Notebook: Breaking down the past week of Wisconsin’s spring ball practices
Insights from the Wisconsin Badgers' recent spring practices.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to face the Baltimore Orioles today, featuring key players like Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll. The starting pitchers are E. Rodriguez for the Diamondbacks and Kyle Bradish for the Orioles.
Filmmaker John Waters stands outside of the all gender restrooms named in his honor at the Baltimore Museum of Art on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
| DIAMONDBACKS | ORIOLES |
|---|---|
| Ketel Marte – DH | Taylor Ward – DH |
| Corbin Carroll – RF | Gunnar Henderson – SS |
| Geraldo Perdomo – SS | Pete Alonso – 1B |
| Adrian Del Castillo – C | Johnathan Rodriguez – RF |
| Jose Fernandez – 1B | Weston Wilson – LF |
| Ildemaro Vargas – 2B | Jeremiah Jackson – 2B |
| Nolan Arenado – 3B | Coby Mayo – 3B |
| Alek Thomas – CF | Sam Huff – C |
| Jorge Barrosa – LF | Blaze Alexander – CF |
| E. Rodriguez – LHP | Kyle Bradish – RHP |
Will Jose Fernandez ever take a walk? Yesterday, he went 2-for-4, but failed to draw a base on balls for the 13th game since he made his debut on March 31st. That is getting him up there into some fairly rarefied company. Well, at least among non-pitchers. As far as records likely never to be broken, we have Enrique Burgos, who appeared 71 times for the Diamondbacks, without a walk. The fact he never came to the plate may have been a factor in this. But in terms of plate appearances to start a career, Fernandez is getting up there. That’s now 44 PA, which have resulted in 44 at-bats. No walks. No HBP. No catcher’s interference. Zero trots down the line to first.
He does have some way to go to reach the franchise record. For the longest time – over twenty years – the mark was held by Jerry Gil, the walkless wonder. In 2004, he played 26 times for the D-backs, coming to the plate 86 times without drawing a walk (he did get hit by a pitch ones). What’s more remarkable is, save one game as a pinch-runner for the Reds in 2007, that was his entire major-league career. Baseball Reference still tags that streak as active… No other position player has had a walkless career with as many PA for almost a hundred years, since Overton Tremper went 94 PA in 1927-28.
However, Gil was recently displaced as the franchise leader for walkless PA’s to start a career. And it was by someone currently on the roster. Nobody noticed much, since it took almost two full seasons to achieve it. But Jorge Barrosa went 35 games and 91 PA, before finally getting his first base on balls in the final game last year. Of course, baseball being baseball, he then walked again, the very next time up. Another D-back also makes the top 10 by games played. Ildemaro Vargas was walkless in his first 20 appearances, though a) they were back in 2017-18, and b) that covered only 28 PA. Right now, by PA, Fernandez sits sixth. We’ll see how much higher her rises!
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The starting lineup includes Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, Adrian Del Castillo, Jose Fernandez, Ildemaro Vargas, Nolan Arenado, Alek Thomas, and Jorge Barrosa.
E. Rodriguez is the starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks, while Kyle Bradish is the starting pitcher for the Orioles.
Ketel Marte is the designated hitter, Corbin Carroll is in right field, and Nolan Arenado is playing third base for the Diamondbacks.
The game is scheduled to start at the usual time for afternoon baseball games, typically around 1:00 PM local time.
Insights from the Wisconsin Badgers' recent spring practices.

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