BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive2

This is an archive of articles that were featured on the Main Page as part of Did You Know? from February 12, 2007 to January 4, 2008.

Did you know...[edit]

...which minor baseball power almost upset Cuba in the 2003 Baseball World Cup?
...that Rikki Johnston was the youngest player in the history of the Australian Baseball League?
...that Antonio Pacheco is the all-time hit leader in the Cuban National League?
...that Calfee Park was built by the Works Progress Administration?
...that Eddie Lantigua won the Baseball America independent league player of the year award one year?
...that Bill Byron was known as the "singing umpire"?
...what happened in 2007 in Japanese Baseball?
...how Texas-born Paul Gonzalez wound up starring for the Australian national team?
...that Raily Legito has taken part in both Dutch national team wins over Cuba in international competition?
...that Yutaka Wada had the longest homerless run in Nippon Pro Baseball history?
...why a Curacao-based radio station sent announcers to Maryland to cover Sherwin Cijntje?
...what historic win Steven Shell recorded in the 2007 Baseball World Cup?
...what historic win Cody Cillo recorded in the 2007 Baseball World Cup?
...that Adam Burton was the only two-time batting titlist in the history of the Australian Baseball League?
...that Eelco Jansen was the first Dutch pitcher to throw a perfect game during the regular Hoofdklasse season?
...that Mitch Hilligoss set the Purdue University record for runs in a season?
...that Kazuhisa Inao won four straight games in the 1958 Japan Series?
...that basketball Hall-of-Famer Benny Borgmann scored over 1,000 runs in the minor leagues and hit over .300 on the farm but never played in the majors?
...that Ying-Chieh Lin held the Chinese Professional Baseball League strikeout record for two years?
...who had the worst Game Score in recorded history?
...what injuries ruined the career of Frankie Silvanic?
...that Bob Nilsson was the all-time save leader in the Australian Baseball League?
...that George Sobek was an All-American basketball player before his long tenure in baseball as a player, manager and scout?
...that Tai-Shan Chang holds the Chinese Professional Baseball League record for home runs in a season by a Taiwan native?
...that J. Brent Cox set a record for most career appearances in College World Series games?
...that Richard Orman holds the Hoofdklasse record for wins by a left-handed pitcher?
...that the 1992 Kinston Indians had a Hog Happenin' Special promotion?
...that Jeff Niemann tied a NCAA Division I record for most wins in a year without suffering a single loss?
...that Lorenzo Gray had the longest hitting streak in the minor leagues in 1982?
...that En-Yu Lin threw the first pitch in World Baseball Classic history?
...that Maels Rodríguez was the first pitcher in Cuban baseball history to be timed at 100 mph?
...that Jimmy Strong was the son of a Harlem Globetrotter and a member of the Italian Baseball Hall of Fame?
...that Pythias Russ was one of the top contact hitters in Negro League history but died young due to tuberculosis?
...that Ariel Pestano had the best batting average in the 2004 Olympics?
...what the Largest Baseball Families were?
...why Daisuke Yamai was yanked after eight perfect innings in the final game of the 2007 Japan Series?
...that Mike Young was twice an IBAF Manager of the Year in his work for the Australian national team?
...that the 1994 Baseball World Cup was the last Baseball World Cup to feature only amateur players?
...that Antonio Muñoz is the all-time walk leader in the Cuban National League?
...that Monty Swartz holds the MLB record for innings pitched for a pitcher with only one game pitched?
...why twin brothers Loidel Chapellí and Laidel Chapellí played for different countries in international competition?
...that Ken Suzuki was the second player in Japan Series history to hit a pinch-hit grand slam?
...that Alexander Smit led a minor league in strikeouts once despite pitching under 50 innings?
...that Bob Walk won three ERA titles in the minors?
...that Anderson Gomes was the first player from Brazil to play in the Futures Game?
...what injury caused Justin Huber move from catcher to first base?
...what controversial decision Gene Mauch made that might have cost his team a pennant?
...that Nic Ungs pitched 61 innings for a team one year without issuing a single walk?
...that the 1999 Pan American Games were the first Pan American Games to feature professional players?
...that Carlos Morán is a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame despite hitting under .100 one season?
...that Ken Bolek runs an academy for elite high school baseball players?
...what scandal involving David Francia wound up sending a baseball executive to jail?
...that Jay Ward once hit grand slams in consecutive innings?
...that Frank Duncan formed perhaps the first father-son battery in professional baseball history?
...that C.C. Sabathia was recruited to play tight end by a couple college football programs?
...that Chien-Fu Kuo Lee was MVP of the 1988 Baseball World Cup despite being on a 4-5 team?
...that J.R. Towles set a Houston Astros franchise record in his sixth major league game?
...why Nick Adenhart fell from being a top high school prospect to a 14th-round draft pick?
...that José Ibar was the first 20-game winner in the history of the Cuban National League?
...what type of stadium became prominent during the 1970s?
...that Daisuke Araki had a future superstar named after him - when Araki was a sophomore in high school?
...that Henry Hyde Jr., the son of the Congressman, pitched in the minor leagues for three years?
...that Josh Beckett was the only junior on the Baseball America high school All-American team in 1998?
...that Pat Scantlebury took eight years off of his age to get a chance in Organized Baseball?
...that Yung-Chi Chen drove in over 45% of Taiwan's runs in the 2006 World Baseball Classic?
...that Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback Joe Guyon hit over .340 for three years in the highest minor league classification of his era, but never made the major leagues?
...what team in the 1987 Pan American Games gave the Cuban national team its first Pan American Games defeat in 20 years?
...that Zach Greinke battled mental health problems the season after he led the American League in losses?
...that Brad Harman hit more home runs in the 9-game 2006 Intercontinental Cup than he had hit in 119 games for the Clearwater Threshers that year?
...that César King spent five days on a MLB roster but never played in the majors?
...that Oscar Rivera threw the only perfect game in Mexican League playoff history?
...what controversy arose over Luke Hochevar's negotiations with the Los Angeles Dodgers?
...that Luís Tiant holds the record for most complete games (23) pitched in a year without registering a shutout?
...who the Nine Old Men were?
...that Eddie Dwight was the father of the first African-American Astronaut?
...how the ending of The Natural differed between the book and movie versions?
...why Yurendell de Caster won the Baseball America Winter League Player of the Year award in 2005-2006?
...why Kip Bouknight was not picked in the first 20 rounds of the draft after winning the Golden Spikes Award as a junior?
...that Yoshihiko Takahashi had the longest hitting streak in Nippon Pro Baseball history?
...why Victor Mesa was ejected from the 1983 Intercontinental Cup after hitting a home run?
...that Alonzo Perry is second all-time in the Mexican League in average among players with over 3,000 at-bats but saw most of his US minor league action as a pitcher?
...who is the only non-Hall-of-Famer ahead of Matt Morris on the St. Louis Cardinals career strikeout leader list?
...that Tom Shearn was the oldest Cincinnati Reds pitcher to debut in over 50 years?
...that Eric Patterson is the son of a former NFL defensive back?
...why Nap Reyes was banned from the major leagues for a couple years?
...that Scott Mathieson had a career 13-26 minor league record entering the year he debuted in the majors?
...that Aloha Stadium was the first minor league stadium with moveable grandstands?
...that Negro League player Blue Washington later acted in Gone With the Wind and Angels in the Outfield?
...that Jair Jurrjens recently became the first major league pitcher from the Dutch Antilles?
...how Belgian native Brant Ust came to be a baseball fan?
...why Jerome Williams wore a puka shell necklace?
...why Chris Oxspring was the IBAF Male athlete of the year in 2004?
...that Jack Maloof helped Tony Gwynn develop his swing?
...that Bull Durham director Ron Shelton made it to AAA as a minor league infielder?
...why Michel Abreu had his first professional contract voided?
...why the 1990 Baseball World Cup drew criticism for its format?
...why Jake Stephens sent a fake telegram to himself claiming his father had died?
...that Hae-yong Ma was nearly suspended for life from the Korea Baseball Organization within two years of winning a batting title?
...that Luis Polonia is the all-time Caribbean Series leader in several categories?
...why Orlando Hernández once worked in a mental hospital during his career?
...that the 2000 World Series was the first Subway Series featuring the New York Mets versus the New York Yankees?
...how Travis Lee exploited a loophole to shatter the record for the most expensive contract by an amateur player?
...that the 1924 Negro World Series was the first Negro World Series?
...that Manny Parra threw the third 9-inning perfect game in Pacific Coast League history?
...that the 1986 Expos were briefly called Buck's Bombers?
...that Jesús Alfaro topped .300 in the Texas League in three straight decades?
...that Rick Lancellotti won one home run title while hitting .218 and claimed another during a .209 season?
...that Lourdes Gourriel Sr. made the All-Star team in six consecutive major international tournaments?
...that Matt Harrington was the first player to be drafted five times since the amateur draft went to a once-per-year format?
...that the 2001 World Series was the latest ever in terms of calendar starting dates?
...that 17 players were involved in the Largest Trade in Baseball History and only one, Ted Del Guercio, never saw time in the major leagues?
...that the 2001 Baseball World Cup was the first Cup in which the USA used professional players?
...that Carlos Bernhardt set a Dominican javelin record - held by another baseball player - before becoming a long-time scout?
...who won Manager of the Year honors for his work with the 2001 Phillies?
...that Joey Votto did not play baseball in high school yet almost set the Southern League record for doubles in 2006?
...which member of the 1997 Phillies set the franchise strikeout record that year?
...that Wei Wang hit the first home run in the history of the World Baseball Classic?
...what debacle led to the elimination of the free agent compensation draft?
...what was controversial about the final game in the 1988 Baseball World Cup?
...that Ricky Stone took a year off from baseball to run a drywall business?
...that the losing team in the 2003 World Series had a rotation which averaged 214 MLB wins to that point while the winning team's starting rotation averaged 33 MLB wins?
...how Pedro Luis Lazo figured into a surreal incident involving a journalist and a bicycle in Cuba?
...that pitcher Hal Carlson died of an internal hemorrhage at age 38, one day after his scheduled start was rained out?
...that infielder Jake Mauer was selected selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 2001 amateur draft along with brother Joe Mauer?
...that Otto Denning would frequently attend Chicago Cubs games with Bill Veeck in the 1980s?
...that pitcher Dick Drott struck out 15 batters in a game during his rookie season?
...that Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau became the youngest manager in big league history after writing his team owner a letter to apply for the job?
...that pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith has the first hyphenated surname in major league history?
...that Jim Rantz has been a part of the Minnesota Twins organization for every year of the club's existence?
...that Erv Dusak earned the nickname "Four Sack" from a poem written by a fan?
...that Todd Frazier first drew notice as the star of the 1998 Little League World Series?
...that Myung-hwan Park drew international attention for his unusual use of a vegetable?
...that the 2006 World Series was the first to feature rookie starting pitchers for both sides in game one?
...that Frank Isbell once quit the major leagues to work on a farm?
...which 35 pitchers pitched a no-hitter and started Game 1 of the World Series?
...that Chris Valaika had the longest hitting streak in the minor leagues in 2006?
...that Jack McDowell started the first game in the history of New Comiskey Park?
...that Katsuo Osugi once punched out an opposing player but was not ejected?
...that Bill Lucas was the highest-ranking black executive in baseball at the time of his death?
...that Brendan Kingman made the final out of the 2004 Olympics, having previously rewritten the Australian Baseball League record book?
...that the 2000 White Sox defied low expectations to win the most games that year in the American League?
...that Mitch Jones holds the single-season home run record at the school that produced Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson and Bob Horner?
...that Gregory Halman almost won a Triple Crown in a professional league at age 17?
...that Bronson Sardinha became the highest-drafted Hawaiian high schooler in 2001?
...that Yovani Gallardo holds the record for strikeouts by a Milwaukee Brewers farmhand?
...that Ty Griffin handed the Cuban national team its first loss in the Pan-American Games in 20 years?
...that Troy Cate allowed the lowest batting average in the affiliated minors in 2006?
...that Matt DeSalvo wrote a book (as yet unpublished) before he made the majors?
...which team had 9 of the 12 All-Stars in the 1998 Baseball World Cup?
...that Joba Chamberlain was the highest-drafted Native American player ever?
...that J.P. Arencibia tied a home run record belonging to Alex Rodriguez?
...that Euclides Rojas set the all-time Cuban Serie Nacional record for saves?
...why Nixey Callahan was banned from Major League Baseball for a period?
...that former Central League batting champion Keiji Nagasaki is running for political office?
...how Earl Agnoly cost the Panamanian national team an Intercontinental Cup title despite posting an OPS over 1000 and fielding 1.000?
...that Jeff King was the third major leaguer to twice hit two home runs in an inning during his career?
...that Graeme Lloyd lost his wife to illness at a young age?
...that Dave Turgeon once drew more than twice as many intentional walks as Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez and Jeff Conine combined and then later pitched professionally in at least five different countries?
...that Sung-min Cho had a nationally televised wedding that ended two years later in divorce?
...which former star helped Mike York battle alcoholism?
...that Hee-seop Choi was the first South Korean position player in the major leagues?
...that Will Venable was the second player in Ivy League history to be All-Conference in both basketball and baseball?
...that Landon Powell had the winning hit in the 1998 World Youth Championship despite not being a starter that game?
...that Carl Mays used to scrape his knuckles against the ground during his submarine delivery?
...which long-time major leaguer only went into baseball due to the influence of former Negro League catcher Nish Williams?
...that Jesse Litsch was a batboy in the major leagues six years before he became a big-league pitcher?
...that Hiroaki Fukushi holds the single-season Korea Baseball Organization records for both wins and losses?
...that Steve Pearce hit the most home runs in minor league baseball in April of 2007?
...that the 1994 Phillies were the first team in MLB history to open up their year with two road wins in which they trailed entering the 8th inning?
...that Tim Lincecum holds the Pacific-10 Conference career strikeout record?
...that Bryan Engelhardt was the first two-time winner of the Jacques Reuvers Award?
...that Marshall McDougall holds the NCAA Division I record for total bases in a game?
...that Jimmy Newberry was the first African-American pitcher in Nippon Pro Baseball?
...which team pitched shutouts in six of seven games in the 2002 World University Championship?
...that Yukio Tanaka was the third player in Nippon Pro Baseball history to homer from every spot in the lineup and is the all-time home run leader for the Nippon Ham Fighters?
...that Thad Bosley became a gospel musician after his baseball career ended?
...that Osmani Urrutia holds the wood-bat batting average records in the Cuban Serie Nacional for a single season and for a career?
...that umpire Bill Stewart was also a referee in the National Hockey League - the first American to hold that job?
...that Jin-woo Song is the all-time Korea Baseball Organization win leader and also helped organize the players' union there?
...how Dennis Bair has used baseball promotions to help locate missing kids?
...that Ron Wright is studying to become a pharmacist?
...that Dae-ho Lee won the first Korea Baseball Organization Triple Crown in 22 years in 2006?
...that Danny Kolb was the first pitcher in MLB history to save 30 games without striking out 30 batters?
...that Homer Bailey has been rated the Cincinnati Reds top prospect three years in a row by Baseball America?
...that Rocky Cherry sold paint at Home Depot at one point in his baseball career?
...that Dan Bankhead was the first African-American pitcher in the Majors?
...that John Grabow is of Lebanese Jewish descent?
...that Koichi Tabuchi fielded 900 consecutive grounders over a 3-hour period at age 38?
...that Ox Eckhardt almost lost a batting title to Joe DiMaggio in what would have been a major ethical controversy?
...that Charles Murray, one of Eddie Murray's brothers, once won a minor league home run title despite hitting under the Mendoza Line?
...that Scott Bullett was unsigned out of high school yet played 18 years in professional baseball?
...that Seung Song was the first three-time participant in the Futures Game?
...that brothers Michael Duursma and Mark Duursma tied for the Hoofdklasse Honkbal lead in walks in 2006?
...that Mike Stenhouse nearly had the best batting average of any NCAA Division I hitter in his freshman year?
...that Jae-hong Park was the first 30-30 player in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization?
...under what conditions Jesse Tannehill revealed a plot to jump to the American League to Pittsburgh Pirates officials?
...that Rick Vanden Hurk recently became the youngest Major Leaguer to grow up in the Netherlands?
...that Larry Gardner had a degree in chemistry and ran an auto dealership after his baseball career ended?
...that Kyung-wan Park holds the Korea Baseball Organization records for home runs by a catcher?
...why George Lauzerique lost a no-hitter under unusual circumstances for the era in 1967?
...that Ralph Garcia is the all-time Mexican League leader in winning percentage for a pitcher with 2,000+ IP?
...that Jake Stahl was the youngest player-manager in American League history?
...how Yoshinori Hirose, #2 all-time in steals in Nippon Pro Baseball, started out as a pitcher?
...that Buck Freeman hit the first ball out of South Side Park?
...that Hugo Bezdek is the only person to manage a Major League Baseball team and coach a National Football League team?
...that Freddy Parent was the last surviving player from the first World Series?
...that Hobe Ferris is second all-time for single season errors by an American League second baseman yet was known for his glovework?
...that Bob (Schoolboy) Griffith is second all-time in the California Winter League in winning percentage, behind Hall-of-Famer Bill Foster and right ahead of Hall-of-Famers Satchel Paige and Walter Johnson?
...that Lou Criger was the favorite catcher for Cy Young?
...how Hector Fajardo earned the nickname Senor Lluvia in the minors?
...that Soo-kyung Kim nearly handed Cuba their first loss in 16 years of Olympic competition?
...how Ray Miller led to a rule change by his local Little League?
...that Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Ken Strong holds a share of the all-time Eastern League home run record?
...that Ban Johnson was a sportswriter before he started the Western League and American League?
...that Michio Nishizawa was the youngest player ever to sign a contract in Nippon Pro Baseball?
...that Pat Caraway struck out Joe Sewell twice in a game in a season in which Joe only went down on strikes three times altogether?
...that the Altoona Curve once gave away their general manager's gall bladder?
...that Bruno Haas began his career by setting a major league record and finished it by starting a triple play?
...that Jim Magnuson had the lowest single-season ERA in the history of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference?
...that Charles Somers helped get several American League clubs started financially?
...what trick Brian Doyle and Blake Doyle pulled on the New York Yankees front office in 1978?
...how Johnny Bench was duped in game three of the 1972 World Series?
...which major leaguers died on their birthday?
...how Webster McDonald was begged for a chance to play by a future Hall-of-Famer?
...that Jake Jones was the only major leaguer to earn the title of "ace" as a military pilot?
...that Isao Shibata was the only Yomiuri Giants cleanup hitter other than Shigeo Nagashima and Sadaharu Oh while those two legends were on the club?
...which national high school records Ken Beardslee holds more than 55 years after he finished his amateur stardom?
...that recent research uncovered a new major leaguer from the 1920s, Norm Glaser?
...which Hall-of-Famer allowed the game-ending home run to which Hall-of-Famer in the 1935 East-West Game?
...why the 1940 Indians were nicknamed "Vitt's Crybabies"?
...that deaf infielder Luis D. Figueroa won a Puerto Rican League batting title?
...that Bosse Field was the first municipally-owned stadium in the United States?
...that the 2005 Baseball World Cup marked the highest finish by a Dutch team in the World Cup to date?
...why Hurley McNair pulled a knife on players once?
...why there were several different House of David teams in existance at the same time?
...that Jeff Banister almost had his leg amputated while in high school yet bounced back to play in the majors?
...why Bill Drake refused to pitch in the Cuban Winter League?
...which Hall-of-Famer allowed the game-ending home run to which Hall-of-Famer in the 1935 East-West Game?
...why Steve Nicosia tried to make a snowball out of fire extinguisher foam?
...that Young-soo Bae's control problems led to a season-ending suspension after a hit batsmen - but he wasn't the one suspended?
...that both Yomiuri's Koichi Ogata and Hiroshima's Koichi Ogata were born the same year and both led the Central League in stolen bases multiple times in the 1990s?
...why Paul List changed his name to Lou at one point during his career in the minors?
...that former minor league player Andy Phillip made the basketball Hall of Fame?
...that Seung-hwan Oh set a new Asian save record in 2006, breaking Hitoki Iwase's mark?
...that only 1,500 people came out to see the last game of the 1925 Negro World Series?
...that Felix Jose won batting titles in three countries and led a league in a fourth in OPS?
...that Kris Benson had his stretch of personal scandals and injuries start in the same month?
...that three no-hitters of note were thrown in 2006 in Japanese Baseball?
...that Joe Reliford was the youngest player in professional baseball history when he played in a Georgia State League game at the age of twelve?
...that Juan Gonzalez was Puerto Rican League MVP one year despite not playing a game until after the All-Star break?
...that writer Zane Grey played in the minors and based one of his books partially on his brother, major leaguer Reddy Grey?
...how Shigeru Chiba is responsible for the name of the Orix Buffaloes?
...who has won Korea Baseball Organization Gold Gloves?
...that Monte Irvin almost won a Mexican League Triple Crown despite only playing part of the season?

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BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive2

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