The Bill Chuck Files of January 19, 2020

Each Sunday, in remembrance of my friend and J.G Spink Award winner Nick Cafardo, I post “the Bill Chuck Files” (named by Nick in his Sunday Baseball Notes column)

The 2017 Astros

It has been very difficult finding data that supports the Astros cheating in 2017. There is no doubt that it took place, it’s just frustrating that there haven’t been numbers that exhibited the effects of the Houston shenanigans during the regular season. However, during the postseason, it was a whole different story:

• The Astros finished the regular season with a record of 101-62, the third-best in baseball behind the 104-58 Dodgers and the Indians (102-60).
• The Astros scored 896 runs, the most in the majors.
• The Astros had a run differential of +196, third in the majors behind the Indians (+254) and the Yankees (+198).
• The Rockies led the majors scoring 500 runs at home, but the Astros were next at 489.
• The Rockies had a + 85 run differential at home, while the Astros had a +162 home differential. Put another way, the Rockies were 46-35 at home as a result of scoring one more run per game and the Astros were 48-33 scoring two-plus runs per game.
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros went 11-7
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros went 8-1 at home, 3-6 on the road
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros scored 51 runs at home, scored 27 on the road, a home/road run differential +24 runs
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros hit .273 at home, hit .208 on the road, a home/road run differential of +65 points

Home and Away scoring in the postseason of the last five World Champs

• In the 2015 postseason, the Royals scored 41 runs at home (8 games), scored 49 on the road (8 games), a home/road run differential -8 runs
• In the 2016 postseason, the Cubs scored 24 runs at home (8 games), scored 51 on the road (9 games), a home/road run differential -27 runs
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros scored 51 runs at home (9 games), scored 27 on the road (9 games), a home/road run differential +24 runs
• In the 2018 postseason, the Red Sox scored 28 runs at home (6 games), scored 56 on the road (8 games), a home/road run differential -30 runs
• In the 2019 postseason, the Nationals scored 32 runs at home (8 games), scored 46 on the road (9 games), a home/road run differential -14 runs

World Champion Postseason scoring from 2015 to 2019

• Over the last five seasons, the World Champs have played 39 games at home
• Over the last five seasons, the World Champs have played 43 games on the road

• Over the last five seasons, the World Champs have scored 176 runs at home
• Over the last five seasons, the World Champs have scored 229 runs on the road
• A home/road run differential of -53 runs
• The only championship team to score more runs at home during the postseasons from 2015 to 2019 were the Houston Astros who had a plus 24-run differential. All the other teams had a minus 79-run differential

World Champion Postseason batting from 2015 to 2019

Home Batting in the postseason of the last five World Champs with a runner on second and without (bases empty or runner on first and/or third)

• In the 2015 postseason, the Royals hit .315/.251 – +64-point differential
• In the 2016 postseason, the Cubs hit .196/.204 – -8-point differential
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros hit .358/.272 – +86-point differential
• In the 2018 postseason, the Red Sox hit .344/.220 – +124-point differential
• In the 2019 postseason, the Nationals .316/.224 – +92-point differential

Home Batting in the postseason of the last five World Champs with runners on and with bases empty

• In the 2015 postseason, the Royals hit .333/.209 – +124-point differential
• In the 2016 postseason, the Cubs hit .156/.222 – -66-point differential
• In the 2017 postseason, the Astros hit .274/.272 – +30-point differential
• In the 2018 postseason, the Red Sox hit .263/.211 – +52-point differential
• In the 2019 postseason, the Nationals .255/.218 – +37-point differential

Postseason Batting of the last five World Series Champs (2015-19)

See this column here

Last season, the Twins set a record by having five players with 30+ homers

The record may last only one year if Nelson Cruz, Mitch Garver, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano do it again because newly added Josh Donaldson hit 37 dingers last season and he’s now part of the Twins powerhouse lineup.

Pitchers allowing 20+ homers in 2019

1n 2019, 113 pitchers allowed at least 20 homers smashing the previous record of 101 in 2000. Only 65 pitchers permitted 20+ gopher balls in 2018.

Five teams had five pitchers who allowed 20+ homers

Two teams only had one pitcher allow 20+ homers

Name the teams and huge props if you can name the pitchers (answer below)

Top Ten: Best Two-Out Hitting Teams in 2019

Ventura Highway to Higher Ed

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen writes that former White Sox third baseman and manager Robin Ventura is returning to Oklahoma State, where he had a record 58-game hitting streak as a collegian, to complete his degree. While he’s there, Ventura will serve the baseball program as a student assistant in a coaching capacity. My hope is that Robin will play a few games as well. There is no indication as to whether Nolan Ryan has enrolled at a competing school.

Jeopardy Answer:

Ryan Lavarnway, Ty Kelly, Danny Valencia, Josh Zeid, Jon Moscot, Jeremy Bleich, and Zack Weiss all have played in the majors for various teams, but are now all on this team.

Scoring 100+ Runs in Ten-Teens

Two people involved in the horrific cheating scandal are smart baseball people nonetheless. In a Julian McWilliams column in the Boston Globe, he quotes Alex Cora said. “I had a conversation with Carlos Beltran two years ago. There were some guys in Houston talking OPS and all that stuff. Yeah, it’s where we’re at. I said, ‘What was your goal every season?’ And Carlos said, ‘To score 100 runs.’ To score 100 runs you have to get on base. You have to drive the ball. You have to do everything right for that to happen.”

Here are the players who had the most 100+ runs scored seasons from 2010-2019:

Two teams only had one pitcher allow 20+ homers

Tampa Bay – Yonny Chirinos and Toronto – Trent Thornton

A Jacoby Ellsbury sighting

You may have missed this one from Jon Heyman: Jacoby Ellsbury is being considered on the North Side of Chicago.

Cubs have considered/discussed Jacoby Ellsbury. Probably a long shot but Cubs have a leadoff issue and Ellsbury is a surprise free agent after being released. JE hasn’t played in 2 years so before moving forward they’d want to gauge his interest/mindset.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 17, 2020

In the Ten-Teens, the Dodgers finished first in the NL West by 98 games

Jeopardy Question:

What is Team Israel? Israel, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea have already qualified to play in the 2020 Olympics Games. Two more countries will make the cut after a March and April tournament.