Too Many Double Plays
Red Sox at Browns, May 8, 1949, Game 1
Too Many Double Plays
We’ve got a problem with this 1949 replay. There are simply too many double plays.
I know that I wrote about this problem earlier. However, it really stood out in this game.
The highlights are pretty short. Jerry Priddy hit a two run home run in the bottom of the 6th to break a scoreless tie:
Boston scored once in the top of the 7th, but simply couldn’t figure out Red Embree, who pitched a complete game victory despite giving up 6 walks.
Here’s the boxscore:
And, as you can see here, the Browns turned 4 double plays to win this one.
Not Without Precedent
Now, it’s not entirely true that the Browns couldn’t turn 4 double plays in a single game in 1949. They did so once, at least:
Notice that Embree was the pitcher in this game as well.
Based on what I could gather from Stathead, this is the only time the Browns turned 4 double plays in a game in 1949. They wound up losing anyway, watching their record sink to 1-7.
By the way, those 4 double plays were enough to grab headlines in St. Louis:
The Concern
The concern comes from this listing of the current team DP totals at this stage of the replay:
It’s still early, but I’m concerned. Aside from Detroit, every single American League team is turning more double plays than they did in real life. The Athletics are on pace to turn 268 double plays, which would be an incredible 51 more than their all-time record of 217. The Senators are on pace to turn 223, the Yankees are on pace to turn 240, and the Browns are on pace to turn 214, compared to 154 in real life.
I know that sample size is a concern. However, we’re quickly getting to the point where we don’t need to worry about sample size anymore. And, as you’ll see in a few days, the second game of this double header wasn’t exactly free from double plays.
By the way, if you’re curious, this is what the Diamond Mind Baseball fielder ratings for the Browns look like:
If an infield of fair (that is, below average) infielders can turn 4 double plays in a game against one of the best offenses in the American League, I simply have to conclude that something is fundamentally wrong.