In my collection, I currently have every Red Sox Media Guide
dating back to 1998. I love flipping through them to see what tidbits they
contain. I figured that if I liked it, you might enjoy taking a look along with
me. So, I had a random number generator select a page from the 2014 edition to
talk about today. The random number
generator selected pg 451.
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What a great page. This page has various home run records
for the Sox. They’re some of the obscure facts that announces throw out after a
strange feat is accomplished. Take, for example, the first section. Players who
have hit conventional and inside-the-park home runs in the same game. I was
actually at the most recent occurrence when Pokey Reese did it in 2004. After
he did it, or maybe just before, I’m sure the announcers brought up Tony Armas.
This category is more of a fluke thing than anything else, but it’s still
interesting.
The team home run highs is another one that gets the
curiosity running. You might assume that teams that hit lots of home runs hit
lots of home runs at home, and on the road. But, check out that 1977 club. It
has the record for home runs at Fenway, but doesn’t crack the top twelve on the
road. I wonder why. In fact, the same goes for the 1996, 1979 and 1970 teams.
So, apparently, they were very good at home. How about the other way? The
record holder for road HR is the 2003 team, and they finished sixth on the home
list. They hit a lot of home runs that year. The 2010 team was second on the
road, but dropped to twelfth at home. 2011 and 1998 didn’t make the home lists.
I wonder why there was such a difference.
Most at-bats without a home run is great. Pokey Reese gets
two in one game, but these guys never fall into one all year. Poor Jerry Remy.
The pairs to teammates chars is more fluky than anything. Teammates
who were together for a while and hit a lot of home runs hit a lot of home runs
in the same game (Rice/Lynn). Or, someone who hit a lot of home runs happens to
have hit one in lots of games another teammate did too. (Manny/Nixon,
Ortiz/Pedroia). So, while those lists don’t mean anything, really, they are fun
to look at and thing about. This all makes for a great page.
Just like every page.
I have the media guide from 1988 and 1990. Fun reading.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Sox teams that were more right handed teams were better at homers at home, while Sox teams that were more left handed would hit more on the road?
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