Sunday Nine to Notes: November 1, 2015

Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy commits a major fielding error in the 8th inning
of Game Four of the World Series
Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Nine to Know from the Bill Chuck Files – November 1, 2015

1. Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland is the only pitcher to allow a homer to the first batter he faced and homer in his first at bat.
2. The relief staffs of the Marlins, Cardinals, Indians and Pirates each allowed 38 homers, the fewest in the majors; the Red Sox bullpen allowed 76, the most in baseball.
3. Gerardo Parra and Yoenis Cespedes each hit .291 and had an OBP of .328; the differences were significant with Parra hitting 14 homers and whiffing 92 times and Cespedes having 35 HR and 141 Ks.*
4. Trevor Rosenthal set the Cardinals franchise record with 48 saves this breaking the previous record of 47 held by Lee Smith (1991) and Jason Isringhausen (2004). Rosenthal blew three saves while Isringhausen blew seven and Smith six in their record setting seasons.
5. For pitchers, starting off 2-0 is not good, just ask Tyson Ross who had 139 2-0 counts, the most in baseball, and batters hit .307 (.885 OPS) from that point on.
6. From 2008-11, Tim Lincecum had a 2.81 ERA and a 1.173 WHIP; from 2012-15, Lincecum has had a 4.68 ERA and a 1.402 WHIP.
7. Two division champs had the highest BA against the AL East in 2015: The Royals (.277) and the Rangers (.275); but the Mets only hit .220.*
8. Clayton Kershaw led the majors throwing 692 first-pitch fastballs; John Lackey who threw 682 followed him.
9. Since the MLB season began back in April, DraftKings ran 736 ads in live baseball telecasts, while FanDuel aired 69.

*As it appeared in Nick Cafardo‘s Sunday Baseball Notes, Boston Globe, 11/1/15