Today's Fun Fact

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 1, 2010 5:16 PM PST in Seattle Mariners Stats

Each team in the American League, followed by the player who hit that team's longest home run in 2010 (data courtesy of Hit Tracker Online):

Anaheim	Bobby Abreu
Baltimore	Matt Wieters
Boston	David Ortiz
Chicago	Carlos Quentin
Cleveland	Shin-soo Choo
Detroit	Miguel Cabrera
Kansas City	Billy Butler
Minnesota	Jim Thome
New York	Curtis Granderson
Oakland	Jack Cust
Seattle	Eliezer Alfonzo
Tampa Bay	Evan Longoria
Texas	Josh Hamilton
Toronto	Edwin Encarnacion

Pretty much everything about this damn team was humiliating.

It's not that Eliezer Alfonzo isn't strong. He clearly is, or else he wouldn't be here. But everybody else on that list is at least a somewhat worthwhile player. Alfonzo's just a journeyman who, like Chris Woodward and Guillermo Quiroz, most people need to be reminded actually played for the Mariners. Alfonzo showed up, homered in his first game, didn't in his next 12, and then went away. He meant absolutely nothing, and yet here he is, atop a leaderboard.

The Mariners weren't terrible because Eliezer Alfonzo hit their longest home run. But I feel like the fact that Eliezer Alfonzo hit their longest home run captures the spirit of the season pretty well.

(I promise that I'll quit reflecting on 2010 one of these days, but it's not my fault the Mariners haven't signed a minor league free agent in a week.)

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I remember being at Safeco for one of his first three games or so.

Probably his second, because I got a kick out of seeing his .800 batting average on the display, but I don’t remember an impressive homerun.

by Joe Metro on Dec 1, 2010 5:30 PM PST reply actions

He hit it in Anaheim in his season debut

Good times

by Jeff Sullivan on Dec 1, 2010 5:30 PM PST up reply actions

Indeed

Three run shot deep into the second bullpen if I remember correctly.

by seamariners85 on Dec 1, 2010 5:42 PM PST up reply actions

If I remember correctly I was at that game and it was the one we blew a 8-1 lead in right?

by Kenneth Arthur on Dec 2, 2010 8:39 AM PST up reply actions

I checked on Baseball Reference.

I made it to the games on Tuesday and Wednesday. I got to see a 7-1 Mariners victory from the bleachers and then the extra innings 2-1 win some 13 rows behind the dugout.

Man, that was a good trip.

by Joe Metro on Dec 1, 2010 6:00 PM PST up reply actions

Somehow, that didn't make the Top Ten Least Remarkable Moments list, did it.

Just picture Randichiro.

by fiftyone on Dec 1, 2010 10:24 PM PST up reply actions

Edwin Encarnacion? You're pathetic Toronto

by DrunkAmerican on Dec 1, 2010 5:32 PM PST reply actions

I was looking more at the Curtis Granderson one for New York.

Somehow that surprises me. I know Granderson has some pop and definitely pull power, but with the other power hitters on that team, Granderson somehow got it?

I’m boggled.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Dec 1, 2010 5:47 PM PST up reply actions

I think that exemplifies the Yankees season as well.

"I don't really like pitchers." - Nelson Cruz

by AceJC on Dec 1, 2010 7:43 PM PST up reply actions

Really surprised it wasn't Bautista

by vivaelpujols on Dec 1, 2010 8:27 PM PST up reply actions

Clearly Bautista just got lucky 50 times or so.

Just picture Randichiro.

by fiftyone on Dec 1, 2010 10:25 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

We should be grateful to Eliezer Alfonzo for helping make 2010 a more forgettable season.

If this had been Russel Branyan, Ken Griffy Jr., or Mike Sweeney, for example, it would have given us something to remember when we looked at this list. There is very little about Eliezer Alfonzo’s stint at catcher for the 2010 Mariners that is memorable. I am looking for any way I can find to forget 2010 as I look forward to 2011. Thank you Jeff for helping find ways to accomplish this.

by Droid Rage on Dec 1, 2010 6:10 PM PST reply actions