The question on the minds of people who read water cooler

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

Benson, what exactly is your job?

[Tim Whitehead]

He's actually explained this before...

You know when you're watching a baseball game and they tell you that Bernie Williams has hit .314 against left handed pitchers from the Dominican Republic under the age of 30 on saturday afternoon games? Benson's the one that figures that out. No foolin'.

[Weberlax12]

that would be a nice job! but not the baseball part anything but baseball, im not a big fan of the sport. but i would love that kind of job!

[cjwilhelmi]

He actually found for me who has hit the most inside the park home runs since 1992.

[cjwilhelmi]

We really should have a "sticky" with Matt's job description

[ACE]

Well I've got one then....

A few weeks ago, Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman hit back-to-back homers twice in the same game against the Phillies. That was the first time in Astros history that had happened and I heard when the last time in the majors it had happened. My question is that they did it on consecutive at bats, in the first then again in the third inning. Has that every happened in history, not only does the same two players hit back-to back homers twice in the same game, but also in consecutive at bats for the two players.

[bste_lax]

I actually looked that up when they called earlier this week about it. I believe it was Oakland in the 90s. I will double check my e-mail to see if I sent it out or someone else did.

[lil lady lax fan]

So, what's the most obscure statistic you've had to research??

[UofMLaxGoalie11]

so pretty much youre paid to find completely obscure and pretty much useless information about sports? is there a general (non-sport) version of your job? and if so could you pull some strings so i could get it? i did take AP statistics in high school.

[Brent Burns]

I would add an obscure fact that I just learned this morning from a newspaper, and I am sure Matt would be able to find this information:

Eugene Mercantelli (also known as Gene Rye) hit 3 home runs in a single inning when his Waco Cubs were playing Beaumont on August 6, 1930. According to BaseballLibrary.com, he set records for most home runs in an inning (3), most total bases in an inning (12), most extra bases in an inning (9), and most RBIs in an inning (8). The RBI record has since been broken.

Gene then played for the Red Sox for 17 games in 1932, but he broke his wrist after tripping over second base. After that, he played one more season of minor league and was done for.

[ACE]

Wonder if Benson knew this one!

From espn.com article on last nights Sox game....

Red Sox on Ben Affleck's birthday since "Good Will Hunting" opened in 1998
2005 Lost at Tigers 7-6
2004 Lost to White Sox 5-4
2003 Lost to Mariners 10-5
2002 Lost at Mariners 4-3
2001 Lost to Mariners 6-2
2000 Lost to Devil Rays 3-1
1999 Lost to Mariners 4-3
1998 Lost to Twins 3-1
-- ESPN Research

[BigheadTodd]

Just one more reason to hate Ben Affleck

[jessexy]

Just one more reason to hate Ben Affleck

or love him! did they win this year?

[OldPoly75]

Did you come up with this tidbit I heard during the Giant's game today? I was at work so it's a little garbled,but the gist of it is:

"It's been since 1938 that the Yankees have lost back to back games to a team with as bad a record as the D-Rays, as late in the season, with as big a lead in the eigth inning"

Or something like that. He did go on to say that in 1938, or whatever year it was, the Yankees won the World Series...