10/1: Jim Johnson became the first pitcher in Major League history to record 50 saves with fewer than 60 strikeouts (Johnson only has 41 in 67 2/3 innings).
10/2: With his first inning double off Felix Hernandez on Monday night, Albert Pujols became the first player in Major League histroy to record at least 30 home runs and 50 doubles in 3 different seasons.
10/3: Of those to have stolen a base in four different decades, Ted Williams is the only one not to have at least 25 career steals. Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, and Omar Vizquel are the only others to accomplish this feat.
10/4: Miguel Cabrera and his league leading 139 runs batted in were 19.1% of the Tiger's total runs scored this season (726). This is the highest single season percentage total since runs batted in became an official statistic in 1920.
10/5: Since 1995, teams with the home field advantage in the regular season have won 53.936 % of those games. One would probably think with increased attendance and exploitation of one's own ballpark, home field advantage rates would be much higher in the playoffs than that of the regular season. However, during that same time frame, only 53.986% of teams win home games in the postseason, or a 5 hundredths of a percentage increase.
10/8: Of the 23 occurrences of catcher interference this season, Rockies outfielder Tyler Colvin has been a victim 6 times (26% of all catcher interference have involved Colvin).
10/9: Miguel Cabrera lead the majors with 44 home runs this season en route to the triple crown. Even with Prince Fielder batting behind him, Cabrera was intentionally walked 17 times. In Roger Maris' historic 1961 campaign in which he set the record for most home runs in a single season, he was never intentionally walked (Mickey Mantle batted behind him).
10/10: On Monday, Carlos Beltran hit two home runs for the Cardinals as St. Louis routed the Nationals 12-4. This marked the third time Beltran has had a multi-homer game in postseason play, joining Babe Ruth (4 times with the Yankees) and Manny Ramirez (2 times with the Indians, once with the Red Sox). However, Beltran is the only player to accomplish such a feat while wearing three different uniforms (Astros, Mets, Cardinals).
10/11: Raul Ibanez became the first player in postseason history on Wednesday night to hit a home run in the 9th inning and extra innings in the same game. He is also the first Yankee to hit a game-tying home run in the 9th inning or later of a postseason game since Alex Rodriguez in 2009. Ironically, Rodriguez was the man Ibanez pinch hit for in the 9th inning of Wednesday night's game 3 of the ALDS.
10/12: After completing an amazing comeback against the Nationals in Game 5 of the Division Series, the Cardinals are the only team in major league history to overcome a deficit of five or more runs to win a deciding game. Additionally, St. Louis is only the second team to win a deciding game while being behind by two or more runs in the ninth inning.
10/15: In the final 9 games of the regular season, Robinson Cano hit for a .615 batting average. However, in the postseason, Cano has set a new major league record for the longest base hit drought in a single postseason. He is 0 for his last 26 in the 2012 playoffs, and batting .063 overall (2-32).
10/16: This day in baseball history (October 16th), the New York "Miracle" Mets clinched its first World Series Championship after spending years in the cellar of the National League. Of course, the clinching game 5 involved the infamous "shoe polish play." Mets outfielder Cleon Jones appeared to get hit by a pitch on the foot but was not given first base since umpire Lou Dimuro believed it hit the dirt. Mets Manager Gil Hodges then showed Dimuro that shoe polish was transferred from Jones' shoe to the ball, thus proving that Jones was hit by the pitch. Jones was then promptly awarded first base.
10/18: The term "southpaw" (an expression describing a left-handed pitcher) is said to have originated from a saying that lefties finished throwing a baseball while facing south.
10/19: Nineteenth century pitcher, William "Candy" Cummings, is credited with inventing the curveball for the Brooklyn Excelsiors in 1867. This breakthrough allowed Cummings to develop into a Hall of Fame talent, as well as completely changing the game forever.
10/21: Newly acquired Diamondback, Heath Bell, led the Miami Marlins with 19 saves. The Marlins were one of three teams that did not have any pitcher record at least 20 saves this season, joining the Twins (Glen Perkins- 16 SV), and the Astros (Brett Myers- 16 SV).
10/22: More people have visited the moon (24) than there have been perfect games pitched (21).
10/23: On Monday night in game 7 of the NLCS, Marco Scutaro had 3 hits to tie an LCS record with 14 hits in the entire series, on his way to MVP. He also joined Mike Piazza as the only two players in MLB history with at least a 20-game hitting streak in the regular season and a 10-game hitting streak in the postseason. He also holds a new series record with 6 multi-hit games in the 7 game series.
10/24: Prior to taking the Yankees managerial position in 1995, Joe Torre had a career winning percentage of .471 with no pennants or World Series titles. Yet, during his extremely successful tenure as manager of the Yankees, he had a .605 winning percentage and finished his career with a .538 winning percentage, 6 pennants, and 4 World Series championships.
10/25: In a historic Game 1 performance, the Giants Pablo Sandoval became the fourth player to have a three home run game in the World Series, joining Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols. However, Sandoval is the first to accomplish the feat in his first three at-bats of the game.
10/26: Walter Johnson holds the record for most three pitch innings, with four occurrences of such a feat.
10/2: With his first inning double off Felix Hernandez on Monday night, Albert Pujols became the first player in Major League histroy to record at least 30 home runs and 50 doubles in 3 different seasons.
10/3: Of those to have stolen a base in four different decades, Ted Williams is the only one not to have at least 25 career steals. Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, and Omar Vizquel are the only others to accomplish this feat.
10/4: Miguel Cabrera and his league leading 139 runs batted in were 19.1% of the Tiger's total runs scored this season (726). This is the highest single season percentage total since runs batted in became an official statistic in 1920.
10/5: Since 1995, teams with the home field advantage in the regular season have won 53.936 % of those games. One would probably think with increased attendance and exploitation of one's own ballpark, home field advantage rates would be much higher in the playoffs than that of the regular season. However, during that same time frame, only 53.986% of teams win home games in the postseason, or a 5 hundredths of a percentage increase.
10/8: Of the 23 occurrences of catcher interference this season, Rockies outfielder Tyler Colvin has been a victim 6 times (26% of all catcher interference have involved Colvin).
10/9: Miguel Cabrera lead the majors with 44 home runs this season en route to the triple crown. Even with Prince Fielder batting behind him, Cabrera was intentionally walked 17 times. In Roger Maris' historic 1961 campaign in which he set the record for most home runs in a single season, he was never intentionally walked (Mickey Mantle batted behind him).
10/10: On Monday, Carlos Beltran hit two home runs for the Cardinals as St. Louis routed the Nationals 12-4. This marked the third time Beltran has had a multi-homer game in postseason play, joining Babe Ruth (4 times with the Yankees) and Manny Ramirez (2 times with the Indians, once with the Red Sox). However, Beltran is the only player to accomplish such a feat while wearing three different uniforms (Astros, Mets, Cardinals).
10/11: Raul Ibanez became the first player in postseason history on Wednesday night to hit a home run in the 9th inning and extra innings in the same game. He is also the first Yankee to hit a game-tying home run in the 9th inning or later of a postseason game since Alex Rodriguez in 2009. Ironically, Rodriguez was the man Ibanez pinch hit for in the 9th inning of Wednesday night's game 3 of the ALDS.
10/12: After completing an amazing comeback against the Nationals in Game 5 of the Division Series, the Cardinals are the only team in major league history to overcome a deficit of five or more runs to win a deciding game. Additionally, St. Louis is only the second team to win a deciding game while being behind by two or more runs in the ninth inning.
10/15: In the final 9 games of the regular season, Robinson Cano hit for a .615 batting average. However, in the postseason, Cano has set a new major league record for the longest base hit drought in a single postseason. He is 0 for his last 26 in the 2012 playoffs, and batting .063 overall (2-32).
10/16: This day in baseball history (October 16th), the New York "Miracle" Mets clinched its first World Series Championship after spending years in the cellar of the National League. Of course, the clinching game 5 involved the infamous "shoe polish play." Mets outfielder Cleon Jones appeared to get hit by a pitch on the foot but was not given first base since umpire Lou Dimuro believed it hit the dirt. Mets Manager Gil Hodges then showed Dimuro that shoe polish was transferred from Jones' shoe to the ball, thus proving that Jones was hit by the pitch. Jones was then promptly awarded first base.
10/18: The term "southpaw" (an expression describing a left-handed pitcher) is said to have originated from a saying that lefties finished throwing a baseball while facing south.
10/19: Nineteenth century pitcher, William "Candy" Cummings, is credited with inventing the curveball for the Brooklyn Excelsiors in 1867. This breakthrough allowed Cummings to develop into a Hall of Fame talent, as well as completely changing the game forever.
10/21: Newly acquired Diamondback, Heath Bell, led the Miami Marlins with 19 saves. The Marlins were one of three teams that did not have any pitcher record at least 20 saves this season, joining the Twins (Glen Perkins- 16 SV), and the Astros (Brett Myers- 16 SV).
10/22: More people have visited the moon (24) than there have been perfect games pitched (21).
10/23: On Monday night in game 7 of the NLCS, Marco Scutaro had 3 hits to tie an LCS record with 14 hits in the entire series, on his way to MVP. He also joined Mike Piazza as the only two players in MLB history with at least a 20-game hitting streak in the regular season and a 10-game hitting streak in the postseason. He also holds a new series record with 6 multi-hit games in the 7 game series.
10/24: Prior to taking the Yankees managerial position in 1995, Joe Torre had a career winning percentage of .471 with no pennants or World Series titles. Yet, during his extremely successful tenure as manager of the Yankees, he had a .605 winning percentage and finished his career with a .538 winning percentage, 6 pennants, and 4 World Series championships.
10/25: In a historic Game 1 performance, the Giants Pablo Sandoval became the fourth player to have a three home run game in the World Series, joining Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols. However, Sandoval is the first to accomplish the feat in his first three at-bats of the game.
10/26: Walter Johnson holds the record for most three pitch innings, with four occurrences of such a feat.
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