Rob Bironas of the Tennessee Titans kicked 8 field goals in a game against the Houston Texans on October 21, 2007. He also kicked two extra points in the game, which was won by the Titans 38-36. Bironas kicked a 29-yard FG on the final play of the game for the game winner. The Texans had scored 29 points in the 4th quarter to take a one-point lead with 57 seconds to play.
Speaking of Rob Bironas: A Titan or Oiler has kicked 20 straight field goals six separate times (Bironas three times, Nick Folk twice, Al Del Greco once). How many times did they hit their next one?
Bonus fun Bironas fact that I can’t really turn into a question: He went by Robert until college, when the stadium announcer chose to call him Rob for better Knack scansion.
Who was the first Black golfer on the PGA Tour?
OK, I need an explanation for the words that I bolded, please.
My Sharona
I think it is Charlie Sifford. Tiger Woods often gave him credit for helping to open doors for black golfers.
In 1972 this pitcher made 41 appearances and got a decision in all of them with a record of 24 wins, 16 losses and a save.
Gaylord Perry
Be easy to mistake this for Steve Carlton who had 41 appearances with a record of 27-10. He won 46% of the Phillies 59 wins that year. Imagine what his record woulda been if he pitched for a half decent team that year.
Don Mattingly shares the single season grand slam record with 6. Those were the only grand slams of his career.
In 1968, when Bob Gibson had an era of 1.12 over 304 2/3 innings, he had a record of 22-9.
9 losses! And that season he never left a game in the middle of an inning.
Sure, the team played in the World Series, but there was something fishy about that offense (granted, it was the “year of the pitcher”. They lowered the mound the next year)
On the other end of the spectrum Roger Craig was the ace of the 1962 Mets. He went 10-24.
Do you think there was something fishy about Gibson in particular that year? Or just all of what was happening across MLB?
“Fishy” was probably a poor word choice.
But that year Carl Yastrzemski won the AL batting title by hitting .301, so the entire league probably needed a correction.
I believe that they not only lowered the mound but also tightened up the strike zone. And expanded by 4 teams.
Who holds the Major League record for most home runs in a season by a player without an alliterative name?
I assumed Aaron Judge. Checks out so far. Is there a trick answer to this?
No trick answer; I just thought it was interesting that so many of the home run leaders have alliterative names. I thought the answer might still be Roger Maris.
Now I’m wondering who the single-season home run leader is without an alliterative name or playing for the Yankees.
Looks like a three-way tie at 58: Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Ryan Howard.
Giancarlo Stanton - 59 (2017, Miami Marlins)
He went to the Yankees the following season.
Oh, I was checking on Baseball Reference and it had his picture in a Yankees cap. Didn’t check who he played for the year he hit 59. Thanks.
In 1972, Wilbur Wood (White Sox) started 49 games - finishing with 24-17. The next season, he started 48 games - finishing with 24-20. I doubt if any pitcher has won and lost at least 20 games since then. [edit: Phil Niekro (Atlanta) was 21-20 in 1979] But before him - who was the last 20±20+ pitcher?
Here they are - last one before Wood was Walter Johnson in 1916 McGinnity and Mullin performed the feat twice.:
Pitcher Year W/L Team WAR Team Finnish
Dinneen… 1902… 20/20 … BOS… 0.7… 3rd of 8
Johnson… 1916… 25/20 … WSH… 9.8… 7th of 8
McGinnity… 1901… 26/20 … BLA… 7.6… 5th of 8
" 1903… 31/20 … NYG… 11.7 2nd of 8
Mullin… 1905… 21/21 … DET… 3.8… 3rd of 8
" 1907… 20/20 … DET… 2.9… 1st of 8
Niekro… 1979… 21/20 … ATL… 7.4… 6th of 6
Scott… 1913… 20/21 … CHW… 7.5… 5th of 8
Willis… 1902… 27/20 … BSN… 8.4… 3rd of 8
