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Monday, April 14, 2008

Frank Thomas Makes MLB History

In the 7th inning, Frank Thomas stood at the plate and popped up to short. Another at bat, you say? Not at all. It was his 9,832 Plate Appearance of his career, and he’s never had a sacrifice hit. That breaks Harmon Killebrew’s old record of 9,831 PA without a SH.

Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:07 AM | 33 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Boileryard Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:46 AM (#2743244)

With the way the Blue Jays were bunting guys over on Sunday, Killebrew may have the record back by Monday night.

2. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: April 14, 2008 at 06:44 AM (#2743307)

Frank's getting really tired of everybody laughing at his inability to bunt.

3. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:08 AM (#2743324)

I wonder if he's ever even attempted to bunt in any context.

4. Joe Bivens, Schmoo from Massachoosetts Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:27 AM (#2743331)

No sac flies?

5. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:33 AM (#2743337)

Plenty of sac flies, but SF and SH are different stats.

I wonder if he's ever even attempted to bunt in any context.

Well, he has no SH, and I feel strangely confident that he's never tried to bunt for a single. Maybe he bunted once in a father-son game, though.

6. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:38 AM (#2743341)

Well, he has no SH, and I feel strangely confident that he's never tried to bunt for a single. Maybe he bunted once in a father-son game, though.

What I'm also getting at is I wonder if he's ever even been forced to do bunting drills.

And I really wouldn't be surprised if I heard he'd tried to bunt in his first couple of years up.

7. Mike Green Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:39 AM (#2743342)

"Well, he has no SH, and I feel strangely confident that he's never tried to bunt for a single. Maybe he bunted once in a father-son game, though."

That was no bunt with the pillow on the TV ad last year. He was swinging for the fences with those kids.

8. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:40 AM (#2743343)

I am pretty sure in the early 90's Frank was asked to bunt in a Brewers game. After failed attempts he got a hit. I searched the Journal archives but was unable to find anything.

Maybe I am getting senile......

9. Dan The Mediocre Posted: April 14, 2008 at 11:52 AM (#2743353)

Maybe I am getting senile......

If you are, then don't worry too much about what we think. You'll just be another Jack Keefe.

10. Pat Rapper's Delight Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:05 PM (#2743359)

If he can't get the bunt down, he should be taken out of the game. He's just not a clutch player. He is NOT a clutch player.

11. John DiFool2 Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:12 PM (#2743363)

What does "SH" stand for? "Sacrifice Hit"? Usually, there's no hit, and if there was, it would no longer be a sacrifice.

12. Joe Bivens, Schmoo from Massachoosetts Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:13 PM (#2743364)

Keefe isn't senile at all. He has a great memory.

13. Will Young Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:18 PM (#2743370)

From November 27, 1968's St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch "Martin: Killebrew Will Bunt" by Arno Goethel

There are all quotes from Billy Martin to the St. Mark's Men's Club after he had been hired to manage the Twins:

"Every player will work on the little things that help you win ballgames - like bunting. Knowing the type of person Harmon Killebrew is, knowing he wants to win - yes, he'll bunt."

"Of course,that's when the situation calls for it, like the eighth or ninth inning with men on first and third and we're maybe ahead one run and want another to make it a little more comfortable."

"I don't want to take the bat out of Harmon's hands and wouldn't order the bunt when he's on a hot streak." "If I get fired, I want it to be this Dago's fault, nobody else's."

And finally: "We'll try anything to win - EVEN CHEATING."

14. Hack Wilson Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:23 PM (#2743372)

Billy Martin, of course, is more famous for his reaction to a slugger bunting without his permission.

15. Eugene Freedman

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:37 PM (#2743381)

Most teams at the high school and college level have all players bunt the first pitch they see in batting practice then swing away after. I don't know if that continues at the ML level or even in the minors.

16. Joe Bivens, Schmoo from Massachoosetts Posted: April 14, 2008 at 12:56 PM (#2743396)

We used to bunt the last BP pitch, and run it out.

17. Cabbage Posted: April 14, 2008 at 01:07 PM (#2743404)

Frank was hitting the snot out of the ball basically right out of the gate. His first few years are right at the beginning of my baseball memories, so I wouldn't know for certain if he was always a middle-of-the-order guy.

Really, the only surprising thing is that during his years chasing batting titles, he never accidentally grounded to the right side, moved the runners over, and got a favorable mark from the scorer.

18. Nasty Nate Posted: April 14, 2008 at 01:12 PM (#2743412)

So a SH is really a sac bunt? but 'SB' was taken for stolen base? ok, that makes sense, but why is batters faced by a pitcher 'BFP' and not just 'BF'? the other pitching stats dont have 'P' tacked onto the end (imagine ERP, earned runs by the pitcher), does BF refer to some other stat?

Really, the only surprising thing is that during his years chasing batting titles, he never accidentally grounded to the right side, moved the runners over, and got a favorable mark from the scorer.

I dont think scorers ever give someone a sac for that play.

19. A triple short of the cycle

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 02:45 PM (#2743505)

Does this count for the Black Ink Test?

20. Cabbage Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:05 PM (#2743528)

I dont think scorers ever give someone a sac for that play.

Really? I mean, I know they're not supposed to. But I figured there might have been a check swing or something like that.

Maybe I just have a low opinion of home team scorers and favors for the stars.

21. Hello Rusty Kuntz, Goodbye Rusty Cars Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:15 PM (#2743537)

If you want my Hall of Fame vote, you have to play the game the right way.

22. Kirby Kyle Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:31 PM (#2743546)

Frank was hitting the snot out of the ball basically right out of the gate. His first few years are right at the beginning of my baseball memories, so I wouldn't know for certain if he was always a middle-of-the-order guy.

He was always a middle-of-the-order guy, batting between fourth and sixth after his callup. He didn't show as much power as expected in his first half-season with the Sox, but at Birmingham he hit .300 with power and a huge number of walks. That combination offered various ways to move runners over that are preferable to a sac bunt. His first major league hit was a triple, BTW.

23. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:34 PM (#2743548)

If you want my Hall of Fame vote, you have to play the game the right way.

You joke, but when Thomas was younger, he got regularly criticized in the press for not expanding his strike zone and trying to do things to move runners along and get them in. The Chicago media constantly accused him of being selfish and only caring about his own batting stats, as if he was the reason the Sox didn't win.

24. Toolsy McClutch Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:41 PM (#2743557)

I know it's the wisdom here that a walk is always great, but sometimes I would have preferred my big hitter to expand the zone in favourable counts. 2-0, 2-1, maybe look for a fastball outside the strike zone.

Giambi actually said much the same thing a while back, he's not looking for a walk, but for a pitch to drive. If it's outside the strike zone, and you can mash it, give it a try!

25. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 14, 2008 at 03:46 PM (#2743562)

I know it's the wisdom here that a walk is always great, but sometimes I would have preferred my big hitter to expand the zone in favourable counts. 2-0, 2-1, maybe look for a fastball outside the strike zone.

Thomas tried that sometimes. It always threw him into a slump until he went back to what made him successful.

26. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: April 14, 2008 at 04:27 PM (#2743599)

when Thomas was younger, he got regularly criticized in the press for not expanding his strike zone

Ted Williams heard the same thing.

27. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 14, 2008 at 04:36 PM (#2743604)

Ted Williams heard the same thing.

Yes. Williams had the good sense to tell the press to go #### themselves, though.

28. Harveys Wallbangers

Posted: April 14, 2008 at 04:37 PM (#2743605)

It amazes me how it has been largely forgotten that the Chicago press thought Frank was part of a "problem" as opposed to the solution.

29. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 14, 2008 at 04:42 PM (#2743611)

It amazes me how it has been largely forgotten that the Chicago press thought Frank was part of a "problem" as opposed to the solution.

I guarantee you that when it comes time, more than a couple of Chicago BBWAA members won't put him on their Hall ballot, because they'll forever see him as a problem.

30. Toolsy McClutch Posted: April 14, 2008 at 05:00 PM (#2743629)

Thomas tried that sometimes. It always threw him into a slump until he went back to what made him successful.

That's another thing I like to stick by, even when playing rec ball. If a guy isn't good at something, and doesn't want to do it, don't ask him to do it. I remember in the playoffs, we had this guy always looking for HRs, in any game situation. Everyone was calling out to him to hit it on the ground to drive in the running. I chirped up, told him to relax and play his game - everyone quieted down, he torqued up and... popped it up to second and we lost.

Still stick by it though.

31. SouthSideRyan Posted: April 14, 2008 at 05:11 PM (#2743638)

32. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: April 14, 2008 at 05:15 PM (#2743640)

You can bet your last dollar that at least one Chicago media idiot will mention how it wasn't a coincidence that the year the White Sox won the world series happened to coincide with Thomas going down for the year with an injury.

Mariotti has a Hall vote, doesn't he? I guaran-damn-tee you that he's not voting for Frank Thomas.

33. Srul Itza Posted: April 14, 2008 at 06:30 PM (#2743714)

Actually Mariotti wrote a column in the afermath of the steroid hearings, saying Thomas was a Hall of Famer because he was clean when he racked up his numbers.

Not that he won't change his mind later.

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Frank Thomas Makes MLB History

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