OK Solberg: 00:00

I wanna again welcome you to the 4:05 Coffee Break, guys. Day after Labor Day, get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, beverage of your choice. Let's see what's happening. Spring wheat, 5 and a quarter, a bushel. 550 pound steer calf, $4 to $4.15, depending on their quality.

OK Solberg: 00:19

That's a lot of money. Butcher hog in Iowa, I called Katie myself, 62¢ a pound, and a 100 pound fat lamb in Billings will fetch you a dollar 97, but guys, there's more, much more. And now I aired this episode last Friday but we had some technical difficulties, therefore I'm going to do it again and I'll try to do better, all right? So I went on to say, my sister lives in the Seattle area and her name is Evie, and she's a baseball fan just like me. Seattle Mariners are her team.

OK Solberg: 00:58

Well, a week ago today. I got a text from my little sister. It says, hi, Orvin. Please check out Cal Raleigh's record for home runs. He's a mariner and a catcher.

OK Solberg: 01:10

Broke the record. End of text. Well, with the Internet at our fingertips, guys, we can look things up so easy. I checked it out, and I send back a message saying, yes, sir. Cal Raleigh, aka the big dumper, did break the record last night for Major League catchers with 49.

OK Solberg: 01:32

I wrote on I went on and said he doesn't yet hold the record of 73 total single season home runs held by Barry Bonds, but indeed the most for any catcher. And I wrote, still 31 games left in the regular season. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Evie. Okay. Guys, so that got me to thinking.

OK Solberg: 01:56

Most for any catcher? Now why would that be? Are catchers not known for their hitting prowess? So I did some more checking, and here's what I found. Number one, Cal hit another home run the next game, which was Saturday.

OK Solberg: 02:13

So now he has 50, but I also found some more interesting stuff. It is true. Catchers are not known for their hitting prowess. Just like pitchers aren't known for clubbing a lot of home runs typically. Oh, yeah.

OK Solberg: 02:29

But don't forget Dave McNally, Montana's own. He was pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, and he's a pitcher, and he hit a grand slam home run-in game 3 of the world series. Don't forget that. Check out his life-sized bronze statue in Billings across the street from Perkins there at Dealer Field. But just like pitchers are not known for home run power, neither are catchers.

OK Solberg: 02:58

Neither are catchers like Cal Raleigh. Check this out. Catching is one of the most physically grueling positions in baseball. Catchers endure constant squatting. Have you ever thought about that?

OK Solberg: 03:11

Bend down and do that all afternoon? They block pitches and manage pitchers every game, wear and tear that inevitably diminishes offensive performance over a full season. They catch a high volume of innings and face physical fatigue that affects batting performance. Catchers must study opposing hitters, catchers must call games, and catchers much must manage pitches, which divides their focus. It is incredibly uncommon for catchers to hit even 40 home runs in a single season.

OK Solberg: 03:49

Cal Raleigh's 50 home run season isn't just a milestone, it's historic. He's broken what was one of baseball's most stubborn positional records and redefined what a catcher can achieve at the plate in a single season. The rarity of such power from behind the plate is precisely why everyone's celebrating. Our hats are off to Seattle mariner Cal Raleigh. And now folks, this might not have come to your attention, but it did to mine.

OK Solberg: 04:25

How do they even know? How do they even know? Right? How do they even know that Cal Raleigh's has hit the most home runs for a catcher? Well, guys, I'll tell you how.

OK Solberg: 04:37

In baseball, they keep track of everything. I'm not sure it's true, but IRS auditors often climb the ladder by first being a baseball statistician. I made that up. No. I can't back that up.

OK Solberg: 04:52

I just said it because they do keep track of everything. Rumor has it that a baseball statistician even caught an error on the baseball commissioner's birth certificate. I made that up too. But I made it up for a reason. That's how precise they are.

OK Solberg: 05:10

I wonder sometimes if they don't even keep track of how many times the lead breaks in their pencil. They keep stats on everything, and that's why we can celebrate. Cal Raleigh, 50 home runs for a catcher never before done. And, guys, there's still 24 games left in the regular season. Thanks, Evie.

OK Solberg: 05:32

Bible verse to carry you through the day With baseball statisticians in mind, listen to this verse. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 correctly handles accurate, just like a baseball statistician. So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.