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Finally, an end to the major league baseball regular season. Not to say that it’s long, but back on opening day, Purdue was still alive in the NCAA Tournament.
But here’s the thing about the season, with its marathon nature and Mount Everest of stats. There’s a chance for every team to be No. 1 in … something. Even for the downtrodden clubs with Indiana fan bases who suffered through this season. So, take this as a closing sympathy card. All numbers through last weekend.
Miami Marlins
Managed by Evansville’s own Don Mattingly, they must have their share of fans in southern Indiana. Which apparently is more than you can say for southern Florida. They’re the major league’s runaway leaders in empty seats, averaging only 10,016 fans this season, or just 1,386 more than the Indianapolis Indians. Not to belabor the fact that many of their stadium sections were never populated, but there’s a rumor three members of the FBI’s Most Wanted List were found hiding in the Marlins’ upper deck.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Parent club of the Indianapolis Indians, they executed a plunge that would make the cliff divers of Acapulco proud, going 21-46 after the All-Star break. But their 50 RBIs by pinch-hitters were the most in baseball.
Cincinnati Reds
In the first inning, they’ve been the Big Red Machine, leading the majors with 126 runs and 44 homers. The other eight innings, not so much. Which is one reason they lead baseball in one-run losses at 32.
Chicago Cubs
Sorry, Cubs fans. Does it seem like 2016 was forever ago? This 2019 team was No. 1 all right—in September anguish. With their playoff hopes teetering, the Cubs dropped five consecutive one-run decisions. That hadn’t happened to them since 1915. But look at the bright side; they lead the majors in fewest balks. One.
Chicago White Sox
Not many reasons for you White Sox fans to smile this season, except when the Cubs collapsed. But Tim Anderson went into the final days with a .334 average, closing in on becoming only the third player in club history to win the American League batting title. P.S. He hit .240 in 2018.
Cleveland Indians
The wild card might slip through their fingers, but not many pitches did. Two passed balls all season to lead the majors.
Detroit Tigers
Yeah, the northeastern corner of Indiana is heavy with Tiger fans, and imagine the death march this season has been for them. At least they’re No. 1 in … losing. While four major league teams hit 100 defeats, alone at the top were the Tigers, with 109.
New York Yankees
While homering more than any team in history—298 at last count—they’ve been shut out once all season. Once. By contrast, the Marlins have been shut out 22 times.
Texas Rangers
The most accomplished thieves in baseball, with 117 stolen bases.
Tampa Bay Rays
The entire sport is on a homer binge, but not against the Rays. Their pitchers have allowed a major league low 176.
Minnesota Twins
Something here doesn’t compute. They started the week one behind the Yankees for most home runs, but they lead the sport for hitting the fewest grand slams. Two all season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The starting pitchers have struck out 900 and walked only 196— best ratio in the game by a lot. Yeah, that’s one way to lead your division by 20 games.
Houston Astros
Know how many intentional walks the Astros have issued all season? None. Their pitchers have also struck out the most opposing batters and their hitters have struck out the least. That 102-54 record was no accident.
Atlanta Braves
The team most likely to have a ball rolling to the backstop, between being first in the majors with 24 passed balls and second in the league with 66 wild pitches.
Oakland A’s
Moneyball is alive and well. The A’s 11-game winning streak was the longest in the majors this season.
Los Angeles Angels
Bunt? What’s a bunt? They’ve had four sacrifices all year.
Milwaukee Brewers
Proud owners of the season’s most inexplicable hot streak. They lost MVP candidate Christian Yelich to a fractured kneecap—lots of people had them deader than disco—but then immediately went on a 10-2 tear to take control of a wild card spot.
Baltimore Orioles
Like home runs? Go see the Orioles play. Or at least go see the Orioles pitch. They went into this week having coughed up 294 gopher balls, 34 more than any other team.
Seattle Mariners
Can’t tell the players without a scorecard, and we’re not kidding. They’ve used 67 players to lead the majors.
New York Mets
According to Elias Sports Bureau, no rookie in the history of modern post-1900 baseball has ended a season as the outright major league leader in home runs. But Pete Alonso’s 50 were tops going into the final week.
Boston Red Sox
Worst hangover in the game. The Red Sox went from World Series title to missing the playoffs. They’re the fifth champion in the past seven years to do that, with the post-2016 Cubs and post-2017 Astros the only exceptions.
Washington Nationals
No. 1 in second wind. The Nationals will become only the ninth team in baseball history to trail by as many as 12 games and end up in the postseason.
Toronto Blue Jays
Most major league sons on the roster. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio (father Craig) and Bo Bichette (Dante’s son).
Kansas City Royals
As the last week began, Whit Merrifield had 200 hits, eight more than anyone else. Hold that lead, and he becomes only the second right-hander in the history of the game—with Kirby Puckett— to have the most hits in the majors in consecutive seasons.
St. Louis Cardinals
Gold gloves all around. They’ve committed only 63 errors.
San Francisco Giants
Nobody matches the Giants’ 13-2 record in extra-inning games. Unfortunately for them, most of their games ended in nine, and not well.
Philadelphia Phillies
Catcher J.T. Realmuto is the toughest sheriff in town. He has gunned down 43 of 92 runners trying to steal a base. The 46.2 caught stealing percentage is wayyyy ahead of anyone else.
San Diego Padres
Someone had to be first to fire their manager for a lousy season. The Padres did it last week.
Arizona Diamondbacks
They like to go for three in the desert, with a major-leading 40 triples.
Colorado Rockies
Dig in at the plate at your peril. Colorado pitchers have hit 82 batters. No. 1 in contusions inflicted.•
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Lopresti is a lifelong resident of Richmond and a graduate of Ball State University. He was a columnist for USA Today and Gannett newspapers for 31 years; he covered 34 Final Fours, 30 Super Bowls, 32 World Series and 16 Olympics. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at mjl5853@aol.com.
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