36 Days Until Spring Training

There are only 36 days left until pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Here are some interesting facts about the number 36:

• Adrian Beltre was the only player in baseball to hit 36 home runs last year. Since 2010 only four hitters have had more Wins Above Replacement (according to fWAR) than Beltre - Ryan Braun, Robinson Cano, Joey Votto and Miguel Cabrera. That's some good company.
• During his age-36 season in 2001 Barry Bonds hit .328/.515/.863 with 73 home runs. 
• In 1931 at age 36, Babe Ruth hit .373/.495/.700. His OPS+ was 218, which means  he was 118 percent better than the average hitter according to OPS. For what it's worth, in 2001 Bonds' OPS+ was 259, which was only the third best of his career. 
• Nine pitchers have had 36 wins in baseball with Walter Johnson in 1913 being the most recent. That year Johnson went 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA. Johnson led baseball in wins, ERA, innings pitched, complete games, shutouts, strike outs and WHIP. Unsurprisingly he won the MVP. The other notable pitcher to win 36 games was Cy Young. 
• In 1936 Lou Gehrig won the MVP, the second of his career while batting .354/.478/.696 with 49 home runs and 152 RBI. 1936 also happened to be Joe DiMaggio's rookie year. The Yankees would win the World Series in 1936 and again in 1937, 1938 and 1939. Not a bad start to a career for the Yankee Clipper.
• Gaylord Perry and Robin Roberts both wore #36 and have had their number retired by the Giants and the Phillies respectively. 
• There are also 36 chambers in the Wu-Tang.
• One uses 36 candles over the 8-days of Hannukah.
• Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th President of the United States. He died on January 22, 1973, the same day the Supreme Court made it's decision on Roe v. Wade.
• Driving along U.S. Route 36 looks like a beautiful ride, until you leave Colorado and have to go through Kansas. Woof. 
• 1936 was a leap year. The Hoover Dam was completed, Hitler occupies the Rhineland, Jesse Owens won the 100 meter dash in Berlin and FDR won the presidential election in a close battle with Alf Landon, narrowly escaping with a 523-8 electoral college victory.