Random Baseball Trivia

A "perfect game" is a nine inning game where none of the 27 opposing batters reach base. No runs, walks, hit batsmen, or steals (you can steal first on the third strike if the catcher drops the pitch). In the modern era of baseball, there have only been 19 perfect games in the major leagues, including last night's.

The "Triple Crown" usually refers to a batter who ends the season with the most home runs, the most runs batted in, and the the highest batting average in the league. In the modern era, this has only happened thirteen times. In other words, we're about 50% more likely to see a perfect game than we are to see someone win the Triple Crown.

Ted Williams won the Triple Crown in 1942, right before hanging up his spikes to join the service for World War II. He won it again in 1947, after getting out of the service (in 1946).

Williams didn't win the MVP in either 1942 or 1947. Since the last player to win the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, it's almost unthinkable that someone could win the Triple Crown and not the MVP today.

Williams was in the service for the 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1952 and 1953 seasons. He only played for 21 years, so his military service cost him around 30% of his career. He ended his career with 521 home runs; if he had hit as many in those service years as he did in 1942, he would have hit another 180 home runs, for a career total of 701. That would put him fourth on the all time home run list, behind Babe Ruth (714) and ahead of Willie Mayes (660).

Williams spent World War II as a flight instructor, teaching new Marine pilots how to fly the F4U Corsair. Called back to duty for the Korean War, he flew 39 combat jet missions, was almost shot down over Pyongyang, and flew as John Glenn's wingman.