Baseball is known for its long and storied history, with countless records being broken over the years. However, there are also many unusual facts that have occurred throughout Major League Baseball‘s (MLB) history that often go unnoticed. Here are some of the weirdest, wackiest, and most interesting tidbits about America’s pastime.
The Weird and Wacky: Unusual Records in MLB History
1. The Most Consecutive Games Played – Lou Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games between June 1925 and April 1939, a record that still stands today. He only missed one game during his entire career due to an injury sustained while playing football.
2. The Longest Game Ever Played – On May 8-9, 1964, the San Francisco Giants faced off against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. The game lasted a whopping 23 innings before the Giants finally won it on a walk-off home run by Jim Ray Hart. It remains the longest game ever played in terms of both time and number of innings.
3. The Fastest Pitch Ever Thrown – In September 2017, Aroldis Chapman threw a pitch clocked at 105 mph, making it the fastest pitch ever recorded in MLB history.
Off the Beaten Path: Little-Known Facts about Major League Baseball
1. Babe Ruth Wasn’t Always Called “Babe” – George Herman Ruth Jr., better known as Babe Ruth, was actually given the nickname “Dutch” when he first started out in baseball because of his German heritage. It wasn’t until later in his career that he became known as “Babe.”
2. The First Night Game – On August 28, 1930, the Cincinnati Reds hosted the Philadelphia Phillies in what would be the first night game in MLB history. The game was held at Crosley Field and featured floodlights instead of traditional sunlight.
3. The Shortest Player Ever – Eddie Gaedel stood just 3 feet tall and weighed only 65 pounds, which made him the shortest player ever to appear in an MLB game. He walked twice in his lone appearance for the St. Louis Browns in 1951.
Bizarre Happenings: Strange Events that Shaped MLB History
1. The Disappearing Ballpark – Ebbets Field, once home to the Brooklyn Dodgers, mysteriously disappeared after the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958. All traces of the ballpark were removed, including the iconic scoreboard, leaving behind nothing but empty space.
2. The Curse of the Billy Goat – According to legend, a Chicago tavern owner named William Sianis placed a curse on the Chicago Cubs after they refused to allow his pet billy goat into Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series. The curse has persisted since then, with the Cubs failing to win another championship until their victory in 2016.
3. The Great Home Run Chase – During the summer of 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged in a thrilling race to break Roger Maris’ single-season home run record. Their epic battle captivated fans around the country and helped revitalize interest in baseball following the strike-shortened season in 1994.
Out of Left Field: Surprising Stats from America’s Pastime
1. The Only Perfect Game in Postseason History – Don Larsen pitched a perfect game during Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, becoming the only person to do so in postseason history. His performance led the Yankees to a 2-0 victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
2. The Highest Batting Average Ever – Ty Cobb holds the record for the highest batting average in MLB history, finishing his career with a .366 mark. He also holds the record for the most hits (4,191), runs scored (2,246), and stolen bases (892).
3. The Most Runs Scored in One Inning – On June 8, 1953, the Baltimore Orioles set a major league record by scoring 13 runs in the fourth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers. They went on to win the game by a score of 19-12.