I wonder what the record is for consecutive times reaching base in a World Series.
It should also be noted that in extra innings, it doesn’t matter if you let 1, 2, 3 or 4 Dodgers score, any of those events means a walkoff loss for Toronto, and 1 is just as bad as 4. So there is much better incentive to walk Ohtani, as compared to the regular innings when it very much does matter in terms of limiting damage to just 1 run allowed vs a potential grand slam.
Again, according to the infallible ChatGPT, the record is nine, held by Billy Hatcher of the Reds in 1990, and David Ortiz of the Red Sox in 2013.
Except that now the record is ten, held by Ohtani. He singled in his last at-bat in Game 2.
(BTW, I tried to teach ChatGPT this, but it didn’t accept my thesis.)
I’m pondering the wisdom of revealing any strategy though I reckon it amounts to “Ohtani’s bat isn’t going to beat us” though that leads me to wonder if the Jays have a two run lead in the 8th they walk Ohtani with the bases loaded. I don’t particularly like Freeman, yet last nights game alone shows the Dodgers have lots of ways to beat you.
So technically Ohtani can extend it to 11 or more if he is again walked or gets a hit at his first at-bat tonight?
Yes. Or reaches on an error or is hit by a pitch or a few other ways.
Hell, he might get walked 5 times again tonight.
I agree. The article showed situations where the Dodgers win probability changed from 58% to 60% with the free pass (or whatever the numbers were—I’m not going back to confirm).
Sure, you want every statistical advantage you can get. I’m not one of those fogies who is offended by WAR, etc. But lifetime stat analysis that shows a real but modest “disadvantage” with an intentional walk has to be weighed against the fact that on this given night, Ohtani is locked in and killing you.
Don’t ignore the stats, but don’t be a slave to them either.
This.
Given 100 games, your collective outcome will tend to mirror the stats.
Given one game the outcome will happily thumb its nose at your stats.
Stats? STATS? We don’ need no steenkin’ stats! He’s gonna go 8 for 8 or 0 for 8 just because the law of small numbers says variance is unlimited. Neener!
Also, psychologically, pitchers need confidence, and the fact that Ohtani had gone 4/4 and hit two home runs and two doubles against Blue Jays pitchers that night would be affecting them mentally on the mound. If the pitchers feel the yips when throwing to Ohtani, might be better to walk him.
He hit a single in the 8th in game 2 after popping out into foul territory the previous at bat.
Ted Williams has the record for most consecutive games reaching base: hits, walks, hbp, I dunno catcher’s interference, whatever at 86 so more than DiMaggio’s 56 games with a hit.
A little harder to tell consecutive at bats (in season - Ohtani has the post season)
It could be Teddy Ballgame again, at 16 or in 1893 Frank “Piggy” Ward with 17. The above link refers to it as an “obscure stat” yet I guarantee there is Vegas action right now on how many Ohtani will get, esp. with Schneider saying he’s getting a free pass I suppose unless the Jays have a 10 run lead. Yet Ohtani could still get a hit or walked.
I recall some major fan and player frustration when guys like Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were deliberately walked more often than not.
I really don’t get the wisdom of pitching to Ohtani in the 7th (maybe 8th) after he has already had four extra base hits and was clearly smoking. The time to decide on walks was yesterday… the most boring game of baseball I remember.
And the benefits of saying this, if true, is.. what exactly?
Still, some epic stats from the game. The site below has more like this….
2: Freeman became the first player to ever hit two World Series walk-off home runs Monday night. Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in last season’s World Series opener against the New York Yankees. He is tied for the most in post-season history, with David Ortiz, Carlos Correa and Bernie Williams.
3: Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani became the first player ever to have three multi-home run games in a single post-season with his two in the victory. He also had a two-homer showing against Cincinnati in the wild-card round and a three-homer game to help L.A. sweep Milwaukee in the National League Championship Series. Ohtani, who has eight home runs, is closing in on Randy Arozarena’s MLB record of 10 homers in one post-season set in 2020.
4: Ohtani tied a record that has stood for 119 years with four extra-base hits. He hit two home runs and two doubles to match Frank Isbell, who had four doubles in the Chicago White Sox’s 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs in 1906.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/blue-jays-dodgers-game-3-by-the-numbers-9.6956970
I guess consecutive on-base is an “obscure stat”. The IBB’s are only mentioned in terms of betting on Freeman getting RBI’s with a player on first (just about?) every time.
It’s Ohtani’s first at bat tonight that matters most. Does Shneieder - seeing first base open - call for an IBB? At least the pitcher won’t have to play catch with the catcher. Really low confidence that your pitcher can’t throw a couple inside corner balls and a couple sliders outside to see if he’ll chase?
For sure, and the same with Barry Bonds when His HGHness was slaughtering baseballs. That said, from an intelligent baseball managing standpoint: who cares? Why keep serving up strikes to a guy who is in the groove, and is very likely to crush the ball?
Sometimes they would throw off-plate pitches to see if the player would chase (Sosa would). And sometimes after 2-3 pitches decide to IBB. Can the manager just call it after the AB has a count or do the pitcher and catcher have to have a catch to make it to ball four?
Under the new IBB rules, yes, the manager can just cede the walk at any point in the at-bat.
First, we kill all the organists.
We can’t kill all the organists. I need my fix of various Star Wars themes into that standard cheering set of chords.
Yeah, that organ is beyond irritating. Sure, an organ at the ballpark has its place, but its place is not between every pitch. Or so it seems.