The SABR Baseball List & Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statstics

For those who are figure filberts and love strange statistics, this book is for you! This is a book produced by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This is, as the book says (page vii), "intended to fill what we in SABR feel is a void in the reference publications that fans and media depend upon." It is not intended to replace standard sources of statistics, The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. It provides other lists, not appearing in standard references. For instance, the Introduction remarks that some reference sources include records for most RBIs by a rookie, this volume lists "every rookie who batted in at least 100 runs." The book covers the time frame 1876-2006. And comparing statistics across these periods is extraordinarily difficult! Records are listed in numerical order from 001 to 740 (thus, there are 740 records examined). 001 is Most career games played (Pete Rose is # 1 with 3562); 740 is "Families with 3 or more brothers who played in the major leagues" (the Delahanty's are # 1 with 5 brothers playing in the bigs). By the way, both records are in the The Baseball Encyclopedia, if memory serves. But what records are included in between! Some random picks: Worst fielding average by a first baseman since 1946. One player dominates with 3 of the 4 crummiest fielding averages. Any guess? Dr. Strangeglove--Dick Stuart (1961, 1963, 1964). Here's something exotic: Pinch-hit home run and one other home run in a game: This has happened 26 times (all with 1), the most recent being Jeff Salazar (Chicago White Sox) in 2006. What about most homers in a season without winning the home run title? Sammy Sosa, of course, with 66 in 1998. Another intriguing hitting record: Most career RBIs without a 100 RBI season. Pete Rose ranks # 1 here. Others in the top 10 include Eddie Collins, Craig Biggio, Sam Rice, and Julio Franco. And how's this? Game-ending extra-inning home runs (16th inning and later)? The most recent is Ramon Martinez in 2006; the earliest was Charley ("Old Hoss") Radbourne, in 1886. One last tidbit. Best stolen base duo in a season? With 246 steals, Arlie Latham (129) and Charlie ("Old Roman") Comiskey (117) in 1887. From1898 to the present? Vince Coleman (110) and Willie McGee (56), for a total of 166 in 1985. Anyhow, this book is a hoot for those who like offbeat statistics. Despite the book's claim, you will find some of these statistics elsewhere. But there are some interesting off-the-beaten-path stats.

I have become "King of the Universe" at my gym and pool with my handy SABR baseball record book. Where else can I find the baseball facts that just confound and stupefy my pals ?? The book is a guarantee of hours of baseball heaven for the true fans of the game.

This book contains a lot of statistics that you can't find anywhere else. It may be easy to find out who has, say, the largest number of doubles ever, but in this book you'll find the ranking of the highest ones, going down, for some statistics, to the top 50 or the top 100. You'll also find lists broken down by position, as well as by handedness (lefthanded, righthanded, or switch-hitting). There are also some odd statistics that you'll never find anywhere, such as managers by number of times ejected by an umpire from the game! You do, of course, have to be a baseball fan, and the sort of baseball fan who relishes looking up all sorts of statistics, to enjoy this book. I am, so I really enjoyed digging into it.

The editors have done a superb job of combining unusual, exotic, wonderful, useless trivia about baseball and its fascinating records. For a baseball nut like me, the work is perfect. What baseball fan in his right mind would not want to know which potentially perfect games were broken up with two outs in the 9th inning or which pitcher has the most career innings in relief and also pitched a no-hitter? I'll admit to having spent several wonderful hours perusing this book. It belongs in every baseball fan's bathroom.

At last, a book that truly lives up to its title--surely it has to be the most unusual baseball record book ever written, and it is thoroughly fascinating. I can't imagine any baseball fan who openins up this treasure house to look for something . . . anything . . ., and who doesn't wind up spending a delightful bouncing around from one unique record to another. Here is a tiny, tiny fraction of the things I found that I not only hadn't known, but that I hadn't known I hadn't known: First home run hit at Ebbets Field: Casey Stengel Most career putouts by an outfielder: 7095, Willie Mays Players who stole home twice in a game: Honus Wagner, Joe Jackson, and Vic Power are all on the list of 10. Most times ejected from a major league game as a player or manager: John McGraw (131) and Leo Durocher (124) head the list, but Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella, Joe Torre, and Casey Stengel are all on the list. Most consecutive losses in a season for a team that finished first: 11, Giants in 1951. And a million more. How can anyone be a baseball fan and not want to know these things?