Steven Kwan won his second Gold Glove in 2023, just his second year in the majors. He joined Ichiro Suzuki and Nolan Arenado as the only players to win a Gold Glove in each of their first two seasons in the majors. Both Ichiro and Arenado would win 10 consecutive Gold Gloves to start their careers.
Cleveland Baseball History
Stephen Vogt faced multiple members of the Guardians pitching staff during his career.
He’ll be the first Cleveland manager to have faced a member of his roster since Eric Wedge managed Arthur Rhodes in 2005. Wedge (as a member of the Red Sox) went 1-2 with a double and a walk against Rhodes (with the Orioles) during a game in 1992.
Emmanuel Clase’s 44 saves in 2023 were the fourth most in franchise history and also made him the first person in franchise history with multiple 40-save seasons.
Most saves in franchise history:
- Jose Mesa, 46 in 1995
- Joe Borowski, 45 in 2007
- Bob Wickman, 45 in 2005
- Clase, 44 in 2023
- Doug Jones, 43 in 1990
- Clase, 42 in 2022
- Mike Jackson, 40 in 1998
Most career games with at least three strikeouts and zero times reaching base
- Jhonny Peralta, 28
- Cory Snyder, 27
- Jim Thome, 27
- Franmil Reyes, 24
- Bob Feller, 18
- Russell Branyan, 18
- Yan Gomes, 18
- Jason Kipnis, 17
Stephen Vogt, who retired after the 2022 season, is making MLB’s fastest transition from player to manager since Larry Bowa, who retired in 1985 and managed the San Diego Padres in 1987.
The last player to make the transition to Cleveland’s manager within two years was Joe Adcock, who retired in 1966 and was named the Indians manager for the 1967 season (his only season as manager). Adcock also played for Cleveland in 1963.
I heard this stat on the Baseball Bar-B-Cast podcast and had to share, as it involved Cleveland.
Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly recently had a no-decision against the Dodgers, keeping him winless in 15 starts against Los Angeles – the third most starts without a win against a team in MLB history.
The leaderboard:
- Herm Wehmeier vs STL – 19 starts
- Joe Mays vs CLE – 16 starts
- Kelly vs LAD – 15 starts
- Kevin Millwood vs MIN – 14 starts
- Sidney Ponson vs CLE – 14 starts
- Bob Weiland vs NYY – 14 starts
Mays’s teams (MIN, KCR, CIN) were 4-12 in his starts against Cleveland from 1999 through 2006. Ponson’s teams (BAL, KCR, TEX) were 4-10 against Cleveland from 1998 through 2009.
Two other pitchers have made at least 10 starts against Cleveland without a victory:
- Jason Johnson, 11 starts
- Spencer Turnbull, 10 starts (active)
Turnbull is injured but on a rehab assignment, so maybe we’ll get to see him in September.
I also love that Jason Johnson joined the Indians after failing to beat them. He was winless in 10 starts when he signed in 2006, but then lost again later that year as a member of the Red Sox after Boston purchased him from Cleveland.
Four of Kevin Millwood’s starts against Minnesota occurred as a member of the Indians, although Cleveland actually managed to win two of those games as no-decisions for Millwood.
In total there have been 42 pitchers to make at least 10 starts against a franchise without a victory.
Gavin Williams struck out 10 Rays in his 10th career start on Saturday.
It was his second straight double-digit strikeout performance. He’s the 36th pitcher in MLB history with multiple 10-K games within his first 10 career games.
He’s also the 8th rookie in franchise history with multiple 10-K games, joining:
- Herb Score, 8
- Bob Feller, 4
- Luis Tiant, 4
- CC Sabathia, 3
- Triston McKenzie, 2
- Allie Reynolds, 2
- Dennis Eckersley, 2
Andres Gimenez collected four hits including a home run against the Rays on Sunday afternoon.
It was the 32nd time in franchise history a second baseman had a four-hit game with a home run.
Here’s the list back to 2000:
- Jason Kipnis, 2018
- Jose Ramirez (x3), 2017
- Kipnis (x2), 2017
- Kipnis, 2015
- Kipnis, 2011
- Asdrubal Cabrera, 2011
- Ricky Gutierrez, 2002
Kipnis and Carlos Baerga share the franchise career record with five apiece.
Myles Straw’s infamous home run drought came to an end at 295 games on Friday when he homered off the Rays’ Jason Adam.
Long homerless streaks were fairly common in early days of baseball, but Straw’s streak is the sixth longest in franchise history over the last 100 years:
- Duane Kuiper, 423 games
- Felix Fermin, 408
- Luke Sewell, 399
- Duane Kuiper, 345
- Rube Lutzke, 311
- Myles Straw, 295
Daniel Norris of the Guardians and Pete Fairbanks of the Rays each allowed three runs despite not allowing a hit during the Rays 9-8 victory on Friday.
It was just the second time in MLB history opposing pitchers each allowed at least three runs without giving up a hit in the same game – and both instances involved Cleveland.
The previous incident occurred on May 9, 1943 when both starting pitchers – Al Milnar of the Indians and Bob Muncrief of the St. Louis Browns – accomplished the bizarre feat while also failing to record an out. Milnar walked all four batters he faced, all of whom came around to score. Muncrief then walked three with another reaching on an error before was pulled, with three runs scoring.
There was one other instance of this occurring twice in the same game by the same team, in 1938 when the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer and Lee Grissom each allowed three runs without allowing a hit.