MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

The Braves will start their season in Washington and finish up at home against … Washington.

 

“Nice group of stars you got there, San Diego. Here is our set of players who look like they work another job in the offseason.” - Cleveland Guardians

 

Best thing: intradivisional play is being sharply reduced to levels that accurately reflect the expanded playoff format, which has as many wild cards as division champs.

 

Don't forget he also has the fastest recorded infield throw (97.8 mph).

 

Knowing the distance traveled and time it took to reach the transformer for the right field light tower at Tiger Stadium based on the television recording, I'm surprised nobody's calculated a rough estimate of the exit velocity of Reggie Jackson's home run in the 1971 All-Star Game.

Just based on Curt Gowdy's call and the video, the ball hit the transformer in less than five seconds. That remains the hardest hit ball I've ever seen, and I'm not the only person who thought that.

From the SABR story:

"Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell called it the hardest-hit ball he’d ever seen. Longtime Detroit baseball columnist Joe Falls wrote, “Who will ever forget Reggie Jackson’s drive? I saw it when he connected, and right away I thought it was going out of the park. I lost it when it got up into the sky, and was disappointed when I saw it falling back to the field after striking the base of the light tower. You can’t hit a ball much harder than Reggie Jackson hit it.”1 Kaline, who had seen his share of shots at Tiger Stadium, observed, “It was the hardest hit ball I’ve ever seen in my life, here or anywhere else.”2 Senators slugger Frank Howard, also known for his titanic blasts, was in awe: “I think it would have gone 600 feet. … He crushed it.”3"

EDIT: Actually, somebody has. From a New York Times article:

"Jackson, who worked as an adviser to the Yankees from 1993 until earlier this year, when he took on a similar role with the Astros, has been told that the ball traveled between 560 and 580 feet. He said that a Yankees statistician/analyst once calculated that, based on where it went and how long it took to get there, the ball left Jackson’s bat at an exit velocity of 123 mph."

 

I know that Brett's homer off Gossage in the 1980 ALCS was the fastest exit velocity I ever saw in person, and am sure it's like top 3 all time.

 

Brett leaving the dugout after the pine tar out is the fastest exit velocity in Royals' history.

 

Bronx Bombers in Oakland tonight.

 

Is there anything he can’t do?

 

They were on a roll with those stats last night. They also had a list of career wins leaders for pitchers with last names starting with Ly, since Jordan Lyles was pitching against Lance Lynn.

 

Another springboard win for Baltimore last night in a season full of them.

Kyle Stowers' first MLB homer is a two-out, ninth-inning, game-tying blast off Chisox closer Liam Hendricks. And Felix Bautista, looking more dominant each time out, keeps the Chicago runner at second in both the 10th and 11th innings to set up the win.

 

Or if you’re a White Sox fan … another tough loss in a year filled with them. Second straight game the O’s hit a ninth-inning HR off Hendricks.