In The Media Guide

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.

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.