Eleven games into the season, the now Pujols-less Cardinals are riding high (8-3, first place) and leading the National League in Batting Average (.293), Hits (114), Runs (59), HRs (16) and RBI (59), as well as On Base and Slugging Percentage. Pujols, meanwhile, is hitting .267 with no HRs and 4 RBI in 45 at bats (his longest streak of season-opening at bats without a long ball). BBRT thinks this puts Pujols on a pace for 37 HRs – realistic math versus actual math.
Among the key Cardinal contributors: Matt Carpenter (.409-1-11); David Freese (.371-3-11); Carlos Beltran (.351-4-5); and Yadier Molina (.324-3-10). Clearly these Redbirds have picked up the slack.
A little bit of history from the BBRT “Baseball Geezer.”
Even a .300-hitting team couldn't bring a pennant to Fenway.
Hot hitting does not always bring pennants. Consider the 1950 Boston Red Sox – the last major league team to average .300 for a season (.302). On any given day, that line-up featured 7 or 8 .300 hitters, and the lowest average among regulars was .294. And there was Billy Goodman, who won the league batting title with a .354 average, but did not have a “regular” spot in the field. In the course of the season, Goodman played OF, 1B, 2B, 3B and SS. The Sox finished first in Batting Average, led the league in Runs Scored, finished second in HRs and finished third (behind the Yankees and Tigers) at 94-60.
The hard-hitting line-up:
C Birdie Tebbets .310
1B Walt Dropo .322
2B Bobby Doerr .294
3B Johnny Pesky .312
SS Vern Stephens .295
LF Ted Williams .317
CF Dom DiMaggio .328
RF Al Zarilla .325
UT Billy Goodman .354
The team closest to .300 in the .2000s? Only 3 teams have reached the .290 mark – the 2000 Rockies (.294); 2001 Rockies (.292); and the 2007 Yankees (.290).
