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General Discussion => Talk Zone => Topic started by: ValpoCory on June 03, 2007, 01:36:53 pm

Title: Paging Elias ...
Post by: ValpoCory on June 03, 2007, 01:36:53 pm
The Astros starting lineup today contains 0 last names that start with the letter "B".  When was the last time that happened?
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: ValpoCory on June 04, 2007, 08:56:46 am
I thought for sure I'd find one in 2000 in Biggio's DL stint.  But with Bogar and Barker joining Berkman and Bagwell, I didn't find one.

This may go back pre-Berkman and maybe pre-Bell.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: BUWebguy on June 04, 2007, 09:10:24 am
Keep looking, Valpo.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Amy on June 04, 2007, 09:26:14 am
I would say sometime maybe in '93 or '94 when Bagwell was out with his broken hand, if Biggio had a day off.  But I think that was during Biggio's consecutive games streak.  You might have to go back to when Bidge was catching.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: T. J. on June 04, 2007, 10:04:23 am
I've already spent way too much time looking for this.  If somebody can find one later than the last day of the season in 1991, I'll be impressed at your searching ability.

Box score:  http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1991/B10060ATL1991.htm
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Amy on June 04, 2007, 10:07:39 am
Send it in to Jayson Stark and maybe he'll choose it for one of his useless info articles and get Elias to do the research on it.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Rebel Jew on June 04, 2007, 10:16:22 am
I've already spent way too much time looking for this.  If somebody can find one later than the last day of the season in 1991, I'll be impressed at your searching ability.

Box score:  http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1991/B10060ATL1991.htm

Andy Mota?  Jose Tolentino?   Gary Cooper???

Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Curly on June 04, 2007, 10:19:13 am
I've already spent way too much time looking for this.  If somebody can find one later than the last day of the season in 1991, I'll be impressed at your searching ability.

Box score:  http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1991/B10060ATL1991.htm

Lofton and Schilling...ugh
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: MusicMan on June 04, 2007, 10:21:52 am
Lofton and Schilling...ugh

Dont' shed any tears for Schilling.  He's flat-out stated he never would have become that pitcher in Houston.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Curly on June 04, 2007, 10:28:25 am
Dont' shed any tears for Schilling.  He's flat-out stated he never would have become that pitcher in Houston.
No, I shed tears for the team that wouldn't have developed him to be the pitcher that he became.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Astroholic on June 04, 2007, 10:30:46 am
No, I shed tears for the team that wouldn't have developed him to be the pitcher that he became.

Santana was also a very large loss for this team.  What about protecting Derek 'DoublePlay' Bell instead of Abreu.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: MusicMan on June 04, 2007, 10:31:06 am
No, I shed tears for the team that wouldn't have developed him to be the pitcher that he became.

Horse to water.  He had a big-time attitude problem here.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: MusicMan on June 04, 2007, 10:31:42 am
Santana was also a very large loss for this team.  What about protecting Derek 'DoublePlay' Bell instead of Abreu.

It must be an off day.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Astroholic on June 04, 2007, 10:32:23 am
It must be an off day.

Yep, stupid 'what if' post.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: BudGirl on June 04, 2007, 10:35:15 am
Santana was also a very large loss for this team.  What about protecting Derek 'DoublePlay' Bell instead of Abreu.

I would wager most teams have a Rule 5 player they lost and wish they could get back.  It's part of the game.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Curly on June 04, 2007, 10:40:48 am
Yep, stupid 'what if' post.
Yea, wasn't going there...just a friendly reminder to myself to go vomit.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: ValpoCory on June 04, 2007, 11:03:42 am
Of course, the Baltimore Orioles went a long time with a starting nine player's last name beginning with the letter "R".
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: ValpoCory on June 04, 2007, 11:09:33 am
Send it in to Jayson Stark and maybe he'll choose it for one of his useless info articles and get Elias to do the research on it.

Done. 
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: ValpoCory on June 04, 2007, 01:00:28 pm
Good advice Amy.  Thanks.

Jayson's reply:

"Cory,
    Great note, man. I missed that. Now you've really done it. I'm going to have to spend hours trying to figure this out. So stay tuned.
     Hey, if you like this kind of useless info, I'd bet you'd really enjoy my new underrated-overrated book. Check it out.
      Thanks for writing,.
          Jayson"
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Amy on June 04, 2007, 06:00:52 pm
Good advice Amy.  Thanks.

Jayson's reply:

"Cory,
    Great note, man. I missed that. Now you've really done it. I'm going to have to spend hours trying to figure this out. So stay tuned.
     Hey, if you like this kind of useless info, I'd bet you'd really enjoy my new underrated-overrated book. Check it out.
      Thanks for writing,.
          Jayson"

That's great!  I just thought it sounded like the kind of thing Stark likes.  Great job on your part noticing it and doing the preliminary research.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: HudsonHawk on June 04, 2007, 06:10:12 pm
Santana was also a very large loss for this team.

Santan never played for the Astros.  He was a Single A player when they lost him. 

Quote
  What about protecting Derek 'DoublePlay' Bell instead of Abreu.

*Sigh*!  For the Gazillionth time...they protected Richard Hidalgo instead of Abreu.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: dirty steve on June 04, 2007, 06:13:52 pm
Santan never played for the Astros.  He was a Single A player when they lost him. 

*Sigh*!  For the Gazillionth time...they protected Richard Hidalgo instead of Abreu.
wait, i thought he was traded with kenny lofton for eddie taubensee!
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Noe on June 04, 2007, 06:17:35 pm
wait, i thought he was traded with kenny lofton for eddie taubensee!

Are you joking?  It's hard to tell.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: dirty steve on June 04, 2007, 06:21:13 pm
Are you joking?  It's hard to tell.
joking.
-i know abreu went to TB and then was subsequently traded for Kevin Stocker and lofton was moved with dave rohde for taubensee/willie blair.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Frobie on June 04, 2007, 08:26:43 pm
Good advice Amy.  Thanks.

Jayson's reply:

"Cory,
    Great note, man. I missed that. Now you've really done it. I'm going to have to spend hours trying to figure this out. So stay tuned.
     Hey, if you like this kind of useless info, I'd bet you'd really enjoy my new underrated-overrated book. Check it out.
      Thanks for writing,.
          Jayson"

Awesome.  I thought his book was pretty decent, FWIW.

But to prove that I am not a Jayson Stark spambot, I'd wait for the paperback version if I had it to do over again.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Astroholic on June 05, 2007, 07:50:09 am
Santan never played for the Astros.  He was a Single A player when they lost him. 

*Sigh*!  For the Gazillionth time...they protected Richard Hidalgo instead of Abreu.

Remember the part about it being a slow day; just thought I would add a sports 610 type post to add to the delight.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: BUWebguy on June 28, 2007, 03:23:35 pm
Good advice Amy.  Thanks.

Jayson's reply:

"Cory,
    Great note, man. I missed that. Now you've really done it. I'm going to have to spend hours trying to figure this out. So stay tuned.
     Hey, if you like this kind of useless info, I'd bet you'd really enjoy my new underrated-overrated book. Check it out.
      Thanks for writing,.
          Jayson"

Did Stark ever answer this in a column? If so, I missed it. Or did anyone else here ever finish the research?
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Frobie on June 28, 2007, 04:13:16 pm
Did Stark ever answer this in a column? If so, I missed it. Or did anyone else here ever finish the research?

Dunno about Stark's column, but I believe T. J.'s answer above was correct.  I looked into it using baseball-reference.com's  lineups tool  (http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1991_lu.shtml) when this thread was originally going and couldn't find anything more recent.  It took about 10 minutes of research, not hours and hours.  They've done a lot of improvements to that site this year.  So instead of merely being awesome it's now super, duper awesome. 

Great piece of trivia.

Oh, and I don't know what I was thinking before... it was Kirkjians's book I was commenting on above, not Stark's.  I always get them confused.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: JackAstro on June 28, 2007, 04:39:35 pm
The Astros starting lineup today contains 0 last names that start with the letter "B".  When was the last time that happened?

It was September 7, 1992 (http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU199209070.shtml). I think.
Title: Re: Paging Elias ...
Post by: Frobie on June 28, 2007, 04:49:30 pm
Ah, good catch.  Fortunately I work in a profession where attention-to-detail is not that important.  (I'm a pharmacist.)