Stats and Ranks
Some Interesting Stats and Facts
- One of 5 players, and the only infielder, to win the regular season and World Series MVP in the same season (Sandy Koufax, Reggie Jackson, Frank Robinson and Willie Stargell).
- Led the NL by a wide-margin in several categories including HR (13 more than 2nd place), SLG% (107 points), OPS (102 points), RBI (12), Extra Base hits (16)
- 2nd most HR ever by a full-time 3B (A-Rod, 54 in 2007)
- 13th best OPS+ by a 3B in history
- 7th highest SLG% by a 3B in history
- One of 4 3B in history to win a Gold Glove at 3B with an OPS over 1.000 (George Brett 1985, Scott Rolen 2004 and juiced-out-of-his-gourd Ken Caminiti 1996).
- Was 2 full wins better than anyone else in the National League per the WAR stat, and was the 3rd best fielder at any position
Why He’s Here
The greatest season ever by the greatest Phillie ever. Pretty easy, right?
It’s possible that 1981 would have ended up as a better season were it not shortened by a strike, but 1980 really had it all for Schmidt. Best player in the league, best player in the World Series.
It falls at 3 because it isn’t in the discussion for a top-25 season in baseball history like the 2 ahead of him, but it is certainly in the discussion for the best ever by a 3B.
He dominated the NL in almost every offensive category and did it while being one of the best fielders as well. He hit the ball like he was in the steroid era, in a year where only 3 players hit 30+ HR in the NL (let alone 48) and 7 players had over 50 steals. If not for A-Rod’s steroid binge, his 48 HR by a full-time 3B would still be the benchmark (tied by Adrian Beltre in his fluke 2004 season).
Previous Seasons
#10. Dick Allen, 1966
#11. Jimmy Rollins, 2007
#12. Billy Hamilton, 1894
#13. Ed Delahanty, 1895
#14. Curt Schilling, 1997
#15 - Lefty O’Doul, 1929
#16 - Brad Lidge, 2008
#17 - Chris Short, 1964
#18 - John Denny, 1983
#19 - Tug McGraw, 1980
#20 - Greg Luzinksi, 1977
#21 - Gavvy Cravath, 1913
#22 - Lenny Dykstra, 1993
Five pitchers that just missed (and criteria for rankings)
I will not for a minute argue with 1980 as Mike’s best year. But I will tell you that no matter what the numbers say, his most exciting individual year, from my perspective, so it’s subjective, was his breakout year, 1974. It’s well documented how he hi .196 in his first year. And to watch him blossom into a superstar level player in year 2, when he hit over .300 for most of the year was really exciting stuff. Not to mention 36 dingers (good for the time), and the 116 ribs when ribs still were of weight. We didn’t forget Rich Allen so much as have something to compare him to.
By ’80, Schmidt was taken for granted. I mean, his year was still very good, even by the standards he had set with his play through the 70s, but it wasn’t as exciting as watching him blossom in that one year.
Because of the overall well roundedness of his game, I’d say the one in a lifetime, or at least generation answer to Mike since would be Chase. Ryan, being so power driven, and short in other facets is as exciting, and probably more so for the long ball, but Schmidt and Utley have been the foundation of great position players to watch in the last 35 years.
Let’s face it. We have plenty of downtrodden history in Phillies baseball. But when the top 20 seasons will omit Chase Utley, it’s a sign of maybe things have gotten better. That’s progress.
funny you should mention 1974.
That was the year Schmidt had the highest WAR of his career (and the highest ever for a 3B).
Top 10 career WAR for 3B (played at 60% of games at 3B)
If not for A-Rod’s steroid binge, his 48 HR by a full-time 3B would still be the benchmark (tied by Adrian Beltre in his fluke 2004 season).>>
We’ll never know for sure, but I don’t know that I’d agree. Alex was a great, great player. If Mike is the 2nd greatest 3B ever, behind Alex, it’s no crime.
I remember listening to a talk show when Alex was 22, and the host, who I don’t recall by name said Alex was already the best SS in history. At first, I reacted with an eyes to the ceiling look. I thought about it, and decided he was right. Cal was the first big, powerful short in a trend followed by many. Not that Ernie Banks didn’t have power, but Ernie was a rarity. Cal started a trend. But Alex took it to a new level.
Alex is blessed with great natural skill. Mike had his share, but Mike got as much out of his body as just about anyone in history. He maxed his potential, and I’m not downgrading him at all. It’s just that Alex was as close to a 1 of a kind talent as ever played. I’ll never know the extent to which roids helped him. Clearly, by the inflated numbers of several players, they did, but Alex might have surpassed 48 without the roids. He was good.
Agree that A-Rod is amongst the best ever with or w/o steroids. And perhaps could have eclipsed Schmidt.
No question A-Rod is one of the best combinations of talent & physical attributes to play ball on way or the other. But for me, I can never look at him in the same way as guys who definitively did it without the juice. I just cant do it. Same goes for all those other guys were juicing. They’ll always be in a different category for me….
And I’m not even saying that one should take away from what the juicers did in their own right – obviously there are arguments that there was a level playing field because everyone was doing it, that steriods don’t improving timing, coordination, etc. But for me, that era will always be comparable only to that era.
Not to prolong the roids discussion, but it’s funny how the list of 103, or whatever it was was so talked about, and debated to reveal or not to reveal, and it just quietly slipped away.
I guess not knowing who did and who was suspected is why I tend to look past it, but you can’t find fault with Dude’s attitude, I mean Mac whacked 70, and hit another 50 to the warning track. What a sham!
This is as much Phillie related as anything else, so I’ll put thought to keyboard here, and the chips will fall as they may.
As still another in the never ending series of years closes out, press corps around the globe are pressed to select a story of the year. Hell if I know what it is. I don’t know that I could select one. I suppose nationally, I might tie several things together to present a theme of first time in a long time winners, headlined by the Saints Super Bowl title coupled with the Giants World Series win and Black Hawks Stanley Cup celebration. One way not to slight 2 out of 3 winners.
Locally, the way the Eagles rebuilt on the fly and won a division title is fascinating, and longer term than the Flyers miraculous comeback against the Bruins, which is so infrequent off a 3-0 rhythm it stares at you and defies you to select against it. Might even be a story from a sport I barely follow that widens the nominees for all I know.
But I think from a perhaps tunnel vision view, a certainly big story that I like on a Philadelphia level involves a small amount of calendar stretching dating back to last December. Let’s call it the Capitulation of when Philadelphia became an attractive city to play in. Older folk and historians will recall in painful detail when Curt Flood was traded to the Phillies. Citing human rights as the core of his sport changing law suit, Flood was as anxious to don a Phils uniform as any right thinking citizen is to wear prison garb on their back. I wouldn’t underestimate Flood’s principles for a second, but I will tell you that at that time, the Phillies were at best in the very embroyotic stages of becoming a serious player as opposed to the doormat that was for decades, excepted by the 1950 breath of fresh air. The Vet was still a dream, let alone CBP, the racism Richie Allen spoke of was not close to a distant memory, and in the 10 team National league, there were about 11 places perceived as more attractive to be traded to.
That was then.
Last December, you’ll recall that the Phils acquired one Harry LeRoy Halladay. This was a forever worked on deal that the Good Doctor had clammored for months on end. Maybe it wasn’t so much the city of Philadelphia that Doc wanted to be a part of as the city’s baseball franchise, but something had become so attractive here that back in Curt Flood’s time was invisible, not to mention impossible.
Move forward to July. Doing their best to qualify as underachievers, despite landing baseball’s best pitcher, the Phils found themselves in the unlikely position of needing starting pitching. Kyle Kendrick was Kyle Kendrick, Jamie Moyer was old and hurt. Cliff Lee was on a world tour. Who ya gonna call? Former Phils GM, and current Phils Farm Director Ed Wade was still on speed dial. The subject of Roy Oswalt came up. Roy O, a standout career pitcher was as different as day and night from Philadelphia as ever exsisted. Well, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Mississippi was at least southern. And small. And you wondered if Roy O coming here from a cultural vantage point might not be the biggest mismatch since Billy Ray Bates brought his southern jumpshot to Philly to start a short, but celebrated NBA career via the uniquely Philadelphia Baker league. Perhaps underscored by the cultural thang, Oswalt played the negotiating game well, and didn’t approve until he was sure he was wanted. By season’s end, numerous quotes had come about Roy’s appreciation of the city.
Forward to December. A free agent lefthander is the subject of rock star level publicity levels has 1 foot in Texas, and 1 in new York on any given day. The days go by. The weeks go by. Coverage and guesses multiply, and in the end, Cliff Lee wanted to come home.
Dating back to real close to the Flood rejection, it’s not like Philadelphia has not had athletes that almost didn’t go out of their way to come here. Roman Gabriel might have been the first. George McGinnis, Julius Erving. Jim Thome, who has as much as anyone to do with this run the Phils have had. Oh, they were shown the money, and in Gabe’s case, the opportunity, but the Halladay-Oswalt-Lee trifecta all happeend within a year, plus a handful of sunrises and sunsets. Outstanding pitchers wanting to come to Philadelphia, especially with its bandbox like dimensions. That’d be my choice for the local sports story of the year. One I could sleep with as my vote, even if I missed as big, or important a story from the rest of the field.
A few weeks ago, I asked if anyone had guesses on what Charlie would reup for since his 3 million payout for 2011 services will end his contract. I never guessed, but I’ll take ahot at it now.
Charlie’s been here since 05. Has a very impressive resume. As importantly, from what i read, has a simply outstanding rep as a guy players want to play for, or at least like playing for. No small part of the recipe in recruiting free agents, which, with the expiration of contracts, will still be a factor in the future.
Charlie said over the summer he might manage until he’s 85. Love that southern humor, but that means he’s still a long term guy.
Ruben had told Charlie they’d get his extension done around Xmas. Didn’t happen. Well, it is still around Xmas, but the Phils offices are said to be closed. So is most of the world this week, but hey, who’s counting.
Is that a sign of perhaps trouble at the negotiating window?
Nooooooo.
It will happen, and probaby in January, and when it does, I think this.
Charlie will go after more than 3 years. This is no longer a 3 year window since Cliff is here until 2016, or 17. Ruben might prefer 3 years. Maybe Ruben wins out at more per even though the Phils have less money than the owner of a busted counterfiet machine at this point.
At 3 mil now, realistically, Charlie might like to get as much as 5 mil. That’s a blind guess, since I don’t know what the LaRussa types make. Torree, it seems was insulted by 5 mil with performance bonuses on top when he left the Yanks. But I can’t see Ruben going above 5.
Take your pick, Charlie. 3 years at an average of 5, or 4 years at an average of 4.5.
I think the dust settles at closer to 5 than 4 mil, and it’s another 3 years of Charlie.
Yeah, the guy does some strange things at times, but it’s probably no coincuidence that throughout his regime, you do not wanna play the Phils in the second half of a season.
Baseball History Oddities and things I never knew…
1858-07-20 - Fee 1st charged to see a baseball game (50 cents) (NY beats Bkln 22-18)
1859-07-01 - 1st intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32
1862-10-14 - Baseballer James Creighton ruptures bladder hitting HR, dies 10/18
1862-12-25 - 40,000 watch Union army men play baseball at Hilton Head, SC
1870-11-27 - NY Times dubs baseball “The National Game”
1874-02-27 - Baseball 1st played in England, at Lord’s Cricket Grounds
1874-07-30 - 1st baseball teams to play outside US, Boston-Phila in British Isles
1875-05-12 - 1st recorded shutout in pro baseball, Chicago 1, St Louis 0
1876-02-03 - Albert Spalding with $800 starts sporting goods co, manufacturing 1st official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball, & football
1877-04-12 - Catcher’s mask 1st used in a baseball game
1879-10-01 - Cincinnati Enquirer publishes 1st report on baseball reserve clause
1883-05-01 - Baseball returns to Phila, 1st NL game since 1876
1883-05-23 - Baseball game between one-armed & one-legged players
1883-06-02 - 1st night baseball under lights, Ft Wayne Indiana
1883-06-16 - 1st baseball “Ladies’ Day” (NY Gothams beat Cleve Spiders 5-2)
1885-10-17 - Baseball sets all players salaries at $1,000-$2,000 for 1885 season
1885-10-22 - John Ward & several teammates secretly form Brotherhood of Prof Base Ball Players, 1st baseball union
1888-10-20 - Chicago & All America baseball teams play exhibition in Auckland, NZ
1888-12-25 - 1st indoor baseball game played at fairgrounds in Philadelphia
1890-09-01 - 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh
1901-09-19 - 11 baseball games canceled due to funeral of Pres William McKinley
1902-06-15 - Minor League‘s most lopsided baseball game: Corsicana 51; Texarkana 3 Justin Clark of Corsicana, Tx minors hits 8 home runs in 1 game
1902-11-21 - Baseball’s Phila Athletics & Phillies form pro football teams, joining Pitts Stars in 1st attempt at a National Football League
1905-01-16 - Baseball outfielder Frank Huelsman traded for 6th time in 8 months
1908-10-14 - Baseball Writers Association of America, forms
1909-03-31 - Baseball rules players who jump contracts are suspended for 5 years
1909-07-08 - 1st pro baseball game (Minor League) played under lights
1909-09-18 - Largest paid baseball attendance (35,409), A’s beat Tigers, 2-0 in Det
1911-04-04 - Hugh Chalmers, automaker, suggests idea of baseball MVP
1911-10-14 - Largest baseball crowd ever 38,281 (Polo Grounds) see Giants beat A’s, 2-1 (gate is record $77,379)
1914-02-01 - NY Giants & Chic White Sox play an exhibition baseball game in Egypt
1915-03-13 - Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson tries to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, but the pilot substituted a grapefruit
1922-05-29 - US Supreme Court rules organized baseball is a sport & not a business & thus not subject to antitrust laws
1925-04-21 - No baseball games played in NL due to Charles Ebbets’ funeral
1930-12-12 - Baseball Rules Committee greatly revises the rule book
1930-12-12 - Baseball changes rule, ball bounces into stands not a HR, now a double
1931-02-04 - National League adopts a deader baseball
1931-02-17 - 1st telecast of a sporting event in Japan (baseball)
1931-03-27 - John McGraw says night baseball will not catch on
1931-04-01 - Jackie Mitchell became 1st female in professional baseball
1931-12-09 - Baseball cuts squad from 25 to 23 players & NL continues to prohibit uniform numbers
1933-12-15 - Baseball owners agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15
1934-01-05 - National & American Baseball Leagues select a uniform ball
1934-12-11 - NL votes to permit night baseball (up to 7 games per home team)
1936-04-29 - 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5
1936-08-12 - Demo baseball game at 1936 Olympics in Berlin, world beats US, 6-5
1936-12-09 - AL OKs night baseball for St Louis
1938-06-01 - Protective baseball helmets 1st worn by batters
1938-06-21 - Baseball’s Pinky Higgins gets 12th straight hit
1938-08-02 - 1st test of a yellow baseball (Dodgers vs Cardinals)
1939-08-30 - NY Yankee Atley Donald pitches a baseball a record 94 MPH
1941-04-26 - A tradition begins, 1st organ at a baseball stadium (Chicago Cubs)
1943-05-21 - Fastest 9 inning AL baseball game (89 mins), White Sox beat Senators
1943-11-23 - Phils owner William D Cox is permanently banned from baseball for having bet on his own team
1945-05-09 - New balata ball used in baseball, 50% livilier
1945-08-18 - Scheduled demonstrations at Polo Grounds & Ebbets Field to end segregation in organized baseball are called off
1945-10-15 - Baseball Attendance hits record 10.28 million (Tigers 1.28 is highest)
1949-07-12 - Baseball owners agree to erect warning paths before each fence
1949-07-31 - Lightning strikes a baseball field in Fla, kills SS & 3rd baseman
1949-09-18 - Baseball major league record 4 grand slams hit
1950-10-03 - Baseball rules Phils lefty Curt Simmons cannot play in World Series despite his being on furlough from Army
1951-01-29 - Baseball signs 6 year All-Star pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million
1951-03-10 - FBI director J Edgar Hoover declines post of baseball commissioner
1951-08-11 - 1st color baseball game (Braves vs Dodgers) telecast (WCBS-NYC)
1952-02-20 - 1st black umpire in organized baseball certified (Emmett Ashford)
1952-09-07 - Outfielder Don Grate throws a baseball a record 434’1″ (Tenn)
1953-02-20 - US Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport & not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling
1953-05-30 - 1st major league network baseball game-Cleveland 7, Chicago 2
1953-06-03 - Alexander Cartwright officially credited by U.S. Congress as founder of baseball
1953-08-23 - Phil Grate sets record for throwing a baseball (443’3″)
1953-11-09 - Supreme Court rules Major League baseball exempt from anti-trust laws
1953-11-19 - US Supreme Court rules (7-2) baseball is a sport not a business
1955-03-07 - Baseball Commish Ford Frick says he favors legalization of spitter
1956-04-19 - 1st ML baseball game in NJ, Dodgers beat Phils in Roosevelt Stadium
1957-01-10 - Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick rules Bing Crosby can keep token stock in the Det Tigers, even though he owns part of Pitts Pirates
1957-02-14 - Georgia Senate unanimously approves Sen Leon Butts’ bill barring blacks from playing baseball with whites
1957-02-25 - Supreme Court decides 6-3, baseball is only antitrust exempt pro sport
1957-08-18 - Amelia Wershoven sets record of female throwing a baseball (252’4½”)
1957-12-28 - CBS states it won’t broadcast baseball where Minor League games are on
1958-01-30 - Baseball announces players & coaches rather than fans pick all stars
1959-05-15 - 100th anniversary of 1st college baseball game, between Amherst & Williams Teams reenact the original contest
1960-04-19 - Baseball uniforms begin displaying player’s names on their backs
1961-11-26 - Pro Baseball Rules Committee votes 8-1 against legalizing the spitball
1962-02-04 - Russian newspaper Izvestia reports baseball is an old Russian game
1962-06-10 - A record 54 home runs hit in baseball
1963-02-27 - Mickey Mantle of NY Yankees sign a baseball contract worth $100,000
1963-06-09 - 1st Sunday night game in baseball SF Giants lose to Houston Colts 3-0
1963-09-06 - Major league baseballs 100,000th game
1967-08-21 - Ken Harrelson becomes baseball’s 1st free agent
1968-02-21 - Baseball announces a minimum annual salary of $10,000
1968-04-08 - Baseball’s Opening Day is postponed because of M L King assassination
1969-02-25 - Pension plan for baseball is agreed to
1969-04-08 - 1st Baseball game in Canada – Mont Expos beats NY Mets 10-9
1969-04-14 - 1st major league baseball game outside US played (Montreal Canada)
1970-05-30 - Baseball All-Star voting is returned to fans
1970-08-12 - Curt Flood loses his $41 million antitrust suit against baseball
1970-10-03 - Baseball umpires call their 1st strike
1971-06-21 - Indians Ken Harrelson retires from baseball to play pro golf
1971-08-10 - 16 baseball researchers form Society for American Baseball Research
1972-01-13 - Former umpire, now housewife Bernice Gera wins her suit against baseball, initiated on March 15, 1971 to be allowed to umpire
1972-06-18 - US Supreme Court, 5-3, confirms lower court rulings in Curt Flood case, upholding baseball’s exemption from antitrust laws
1972-06-25 - Bernice Gera becomes 1st female umpire in pro baseball
1973-05-08 - Ernie Banks fills in for Cubs mgr Whitey Lockman who is ejected during the game, thus technically becoming baseball’s 1st black manager
1974-02-11 - 1st baseball arbitration Twins pitcher Dick Woodson seeking $29,000 wins, Twins offered $23,000
1974-12-02 - Cowhide, rather than just horsehide, can be used to make baseballs
1975-04-08 - Frank Robinson debuts as 1st black baseball mgr (Cleve, beats NY 5-3)
1975-05-04 - Houston’s Bob Watson scores baseball’s one-millionth run of all time
1979-03-09 - Bowie Kuhn orders baseball to give equal access to female reporters
1981-08-29 - Phillies minor leaguer Jeff Stone steals pro baseball record 121st base en route to 122 (Spartanburg (South Atlantic League))
1983-01-18 - IOC restores Jim Thorpe’s Olympic medals 70 years after they were taken from him for being paid $25 in semipro baseball
1984-08-07 - Japan beats US for olympic gold medal in baseball
1987-02-25 - LaMarr Hoyt is banned from baseball for 1987, due to drug abuse
1987-05-01 - 46 HRs hit in 13 baseball games
1987-06-24 - Salt Lake City Trappers begin pro baseball record 29 consec win streak
1991-09-04 - Panel of 8 baseball experts vote to drop asterisk next to Roger Maris HR record & determine an official no hitter must go at least 9 innings
1994-07-16 - Baseball Night in America premieres (no Saturday day games)
1994-07-23 - Longest baseball rain delay (3:39) as Giants beat Mets 4-2 in NYC
1994-12-23 - Baseball owners impose salary cap, fiercely opposed by players
1996-04-03 - St Francis Fighting Saints scores college baseball run record 71-1
1997-04-20 - 1st baseball game in Hawaii, Cards beat Padres in doubleheader
1997-06-09 - Detroit Tigers baseball team bat out of order against Oakland A’s in 1st inning
Ken Bland, I think you are right on the money with your comments about Charlie’s contract. If you want to discuss that and other relationships, please contact Gwen. Thanks. I hope 2011 is a good year for you and the Phils.
I was curious how Cliff’s 22-3 CY AL season would match up with the top 20 Phils seasons had it taken place here.
Wondered how it compared with Doc’s place, and if he’d have had any chance at the top 2 spots, still forthcoming.
Now obviously, it was a great year. 22-3 speaks volumes in any era, any stat barometer applied.
But I might suggest it wasn’t so sparkling that I’d conclude that Cliff isn’t a better pitcher now, and he doesn’t win a top 20 spot automatcially.
ERA of 2.54. Maybe excellent, certainly very good. Wasn’t the King at like 2.13 this year? WHIP 1.11. Excellent, but not smashingly noteworthy, and Cliff seems to be better now than then. He actually is. You’ll recall this year, he walked batters as often as lights turn green as I approach the intersection. 4 CG, half of what Doc did this year. 223 IP, not bad, not historic.
I don’t think the 22-3 was Cliff’s career year. That might have been somewhere in the last 2 seasons, when he really became a pitcher extraordinaire, no matter how much the numbers might defy that. Hopefully, it’s this year.
Let’s just say it speaks volumes about the year Doc had, and the years the anticipated top 2 on the list have, particularly considering that in either case, you could have selected either of at least 2 seasons from them.
All that said, and due respect to Doc, in his own way, Cliff is the man.
3 months from today, Doc against Houston. 3 months and a day, Cliff versus Houston. Wow.
Total typos for the year……ZERO!
From 81 years ago now, a radio interview with Tyrus Raymond Cobb.
One interesting thing to me from the interview was his reply to what pitcher was toughest to hit. He mentions 3 junkball lefthanders, which was of course long before Casey Stengel implemented a R-L platoon system that guys like Gene Mauch took to higher levels. So lefty-lefty matchups were tough for the highest career average hitter in history, but nothing revolutionary came out of it for another 20 plus years.
http://www.baseballspast.com/film/cobb.html