Juuuuust A Bit Outside . . .
BY THE NUMBERS
By The Numbers, a look at what’s in the news . . . by the numbers. These are just numbers, not suggestions that they mean more or less than what they are. We do not suggest that one number is connected to another. These are simply facts with no extraneous details, bias or slanted reporting. To borrow (and perhaps mangle a bit) a quote from legendary fictional detective Joe Friday, it’s just the numbers, ma’am!
As Bob Uecker famously said when a pitch said when a pitch was 20 feet off target (juuuuust a bit outside) from the movie Major League, so say we today. We’re well into April and baseball season is in full swing . . . so what better time to get juuuuust a bit outside and take in America’s pastime? With that in mind, we borrow a line from our friend Honest Hoosier and tip our seed corn cap to baseball . . . by the numbers.
6
The Indianapolis Indians have a six-game homestand starting tomorrow with the Saints from St. Paul. First pitch tomorrow is at 6:35. The early-season series concludes with an afternoon contest Sunday at 1:35. Of course the Indians play in the friendly confines of Victory Field in wonderful downtown Indianapolis.
4
Speaking of the Indianapolis Indians and Victory Field. The stadium is the fourth home to the professional minor leaguers. From 1902 to 1931 the team played at Washington Park, which moved to a second location. They then moved to what old-timers remember as Bush Stadium on 16th Street. It was named after Owen J. Bush Stadium. (And did you know that the stadium was also home to several Negro Major League teams and a Continental Football League team? Finally, the current home, Victory Field, was built and moved into in 1996.
4
Staying with the Indians for the moment, they have been in four different classifications. In 1902 they were independent. From 1903-1911 they were Class A, Double-A from 1912 to 1945 and Triple-A ever since.
5
Did you know the Indians have been tied to at least five Major League clubs? They team is on its second time with the Pittsburgh Pirates. They were also affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds (twice), the Philadelphia Phillies and two times with the Chicago White Sox.
14
And we wrap up the Indians with sharing that in their history, the team has won 14 league titles.
4
Leaving the Indians (kind of), they are one of four Minor League Baseball teams located in our great state. The other three are the Fort Wayne TinCaps, the South Bend Cubs and the Gary SouthShore RailCats. There is a fifth professional team, but it’s an independent – the Evansville Otters.
30
That’s the number of Major League teams – 29 in the U.S. and one in Canada.
2,00,000
That’s the approximate number of kids who play Little League Baseball and Softball. It is the largest organized youth sports league.
5 ounces
A regulation baseball weighs between 5 and five and a quarter ounces.
108
Believe it or not, every MLB baseball has 108 stitches. They are in a vivid red color.
1,000,000
When it comes to popcorn, baseball fans eat it up. And no, that is not the number of pounds of popcorn eating during the MLB season. It’s the number of pounds consumed during two days at the All-Star break!
9-13-26
Back to the Indianapolis Indians to wrap up. The final regular season home game is Sept. 13 against Omaha. Yes, we’ll be sad to see it go once again.