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Interesting Rarely Known Sports Facts/Tidbits Thread

HarleyQuinn

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I've always wondered what today's hitter could be like if they used bats from the Ruth/Wagner/Shoeless Joe era so this is kind of fascinating.

 

strummer

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The 2023 NY Jets currently have the worst 3rd down conversion percentage in league history since the merger (1970).
 

alkeiper

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Nolan Ryan threw 7 no-hitters but never won a Cy Young award.

Roger Clemens won 7 Cy Young awards but never threw a no-hitter.
The fewest baserunners allowed in a complete game is two. Four times by Ryan, twice by Clemens. Pitchers who have done it five times in the live ball era include Mark Buehrle, Mike Mussina, Catfish Hunter and Warren Spahn.
 

alfdogg

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Something I missed this offseason is that Garrett Temple joined the 12-team club when he signed with the Raptors, becoming the 6th member.

Ish Smith (13 teams) - HOU/MEM/GS/ORL/MIL/PHX/OKC/PHI/NO/DET/WAS/CHA/DEN
Chucky Brown (12 teams) - CLE/LAL/NJ/DAL/HOU/PHX/MIL/ATL/CHA/SA/GS/SAC
Tony Massenberg (12 teams) - SA/CHA/BOS/GS/LAC/TOR/PHI/NJ/VAN/HOU/UTA/SAC
Jim Jackson (12 teams) - DAL/NJ/PHI/GS/POR/ATL/CLE/MIA/SAC/HOU/PHX/LAL
Joe Smith (12 teams) - GS/PHI/MIN/DET/MIL/DEN/CHI/CLE/OKC/ATL/NJ/LAL
Garrett Temple (12 teams) - HOU/SAC/SA/MIL/CHA/WAS/MEM/LAC/BRK/CHI/NO/TOR

Only the Pacers and Knicks have never had any of these six players on their roster.
 

alkeiper

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Austin Hedges has somehow compiled 2,213 plate appearances with an OPS+ of 55. Batting average of .189, OBP of .246. That's the 14th worst in MLB history (min. 2200 PAs) and fifth worse in the expansion era.
 

Cackling Co Pilot Kamala

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No Eastern Conference team has five straight wins against the Celtics since 2007.

I guess that bodes well for Boston if Adam Silver ever decides to expand to nine game series!
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6

Kitrick Taylor earned a spot in Packer lore by catching Favre's first game winning toss. I didn't realize off hand that was one of only 2 catches he had that season.
As of last April, Taylor was still appearing at Green Bay flea markets and such off his moment of fame.
 

alfdogg

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Dana Barros had one career 50-point game and one career triple-double, both in the 1994-95 season for the Philadelphia 76ers. The 50-point came came against Houston, and the triple-double came against Orlando, the two teams who would meet in the NBA Finals that season.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
Fun story this AM on the radio from local broadcaster John Maino who has been covering the Packers on radio and TV for 40 years.
The topic came up of times Mike Holmgren blew his stack the most. Frankie Winters told Maino that he thought Coach was going to kill TJ Rubley in 1995 when he came in as 3rd string QB when Brett and Ty Detmer went down in the Metrodome. Rubley proceeded to audible out of a run and throw a pick, allowing the Viks to claim the ball and go on to win. (Supposedly Rubley was kicked off the team plane before leaving Minn.)

Maino then said back in 1996 he was hosting a weekly show starring Mark Chmura. Brett Favre came on as a guest. Coach Holmgren was watching while in bed that night. The next day Coach Mike called Maino and said "WAS BRETT DRUNK ON YOUR SHOW?!!?" "Not that I am aware of" "Well, he and Chewy told me YOU bought them beer!" This was when Brett was supposed to be sober. Not only was Brett visibly impaired on the show, but he was saying stuff like "My Dad was mad because he bet on the over in the game"
Maino said Chewy and Brett came in half in the bag and paid another sportscaster to go buy them more beer.

Then another long time DJ gave his story... As a stunt the DJ was sent to San Fran to host a show on their airwaves and a San Fran DJ duo came to Green Bay to run a show. (Before a GB/SF game obviously) So..... the San Fran DJs decided to tape a skit where they "went to Holmgren's house" and proceeded to "spank Holmgren's wife" on the air. Coach Mike was FURIOUS and stormed into the radio station and laid waste to everyone he felt was responsible for letting the stunt air.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

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I don't know how "interesting" this is, but today's internet rabbit hole taught me about Terry Dischinger, who was drafted by the NBA's Chicago Zephyrs (which became the Baltimore Bullets the following season and, ultimately, the Washington Wizards) in 1962. Dischinger was traded to Detroit after his second season and played one season with the Pistons before losing two years of his career due to service in the Army: the US, as most of you probably know, first sent troops into Vietnam in '65 and Dischinger, who had been enrolled in ROTC while at Purdue, was apparently called into service, although it looks like he was able to ride out his two years in Hawaii, on a glorified public affairs tour (Still and all, TYFYS). He returned to Detroit, where he was a shadow of the player he had been before his military service, and ultimately traded to Portland, where he played one season before retiring from the league. He became a dentist after his playing career was over (shout out to JJ Redick).

He was named Rookie of the Year in 1963, over future Hall of Famers Zelmo Beatty, Dave DeBusschere, Chet Walker and John Havlicek.
 

alfdogg

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Also an All-Star in each of his 3 season prior to serving. .506 career FG% is pretty damn good for a wing player in the 60's
 

strummer

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In their inaugural season of 1993 the Colorado Rockies were 0-13 vs. the Braves
 

alkeiper

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Teams that have gone 10 (or better) and 0 against one team in a season.

1970: Baltimore Orioles 10-0 KC Royals
1978: Baltimore Orioles 11-0 Oakland A's
1988: Kansas City Royals 12-0 Baltimore Orioles
1990: Oakland Athletics 12-0 New York Yankees
1993: Atlanta Braves 13-0 Colorado Rockies
1994: Montreal Expos 12-0 San Diego Padres
1996: Cleveland Indians 12-0 Detroit Tigers
1998: New York Yankees 10-0 KC Royals
1999: Texas Rangers 12-0 Minnesota Twins

Prior to expansion teams in an eight team league teams played each other as much as 22 times. Four teams pulled a 21-1 mark, most notably the '27 Yankees over the St. Louis Browns.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Per Charlie Campbell at Walter Football...

"In speaking to team sources, assistant general manager Rex Hogan was the one who pushed for the organization to take Wilson, and just this week, Hogan was fired. There were some voices in the front office who wanted the team to stick with Sam Darnold for one more season and select Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, or Penei Sewell.

Hogan is said to have swayed general manager Joe Douglas to draft Wilson. Hogan was fortunate that he stayed on as long as he had, but that was said to be in large part because Douglas’ wife is very close with Hogan’s wife, and the personal relationship held sway with Douglas before running out this week (3 months ago)."
 

HarleyQuinn

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The best pitching season of the 20th century was probably Walter Johnson in 1913. 36-7, 1.14 ERA, 15.2 bWAR. He also slugged .433, better than any individual on the team (with more than two at bats).
He was almost as good in 1912 but finished 3rd in the AL MVP behind Tris Speaker and "Big" Ed Walsh. Walter Johnson went 33-12 (vs. Walsh's 27-17) with a lower ERA - 1.39 vs. 2.15, drove in 8 more RBI, and a higher OPS of .701 vs. .600 for Walsh. The only positive for Walsh was that he threw 24 more innings, almost 3 games' worth at the time.

Bonus Fun Fact? Walter Johnson also hit 2 HR and had 2 SB that season.
 

alkeiper

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Batting Average On Balls In Play
Min. 1,000 games, since 1901

1. Ty Cobb .383
2. Joe Jackson .366
3. Rogers Hornsby .365
4. Rod Carew .359
5. Austin Jackson .355

The rest of the top ten is Harry Heilmann, Tris Speaker, Derek Jeter, Bill Terry and Christian Yelich. seven Hall of Famers, a former MVP, Shoeless Joe and a player who was basically a starter for five years. Genuine WTF.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Batting Average On Balls In Play
Min. 1,000 games, since 1901

1. Ty Cobb .383
2. Joe Jackson .366
3. Rogers Hornsby .365
4. Rod Carew .359
5. Austin Jackson .355

The rest of the top ten is Harry Heilmann, Tris Speaker, Derek Jeter, Bill Terry and Christian Yelich. seven Hall of Famers, a former MVP, Shoeless Joe and a player who was basically a starter for five years. Genuine WTF.
Austin Jackson also had a very weird split in that he hit .276 vs. RHP for his career (with a .361 BABIP) despite batting RH. He still hit a respectable .265 against LHP with a .342 BABIP.

Further deep dive nerd stats...
- He was a summer child hitting .286, .293(!), and .280 in June, July, and August for his career.
- Hit better lower in the order despite usually being a leadoff hitter. 6th = .281, .295 in the 7 hole, and .282 in the 8 spot over just 27 games.
- Hit .290 if there was 1 out in the inning in 1,409 PA
- Hit .315 when ahead in the count and still .278 in even counts
 

alfdogg

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With the Denver Nuggets dropping their first two games at home to Minnesota, here is a list of
defending NBA champions that were swept.

1957 Philadelphia Warriors (lost to St. Louis Hawks in West Finals)
1983 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Philadelphia 76ers in NBA Finals)
1989 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Detroit Pistons in NBA Finals)
1991 Detroit Pistons (lost to Chicago Bulls in East Finals)
1996 Houston Rockets (lost to Seattle Supersonics in West Semis)
2007 Miami Heat (lost to Chicago Bulls in first round)
2011 Los Angeles Lakers (lost to Dallas Mavericks in West Semis)
2012 Dallas Mavericks (lost to Oklahoma City Thunder in first round)
 

alfdogg

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Found this one on Reddit.

Many people's top 5 power forwards will include, in some order, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki. It was asked in a thread if there had ever been a player that had been teammates of all five. At first glance I thought there's no way in hell this could possibly have happened.

Which is true, but Michael Finley actually played with 4 of the 5. Played with Barkley in Phoenix as a rookie, then of course went on to play with Dirk in Dallas for several years. From there, he went to the Spurs and Tim Duncan, then played with KG in Boston in his last season.
 
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