Casual Diehard

A fun night at the ballpark, right before I had shoulder surgery the next day. As the week draws to a close, I can wiggle my right fingers, but the arm is still numb, so apologies that there’s not a real written accompaniment here. But that’s okay, it’s a podcast, and Lindsey is a great listen!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

Editor’s note: I had rotator cuff surgery and the feeling I’ve got is “out of it.” —Jesse

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

So, how about that Aaron Rodgers debut? Oof. Getting out of the Mets game and finding out that’s how it went… a strange time.

According to data from Stathead, there are 17 non-quarterbacks who have thrown more passes for the Jets than Rodgers’ single attempt before getting hurt. And here they are!

12: Tom Tupa (punter, 1999-2001)

7: Dick Christy (halfback, 1961-63); Brad Smith (wide receiver, 2006-10)

4: Jeremy Kerley (wide receiver, 2011-17); Jim Turner (kicker, 1964-70)

3: Josh Cribbs (wide receiver, 2013); Matt Snell (fullback, 1964-72); Al Toon (wide receiver, 1985-92)

2: Louie Aguiar (punter, 1991-93); Richie Anderson (fullback, 1993-2002); Leon Johnson (running back, 1997-2000); LaMont Jordan (running back, 2001-04); Braden Mann (punter, 2020-22); Curtis Martin (running back, 1998-2005); Steve O’Neal (punter, 1969-72); Bilal Powell (running back, 2011-19); Chuck Ramsey (punter, 1977-84)

Aguiar, Anderson, Christy, Johnson, and Jordan were unable to register a completion, with Aguiar, Johnson, and Jordan all getting picked off once. Snell also threw an interception, the only other one of this group to do so. Only three of these players threw for touchdowns: Smith, the former Mizzou quarterback, had one, while Tupa hurled two TD passes and both of Martin’s attempts turned into six points.

Just the other day, Bill Belichick rememberred Tupa’s exploits from Cleveland, but he was very much there on the Jets sideline the day that the punter saved the day with his two TD passes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

If the Mets’ 2-0 win over the Twins yesterday seemed like a high-wire act as far as shutouts go, that’s because Tylor Megill, Phil Bickford, Trevor Gott, Brooks Raley, and Adam Ottavino combined to pitch a four-hitter whose peripherals have rarely been seen in Major League Baseball.

The Twins got a triple by Willi Castro, had stolen bases from Alex Kiriloff and Royce Lewis, drew six walks, and left nine runners on base.

The last time that a team gave up a triple, at least two steals, half a dozen or more walks, and nine-plus stranded runners? It was September 26, 1984, in Montreal, where Kurt Kepshire went the distance for the Cardinals with seven hits allowed, seven walks, eight strikeouts, and so much traffic that the Expos left 12 men on base, including Andre Dawson at third after his triple (and a two-out walk to Gary Carter before Dan Driessen grounded out).

The 1976 Royals also got blanked at home by a hard-working Brewers trio of Bill Travers, Ray Sadecki, and Danny Frisella, failing to capitalize on a Frank White triple or seven walks, as they went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and White got thrown out at third on another play by Sixto Lezcano.

The Yankees blanked the White Sox, 1-0, in a 13-inning game on May 24, 1968, Bobby Cox scoring the winning run on a Sandy Alomar Sr. throwing error. Before that, it’s all pre-integration games: Giants-Dodgers in 1903, A’s-Browns in 1914, Cardinals-Pirates in 1916, Tigers-Browns in 1922, and Giants-Pirates in 10 innings in 1946.

That 1946 game is unique because Lee Handley had two triples off Giants hurler Monty Kennedy, who tossed a 10-inning complete game and was himself 2-for-3 with a double. Too bad for him and Pittsburgh, both came with two outs, and he was left at third each time, as were 10 other Pirates runners around the diamond. The Giants got the go-ahead run in the 10th when Sid Gordon walked, went to third on a Goody Rosen single, and scored on Jack Graham’s fly to center. It wasn’t a sacrifice fly because RBI flyouts were just RBI flyouts from 1940-54.

Is it weird that four of the nine all-time stressful shutouts of this type were thrown by New York teams? Maybe. It’s never easy around here, but it sure beats giving up 40.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

This pod has a bit of baseball, a bit of football, and a whole lot of F1 as we play a Press Your Luck style game — just the trivia part, we don’t have big board technology around here.

Go read Addy’s interview with John DeMarsico. It’s better than any silliness that would otherwise go here. If you’ve already read it, thank you, enjoy the weekend, and tell a friend to subscribe!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

After a fun Week 1 of the college football season, which included a one-point safety in Kansas (we didn’t find out about this until after the show), and Texas-Permian Basin scoring 96 points in sportsmanlike fashion (we did talk about this on the show), we’re playing a game of our own.

How does Brian Ferentz Bingo work? Iowa needs to average 25 points a game, and win seven, for their nepo baby offensive coordinator to keep his job. If he fails, he’ll probably be promoted, but whatever, that’ll be for later. Anyway, a bingo card has 25 squares, and Brian is the Free Space for this game. To play, we pick five teams, and their scores — points for and against — are your bingo numbers. So, you’re getting 10 bingo balls a week, basically, to try to fill your card.

In addition to drafting teams, we asked our audience for help determining their character alignments, which you see at the top of the Substack post, and here our bingo cards marked accordingly for the season so far…

Hawai’i is doing all the work for Lily so far, Britt has gotten on the board with every team, Ole Miss scored too many points to help Keelin, and Jesse got a shock high score with Cal.

This week’s slate…

Lily: Albany at Hawai’i, Nebraska at Colorado, UCLA at San Diego State, Duquesne at West Virginia, Southern Illinois at Northern Illinois

Britt: Eastern Washington at Fresno State, Air Force at Sam Houston, Nicholls at TCU, Tulsa at Washington, Appalachian State at North Carolina

Jesse: Youngstown State at Ohio State, UC Davis at Oregon State, Troy at Kansas State, Southern Miss at Florida State, Auburn at Cal

Keelin: Nebraska at Colorado, Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky, Auburn at Cal, Houston at Rice, Ole Miss at Tulane

If you’d like to play along, here are nine bingo cards (Jesse and Keelin picked card 4, Lily picked card 7, and Britt picked card 8).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

With Ronald Acuña Jr. last night becoming the charter member of the 30-60 club (and adding his 62nd stolen base, to boot), a quick look at the most home runs for each round number of stolen bases…

* 130: Rickey Henderson, 10-130, 1982 A’s

* 120: Henderson, 10-130, 1982 A’s

* 110: Henderson, 10-130, 1982 A’s

* 100: Henderson, 10-130, 1982 A’s

* 90: Harry Stovey, 12-97, 1890 Boston Reds (Players League); modern record: Tim Raines, 11-90, 1983 Expos

* 80: Henderson, 28-87, 1986 Yankees

* 70: Henderson, 28-87, 1986 Yankees

* 60: Acuña, 30-62, 2023 Atlanta

* 50: Eric Davis, 37-50, 1987 Reds

* 40: Alfonso Soriano, 46-41, 2006 Nationals

* 30: Larry Walker, 49-33, 1997 Rockies

* 20: Ken Griffey Jr., 56-20, 1998 Mariners

* 10: Barry Bonds, 73-13, 2001 Giants

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

Hey, it’s Jesse. I usually don’t first-person these, since it’s Roger and Andrew’s podcast and I just like to do some notes in the space here… but also, today’s note is especially for the 8-year-old in my house, whose reaction to the Mets winning last night on DJ Stewart getting hit by a pitch was, “has that ever happened before?”

“A walkoff hit by pitch?” I replied. “Yeah, it happens sometimes.”

“That exact situation?”

“It’s got to be the bases loaded, so, yes?”

“The Mets against the Rangers?”

“Well, I doubt that. They haven’t played each other too much.”

Indeed, the Mets’ previous three wins on a walkoff HBP came against the Marlins in the 2021 home opener (Michael Conforto by Anthony Bass), the A’s in 2011 (Justin Turner by Brad Ziegler), and the Cardinals on April 23, 1992 (Daryl Boston by Juan Agosto).

Wait just a minute. Daryl Boston hit by Juan Agosto? That was part of Monday’s note, because the runner who scored was Rodney McCray, a pinch-runner.

Conforto is the only batter of the four who was hit in the ninth inning, so McNeil is the first Manfred Man to score a game-winning run on an HBP in Mets history (the others were both in 13th innings, pre-baseball shootout rule). McNeil hit the home run that tied the game against the Marlins two years ago, and pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme singled and eventually scored when Conforto leaned over the plate for the win. Lucas Duda singled and came around on the Turner plunking, so the Mets have had all manner of baserunners bring home wins this way.

All four of these Mets rallies do share in common an intentional walk, and the one that Joe Torre and the Cardinals gave to Charlie O’Brien did show that little bit of strategy that came into play before the automatic free pass: Juan Agosto throwing pitchouts to Tom Pagnozzi, rather than Pagnozzi doing the old stand-and-shuffle move. Tim McCarver went so far as to describe it as an “unintentional intentional walk,” but the official scorer gave it a full IBB. After all, there wasn’t an attempt to throw a strike on ball four, it was purposely outside.

The Mets are now 4-4 in games with a walkoff HBP, and haven’t lost a game this way since 2014, when Jeurys Familia drilled Hank Conger with the bases loaded in the 11th inning in Anaheim — one of three walkoff HBPs in the majors that year, a record set in 1972, and tied in 1997, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2021. It’s the first time it happened this year, and it’s now happened at least once each of the last five seasons since a failure to get this shrimp varietal in 2018.

Jonny Gomes is the only batter to be hit by two pitches to end games: August 21, 2011 in Washington, by Phillies closer Brad Lidge; and April 11, 2012, in Oakland, by Jonathan Broxton of Kansas City. Only one pitcher has walked off twice after hitting a batter: Randy Moffitt with the Giants in 1972 (Joe Pepitone at Wrigley Field) and 1978 (Bill Russell at Dodger Stadium).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com

For reference, our episode in March was…

Over before it began. At least we kind of knew all along? Welcome back Colleen to the show, and here is the picture of Mr. and Mrs. Met with the mascots who visited Queens this week.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit willetspen.substack.com