Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves pitched the fourth-quickest nine-inning game in the ’90s on June 27. The Brave pitcher blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0, in 1:46. Quick games are nothing new for Maddux; he has pitched in three games of 1:50 or less this decade. The eight most expeditious nine-inning games this decade were (* complete game):
Time Date Winner Loser Pitcher Score
1:44 9/29/92 K.C. at Cal. Dennis Rasmussen* 2-0
1:44 10/4/92 Hou. vs. L.A. Pete Harnisch 3-0
1:45 5/3/91 Pitt. vs. Hou. Zane Smith* 1-0
1:46 6/27/98 Atl. vs. Tor. Greg Maddux* 2-0
1:47 4/6/97 Atl. vs. Chi. Greg Maddux 4-0
1:49 9/26/93 Pitt. vs. Chi. Tim Wakefield* 1-0
1:50 8/20/95 Atl. at St. L. Greg Maddux* 1-0
1:52 4/20/90 S.D. vs. S.F. Ed Whitson* 9-2
HMO CANDIDATES
Designated hitter Paul Molitor and pitcher Mike Morgan of the Minnesota Twins are on the disabled list: Molitor with a broken rib and Morgan with a strained rib cage. It is the 13th stint on the DL for each player in his career.
MONSTER MASH
On June 21, Cincinnati Red manager Jack McKeon conjured shades of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder with his player selection. McKeon started Dmitri Young in left field, Mike Frank in center and Chris Stynes in right or, from left to right–Young, Frank ‘n’ Stynes.
YANKED
Jayson Stark of the Philadelphia Inquirer discovered that on June 22 Tom Fordham of the White Sox became the first regular-season interleague pitcher, and only the fifth interleague pitcher overall, to start a game and not retire a single batter. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Fordham threw 16 pitches, 13 of them for balls. The other interleague pitchers who suffered the same fate were the Cubs’ Charlie Root (Game 2 of the 1935 World Series), the Cubs’ Hank Borowy (Game 7 of the 1945 World Series), the Dodgers Harry Taylor (Game 4 of the 1947 World Series) and the Dodgers Bob Welch (Game 4 of the 1981 World Series).
ANTI-STARS
This year’s All-Star starters are the usual list of suspects, mostly drawn from teams with high attendance. Teams that don’t draw well tend to place their players on the anti-All-Star team, the players who received the fewest votes at each position. The Montreal Expos registered five of the eight low vote totals at each position in the NL while the Oakland A’s posted four of eight in the AL. Jason McDonald of the Oakland A’s received the fewest votes of any player listed on the All-Star ballot with 43,713 or about one vote for every 100 received by top vote-getter Ken Griffey, Jr. This season’s anti-All-Stars are (* no longer with team):
American League
Position Player Team
Catcher Raul Casanova Tigers
First base Jason Giambi A’s
Second base Scott Spiezo A’s
Shortstop Kurt Abbott* A’s
Third base Joe Randa Tigers
Outfielder Mike Cameron White Sox
Outfielder Magglio Ordonez White Sox
Outfielder Jason McDonald A’s
National League
Position Player Team
Catcher Chris Widger Expos
First base Brad Fullmer Expos
Second base Orlando Cabrera Expos
Shortstop Lou Collier Pirates
Third base Shane Andrews Expos
Outfielder F.P. Santangelo Expos
Outfielder Mark Kotsay Marlins
Outfielder Paul Konerko Dodgers
