According to Statistics, Carew Comes Through

Only once in his career has he batted in 100 runs in a season. In 1982, he made the last out when the Angels lost the American League playoffs at Milwaukee. The other day, after getting two hits, he hit into a rally-killing double play in the eighth inning and the Angels lost at Oakland.

Does that make Rod Carew a lousy clutch hitter? His detractors would tell you so, but the statistics show otherwise.

Peter Hirdt, co-author of the 1985 Elias Baseball Analyst, told Ira Berkow of the New York Times: “In the last two years, in situations that mean a difference in a close game from the seventh inning on, Carew is one of the three or four best pressure hitters in baseball. His average in the clutch in 1984 was .388. In 1983 it was .350.”

Hirdt added that in the last 10 years, or since statistics have been kept in this area, Carew has the third-best percentage in baseball for driving in a run when a runner is in scoring position. It was 35.0% of the time, behind the late Thurman Munson at 35.2% and Al Oliver at 35.1%.

“According to the statistics,” concluded Hirdt, “Rod Carew is one of the supreme clutch hitters of this era.”

Trivia Time: Exactly three years ago today, Joel Youngblood became the first player in major league history to do what? (Answer below.)

Bob Sudyk of the Hartford Courant says one of the features at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a tape of Jim Thorpe recounting the time Massillon end Knute Rockne dumped him in his tracks his first two carries for Canton. Says Thorpe on the tape:

“I told him, ‘Rock, fans came here to see ol’ Jim run.’

“Rock said, ‘I’m in here for keeps.’

“On the next play, I run at Rock’s end and my knee knocks him flat and I go 60 yards for a touchdown.

“I come to him after and say, ‘Thataboy, Rock, you let ol’ Jim run.’ ”

Add Thorpe: He also played for the Oorang Indians, a team he organized in 1922 in Marion, Ohio.

Sudyk: “They were Indians from 10 tribes, including Cherokee immortals Long Time Sleep and Wrinkle Meat, Chippewa Xavier Downwind, and a cast that included Laughing Gas, Red Fang and Joe Little Twig.

“The franchise, sponsored by a dog kennel, lasted two years, folding after a 2-6-0 record.”

Said St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca when asked if Chris Mullin’s lack of speed and jumping ability will hurt his progress with the Golden State Warriors: “They said that when he was 12 years old. They said the same thing when he was a high school senior and more than 100 colleges were after him with scholarship offers. They said it again after he was rookie of the year in the Big East, when he was all-Big East, when he was All-American and when he made the champion Pan American and Olympic teams.

“He’ll show ‘em the same things in the pros. Chris can’t miss.”

Trivia Answer: Youngblood became the first player to play and get a base hit for two different teams in two different cities on the same day. In the afternoon, his hit drove in the winning run for the New York Mets in a 7-4 victory at Chicago. After the game, he was traded to the Montreal Expos, whom he joined that night in Philadelphia. He entered the game in right field in the fourth inning and later got his other hit.

Quotebook

Former Detroit Lion Coach Monte Clark, after quarterback Eric Hipple said he lost his confidence under Clark last year: “I think that feeling was well-founded. He threw a lot of great 50-yard passes. Unfortunately, the receivers were 45 yards away.”