Armadillo: Friday's six-pack
-- JJ Watt broke his left hand in practice this week, is expected to play Sunday.
-- NBA commish Adam Silver gave the 76ers' owner a list of names of people who could help him rescue his hideous team; 76-year old Jerry Colangelo was at the top of the list-- thats how Colangelo is now working (and part-owner?) of the Sixers.
-- Cal football coach Sonny Dykes parlayed rumors of his wanting to leave Cal into a contract extension with the school as well as raises for his assistants.
-- Iowa State 83, Iowa 82-- Hawkeyes had their hearts ripped out, after leading by 20 in second half. Veteran teams cannot lose games like this- it'll leave a scar.
-- Cardinals 23, Vikings 20-- Arizona clinched playoff berth, appears headed to #2 seed in NFC playoffs.
-- Our thoughts/prayers to Jay Cutler's family; his wife's brother passed away this week in Utah, at age 30. He had been missing for a couple of weeks.
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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Baseball thoughts on a mid-December day
Baseball's Winter Meetings were this week so with that in mind, some baseball stuff to ponder, with spring training a little over two months away.......
13) Houston Astros used the most (151) different lineups LY and made the playoffs; KC Royals used the fewest (83) and won World Series. No other big league team used less than 108 (Pirates) lineups.
12) Every NL team issued at least 28 intentional walks LY-- pitchers bat in the NL, so you often walk the #8 hitter to get to the pitcher. Nine of 15 AL teams issued less than 28 intentional walks- Bronx (16), Astros (17) issued the fewest.
Angels (45), Mariners (41) issued most intentional walks of the AL teams.
11) Every NL team attempted at least 48 sacrifice bunts; 11 of 15 AL teams tried fewer than 48 LY, with Oakland (17), Baltimore (26) trying the fewest.
Pirates (81), Braves (80) tried bunting the most; of the AL teams, Rangers (66) tried the most sacrifices. Texas manager Banister used to be Clint Hurdle's right-hand man.
10) Most major league managers are former catchers; Seattle (30) pitched out the most LY, followed by the Reds (28- managed by a former pitcher). Mets, Nationals had only one pitch-out each last year.
9) Every NL team pinch-hit at least 225 (Washington) times; San Diego (311) used the most pinch-hitters. Tampa Bay (219) pinch-hit 58 more times than any other team in the American League (Oakland, 161).
Platooning is an unfortunate epidemic in baseball these days.
8) I read an article that gave Billy Butler a 9% chance of getting to 3,000 career hits; he currently has 1,408 hits and has been putrid the last two years. If Butler has a 9% shot at 3,000 hits, then I have a 9% chance of dating Pamela Anderson, whose sons were once batboys for the Pepperdine baseball team, so you never know........
7) There were 44% more runs scored in Colorado home games than road tilts LY.
6) There were 15% fewer runs scored in Giant home games than road tilts LY.
5) Over last three years, Fenway Park has been friendliest to righty hitters; Camden Yards has been friendliest for lefty hitters (Chris Davis, take note).
4) Batters who came up with most men on base LY, and % of those runners he knocked in:
Carlos Santana 480 (13.8%)...Todd Frazier 468 (11.5%)....Eric Hosmer 457 (16.4%)
3) Of batters with 250+ PA, those who knocked in highest percantage of runners from third base:
1) Ryan Zimmerman (27-45, 60%), 2) Mookie Betts (33-58, 56.9%), 3) Juan Lagares (14-26, 53.8%).
2) Of batters with 250+ PA, those who knocked in lowest percantage of runners from third base:
295) Chris Coghlan (6-42, 14.3%), 294) Justin Maxwell (4-23, 17.4%), 293) Joc Pederson (9-50, 18%).
1) Best record in one-run games LY:
Pirates 36-17, Angels 35-17, Cubs 34-21, Braves 28-18.
Worst record in one-run games LY:
Blue Jays 15-28, A's 19-35, Phillies 16-27, Reds 18-29