Currently historic: Let’s get medieval

Last week, we touched briefly on Mark Buehrle’s impressive run of consecutive season with 200 innings pitched. Very shortly, he will complete his 13th such season. Multi-season queries like this can take a bit, but thanks to THT’s James Gentile, I have some new fun numbers for you.

As soon as he gets to 200 innings this season, Buehrle will be in a nine-way tie for ninth all-time. Now, I tend to discount records before 1900, and if we do that, it becomes a six-way tie for eighth. If we narrow it to really modern baseball, then Mark Buerhle joins Greg Maddux as the only pitchers since 1980 to have such a streak. Remarkably, four such streaks (Don Sutton, Gaylord Perry, Phil Neikro, and Steve Carlton) ended in 1980.

The really remarkable thing about Maddux is that he managed 200 innings in both 1994 and ’95. The streak broke for Maddux in 2002 when he threw 199.1 innings. If he’d managed another two-thirds of an inning, he would have been able to tie in five more years, which would give him 19 straight and a tie for the top spot ever with Cy Young. (Oh, and if he’d managed just eight more innings in his last two years, he’d be the all-time record holder with 21. Crazy.)

Anyway, Mark Buehrle is actually having an historic run here. If he does it next year, he’ll jump into the top :ight and there will only be four pitchers ahead of him. That really is something.

—-

In non-historic things, Francisco Liriano keeps getting decisions: 22 starts, 22 decisions.

—-

Somewhat obviously, Yu Darvish keeps sliding up and down the K/9 ranking with each start. He slipped to ninth this week. But, you know, when you’re “slipping” to the ninth best season ever and when six of the eight names ahead of you are Randy Johnson, you’re probably doing something pretty solid. I like Yu Darvish. I wish he pitched the baseball for my favorite club of baseball men. I don’t think I’m alone there.

—-

Miguel Cabrera, when directly addressed last week, you did not come through. You were entreated to thwack many a thunderous and prodigious blast, but not single trot was made by you in all that time. Not one. Surely, surely, you have more in you. Where is the glory? Where is the shining baseball knight upon whom we have come to rely? Is he gone? is he vanquished? I do not know. Certainly, your crown will not be tripled this season and thus, your lands are shrinking. How long until you reside over a decaying, crumbling kingdom? Is this the dawn of ruination or merely an obstacle in your pursuit of greater glory? I know not. Only time will tell.

At least, valiant knight, you still lead in the stats of the slash. Well do you rule over that kingdom.

One lord has fallen, but is another tumble in the offing? The one they call Joey Votto has held sway over the kingdom of OBP for three full turns around the sun. A fourth seemed in the offing, and verily, the crown is still his, but a stranger from a distant land is challenging. And woe betide, it is from his own ranks that Joseph Daniel is challenged. Shin-Soo Choo, a comrade in arms, is mounting a worthy challenge and stands but five points from the Votto. Whatever may happen, only glory can come from this battle.

The season, it dwindles, my friends. it dwindles. Time was when homers and doubles of prestigious and historic numbers were raining down upon the land of Chesapeake, but as with the turning of the seasons, that rain has stopped, and we will watch for it no more.

—-

The Astros are going to finish with the second most strikeouts ever for a team. That is a given. They’re seventh now and will probably be second by the time we check in next week. There’s a big leap from second to first, though. The Astros, as of this moment, are on pace to finish with 1,524, which would be four short. It’s going to be very tight.

The more I read about errors and the more I think about errors, the dumber that stat seems. Still, the Orioles are pretty much a lead-pipe cinch to have the lowest error total ever this year, with the Rays also still in the conversation to become number two all-time.

A Hardball Times Update
Goodbye for now.

—-

The strikeout race is going to be very, very, very close. I still think it would be neat for two guys to make 200. Not sure we’ll see it. We do have a returning member of the club, however.

Chris Carter, 192 Ks, 215 K pace: At this point, the chances of Chris Carter breaking the record of 223 are very slim. However, 200 is in the offing and probably happening by next week.

Mike Napoli, 172 Ks, 191 K pace: Ouch. A real drop for Napoli. He might not stay on our list until the end of the season.

Chris Davis, 175 Ks, 197 K pace: Davis, on the other hand, is picking up the strikeout pace and looks like a real candidate to get to 200. Six games against Boston, whose staff has the fourth most strikeouts in baseball, could certainly help.

Pedro Alvarez, 172 Ks, 194 K pace: Speaking of games against high-strikeout staffs, Alvarez’s team will play the Reds six times in the last nine games of the season. The Reds have the third most strikeouts of any pitching staff in baseball.

—-

The list is really, really small now. Because, you know, there are like seven seconds left in the season.

Well, Derek Jeter broke himself again. He did, however, manage to get to 10th in hits all by his lonesome, though. Top 10 ever in hits just can’t be cheapened. That’s cool. I don’t fantasize much (that was a blatant lie you just read), but writing this, it’s fun to imagine being that far up this particular leader board.

Alex Rodriguez categories:
Hits: 2,933, currently 34th. One behind Jake Beckley.
Hit by pitch: 169, currently 15th. Three behind Carlos Delgado.
Times on base: 4,333, Currently 27th. Six behind Al Kaline.

Doubles:
Another week, another double. Todd Helton is now tied for 16th all-time with Rafael Palmeiro.

Stolen bases:
Michael Bourn needs two steals to reach 300.

Thanks for reading. As always, stats are through Monday’s games.


Jason teaches high school English, writes fiction, runs a small writing program and writes about education and literature. He also writes for Redleg Nation and both writes and edits for The Hardball Times. Follow him on Twitter @JasonLinden, visit his website or email him here.
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
AaronB
10 years ago

Jason, nice work as always, I enjoy following the #‘s. 

On the four SP’s who saw their 200IP streaks end in 1980…remember 1981 was the strike.  All four threw 200+ IP again in 1982.  Sutton pitched at least 200 until 1986 & threw 197 2/3 in 1987.  People can say what they want about him, but he was truly durable.

Perry: only had one more 200+ season in 1982, pitched 186 in 1983.  Carlton pitched 200+ until 1984, including 280+ in both 1982 & ‘83. 

Finally, the knuckleball master Neikro pitched 5 more 200+ IP seasons, until 1986 when he was 47.

Dave Cornutt
10 years ago

The Pittsburgh Pirates slacked off a tad last week and are 55 runs short of 90,000 all time.  If they maintain their season pace of 3.3 runs per game, they will score that 90,000th run against Cincinnati on September 27.

Jason Linden
10 years ago

Aaron –

Great catch. As I was one year old at the time, the ‘81 strike isn’t burned into my brain like ‘94-‘95.

Thanks for reminding me.

fenderbelly
10 years ago

You get a /slowclap for the Cabera bit. Well done.

MikeS
10 years ago

Buehrle’s chances took a little hit last night with his shortest outing of the year – 4 IP.  He should still get there as 10.2 IP in 2 starts should be no problem for him.

Gyre
10 years ago

“the more I think about errors, the dumber that stat seems”

as it is with all stats started by Newspaper Writers, aka All the News that Sells with Truth Optional.  This new stuff, it’s all GIGO, since the foundation is so rotten.