Strange Trivia in Sports - Baseball

Some strange trivia, facts, records, and events in the history of the sport of Baseball.

BASEBALL

Harriet Smith of the Hollywood Girls pitched 200 games in one season, in 1931, and threw 83 innings in one week.

A record commonly thought to be held by Bob Feller and Nolan Ryan is really held by Mark Koenig, 2nd baseman for the New York Yankees. In establishing the record for the fastest pitch, both Feller and Koenig were measured by the same U.S. Army machine. Feller's fastest pitch was measured at 98.6 mph; Koenig was measured 16 years earlier at 127 mph. (Koenig's record is rarely recognized.)

The one-inning stolen-base record by a team was set by Washington (AL) in 1915, and tied by Philadelphia (NL) in 1919. Each team stole 8 bases in one inning.

Duke Farrell, catcher, once threw out 8 men trying to steal during the course of a single game.

The all-time record for stolen bases in one season was set by Jimmy Johnston of the San Francisco Seals (CL) in 1913. Johnston stole 124 bases during the 201-game season. In 1974, Lou Brock of the St. Louis Cardinals (NL) stole 118 bases in a 154-game season.

Arthur Leonard, who played with Boston (NL) in 1876, made 8 errors in one game.

The record for most errors in a game by one team is 12, held jointly by Detroit (AL) and Chicago (AL). Detroit mishandled the ball 12 times in a game v. Chicago, May, 1901, and Chicago tied the record in a game against Detroit, May, 1903.

A line drive travels 100 yards in 4 seconds flat. A fly to the outfield travels 98 yards in 4.3 seconds.

A record for catching a baseball was made in 1931 by Joe Sprinz of San Francisco (PCL). He caught a ball dropped out of a blimp 800' above the ground; besides breaking into the record books, Sprinz also broke his jaw as a result of the ball's velocity.

Leonard Ballard, who pitched in the Northwestern League during the 1914 season, tossed 74 consecutive innings without giving up a base on balls.

Pitching for East Rowan High, Salisbury, N.C., Phil Robbins threw a no-hitter in which he struck out 19 and picked off a player who'd gained a walk; the only other out of the 7-inning game was a pop foul to the catcher. His opponents, Monroe High, failed to hit a ball into fair territory.

The old Philadelphia Athletics baseball team scored 261 runs in one day. In a double-header on October 20, 1865, they defeated Williamsport 101-to-8, and followed up by crushing Danville 160-to-11.

Babe Ruth once clouted 125 home runs in one hour. In February, 1927, before an exhibition game at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles, the Babe stood at the plate for one hour while 6 different pitchers hurled at him, and he banged out 2 home runs every minute.

In the 1880s, there was a major league pitcher named Hugh Daly. His 5-year career saw a no-hitter and a game in which he struck out 16 men during a time when 4 strikes were required to get a strikeout. Hugh Daly had only one arm.

In a 1940 game between Jersey City and Montreal, a Jersey hitter laid down a slow rolling bunt which crept along the 3rd base line while 2 runners scored. The Montreal 3rd baseman, Bert Haas, waited as long as possible for the ball to roll foul. Finally, he saw that it would stay fair by an inch or so, and the runs would count. Haas lay down on the ground and blew at the ball with all his might; his breath pushed the ball foul and the umpires ruled in his favor. The runs didn't count.

Lindy Chappoten, a pitcher in the class D Sooner State League, was traded by the Shawnee Hawks to the Texarkana Bears of the Big State League. In return for the young Cuban pitcher, the Hawks received 20 uniforms. Shortly after, Chappoten won 20 games-one per uniform.

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