Welcome to the first installment of my Cubs stat mailbag. My mailbag will tackle stat, trivia and history-based questions. I figured I’d try something different. Who knows, maybe I’ll do one of these each month. Thanks to everyone who reached out to ask questions. Let’s get started.
@DrCubColclasure asks:
Which Cubs Pitcher of All-Time is the Oldest to Record a Strikeout in a Cubs Uniform?
Hall of Fame knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm. At age 48 years, 61 days on Sept. 25, 1970, Wilhelm struck out the Phillies’ Don Money to end the seventh inning. Wilhelm appeared in only three games for the Cubs and that was his only strikeout.
@PassonJim asks:
After Miñoso gets in the Hall of Fame, will Stan Hack be next on your list of players to support for Cooperstown? #AskKamka
No. Dick Allen is next, so let me address who the next former Cub could be. One could argue for Sammy Sosa, but I feel no matter how good a case I might present, it all hinges on a voter’s stance on the PED question, so I’ll pass. I think constructing a case for Rick Reuschel might be fun… but I think if I were to choose a former Cub to campaign for, it might be the Crime Dog, Fred McGriff. One of the National League’s finest first basemen for a long time.
MLB
@bleedcubbieblue asks:
Tommy La Stella set the #Cubs record for pinch hits in a season in 2018. He broke a record shared by Thad Bosley & Dave Clark. Who are the next 10 (or so) players on the #Cubs single season PH list? #AskKamka
I used the baseball-reference.com play index for recent seasons, and for the older seasons I relied on a great SABR article on pinch hitters. With everything I had to work with, here’s the list to the best of my ability.
Most Pinch Hits in a season, Cubs history
24 Tommy La Stella. 2018
20 Dave Clark, 1997
20 Thad Bosley, 1985
17 Jim Bolger, 1957
17 Merritt Ranew, 1963
17 Bob Will, 1962
16 Thad Bosley, 1986
16 Jesus Figueroa, 1980
16 Babe Twombly, 1921 (the SABR article says 15, but his gamelog says 16)
15 Champ Summers, 1975
15 Frank Baumholtz, 1955
14 Albert Almora Jr., 2017
14 Blake DeWitt, 2011
14 Dwight Smith, 1992
14 Chick Tolson, 1926
@Vndr3w_ asks:
Didn’t Derrek Lee set the record for most home runs with the fewest RBIs in a season? I swear i heard that somewhere.
No. Lee had 107 RBIs with 46 home runs in his fabulous 2005 season, which is 2.326 RBI for each home run (107 divided by 46). Only once has a Cub ever had at least 10 home runs in a season with fewer than twice as many RBI as home runs. That’s Kyle Schwarber with 30 HR, 59 RBI (1.967 RBI/HR) in 2017. And even that’s not a record. Here’s a chart with the fewest RBI per home run in a season, for minimum 10, 20 and 30 home runs:
Lowest season ratios of RBI to HR, MLB history
Players with at least 10 HR in a season: Wayne Gross (1985) 11 HR, 18 RBI, 1.636 RBI/HR ratio
Players with at least 20 HR in a season: Matt Olson (2017) 24 HR, 45 RBI, 1.875 RBI/HR ratio
Players with at least 30 HR in a season: Barry Bonds (2001) 73 HR, 137 RBI, 1.877 RBI/HR ratio
@PrazMaster asks:
At 2-0 all-time in the month of November, are the Cubs the only team in the 4 major sports leagues that is undefeated in a singular month over the course of an entire franchise history? #AskKamka
They are not. In baseball alone, the Cubs (2-0) are joined by the Astros (1-0), Royals (1-0) and Giants (1-0) in the “undefeated in November” club. The Cubs are the only one in this group with multiple wins though.
@maddon4prez asks:
Late last year, the #Cubs had 4 LHP in their starting rotation (Lester, Q, Monty & Hamels). I don’t recall that ever happening before on the north side. Was it the first time? #AskKamka
There had been a few times throughout history where the Cubs had four consecutive starts by lefties, but there were always spot starters mixed in. Once Cole Hamels joined the mix in August, it was the first time the Cubs ever had four lefties in a regular rotation.
@mikewiz1 asks:
#askkamka What was the Cubs record (and runs per game) last year with pitcher batting 8th vs 9th?
The 2018 Cubs had 153 games in which the starting pitcher batted. While they had a better record when the pitcher hit eighth, they scored over a run more per game when the pitcher hit ninth. In my opinion, I think it’s a coincidence; I don’t think the spot in the batting order could possibly account for anywhere near a run scored per game. Either way, here are the numbers:
Pitcher batting 8th: 32-22 (.593), 3.96 runs/game
Pitcher batting 9th: 57-42 (.576), 5.06 runs/game
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