It’s a Sunday, which means my afternoon will be spent watching the Bills, Patriots, and my fantasy football stats ticker. Last week, Tennessee’s Rob Bironas set an NFL record with eight field goals in one game. While that’s an impressive feat, it’s more a result of the Titans’ offense moving the ball well and stalling within field goal range instead of Bironas’ amazing kicking skill. He did make a 52-yarder, but only had one other kick over 30 yards.
That got me thinking — what baseball feats sound really impressive but are more a result of opportunity than skill. Here are a few, with the search going back to 1957. (Thanks, B-Ref PI.)
Most Sacrifice Flies In A Game
Player Team Year SF Hits RBI Edgar Martinez SEA 2002 3 0 3 Juan Gonzalez TEX 1999 3 1 4 Chad Kreuter DET 1994 3 1 3 George Bell TOR 1990 3 2 3 Candy Maldonado SFG 1987 3 0 3 Don Mattingly NYY 1986 3 0 3 Vince Coleman STL 1986 3 0 3 Russ Nixon BOS 1965 3 1 3 Ernie Banks CHC 1961 3 0 3
I’m surprised nobody’s hit four sac flies in a game. I wonder if I can get decent odds on it happening in the next few years.
Most Hit-By-Pitches In A Game
Player Tm Year HBP Hits Runs Nomar Garciapar LAD 2006 3 1 1 Reed Johnson TOR 2006 3 0 2 Reed Johnson TOR 2006 3 0 2 Jonny Gomes TBD 2005 3 1 1 Reed Johnson TOR 2005 3 1 0 Corey Koskie MIN 2004 3 0 1 Melvin Mora BAL 2002 3 0 2 Damion Easley DET 2002 3 0 1 Richard Hidalgo HOU 2000 3 0 1 Damion Easley DET 1999 3 0 1 Glenn Davis HOU 1990 3 0 1 Craig Kusick MIN 1975 3 0 0 Tito Fuentes SFG 1973 3 0 2 Ron Hunt SFG 1969 3 1 0 Bill Freehan DET 1968 3 0 0
Forget Craig Biggio, Reed Johnson is the king of the HBP, getting pegged three times in a game twice in 2006 and another time in 2005.
Most GIDPs Induced In A Game
Player Year GIDP IP R BB SO Dick Drago 1972 6 9 1 2 6
Dick Drago is the only pitcher ever to induce six double-plays in one game. He allowed 13 baserunners, but only faced 34 total batters in a 9-1 win. Of the 38 pitchers to induce five double-plays in a game, only Bob Friend (in 1960 and 1962) and Tom Glavine (both in 1997) have done it twice.
Finally, from the “not a record I’d want to have” department, we’ve got…
Most Balks In A Game
Player Year Tm Balks IP R Bob Shaw 1963 MLN 5 4.1 6 John Dopson 1989 BOS 4 3.2 5 Gene Walter 1988 SEA 4 2.1 3 Joe Magrane 1988 STL 4 8 2 Rick Honeycutt 1988 OAK 4 4 4 Bobby Witt 1988 TEX 4 8 4 Bob Friend 1963 PIT 4 9 4
Bob Shaw, I applaud you. And there’s Bob Friend again. I’d never heard of the guy until today, and now I know he’s good at inducing double-plays and committing balks. Is it a coincidence that five of the seven performances of four or more balks came during 1988-1989? Did the umpires crack down in those years? Were illegal pickoff moves rampant during the 80s?
So there you go. Next time somebody mentions that Rob Bironas once kicked eight field goals in one game, you have some wacky trivia questions to bring the topic back to baseball. You can thank me later.
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Sky is a baseball fan and racket sport afficianado living in upstate NY. His favorite color is orange and is just about ready to give up on his life-long dream to become the next Magnus ver Magnuson (World's Strongest Man). His favorite baseball teams are the Yankees and Red Sox, proving that there's hope in the Middle East.