Jinx Free Fantasy: A Record Doubly Broken

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 11:54 AM PDT

The odds may be long, but there is a chance that two A’s may break a single season record set by yet another A. Imagine if Sosa and McGwire were both Yankees when they broke Ruth’s record, and just dial down the testosterone a few notches.

In 1990, Dennis Eckersley pitched 73.1 innings while giving up 5 earned runs, setting a record for the lowest ERA (0.6136) by a pitcher who pitched at least 50 innings. That comes to 1 earned run for every 14.2 innings. Brad Ziegler has already broken that record, though it ain’t over till the season ends. In fact, if Ziegler reaches more than 58.2 innings, he will even be able to afford to give up another run while still breaking the record.

With Joey Devine there is less room for error, but he has a shot. If he pitches 3.1 more scoreless innings and reaches 44, he will have matched Eckersley’s ERA. If then he pitches 6 more scoreless innings, he will have broken Eckersley’s record. It may be hard for him to pitch 9.1 scoreless innings in only 13 games, but he certainly has a shot, especially if Geren will on occasion let him go more than one inning when his pitch count is especially low.

This season is pretty much a bust, so the record books is one of the last things we have going. Has it ever happened that two teammates broke a single season record in the same season? Has it ever happened that the record was itself set by someone on the same team? Has it happened that each of them were essentially rookies, pitching in their first full season?

Poll

When the season ends, Eckersley's single season ERA record will:

Remain unbroken

1 votes

Be broken by both Joey and Ziggy

7 votes

Be broken by Joey

2 votes

Be broken by Ziggy

24 votes

How dare you ask that question?

3 votes

37 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Does Ziggy get any ROY votes?

"The Athletics at Fremont" is really bad

by ArakSOT on Sep 15, 2008 1:03 PM PDT reply actions

Does Joey?

If Joey also breaks Eckersley’s record, it may somewhat diminish Ziggy’s accomplishment. OTOH, we must do right by Joey and give him his shot at the record books.

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions

I for 1

Would be very shocked if he didn’t get at least some votes.

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions

How many do you vote for?

Do voters rank their top 3 ROY for voting?

If so, I could see some votes, but if you just vote for your number one, I doubt they get any.

by Eggman on Sep 15, 2008 1:37 PM PDT reply actions

If I recall

They each get 3 votes, but I may be getting it confused with another award.

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions

ordinarily, I don't give two craps about postseason awards ...

… but I’d love to see Ziggy win ROTY.

cocky whacko @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 15, 2008 1:51 PM PDT reply actions

As for me,

I’d much rather see him break Eckersley’s record than win the silly ROY award.

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 1:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Too many ROYs go sour IMHO.

There are a lot of former ROY winners who are meh. A starting pitcher and 2 shortstops come to mind. All in the 2003-04 timeframe.

I see the future. I see cake.

by Blicks on Sep 15, 2008 6:45 PM PDT up reply actions

McGwire

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Sep 15, 2008 2:21 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks

My bad. I still have that bad pun in there…

by StevenD on Sep 15, 2008 2:33 PM PDT up reply actions

It would be awesome

if both Ziggy and Devine broke the Ecks record.

I say Geren run Devine out there to get that record broken. And not let Ziggy pitch so he has less capacity to give up the run.

I see the future. I see cake.

by Blicks on Sep 15, 2008 6:49 PM PDT reply actions

A definite no on not letting Ziggy pitch

I hope you’re just trying to be funny.

Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog

by Flashfire on Sep 15, 2008 8:56 PM PDT up reply actions

Let Ziggy Pitch!

To stop him would be cowardly. Besides, if he pitches another 5 innings he would be able to give up another run and still break the record.

However, this past Sunday we should have let Joey close out the game by giving him 2 innings. 9.1 innings in 13 games is pretty tight, and so we need to let him pitch more than one inning when we get the chance.

by StevenD on Sep 16, 2008 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions

This might need a little more attention

than it is currently getting.

It is- from what I can find- extremely rare for the same single-season record to be broken by two players during the same season. I found one such occasion (aside from the aforementioned 1998 HR Race), and the record-breakers were indeed from the same team, though the previous record was not held by a player from that club.

Before I get to that, a curious thing about ERA. I always thought that Bob Gibson’s 1.12 mark in ’68 set the standard, but it seems Dutch Leonard (0.96 in 224 IP for the ’14 Bosox) and Mordecai Brown (1.04 in 277 IP for the ’06 Cubs) have him beat. (Obviously Eck tops all pitchers with at least 50 IP, but these guys posted their numbers with much higher IP).

As for the season when two players from the same team broke a previously standing record, it was 1988. Entering that year the record for most balks in a season was held by Steve Carlton, with 11 in 1979. In 1988, three pitchers tied that mark, and four others passed it! The top two were Dave Stewart (16) and Bob Welch (13). Stew still holds the record, while Boston’s John Dopson balked himself into second place with 15 in 1989.

OK, this was slightly less exciting than I thought it would be.

I'm here to talk about the past.

by 67MARQUEZ on Sep 15, 2008 8:36 PM PDT reply actions

I think...

the reason Gibson’s record carries more weight is because Leonard and Brown had the advantage of a higher mound.

by WhiteElephants on Sep 15, 2008 9:02 PM PDT up reply actions

So did Gibson

1968 rules had a mound that was 50% larger than the current mound and a substantially larger strike zone to boot. It was an almost preposterously pitching-friendly environment.

Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.

by PaulThomas on Sep 16, 2008 12:40 PM PDT up reply actions

This needs a LOT more attention

Why didn’t Geren let Joey go 2 innings on Sunday?

Why isn’t everyone talking about this potentially unprecedented feat? I mean you Urban and Susser! Let’s face it, balks is not a record teams want to break. This is a record every team would love to have.

I was hoping more people would recommend this diary or start new ones on this theme, to help encourage/pressue Geren to give Joey his 9.1 innings over the next 13 games.

by StevenD on Sep 16, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I hope you're kidding

Sure, the risk level would be small, but why in Ba’al’s name would you, at the tail end of a losing season, over-pitch not merely a promising young reliever, but one who’s recently come off the DL?

Risk:reward ratio on that one is, in both sense of the word, irrational.

cocky whacko @('.')@

by monkeyball on Sep 16, 2008 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions