's Play Index Batting Gamelog Finder, we know the answer - it's happened just 5 times since 1957:
Cnt CarGm Player Date Tm Opp GmReslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BOr Positions +----+-----+-----------------+-------------+---+----+-------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+---+--+---+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+---------+ 1 1 Luis Lopez 2001-04-29 TOR ANA W 2-0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8th PH 2 1 Steve Carter 1989-04-16 PIT MON L 4-5 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8th PH 3 1 Scott Reid 1969-09-10 PHI CHC W 6-2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7th PH LF 4 1 Sandy Valdespino 1965-04-12 MIN NYY W 5-4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9th PH 5 1 Rex Johnston 1964-04-15 PIT CHC W 5-4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9th PH Games found: 5.
Man, that's alotta respect for some guys that never became stars.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Steve, I'd have to say those rookies weren't sweating at all, since all they had to do was go up there and take 4 balls.
(heh, I know that's not how you meant the title...just kidding...)
November 8th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Clearly, these occurences are tied to game situation. Hanigan, for example came to bat with two outs and Votto on first. The Reds had already scored 4 runs off of Sheets in the first inning and the Cincy pitcher was on deck. The at-bat did not begin as an IBB but when Votto stole second, the logical thing to do was walk Hanigan and face the pitcher.
However, it is an anomaly to have your first plate appearance result in an IBB. Rex Johnston logged only 10 plate appearances in his career and recorded no hits. Apparently, it didn't get any easier for him than his debut.