San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds reacts after throwing out Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Dave Roberts during the fifth inning Monday, Sept. 16, 2002, at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
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In the millisecond before the gavel drops and another Major League Baseball record is tied or broken, the noise is always the same: a low death rattle, silence combined with the crowd’s racing heartbeat.
We heard it again on Tuesday, October 4, when the New York Yankees outfielder. Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run in Arlington by Texas Rangers pitcher Jesus Tinoc, passing Roger Maris for the most single-season home runs in AL history. Even in enemy territory, the anticipation was eerily quiet – even as the fans were just settling into their seats – after the deafening roar. The hit came during Judge’s first at-bat in the second game of a doubleheader at Globe Life Field.
Maris held the record since 1961.
But what about baseball’s more obscure records—of which there are many—ones that don’t cause such a nervous buzz?
Of course, every fan knows about it Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 career strikeoutsbut these are dumb, eyebrow-raising records.
While perhaps not as glamorous, they are a stark reminder that the game is forever evolving and that some records will likely remain frozen in baseball time.
Here are some of the untouchables.
89 base runners Jody Davis was caught stealing
In the 1980s, it was clear that you didn’t want to be caught sleeping with catcher Jody Davis. Or, in this case, stealing from him. In their careers, the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves have thrown out 445 players attempting to steal a base, an average of 44.5 per season.
It doesn’t seem big compared to the leader Roy Campanella’s rate is 57.40%.but in 1986, Davis shut it all down he threw out 89 runners in one season, according to MLB.com.
Fernando Tatis won two Grand Slams in one innings
St. Louis Cardinals fans know April 23 good.
It’s a celebrated date known as Fernando Tatis Day, marking a dizzying feat that no baseball fan will likely ever see again. It marks the day in 1999 when Cardinals third baseman Fernando Tatis hit — count ’em — two grand slams in not just one game, but one inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both were hit by pitcher Chan Ho Park.
“What would it be compared to?” This was announced by Dodgers announcer Vin Scully, according to MLB.com. “I don’t know how you can compare it to anything else. One inning is so ridiculous.”
Shohei Ohtani’s 30+ Home Runs, 10+ Pitching Wins
Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting phenom Shohei Ohtani has had a year that includes no concealment bet for eight innings on September 30.
But the major highlight came on August 31st, when a two-way player became the first major league player to hit 30-plus home runs and record 10-plus pitching victories in the same season as the Angels beat the Yankees with with a score of 3-2. August 31.
With his latest victory, Ohtani moved to 15 pitching victories, posting a 2.35 ERA with 213 strikeouts in 161 innings.
He is also hitting .275/.358/.529 with 34 homers and 95 RBI.
“I don’t even see this record happening unless it inspires the next generation of kids to believe they can to be the next Shohei Ohtani and do both [pitching and hitting] and get to where he’s going,” Fox Sports host Alex Curry said of Ohtani. Now he is a record book, and he continues to create his own records.”
Barry Bonds career 688 intentional walks
With all the referee news floating around, one name that is being brought up is the former San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds. Yes, we all know the number attached to his name, 73. Like 73 home runs in a season during the PED era. But there is another number.
688.
As in 688 career intentional walks.
And only in 2004 there were 232 of them.
According to USA Today, there’s a chance we won’t see that high a number nowadays thanks to analytics that have proven that intentional walks are a “bad strategy” in the game.
Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina with the 325-start battery record
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In September, one Cardinals duo made league history The 325th start together as battery mates — pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina. The first joint performance of the duo took place back in 2007.
“I think that record is pretty damn cool because I don’t see anyone touching it again,” Cards manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com.
“When you can be in the record book and know it’s never going to be touched, that’s pretty damn cool. Just being able to have the kind of career that Yaddy has had with the same team is a lot of years to get caught up in. And then Vaino, to be able to get close to those years … to hit 325, that’s a pretty cool record.”
