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My Funky Valentine: oddities from the playing career of Bobby Valentine

Posted by Andy
As Bobby Valentine prepares to take the reins of the Boston Red Sox, here's a look back at some of the unusual things from his days as a player.
In his first season in the big leagues, Valentine scored 3 runs without having a plate appearances. Here are all the players since 1901 to have at least 3 runs scored with no PAs:

Rk Player Year R Age Tm G Pos
1 Jack Morris 1983 3 28 DET 44 *1/D
2 German Barranca 1980 3 23 KCR 7
3 Tim Raines 1979 3 19 MON 6
4 Alberto Lois 1979 6 23 PIT 11
5 Ron Guidry 1977 3 26 NYY 36 *1
6 Rick Waits 1976 4 24 CLE 36 *1/D
7 Herb Washington 1975 4 23 OAK 13 /D
8 Herb Washington 1974 29 22 OAK 92 D
9 Blue Moon Odom 1974 3 29 OAK 43 *1/D
10 Allan Lewis 1973 16 31 OAK 35 D/7
11 Bobby Valentine 1969 3 19 LAD 5
12 Reno Bertoia 1962 3 27 DET 5 /645
13 Art Schult 1953 3 25 NYY 7
14 Eddie Phillips 1953 4 22 STL 9
15 Jack Cassini 1949 3 29 PIT 8
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/29/2011.

We saw of these other seasons recently, including the greatest season ever as well as Herb Washington's notable years.

Lots of players have finished with more walks than strikeouts, but few did it with as low an OBP as Valentine. Among players with more BB than K since 1960 (and at least 1000 AB) here are those with the lowest OBP:

Rk Player OBP AB BB SO From To BA SLG OPS
1 Enzo Hernandez .283 2327 189 151 1971 1978 .224 .266 .550
2 Bobby Richardson .299 4397 217 191 1960 1966 .264 .336 .634
3 Al Newman .304 2107 236 212 1985 1992 .226 .266 .570
4 Felix Fermin .305 2767 166 147 1987 1996 .259 .303 .608
5 Jack Brohamer .306 2500 222 178 1972 1980 .245 .327 .633
6 Horace Clarke .308 4813 365 362 1965 1974 .256 .313 .621
7 Bob Bailor .310 2937 187 164 1975 1985 .264 .325 .636
8 Rich Dauer .310 3829 297 219 1976 1985 .257 .343 .653
9 Luis Aparicio .310 7953 562 546 1960 1973 .262 .344 .654
10 Don Blasingame .312 2881 279 272 1960 1966 .244 .305 .617
11 Ken Boswell .313 2517 240 239 1967 1977 .248 .337 .650
12 Juan Bonilla .314 1462 116 108 1981 1987 .256 .317 .631
13 Del Crandall .314 1619 130 122 1960 1966 .259 .366 .680
14 Bob Boone .315 7245 663 608 1972 1990 .254 .346 .661
15 Bobby Valentine .315 1698 140 134 1969 1979 .260 .326 .641
16 Mike Hershberger .316 3572 319 311 1961 1971 .252 .328 .645
17 Mark Lemke .317 3230 348 341 1988 1998 .246 .324 .641
18 Rob Andrews .318 1454 148 121 1975 1979 .251 .298 .616
19 Glenn Beckert .318 5208 260 243 1965 1975 .283 .345 .663
20 Augie Ojeda .320 1062 119 115 2000 2010 .234 .313 .633
21 Bruce Benedict .320 2878 328 251 1978 1989 .242 .299 .619
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/29/2011.

In 1972, Valentine played at least 4 games at 2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, and RF. Since 1901, 34 players have done that, but notice how many have done it recently:

Rk Player Year Age Tm G Pos
1 Emilio Bonifacio 2011 26 FLA 152 65789/4
2 Sean Rodriguez 2010 25 TBR 118 *4/89567D3
3 Bill Hall 2010 30 BOS 120 74/98651
4 Emilio Bonifacio 2010 25 FLA 73 8/67954
5 Jerry Hairston 2009 33 TOT 131 56794/8D
6 Willie Bloomquist 2007 29 SEA 91 6457/839D
7 Chris Woodward 2005 29 NYM 81 37/69584D
8 Chone Figgins 2005 27 LAA 158 5847/9D6
9 Jolbert Cabrera 2003 30 LAD 128 487/6359
10 Donnie Sadler 2002 27 TOT 73 6587/94D
11 Donnie Sadler 2001 26 TOT 93 4657/98D
12 Denny Hocking 2001 31 MIN 112 643D/7598
13 Jolbert Cabrera 2001 28 CLE 141 784596/D
14 Joe McEwing 2000 27 NYM 87 7548/96
15 Denny Hocking 2000 30 MIN 134 4897563/D
16 Clay Bellinger 2000 31 NYY 98 84573/69
17 Bill Spiers 1999 33 HOU 127 *576/9843
18 Denny Hocking 1999 29 MIN 136 64798/53
19 Shane Halter 1997 27 KCR 74 4958/76D
20 Tony Phillips 1991 32 DET 146 5479D6/8
21 Luis Salazar 1988 32 DET 130 765/9843
22 Derrel Thomas 1983 32 LAD 118 8976/45
23 Derrel Thomas 1982 31 LAD 66 485/967
24 Derrel Thomas 1980 29 LAD 117 684/9275
25 Bobby Valentine 1972 22 LAD 119 456/879
26 Woodie Held 1968 36 TOT 73 95/7468
27 Cesar Tovar 1968 27 MIN 157 578649/321
28 Cesar Tovar 1967 26 MIN 164 5847/69
29 Felix Mantilla 1964 29 BOS 133 47/9568
30 Lee Magee 1919 30 TOT 124 48567/9
31 Roy Hartzell 1913 31 NYY 141 *4598/67
32 Jimmy Walsh 1910 24 PHI 88 48/6795
33 Harry Niles 1909 28 BOS 145 *7958/64
34 Freddy Parent 1907 31 BOS 114 678/954
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 11/29/2011.

Back when Bobby V. did it, it was quite rare. Nowadays, somebody does it just about every year.

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