Adam Moore

Scott Gload

Odd Facts from the 2010 Season

• April 11: Mariners C Adam Moore was called for catcher's interference on Rangers OF David Murphy in the second inning of the game in Arlington. Murphy came around to score one of Texas's four runs in the frame. The very next inning, Moore was called for interference again. The batter? Murphy, who at least didn't score that time.
• June 23: Dodgers C Russell Martin was ejected after an interleague game with the Angels ended at Dodger Stadium. With the Dodgers trailing by a run and Reed Johnson on second and Martin on first, Jamey Carroll blooped a hit into LCF. Angels LF Juan Rivera fielded the ball and threw behind Martin who had rounded second. Martin was tagged out before Johnson scored the tying run. Johnson had eased up somewhat between third and home. Martin slammed his helmet to the ground after his blunder, causing 2B umpire Jim Reynolds to eject him. Martin was eligible to play in the next game but was subject to a fine.
  Two days later, another Dodger, 1B James Loney, was tossed after the game ended when he argued a Mariano Rivera third strike call by umpire Phil Cuzzi in the Dodgers 2-1 loss to the Yankees.
• August 24: Ryan Howard of the Phillies was ejected in the 14th inning of a game with the Astros for arguing a third strike check swing call by umpire Scott Barry. Scott Gload, who was on the Disabled List, joined in and was ejected by umpire Greg Gibson.
  September 5: The Braves Chipper Jones, also on the DL, was dismissed after arguing balls and strikes with umpire Doug Eddings.
  In both cases, the player must serve a one-game suspension once he returns to the active list.

• 1915: Manager Joe Cantillon of Minneapolis Millers of the American Association swapped OF Bruce Hopper to the Chicago Cubs for a hunting dog. Cantillon got more use out of the dog than the Cubs did from Hopper, who never played a major league game.
• 1931: Joe Engel, owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association, traded SS Johnny Jones to Charlotte for a 25 lb turkey. Engel then served a turkey dinner to sportswriters. After the meal, Joe declared that Charlotte had gotten the better of the deal because the turkey was tough.
  
• 1953: St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck scraped to make a profit from his last-place team. He even had team treasurer Rudi Schaefer take out a mortgage on his house to allow the club to open the season. However, when the loan came due, the Browns didn't have the money to pay it back. So on June 13, Veeck traded P Virgil "Fire" Trucks and 3B Bob Elliott to the Chicago White Sox for $75,000 plus two marginal players. That paid the mortgage and tided the franchise over until Veeck sold it to owners who moved the club to Baltimore for the 1954 season.

Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves has had a solid major league career, although no one would call him Hall of Fame material. However, he does have something in common with a Hall of Famer.

• At the end of the 2010 season, Hudson had a 165-87 career record for his 12 ML seasons.
• That is exactly the same record compiled by Sandy Koufax in his 12-year career.
• Tim's best season win-wise was his second when he won 20 for the Oakland Athletics. He led the AL in victories that season as well as winning percentage (.769).
• After winning 92 games in six seasons in Oakland, Tim has spent the last seven years in Atlanta. His 17-9 mark in 2010 was his best with the Braves.

Whereas Hudson has been consistently good from the start of his career, Koufax made the Hall of Fame based on his last four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

• He won 25 games in 1963, then 19, then 26, and finally 27 before abruptly retiring because of elbow miseries that made pitching excruciatingly painful.
• Koufax struck out far more batters, 2396, in his 12 seasons than Hudson has - 1541.
• Sandy fanned over 300 batters in three of those last four campaigns.

Midway through the 1934 season, 10 of the 16 major league teams had player-managers. With the nation in the throes of the Great Depression, owners saved money by paying a player a supplement to manage rather than hiring a separate skipper.

Here's the list, including the manager's position and age.

National League - 6 clubs

• Chicago Cubs - Charlie Grimm 1B, 35
  
• Cincinnati Reds - Bob O'Farrell C, 37 (first 90 games until replaced)
• New York Giants - Bill Terry 1B, 35
• Philadelphia Phillies - Jimmie Wilson C, 33
• Pittsburgh Pirates - Pie Traynor 3B, 35 (took over after 51 games)
• St Louis Cardinals - Frankie Frisch 2B, 35.

American League - 4 clubs

• Chicago White Sox - Jimmy Dykes 3B, 37 (took over after 15 games)
  
• Detroit Tigers - Mickey Cochrane C, 31
• St. Louis Browns - Rogers Hornsby Util, 38
• Washington Senators - Joe Cronin SS, 27

Both 1934 pennant winners, the Cardinals and Tigers, had player-managers. In fact, the winning skipper was an active player for three straight years in both leagues.

The NL streak continued in '36 and '37 as Terry's Giants copped the flags. However, they faced the Yankees of Joe McCarthy, who never played in the big leagues.

6 of the 10 '34 player-managers are in the Hall of Fame: Terry, Traynor, Frisch, Cochrane, Hornsby, and Cronin.