Statistical oddities

In ESPN writer Buster Olney's blog, a few statistical oddities dug up by ESPN Research:

• Mark Simon of ESPN Research did some thinking about the parallels between the '69 Mets and the '08 Rays:

How are the 2008 Rays similar to the 1969 Mets?

On the 1969 Mets, the ace starter was 24-year-old Tom Seaver.
On the 2008 Rays, the ace starter is 24-year-old Scott Kazmir.
The 1969 Mets had a 61-101 record in 1967, two years prior to winning the World Series.
The 2008 Rays had a 61-101 record in 2006, two years ago.
The 1969 Mets had a closer, Ron Taylor, who had won a World Series (1964).
The 2008 Rays have a closer, Troy Percival, who has won a World Series (2002).
The 1969 Mets were 53-39 at the All-Star break.
The 2008 Rays were 55-39 at the All-Star break.
The 1969 Mets manager had a three-letter first name (Gil) and a six-letter last name (Hodges).
The 2008 Rays manager has a three-letter first name (Joe) and a six-letter last name (Maddon).
The 1969 Mets had a rookie as their primary third baseman (Wayne Garrett).
The 2008 Rays have a rookie as their primary third baseman (Evan Longoria).

Speaking of weird similarities, we have this from Greg Dohmann of ESPN Research:

Yankees and Mets Through 111 games of 2008
	Yankees	Mets
W-L	61-50	58-53
Div. rank	3rd	3rd
Hits	1,034	1,035
Runs	538	539
ERA	4.12	4.09
WHIP	1.35	1.35
Since July 1	17-11	18-11