BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive6

This is an archive of articles that were featured on the Main Page as part of Did You Know? from December 31, 2013 to November 29, 2015.

Did you know...[edit]

...that Joe Glenn caught both Babe Ruth and Ted Williams during his major league career?
...that Georg Bull was the first new German Baseball Hall of Famer in nine years?
...that Jessica Mendoza was the first woman to be part of the nationally televised broadcast of a major league postseason game?
...what rookie record Takeshi Kuwata set in Nippon Pro Baseball?
...that Wei-Chieh Huang was the first Taiwanese amateur signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks?
...that Antonio Horvatic led a 2015 tournament in strikeouts and wins as a pitcher and placed in the top 10 in average, slugging and steals as well?
...that Ritsuo Horimoto set a Yomiuri Giants franchise record as a rookie and held the mark for 45 years?
...in what tragic accident Anthony Haase lost his life?
...that Yuki Yanagita was the first player in Nippon Pro Baseball history to have a 30-30 season the year he won the batting title?
...which legendary Hall of Famer was taken in the 1910 Rule V Draft?
...that Taisuke Yamaoka has played for Japan in international competition at three different age levels?
...how long it had been since the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays last faced off in a League Championship Series when they met in the 2015 ALCS?
...what was remarkable about the only postseason appearance of Bob Kipper's career?
...that Hugo Pivaral was the first Guatemalan signed by a MLB team in over 40 years?
...what Nippon Professional Baseball record Teruyuki Takakura tied in 1963?
...that Eiji Fujii set a Nippon Professional Baseball mark that stood for 40 years?
...why Ron Goble had not played baseball for eight years before embarking on his professional career?
...that Carlos Willoughby was named MVP his first full season after switching positions?
...how minor league outfielder Robbie Tolan was involved in a landmark civil rights case decided by the Supreme Court?
...what the Fall Stars Game is?
...that All-Stars Kevin Mitchell, Dan Quisenberry and Bobby Bonilla were signed as non-drafted free agents?
...which sports Raúl Landaeta was on Venezuela's preliminary roster for during the 1959 Central American and Caribbean Games?
...what line of work Brad Andress is a pioneer in?
...that Diego Ueza was the youngest member of the Peruvian national team during the 2013 Bolivarian Games?
...that Lourdes Gourriel Jr. won the same MVP award his brother had taken two years earlier?
...what field both Perry McGriff and Sam Stell went into after their baseball careers ended?
...what national competition Doug Opperman won before he went into professional baseball?
...what state record JaCoby Jones set in high school?
...why Scott Richmond wound up in a legal battle with the Lotte Giants?
...that Drew Maggi broke a record formerly held by Barry Bonds?
...that Dean Kremer was the first Israeli citizen picked in the MLB amateur draft?
...what medical condition derailed the promising career of Arnold Hauser?
...why Kyosuke Sasaki wound up on the bench in the 1979 Japan Series after hitting over .300 as a starter in the regular season?
...what was historic about Adam Dimino's only pro home run?
...what Teruo Aida and Yushi Aida did that no father-son combo had ever done before in Nippon Pro Baseball history?
...that Juan Carlos Corpas and Jean Carlos Corpas not only nearly have the same name, but played the same position for the same team?
...how Junichi Kashiwabara saved somebody using baseball equipment?
...why Kazuharu Abe switched high schools?
...how Burrulote Rodríguez nearly caused a riot in 1942?
...that Carlos Guzmán was the first two-time MVP in the Serie A1 in Italy?
...why a jersey belonging to Roel Santos was sent to the US Hall of Fame when Santos' career has been spent entirely in Cuba?
...that Keiji Abe homered in his first at-bat in Nippon Pro Baseball but only had one hit the rest of his career?
...what record Kellin Deglan set in the 2014-2015 Australian Baseball League?
...that Masahiro Abe hit a home run off of Mitsutaka Goto and later played alongside a different Mitsutaka Goto?
...that Venezuela has won gold nine of 13 times at the Bolivarian Games?
...who became the youngest player to hit a pinch hit All-Star home run at the 2015 NPB All-Star Game?
...what the Sunday Starter rule is?
...that the Cincinnati Red Stockings went from being an amateur club to a professional club under Alfred T. Goshorn's leadership?
...what Harvey Dorfman's role was with World Series-winning editions of the Oakland Athletics and Florida Marlins?
...what injury delayed the start of Chad Rogers' pro career?
...what California League record was set by Derek Fisher in his first game in the league?
...that Gil Carter is credited with hitting the longest home run in organized baseball?
...that Daniel Rodríguez has led his league in strikeouts four times?
...that Jürgen Helmig played on the first 15 editions of the German national team - covering a period of 30 years?
...what records Urbano González holds in Cuba?
...why William Hulbert is in the Hall of Fame?
...why honors student and high school valedictorian Hunter Bledsoe ran afoul of NCAA eligibility rules?
...how Larry Kimbrough learned to throw with both hands?
...what Mike Kelley's difficulties were with baseball authorities from 1906 to 1908?
...that Melissa Mayeux was the first girl admitted to the French national baseball program?
...what was the tortuous relationship between young outfielder Stan Javier and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner?
...that Al Jackson was the only player in New York Mets history to lose 20 games twice - but he wasn't even the top loser on the team either year?
...why Grant Jackson was called the cleanest man in baseball by broadcaster Claude Raymond?
...that Stan Keyes won five home run titles and a Triple Crown in the minor leagues?
...that for over 125 years, William Johnson had been misidentified as "Caleb Johnson"?
...what difficulties Gerry MacKay encountered in forming the first Team Canada?
...what Nippon Pro Baseball record Kohei Sugiyama holds a share of?
...that newspapers never called Claral Gillenwater by his correct first name during his professional pitching career?
...that Peter Hartas stole over 25% more bases than anyone else in the Australian Baseball League's first incarnation?
...that pitcher Jacob Lindgren was the first non-first round pick from the 2014 amateur draft to make it to the major leagues?
...who the last major league player to attend the United States Naval Academy was before Oliver Drake debuted in 2015?
...which Hall of Famer and which US Hockey Hall of Famer played for the United States in the 1959 Pan American Games?
...what Hiroshi Takahashi was the first player in Nippon Pro Baseball history to do?
...what was the infamous quote that put Orlando Hudson in trouble with General Manager J.P. Ricciardi?
...why the San Diego Padres continue to re-sign pitcher Matt LaChappa to a minor league contract every year, 20 years after he last played professionally?
...why Don Schulze took The San Diego Chicken to court?
...what California League pitching record Bill Dial set in a hitter-friendly season?
...that Manuel Hernández produced two-thirds of Guatemala's runs in the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games?
...what Leigh Godfrey accomplished in world championships in baseball and softball that no one else had done before?
...what Rafael Martin did in the four years between graduating from high school and signing his first professional contract?
...what Tropicana Field is the last example of in the major leagues?
...in what international event Tom Lyons threw a perfect game?
...which minor league accolades Tyler Glasnow has earned?
...how eventual Milwaukee Brewers owner Otto Borchert began his relationship with baseball?
...why Jim Fanning only started his 1954 season in the Texas League in June?
...what turmoil embroiled the 1979 New York Yankees?
...what Doug Duke did with the money he earned as a strike replacement player?
...that Damon Thames was named the top player in NCAA Division I but only made it to AA as a pro?
...who were the two veteran minor leaguers who lit a fire under the struggling 1988 Montreal Expos?
...that Shinichi Ishimaru was the only Japanese Professional Baseball League player to serve as a kamikaze pilot during World War II?
...why Kazuki Inoue was known as Pinky?
...why actor Will Ferrell has a player page on Baseball-Reference.com?
...that Roemon Fields was working full-time as a mail carrier when he signed his first professional contract?
...how Frank Farrell went from being the "chief gambler" in New York City to first owner of the New York Yankees?
...why Satoru Sugiyama only played in one game of the 1954 Japan Series despite having led his league in RBI during the regular season?
...that Mitch Harris became only the second graduate of the United States Naval Academy to play in the major leagues?
...what historic Kintetsu Buffaloes win was earned by Takashi Imoto?
...that Tomoo Wako was the first person to pitch for three different teams in the Japan Series?
...that Kenny Moreland led NCAA Division III in wins as a senior?
...what the connection between organized crime figure Arnold Rothstein and baseball is?
...that James Shields has made at least 31 starts and pitched over 200 innings every year since his first full season in 2007?
...that Alison Gordon was the first female member of the BBWAA?
...why Marquis Grissom was regularly compared with Andre Dawson as a young player?
...that Susumu Aizawa was the first professional baseball player from the territory now known as the Federated States of Micronesia?
...that Sun-hee Lee had the first win in Korean Series history?
...how Shinjiro Hiyama made history in his last plate appearance?
...what The Baseball Project is?
...what Korea Baseball Organization record Hyeong-seok Kim held?
...why Daisuke Motoki refused to sign with the Daiei Hawks after being their top draftee in 1989?
...that Art Williams was the first African-American umpire in the National League?
...that Itsuro Honda began his career as a pitcher but wound up leading the league in an offensive statistic?
...what high government office William Matthews reached after his baseball career ended?
...what was notable about Munkhbat Dashzeveg's hit in the 2014 Asian Games?
...that Warren Kanagy won 17 games in a row for the Thibodaux Giants in 1947?
...that Eiji Ochiai was the first pitcher in Nippon Pro Baseball to have both a one-pitch win and one-pitch loss?
...why Takashi Arakawa was threatened by Taiyo Whales fans?
...that Riichi Kodama hit the first Japan Series homer in Chunichi Dragons history?
...that all three 1953 NPB All-Star Games ended in shutouts and that the winning team only scored in one inning each game?
...that pitcher Casey Harman hit a three-run home run in his first career at-bat in the independent leagues?
...what unusual plan outfielder Jimmy Horio arranged to try to impress major league officials?
...that pitcher Seiji Kobayashi won an ERA title the only year he qualified?
...what records were set in the finale of the 1998 Little League World Series?
...what records Orestes González has held in Cuba?
...that Stephan Jäger‎ won a Triple Crown and managed six national champions in Germany before he turned 30 years old?
...that pitcher Joe Hesketh was charged with a balk before he threw his first major league pitch?
...what team record was set in the 1937 International League?
...how pitcher José Leblanc met his tragic end?
...that Alfredo Venegas was the first player from Ecuador to reach Triple-A and has had the best career of any minor leaguer from that nation?
...that Hunter Strickland pitched in the World Series only four months after starting the season in Class A?
...that Brandon Finnegan became the first man to pitch in a College World Series and a World Series in the same year?
...why Ying-Chieh Kao never played in the United States despite being one of the first Taiwanese natives signed by a major league team?
...what controversial change occurred during the 1933 International League season?
...which single-season and career records Sergio Lacayo set in Nicaragua's amateur league?
...that Pedro Chávez González was the first two-time Cuban Serie Nacional MVP?
...what confusion surrounded Willie Mills' death?
...that Jimmy Bonner was the only African American to play in the Japanese Professional Baseball League?
...which famous home run Yasujiro Suzuki surrendered?
...who the Black Aces are?
...which future major leaguer played in the 1991 Little League World Series?
...that Hector Mendoza was the first Cuban hurler permitted to sign with a Nippon Professional Baseball team?
...why Doc Gautreau was such a popular player in Boston and Montreal?
...that three of the four 2006 Taiwan Series games were won in the final inning, with two won on the last pitch?
...that British Baseball Hall of Famer Alan Smith did not get involved with baseball until age 29?
...that Cody Cain did not allow an earned run in 35 2/3 innings pitched in 1993?
...which countries Jason Daniels has pitched in?
...that Adil Sardar set the record for fastest pitcher in Pakistan with an 81 mph fastball?
...that some sources list Travis Ishikawa as the second Japanese-American player in Major League Baseball history?
...that the Detroit Tigers scored five runs on just 10 pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of the 2014 American League Division Series?
...who sued sportswriter Dick Heller and his newspaper in 1977, and why?
...that Greg Holland became the third pitcher to record four saves in a seven-game postseason series?
...how former minor leaguer Garrett Broshuis has remained active in baseball law?
...what Texas Rangers record Roy Howell held?
...what tragedy cast its shadow over the 2005 Taiwan Series?
...that Malcolm MacDonald accidentally killed a friend with a pitched ball?
...that, for decades, second baseman Jim Mullen had his birth and death details confused with those of a minor league pitcher?
...what sport Jack Fox was an early star in?
...that several pitching records were set in the 2002 Little League World Series?
...that, despite his short playing career, Isao Okada set a Nippon Professional Baseball record and was involved in several notable incidents?
...which dramatic home run Pablo Abreu allowed in the 1987 Pan American Games?
...what feat Carlton Hanta was the first to accomplish in a Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game?
...that Walt Matthews was the longest-tenured employee in Houston Astros history?
...that rookie umpire Seth Buckminster had more calls overturned through video review than anyone else during the first half of the 2014 season?
...that a manager was ejected from a Taiwan Series game for the first time ever in the 2003 Series?
...that pitcher William Stecher lost all 10 of his major league starts and posted a career ERA over 10.00?
...what tragedy took place at the Baker Bowl in 1903?
...what was special about the game Cristhian Adames made his major league debut in?
...that Joe Kelly became the first Boston Red Sox pitcher to steal a base in 45 years?
...that Buck Farmer made his major league debut only two weeks after being promoted from Single-A?
...why Hiroaki Nakayama was banned from Nippon Professional Baseball for life, but later reinstated?
...what Rick Dempsey's Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime was?
...that closer Mariano Rivera once threw a perfect game in the minor leagues?
...what an official game is?
...that Billy Traber threw a one-hitter as a rookie for the Cleveland Indians in 2003 - their last one-hitter until 2014?
...what one-game player Harry Wilson's unusual profession was?
...that Al Froelich was wrongly listed as "Ben Froelich" for over a century?
...that Jerome Coleman's batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage declined each year he played?
...that Tim Berry threw a 17-strikeout no-hitter in his senior year of high school?
...that Nippon Ham Fighters fans stuffed the ballot in voting for the 1978 NPB All-Star Game?
...that 17-year-old Julio Urias was the the youngest player to ever take part in a Futures Game?
...who John Ruettiger's famous uncle is?
...that Mike Wegener surrendered Willie Mays' 3,000th hit?
...that Jose Bautista was the top vote-getter for the 2014 All-Star Game?
...how many players, managers and coaches umpire Gary Darling ejected in his career?
...that Bruce Swango spent two months on a major league roster - but was released before making his debut?
...that Rougned Odor is the first major leaguer born in 1994?
...that despite being undrafted, Kevin Rivers led the league in on-base percentage in his first full pro season?
...that Christian Bergman tied for the minor league lead in wins in 2012?
...how close Japhet Amador came to being the heaviest player in major league history?
...that Evan Marzilli made the College World Series All-Tournament team or played on the College World Series champion each year he was in college?
...that Myrio Richard won the same award that his brother won one year before?
...what the 26th Man Rule is?
...that Hal Saltzman was on the Cleveland Indians Opening Day roster in 1950, but never played in a major league game?
...what film "Four Eyes" Shottenhoffer is from?
...that Eugenio Suarez came within a single of hitting for the cycle in only his 8th major league game?
...that Brady Aiken was only the third high school pitcher taken as the first pick in the amateur draft?
...why Joel Gibson traveled with the 1963 Philadelphia Phillies all year without pitching in a game?
...that Scott Snodgress's first win as a pro was part of a combined no-hitter?
...what handicap Juan Sandoval has overcome?
...that Chris Martin worked for UPS, Lowe's and Texas Appliance on his way up to the majors?
...that David Palmer was unbeaten in his first 21 big leagues starts at home?
...that Sugar Bear Daniels was one of the last cuts of the 1972 A's yet never pitched above A ball?
...that Ramon Romero died in a drug bust in 1988 - and it was unknown to the baseball record-keeping world for 25 years?
...what Atlantic Coast Conference record Mike Morin set?
...in what category Conner Crumbliss has twice led all of minor league baseball?
...that Mike Halperin had the longest consecutive shutout streak in high school by someone who later played in the minors?
...how Brandon McArthur's life was in danger his freshman year in college?
...that Romualdo Blanco won the Venezuelan League Rookie of the Year as a pitcher - but never won a game in that loop?
...that Hirotoshi Kitagawa hit one of the most dramatic home runs in Nippon Pro Baseball history?
...that Mark Minicozzi showed up to watch a minor league game and wound up reviving his career?
...that Justin Marks set University of Louisville records in all three pitching Triple Crown categories?
...how Carlos Santeliz met his tragic end?
...that Jim Murphy set a Pac-10 Conference record?
...that Justin Howard led NCAA Division I in average yet didn't even make All-Conference?
...why the best-of-7 2002 Taiwan Series only went three games?
...that Jack Snodgrass started the first no-hitter in Richmond Flying Squirrels annals?
...that Matt Packer led NCAA Division I in ERA and was among the affiliated minors ERA leaders two years later?
...that Masaharu Mitsui was the first NPB pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery?
...that Logan Verrett led the nation's high schoolers in wins?
...how Bo Schultz was the first pitcher to make his major league debut in 2014 without making his team's Opening Day 25-man roster?
...why Carl Pavano is considered one of the worst free agent signings in New York Yankees history?
...why Nicaraguan Sports Hall of Famer Julio Moya wound up in jail?
...that Klaus Knüttel was not only the first Bundesliga-1 player to hit 100 home runs but also was a three-time Pitcher of the Year?
...that Harry Minor was the first scouts inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame?
...that the 1998 Taiwan Series did not have a single Taiwanese pitcher getting a decision?
...that Andrew Carraway got the first College World Series win for the University of Virginia?
...that Ho-kyun Lim once finished second in the Korea Baseball Organization with 234 2/3 IP - yet finished almost 200 innings shy of the leader?
...what two players set the still-standing home run and RBI records for the International League in 1930?
...what made Max McLeary unique from other umpires?
...that Scott Tanksley died tragically in the line of service?
...that Masatoshi Gondo overcame polio and a finger injury as a child to pitch 21 seasons in Nippon Pro Baseball?
...that the 1993 Little League World Series featured the first American team to repeat as champions?
...which Nippon Pro Baseball legend Hiroshi Arakawa (pictured) is credited with developing their noted batting stance?
...the outcomes of hundreds of marathon games of 20 innings or more from 1877 to 2014?
...that Mac Smith collapsed during a baseball game and died on the way to the hospital?
...that Saburo Miyatake hit the first home run at Meiji Jingu Stadium?
...why the 2001 Korean Series had a 15-minute delay with one out left in game six?
...what central role Mayckol Guaipe played in a major 2014 brawl?
...who hit the first International League Triple Crown, doing so in the 1928 IL?
...what record-setting homer Isauro Pineda allowed in 2008?
...what problems plagued the 1997 CPBL ?
...that Steve DiBartolomeo was the first NCAA Division II College World Series MVP from a losing team?
...what three Pacific League records are held by Yasuo Yonekawa?
...that Murphy Su'a did not play high school baseball then was an All-American in college?
...that Eric Campbell led the Pacific Coast League in OPS despite not playing more than 30 games at any single position?
...that the 1926 International League featured the worst record by a team in the IL during the 20th Century?
...that Dave Griffin won a AAA home run title yet never played in the majors?
...that Justin Friend took a loss after midnight in one marathon game?
...what rule change Noriyoshi Sano led to?
...that Kirby Yates was undrafted out of college but made it to the IL by 2013 and finished third in that loop in saves?
...who ended the 2002 Korean Series with a homer - the first Korean Series to end that way?
...that Cody Martin led NCAA Division I in ERA in 2011?
...what serious injury hampered the career of Sadaaki Yoshimura ?
...that Graham Cassel is second in Australian Baseball League history in games pitched despite having started out as a shortstop?
...what Italian record is held by David Rigoli?
...that the 2002 CPBL featured the first pitching Triple Crown in CPBL history?
...that Dick Kinsella signed eight Hall of Famers as a scout?
...what Rodger Brulotte did to delay a crucial playoff game?
...why other umpires wouldn't talk to Fred Brocklander?
...that Ron Smith became a NHL coach after his baseball career ended?
...that Dave Osteen once was the pitching coach for a team whose staff included his brother Gavin Osteen?
...who set the still-standing league strikeout record in the 1923 International League season?
...that Chris Czarnik threw the longest minor league no-hitter of the 1990s yet lost?
...that Myung-won Jeong threw the only Korean Series no-hitter (to date)?
...that Clyde Bateman had a four-homer game and a no-hitter within two months of each other?
...that José Pett shattered the record for highest signing bonus for an international amateur - while also being the first player from his country to sign with a MLB team?
...why David Hynes quit baseball in his prime?
...that Kimiya Fujisawa was drafted more times than any other Nippon Pro Baseball player?

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BR Bullpen:Did You Know Archive6

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