Stats the Fact, Jack; September 12, 2020
(A weekly look at several sports stats you may not know)
- The Brewers on September 9 defeated the Detroit Tigers 19-0. It was the second largest shutout blowout in team history. On April 22, 2010, the Brew Crew defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 20-0. It was also the seventh time in team history they scored 19 or more runs in a game and the first time they won a game 19-0. The Brewers are 55-0 in games when they score 15 or more runs in a game and 135-1 in games when they tally 13 or more runs in a game. The only loss when they scored 13 or more runs in a game was on June 29, 1995 when they lost to the Chicago White Sox 17-13.
- The Milwaukee Bucks placed three players on the NBA all-defensive first or second team for the 2019-20 season. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a first team selection while teammates Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe were chosen to the second team. It was the fifth season where the Bucks had multiple players on either the first or second team of the NBA all-defensive team; it happened in 2018-19 (Giannis and Bledsoe) and in 1985-86 (Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief), 1984-85 (Pressey and Moncrief) and 1981-82 (Quinn Buckner and Moncrief).
- In the Brewers 19-0 shutout of Detroit on September 9, starting pitcher Corbin Burnes allowed just one hit over seven innings, striking out 11. He became only the fourth Brewers pitcher to pitch seven or more innings with no earned runs, have 11 or more strikeouts and allow one or no hits. The others were Chase Anderson (May 27, 2017), CC Sabathia (August 31, 2008) and Steve Woodard (July 28, 1997).
- There have now been 17 NBA playoff series that have gone to a seventh game since the 2016 playoffs (the past five playoff seasons). Of those 17 series, the team that won Game 6 also won game 7 in seven of those 17 series.
- Over the past five NFL seasons (2015-19), home teams have a winning percentage of .561 (715-560-5). Topping the list are the New England Patriots who were 33-7 (.825) in home contests the last five seasons. Completing the Top 5 in best home winning percentage from 2015-19 are Kansas City (.750), Minnesota (.725), Pittsburgh (.700) and Green Bay (.688). The NFL’s worst home team (based on winning percentage the past five seasons) was Cleveland with a 12-27-1 (.313) in home contests.
- Did you know that seven NFL QB’s have passed for 400 or more yards in a regular season game yet did not throw a TD in that game? Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has done it twice. The others: Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Mark Brunell, Boomer Esiason, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bernie Kosar. It has happened once in an NFL playoff game: Randall Cunningham on December 31, 1988 passed for 407 yards but no TD passes in the Eagles 2012 loss in the post-season to the Chicago Bears.
- Packers head coach Matt LeFleur had a fantastic first year with the team last year going 13-3 and playing in the NFC Championship Game. It was probably the best first-year coaching job in team history. So what will Year Two look like? If we look at all the Packers head coaches going back to Vince Lombardi, Year Two at the helm of the Pack was pretty good. Of the nine coaches from Vince Lombardi to Mike McCarthy who had a second season coaching the Packers, five made the playoffs their second season; the nine coaches compiled a combined 83-53 record (.610) winning percentage that second season. Five of those coaches won 10 or more games their second season with the Packers: Mike McCarthy (13-3), Mike Sherman (12-4), Lindy Infante (10-6), Dan Devine (10-4) and Vince Lombardi (10-4).
- Since 1970, the Packers have started the season on the road 16 times, compiling an 11-5 record. Eleven of those 16 season-opening games on the road since 1970 were decided by eight points or less. The last three season-opening road games were: 2015-at Chicago, a 31-23 win; 2016-at Jacksonville, a 27-23 win; and 2019-at Chicago, a 10-3 win.
- A pair of baseball Hall of Famers passed away recently, Tom Seaver and Lou Brock. Here are a few stats you may not know about these two legends of the game.
- Seaver: He had 231 career complete games, tied for 100th place… in addition to the 311 career wins, Seaver had one career save… he had 10 200-strikeout seasons; that places him fourth on the all-time list behind Nolan Ryan (14), Randy Johnson (13) and Roger Clemens (12)… Seaver made 18 appearances as a pinch runner and three as a pinch hitter in his career. He also had four career stolen bases… baseball.reference.com listed Seaver’s career salary total as $6,662,914. Imagine what he would’ve made in today’s baseball economy… Seaver is one of only ten pitchers to have 13 seasons with 15 or more wins (he had 13). Topping the list are Greg Maddux and Cy Young each with 18 seasons with 15 or more wins… Seaver finished in the Top 10 of the league MVP voting five times.
- Brock: Ironically, the pitcher Brock had the most career plate appearances against was Tom Seaver. He faced Seaver 157 times and batted .250 against Seaver… Brock had 100 or more runs scored in seven seasons, one of 70 players to do so… Brock had 34 career World Series hits and 14 career World Series stolen bases, making him one of only three players to have 30 career W.S. hits and 10 career W.S. steals. The others: Eddie Collins and Phil Rizzuto… Brock and Rickey Henderson are the only two players to have 3,000 career hits and 900 career stolen bases in a career (Henderson 3,055-1,406), Brock (3,023-938)… Brock and Henderson are also the only two MLB players in history to have 900 career RBI and 900 career steals… Brock never won an MVP Award, although he did finish second to Steve Garvey in 1974. That year Brock hit .306 and had 118 stolen bases.
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Today’s Sports Stat: November 8, 2017
Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford had a pair of TD passes in his team’s Monday night win over the Green Bay Packers. Those two TD passes were the 200th and 201st of his career; in the process, he became only the fourth QB in history to reach 200 career TD passes before his 30th birthday.
Stafford joins Dan Marino (245), Peyton Manning (244) and Brett Favre (218) with the most TD passes before turning 30. Stafford, who turns 30 on February 7, 2018, should be able to make a serious run at Favre and the third spot on this list before the end of this season.
There are 15 QBs who reached 150 or more career TD passes before their 30th birthday. In addition to Marino, Peyton Manning, Favre and Stafford, the other 11 QBs are: Aaron Rodgers (186), Fran Tarkenton (186), Matt Ryan (181), Drew Brees (168), Drew Bledsoe (166), Ben Roethlisberger (165), Eli Manning (156), Philip Rivers (155), Donovan McNabb (152), Andy Dalton (151) and Boomer Esiason (150).
Of the active QBs in the league, there are three who are well on their way to joining this group of 15. Cam Newton has 146 career TD passes and doesn’t turn 30 until May 11, 2019, which means he has the remainder of this campaign and all the 2018 season to add to his total… he could make a run at joining the 200-Club in this category. In addition, Russell Wilson, who turns 30 on November 29, 2018, has portions of two seasons to add to his total of 144 and could also make a run at 200. Finally, Andrew Luck, who doesn’t turn 30 until September 12, 2019, has 132 career TD passes.
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Today’s Sports Stat: October 30, 2017
Houston Texans rookie QB Deshaun Watson passed for 402 yards and four TDs in his team’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks yesterday. He became the 56th QB in league history to have 400 yards and four TD passes in the same game.
Even more impressive, however, is that as a rookie, Watson became only the third rookie QB in NFL history to reach four TD passes and 400 yards passing in a game. The other rookie QBs in this group: Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford (five TD passes and 422 yards in a November 22, 2009 game versus the Cleveland Browns) and St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger (four TD passes and 453 yards in a November 10, 2002 contest versus the San Diego Chargers).
Taking all quarterbacks in to consideration, Peyton Manning tops the list of QBs with most games with four or more TD passes and over 400 yards passing… he had eight of those games in his career. Following Manning on this list are Dan Marino with seven games and Drew Brees with five games.
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