BB Fun Facts Archives - Page 23 of 63

From Ken Williams to Ronald Acuna, Jr. – Everything Your Wanted to Know about the 30-30 Club … and More

August 24, 2019 by David

Yesterday, the Braves’ 21-year-old outfielder Ronald Acuna, Jr. (the 2018 NL Rookie of the Year) swiped his 30^th base of the 2019 campaign. That gave him 36 home runs and 30 steals on the season – and made him just the 40^th member of MLB’s 30-30 (HR/SB) Club. It also made him the youngest National Leaguer to achieve this feat and the second-youngest MLB player to have a 30-30 season. (The Angels’ Mike Trout hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases as a 20-year-old in 2012, when he was the AL Rookie of the Year.) Note: Overall, the forty members of the 30-30 Club have produced 63 30-30 seasons. Note: Statistics as of August 24, a.m.

Next up for Acuna? A run at the more exclusive 40-40 Club.

Later in this post we’ll look at each of member of the 30-30 Club in detail, but first a few bits of 30-30 trivia.

The first player to achieve a 30-30 season was Ken Williams of the 1922 Saint Louis Browns.
Only two players have recorded five 30-30 seasons and they are truly family – Bobby Bonds (father) and Barry Bonds (son).
Bobby Bonds and Alfonso Soriano are the only players to have a 30-30 season in both leagues. Bonds for the Giants (1969), 1973), Yankees (1975), Angels (1977), White Sox/Rangers (1978). Soriano for the Yankees (2002, 2003), Rangers (2005) and Nationals (2006).
Bobby Bonds and Carlos Beltran are the only players to play for two teams in a 30-30 season and Beltran is the only player to complete a 30-30 MLB season while playing in both leagues. Bonds (White Sox and Rangers in 1978) – Beltran (Royals and the then NL Astros in 2004).

The first switch hitter to record a 30-30 season was the Mets’ Howard Johnson in 1987.
The most 30-30 campaigns in any one season is four – and that has been done four times (1987-1996-1997-2011).
The only player to record three consecutive 30-30 seasons is Barry Bonds (1995-96-97). Six players have recorded back-to-back 30-30 seasons: Willie Mays (1956-57); Bobby Bonds (1977-78); Ron Gant (1990-91); Vlad Guerrero (2001-02); Alfonso Soriano (2002-03 & 2005-06); and Ryan Braun (2011-12).

Only two teams have had two 30-30 players in the same season – the 1987 Mets (Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry) and the 1996 Rockies (Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks).
There have been only two 30-50 (30 homers-50 steals) seasons: Eric Davis (Reds, 1987); Barry Bonds (Pirates, 1990).
The most home runs ever hit in a 30-steal campaign is 49, by Larry Walker (Rockies, 1997).
The most steals in a 30-homer campaign is 52, by Barry Bonds (Pirates, 1990).
In the 63 30-30 seasons, the player achieving the milestone has been an All Star selection 45 times. (73.5 percent – There were no All Star selection in 1922.)
In 17 of the 62 completed 30-30 seasons, the achieving player has also won a Gold Glove.

More 30-30 Tidbits …

Among the 40 players with at least one 30-30 season, four joined the “Club” in the only season in which they reached either 30 home runs or 30 steals (although two of those four players, Jose Ramirez and Ronald Acuna, Jr. are still active). Another fourteen members of the 30-30 Club reached 30 steals just once and five reached 30 home runs just one time in their careers.

In six of the 63 30-30 seasons, the player has gotten exactly 30 home runs; while, in nine, the player has stolen exactly 30 bases. (Not including Acuna as one of those six, since he is sure to swipe at least one more base this season.) No player has ever hit 30-30 “on the nose.” The Rangers’ Ian Kinsler came closest in 3008, with 31 home runs and 30 steals.

In 26 30-30 seasons, the player has hit .300 or better, with Larry Walker’s (Rockies) .366 in 1997 being the highest average. The lowest average ever for a 30-30 player belongs to Ron Gant of the Braves at .251 (1991). As this is written, Acuna stands at .295.

Eight 30-30 seasons have featured 200 or more base hits, topped by Alex Rodriguez; 213 hits for the Mariners in 1998. Fewest hits in a 30-30 season? That would be 139, by Eric Davis of the Reds in 1987.

How about RBI? Ken Williams, the first 30-30 Club member (Browns, 1922), set the bar high at 155 runs plated in his 30-30 campaign. It has yet to be matched. There is a tie for the fewest RBI in a 30-30 season (67) – Raul Mondesi (Dodgers, 1990) and Hanley Ramirez (Marlins 2008).

Runs scored? The 30-30 player has scored at least 100 runs in 52 of the 63 campaigns (Acuna already has 106 run scored this season.) The high of 143 is shared by Larry Walker (Rockies, 1997) and Jeff Bagwell (Astros, 1999). The fewest runs scored in a 30-30 season is 74 by Ron Gant (Braves, 1991).

The most doubles in a 30-30 season goes to the Yankees’ Alfonso Soriano with 51 in 2002. Two players have actually reached 20 triples in a 30-30 season: Willie Mays of the Giants in 1957 and Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies fifty years later.

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Now a look at each member of the 30-30 Club – chronologically based on their first 30-30 campaign.

MLB’S 30-30 CLUB

Ken Williams, OF, Saint Louis Browns (LH) … 39 home runs/37 stolen bases in 1922

The left-handed hitting Ken Williams was in his seventh MLB season (age 32) when he became the first member of MLB’s 30-30 club. It was a banner year for the 6-foot, 170-pound fly chaser, as he notched what would be his career highs in games (153), runs (128), home runs (39), RBI (155) and total bases (367) for the second-place (93-61) Browns. Williams led the AL in homers, RBI and total bases.

Williams played 14 MLB seasons (1915-16, with the Reds; 1918-27 with the Browns; 1928-29 with the Red Sox). He collected 1,552 hits (.319 average), with 196 home runs and 154 stolen bases. He hit 30 or more home runs only once (20-plus an additional three times) and stole at least 30 bases only once (reaching 20 an additional two times).

Ken Williams was the first American Leaguer to hit two home runs in one inning – August 7, 1922, in the sixth inning of a Saint Louis Browns 16-1 win over the Washington Senators.

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Willie Mays, OF. Giants (RH) …

36 home runs/40 stolen bases in 1956

35 home runs/38 stolen bases in 1957

The “Say Hey Kid,” in 1956, became the first right-handed hitter and first National Leaguer to join the 30-30 club. The following year, Mays became the first player to have multiple (and consecutive) 30-30 seasons. In both 1956 and 1957, Mays led the NL in steals (he would also lead in the category in 1958 and 1959). In 1956, he had 26 doubles and 20 triples to go with his 35 home runs and 38 steals – making Mays just the second member of the 20-20-20-20 Club (doubles-triples-home runs-stolen bases). The first was the Cubs’ Wildfire Schulte (1911). Mays and Schulte were joined in the 20-20-20-20 Club in 2007 by the Tigers’ Curtis Granderson and Phillies’ Jimmy Rollins. Rollins and Mays are the only players whose 20-20-20-20 seasons also included 30 HRs and 30 SBs.

It’s no surprise to find Mays in the 30-30 Club. In 22 MLB seasons, Mays led his league in home runs four times (topping thirty 11 times, with a high a 52 in 1965) and led his league in steals four times (stealing thirty or more three times, with a high of 40 in 1956). He also was the league leader in triples three times, total bases three times, runs twice, hits once and batting average once. In addition, he earned Rookie of the Year honors, a pair of NL MVP Awards and a dozen Gold Glove recognitions. Mays played for the Giants (1951-52, 1954-72) and Mets (1972-73). He collected 3,283 hits (.302 average), 660 home runs, 1,903 RBI and 338 stolen bases.

Willie Mays hit 51 home runs as a 24-year-old in 1955 and 52 long balls as a 34-year-old in 1965 – the longest time ever between two MLB 50-HR seasons.

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Hank Aaron, OF, Braves (RH) … 44 home runs/31 stolen bases in 1963

In 1963, Aaron hit an NL-leading 44 home runs and swiped 31 bases (the only 30-steal season in his MLB career – although he did top 20 steals in five additional campaigns). That season, Aaron led the league in home runs (44), runs (121), RBI (130) and total bases (370) – while hitting .319. In his 23-season MLB career Aaron hit thirty or more home runs in 15 campaigns (forty or more eight times).

In his 23-season MLB career, Aaron led his league in total bases eight times, home runs four times, doubles four times, RBI four times, batting average twice, runs three times and hits twice. He captured one MVP Award and earned three God Gloves. Aaron retired with 3,771 hits (.305 average), 755 home runs, 2,297 RBI, 2,174 runs scored and 240 stolen bases. He played for the Braves (1954-74) and Brewers (1975-76).

Hank Aaron, who played in the major leagues from 1954 through 1976, was the last former Negro Leagues player on a major league roster.

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Bobby Bonds, OF, Giants, Yankees, Angels (RH) …

32 home runs/45 steals for the Giants in 1969

39 home runs/43 steals for the Giants in 1973

32 home runs/30 steals for the Yankees in 1975

37 home runs/41 steals for the Angels in 1977

31 home runs/43 steals for the White Sox in 1978

In the ten MLB seasons from 1969 to 1978, outfield Bobby Bonds wrote the record book for 30-30 seasons. He achieved a record five such campaigns (a record tied later by – wait for it – his son Barry). He also became the first player with a 30-30 season for more than one team; the first player with a 30-30 season in both the National and American Leagues; and the first player to go 30-30 while playing for two teams in the same season. Notably, Bonds also had his first 30-30 season in his first full MLB season (at age 23); although he had played 81 MLB games the year before, so did not qualify as a rookie. In 1978, when he played for the White Sox and Rangers, Bonds hit 29 of his 31 long balls for Texas and swiped 33 of his 43 bases for Texas. (He was traded by the White Sox to the Rangers in mid-May for Rusty Torres and Claudell Washington.)

While never leading his league in home runs or stolen bases, Bonds (in 14 MLB seasons) hit 30 or more home runs in a season six times and stole 30 or more bases ten times (40 or more seven times). He led his league in runs scored twice, total bases once and earned three Gold Gloves. Bonds finished his career with 1,886 hits (.268 average), 332 home runs, 1,024 RBI, 1,258 runs scored and 461 stolen bases. He played for the Giants (1968-74); Yankees (1975); Angels (1976-77); White Sox (1978); Rangers (1978); Indians (1979); Cardinals (1980); and Cubs (1981).

Bobby Bonds played his first seven MLB seasons with one team – the Giants. Over his final seven MLB seasons, he put on the uniform of seven different teams.

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Tommy Harper, 3B/2B/OF, Brewers (RH) … 31 home runs/38 stolen bases in 1970

Tommy Harper is one of the biggest surprises on this list. In 1970, the American League Brewers’ (former Seattle Pilots) first season, the 29-year-old Harper reached what would be career highs in games (154), hits (179), doubles (35), home runs (31), RBI (82) and batting average (.296). His 30-30 season was the only time Harper topped 17 round trippers in his 15-season MLB career. He did, however, lead his league in stolen bases twice (with a high of 73 in 1969), topping 30 steals in four campaigns. He also led the NL in runs scored in 1965 (Reds) with 126. In his 30-30 season, Harper started 128 games at 3B, 22 at 2B and 13 in the outfield.

Harper accumulated 1,609 MLB hits (.257 average), 146 home runs, 972 runs, 567 RBI and 408 steals. He played for the Reds (1962-67); Indians (1968); Pilots (1969); Brewers (1970-71); Red Sox (1972-74); Angels (1975); A’s (1975); and Orioles (1976).

Tommy Harper was the first player ever to come to bat for the short-lived Seattle Pilots. He doubled – becoming the first Pilot player to record an MLB hit and scored the team’s first run (on a home run by Mike Hegan).

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Dale Murphy, OF/1B/C, Braves (RH) …. 36 home runs/30 stolen bases in 1983

Thirty home runs was no big challenge for Dale Murphy, he topped thirty round trippers in six of his 18 MLB seasons (a high of 44 in 1987) and twice led the NL in long balls. His 30-30 season in 1983, however, was the only time he reached 30 steals and in only one other campaign did he reach 20 thefts.

In 18 MLB seasons, Murphy collected 2,111 hits (.265 average), hit 398 home runs, had 1,266 RBI, scored 1,197 runs and stole 161 bases. He led his league in games played four times (1982-85), home runs once, RBI twice, total bases once and runs scored once. He also earned five Gold Gloves. Murphy played for the Braves (1976-90); Phillies (1990-922); and Rockies (1993).

In his 1983 30-30 season, Murphy won his second consecutive National League MVP Award – one of only 13 players to win consecutive MVP honors.

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Joe Carter, OF/1B Indians (RH) … 32 home runs/31 stolen bases in 1987

In 1987, the Indians’ Joe Carter made the 30-30 Club – a distinction he missed by a whisker the previous year, when he smacked 29 home runs and stole 29 bases. In 1987, Carter hit just .264 (down from .302 in 1986), but rapped 32 home runs and stole 31 bags. It would be his only season of 30 or more steals (he did steal twenty or more in six seasons) and one of six seasons in which he reached 30 home runs.

In a 16-year MLB career, Carter – a five-time All Star – played for the Cubs (1983); Indians (1984-89); Padres (1990); Blue Jays (1991-97); Orioles (1998); and Giants (1998). He collected 2,184 hits (.259 average), 396 home runs, 1,445 RBI, 1,170 runs scored and 231 stolen bases.

Joe Carter, playing for Wichita State University, was the Sporting News College Player of the Year in 1981. That season, in 69 games played, Carter hit .411, with 24 home runs, 88 runs scored, 120 RBI and 24 stolen bases (25 attempts).

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Eric Davis, OF, Reds, 1987 (RH) … 37 home runs and 50 stolen bases in 1987

Eric Davis was a speed and power guy, six times reaching at least 20 home runs (topping thirty twice) and seven times topping 20 steals. Although he never led his league in steals, he stole a high of 80 bases in 1986. (The Cardinals’ Vince Coleman stole 107.) In his 1987 campaign, Davis hit .293, with 37 home runs, 120 runs scored, 100 RBI and fifty stolen bases.

In 17 MLB seasons, Davis collected 1,430 hits (.269 average), scored 1,430 runs, drove in 934, hit 282 round trippers and swiped 349 bases. Davis played for the Reds (1984-91, 1996); Dodgers (1992-93); Tigers (1993-94); Orioles (1997-98); Cardinals (1999-2000); and Giants (2001). He was a two-time All Star and three-time Gold Glover.

Eric Davis and Barry Bonds are the only players to steal at least 50 bases in their 30-30 season.

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Howard Johnson, 3B/SS/OF, Mets (SH) …

36 home runs/32 steals for the 1987 Mets

36 home runs/41 steals for the 1989 Mets

38 home runs/30 steals for the 1991 Mets

Howard Johnson had just three seasons of 30+ home runs – and he reached at least 30 stolen bases in all of them (he had four seasons of 30 or more steals). In his three 30-30 campaigns, Johnson led the NL in runs scored once (1989), home runs once (1991) and RBI once (1991). In those three 30-30 campaigns, he hit 74 long balls left handed (1,084 at bats) and 36 homers right handed (605 at bats).

Johnson played 14 MLB seasons: Tigers (1982-84); Mets (1985-93); Rockies (1994); and Cubs (1995). He amassed 1,229 hits (.249 average); 228 home runs, 760 runs scored, 760 RBI and 231 stolen bases. He was a two-time All Star.

Howard Johnson started his professional career as a pitcher (Tigers’ system), but was quickly converted to shortstop and then to third base. In his MB career, he played 1,032 games at 3B, 273 at shortstop and 221 in the outfield.

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Darryl Strawberry, OF, Mets (LH), 1987 … 39 home runs/36 stolen bases

Darryl Strawberry was in his fifth MLB season when he put up a 30-30 campaign for the Mets. While he topped 25 stolen bases in five seasons (1984-88), 1987 was the only season he reached 30 steals. Strawberry hit 30 or more home runs in three seasons, 20 or more in six. In 1988, Strawberry came within a whisker of back-to-back 30-30 seasons, leading the NL with 39 home runs and stealing 29 bases.

Strawberry was an eight-time All Star. In a 17-season MLB career, he had 1,401 hits, 335 home runs, an even 1,000 RBI, 898 runs scored and 221 steals. He topped 100 RBI three times and 100 runs scored twice. He played for the Mets (1983-1990); Dodgers (1991-93); Giants (1994); and Yankees 1995-99).

Darryl strawberry was the 1983 NL rookie of the Year (Mets), when he hit .257, with 26 home runs, 74 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 122 games.

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Jose Canseco, OF/DH, A’s (RH) 1988 … 42 home runs/40 stolen bases

In 1988, the A’s Jose Canseco achieved a 30-30 season and more. That year, Canseco became the first 40-40 player – launching an AL-best 42 home runs and stealing 40 bases. For the year, he hit .307, led the AL with 124 RBI and won the league MVP Award. It was Canseco’s only season with at least 30 steals (he did top 25 two additional times) and one of eight seasons in which he topped 30 home runs.

In 17 seasons, the five-time All Star collected 1,877 hits (.266 average), 462 home runs, 1,407 RBI, 1,186 runs scored and 200 steals. He led his league in home runs twice.

Jose Canseco was the 19865 AL Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old hit just .240 in 157 games, but hit 33 home runs and drove in 117 tallies.

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Barry Bonds, OF, Pirates & Giants (LH) …

33 home runs/52 stolen bases for the Pirates in 1990

34 home runs/39 stolen bases for the Pirates in 1992

33 home runs/31 stolen bases for the Giants in 1995

42 home runs/40 stolen bases for the Giants in 1996

40 home runs/37 stolen bases for the Giants in 1997

Barry Bonds is one of only two MLB players to record five 30-30 campaigns – and the other is his father Bobby Bonds. In his 22-season career, Bonds had 14 seasons of at least 30 home runs and nine seasons of at least 30 stolen bases. He was the NL MVP in his first two 30-30 seasons (he was the NL MVP a total of seven times).

In his career, Bonds led the NL in runs once, home runs twice, batting average twice, RBI once, walks 12 times and intentional walks 12 times. He was an All Star selection 14 times and an eight-time Gold Glover. Bonds collected 2,935 hits (.298 average), hit 762 home runs, drove in 1,996 runs, scored, 2,227 and swiped 514 bases.

In 2004, Barry Bonds drew a record 120 intentional walks. He also drew the second-most intentional walks in a season (68 in 2002) and third-most (61 in 2003). Fourth on the list is Willie McCovey, with 45 intentional passes in 1969.

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Ron Gant, OF, Braves (RH) …

32 home runs/33 steals in 1990

32 home runs/34 steals in 1991

Ron Gant put together back-to-back 30-30 seasons for the Braves in 1990-91. In his 16-season MLB career, Gant hit 30 or more home runs four times and stole 30 or more bases in three seasons.

Gant’s career stat line includes 1,651 hits (.256 average), 321 home runs, 1,008 RBI, 1,080 runs scored and 243 stolen bases. He was a two-time All Star. Gant played for the Braves (1987-1993); Reds (1995); Cardinals (1996-98); Phillies (1999-2000); Angels (2000); Rockies (2001); A’s (2001, 2003); and Padres (2002).

In 1994, Ron broke his leg in a dirt-bike accident and missed the entire 1995 season. He came back with the Reds in 1995 and made the NL All Star Team – finishing the season at .276-29-88, with 23 stolen bases in 199 games.

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Sammy Sosa, OF, Cubs (RH) …

33 home runs/36 stolen bases in 1993

36 home runs/34 stolen bases in 1995

Sammy Sosa recorded a total of three seasons of 30 or more steals in his MLB career – and two of those coincided with campaigns of 30 or more home runs. Overall, Sosa had 11 seasons with 30+ round trippers.

In his 18-season career, Sosa collected 2,408 hits (.273 average), hit 609 home runs and amassed 1,667 RBI. He also scored 1,475 runs and stole 234 bases. Sosa was a seven-time All Star, the 1998 NL MVP and led the league in runs three times, total bases three times, home runs twice and RBI twice. Sosa played for the Rangers (1989, 2007); White Sox (1989-1991); Cubs 1992-2004); and Orioles (2005). In the five seasons from 1998 to 2002, Sosa averaged just over 58 runs per season.

Sammy Sosa is the only MLB player to hit at least sixty home runs in a season three times (66 in 1998; 63 in 1999; 64 in 2001) and yet did not lead his league in home runs in any of those seasons.

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Dante Bichette, OF, Rockies (RH) … 31 home runs/31 stolen bases in 1996

Dante Bichette had just one season of at least thirty stolen bases – and it coincided with one of his three seasons of at least 30 home runs.

In 14 MLB seasons, Bichette was an All Star four times, led the NL in hits twice, home runs once, RBI once and total bases once. He played for the Angels (1988-90); Brewers (1991-92); Rockies (1993-1999); Reds (2000); and Red Sox (2000-01). He collected 1,906 hits, hit 274 home runs, drove in 1,141, scored 934 times and stole 152 bases.

Dante Bichette hit the first home run in Colorado Rockies’ history. It was off the Mets’ Brett Saberhagen on April 7, 1993.

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Ellis Burks, OF, Rockies (RH) … 40 home runs/32 stolen bases in 1996

Ellis Burks had just one season of at least 30 steals – which happened to line up with his one season of at least 40 home runs (he did have another three seasons of 30 or more long balls). In his 30-30 season, Burks led the league in runs scored (142) and total bases (392) and topped 200 base hits (211, .344 average).

In his 18-season MLB career, Burks had 2,107 hits (.291 average), 352 home runs, 1,253 runs scored, 1,206 RBI and 181 steals. Burks played for the Red Sox (1987-92, 2004); White Sox (1993); Rockies (1994-98); Giants (1998-2000); and Indians (2001-03). Burks was a two-time All Star and one-time Gold Glover.

In 1996, Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette both achieved 30-30 seasons for the Rockies. The only other teammates to put up 30-30 campaigns in the same season are Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry of the 1987 Mets.

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Barry Larkin, SS, Reds (RH) … 33 home runs and 36 stolen bases in 1996

Barry Larkin found the fountain of power in 1996 – bopping a career-high 33 home runs (he only reached 20 round trippers in one other season). He also swiped 36 bases, earning his spot in the 30-30 club. That season, Larkin also notched what would be his career highs in RBI (89), runs scored (117), walks (96) and total bases (293).

In his 19-season MLB career – all with the Reds – Larkin was a 12-time All Star and three-time Gold Glover. Larkin collected 2,340 hits over his career, with 198 home runs, 960 RBI, 1,328 runs scored and 379 stolen bases.

Barry Larkin was the 1995 NL MVP, when he hit .319, with 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 98 runs scored. He also swiped 51 bases (in 56 attempts) and won a Gold glove – leading the Reds to the NL Central Division crown.

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Jeff Bagwell, 1B , Astros (RH) …

43 home runs/31 stolen bases in 1997

42 home runs/30 stolen bases in 1999

Jeff Bagwell – one of the Astros’ “Killer Bees” (Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman) of the 1990s, put together a pair of 30/30 seasons, each time topping 40 home runs. Notably, while Bagwell hit 30 or more home runs in nine seasons, he only reached 30 steals twice. In 1997, Bagwell hit .286, with 43 home runs and 41 steals. Two years later, he hit .304, with 42 home runs and 30 steals. In that 1999 campaign, he led the NL in runs with 143, while also drawing a league-topping 140 walks.

In 15 MLB seasons, Jeff Bagwell collected 2,314 hits (.297 average) and amassed 449 home runs, 1,529 RBI, 1,517 runs scored and 202 stolen bases. He was the 1991 NL Rookie of the Year, 1994 NL MVP and a four-time All Star. He also earned a Gold Glove in 1994. He led the NL in runs three times and RBI once. In his 1994 MVP season, Bagwell hit .268, with a league-leading 104 runs scored, an NL-best 116 RBI – as well as 39 home runs and a league-topping 300 total bases.

Jeff Bagwell is the only MLB player to achieve six consecutive seasons (1996-2001) of 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored and 100 walks. During that span he hit .301, with 236 home runs, 754 RBI, 765 runs scored, 121 steals and 733 walks. That makes his season average in that period .301, 39 home runs, 126 RBI, 128 runs scored, 20 stolen bases and 122 walks. A Killer Bee, indeed.

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Raul Mondesi, OF, Dodgers (RH) …

30 home runs and 32 stolen bases in 1997

33 home runs/36 stolen bases in 1999

Raul Mondesi had multiple opportunities to join the 30-30 Club – recording three seasons of 30 or more stolen bases to go along with three seasons of 30 or more home runs. He matched 30’s up twice – in 1997 and 1999. In 1997, he hit .310 with 30 long balls, 87 RBI and 32 steals (47 attempts). Two years later, despite hitting .253, he had his second 30-30 campaign, with 33 home runs, a career-high 99 RBI and 36 steals in 45 tries.

In his 13-year MLB career, Mondesi had 1,589 hits (.273 average), 909 runs scored, 860 RBI, 271 home runs and 229 steals. He was the NL Rookie of the Year as a 23-year old in 1994, when he hit .306-16-56 in 112 games. He was an All Star once (1995) and a Gold Glover twice. He never scored or drove in 100 runs in a season, but came close – scoring 98 runs in a season twice and driving in 99 in 1999.

Raul Mondesi was the first Dodger to have a 30-30 season.

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Larry Walker, OF, Rockies (LH) … 49 home runs/33 stolen bases in 1997

Larry Walker had just one 30+ stolen base season in his 17-year MLB career – and he smacked 49 home runs in that same campaign. It was 1997, and Walker hit .366, with an NL-leading 49 home runs, 130 RBI, 143 runs scored, 33 steals and a league-leading 409 total bases. That season, he set his career highs in games, at bats, hits, runs, doubles, home runs, RBI and total bases. That offense – and a Gold Glove – earned him MVP honors in his 30-30 season.

Walker collected 2,160 career hits (.313 average), 383 home runs, 1,311 RBI, 1,355 runs scored and 230 stolen bases. He won three batting crowns, led his league in doubles once, home runs once and total bases once. He also picked up seven Gold Gloves and was an All Star five times.

In the three season from 1997 to 1999, Larry Walker averaged .369 – putting up averages of .366, .363 and .379. Hitter-friendly Coors Field played a role, as Walker hit .397 at home over those seasons. But he was no slouch on the road (.314).

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Shawn Green, OF, Blue Jays (LH) … 35 home runs/35 stolen bases in 1998

Shawn Green had just one season of 30 or more steals – 35 for the Blue Jays in 1998. That same year he also rapped 35 home runs. In fact, between 1998 and 2002, Green’s home runs totals (for the Blue Jays and Dodgers) were 35, 42, 24 and 49. The two-time All Star improved nearly across the board in the season following his 30-30 campaign – improving his average from .278 to .309; hits from 175 to 190; doubles from 33 to a league-leading 45; homers from 35 to 42; RBI from 100 to 123; runs scored from 106 to 134; and total bases from 321 to a league-topping 361. His stolen bases, however, dropped from 35 to 20.

In his career, Green topped 100 runs scored in four seasons, had 100 or more RBI in four seasons, hit 40+ doubles in three seasons and 40+ home runs in three seasons. Green played for the Blue Jays (1993-1999); Dodgers (2000-2006), and Mets (2006-07. He collected 2,003 hits, hit 328 home runs, drove in 1,070 runs, scored 1,129 and stole 162 bases.

Shawn Green holds the MLB record for most total bases in a single game. On May 23, 2002 – as the Dodgers topped the Brewers 16-3 in Milwaukee – Green hit four home runs, a double and a single in six at bats. He scored six times, drove in seven runs and set a new MLB record (that still stands) of 19 total bases in a game.

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Alex Rodriguez, SS, Mariners (RH) … 42 home runs/46 stolen bases in 1998

You might have expected to see A-Rod on this list more than once, but Rodriguez had only one season of thirty or more steals (46 in 1998, when he was playing shortstop for Seattle). He also banged out 40 home runs that year, becoming just the third member of the 40-40 Club (Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds preceded Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano would follow). In his 40-40 year, Rodriguez hit .310 and led the AL in hits with 213. His 42-HR season was one of 15 in which he would hit at least 30 long balls (he had five seasons in the 40‘s and three in the 50’s).

In his 22-season MLB career, A-Rod collected 3,115 hits, smacked 696 home runs, drove in 2,086 tallies, scored 2,021 times and swiped 329 bases. He played for the Mariners (1994-2000): Rangers (2001-2003); and Yankees (2004-2013, 2015-16). He was a 14-time All Star, three-time MVP and two-time Gold Glover. Rodriguez led his league in runs five times, home runs five times, total bases four times, RBI twice, hits once, doubles once and batting average once.

Alex Rodriguez’ 25 major league Grand Slam home runs are the MLB record.

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Preston Wilson, OF, Marlins, (RH) … 31 home runs/36 steals in 2000

In 2000, the Marlins’ Preston Wilson hit 31 home runs, stole 36 bases and drove in 121 runs. Not bad for a 25-year-old in his second full MLB season. It would be his only 30-steal campaign, although he did reach 20 steals in each of the next two seasons. He topped 30 home runs once more – in 2003, when (as a Rockie) he hit 36 long balls, drove in an NL-best 141 runs and made his only All Star team.

In a 10-season MLB career, Wilson collected 1,055 hits (.264 average), scored 573 runs, hit 189 home runs, drove in 668 and swiped 124 bags. Wilson played for the Mets (1998); Marlins (1998-2002); Rockies (2003-05); Nationals (2005); Astros (2006); and Cardinals (2006-07).

Preston Wilson was the Baseball America 1992 High School Player of the Year – and was the ninth overall pick in the 1992 June MLB draft.

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Bobby Abreu, OF, Phillies (LH) …

31 home runs/36 stolen bases in 2001

30 home runs/40 stolen basses in 2004

Bobby Abreu picked up his first 30-30 season in 2001 – at age 27 – in his sixth MLB season. He earned a second 30-30 stat line three seasons later. Abreu was a true power-speed guy. He had six seasons of 30 or more steals, with a high of 40 in his 2004 30-30 campaign. He reached 30 home runs in his two 30-30 seasons, but swiped 20 or more bases in 12 campaigns. He was a two-time All Star and won a Gold Glove in 2005.

In 18 MLB seasons, Abreu rang up 2,470 hits (.291 average), 288 home runs, 1,363 RBI, 1,453 runs scored and 400 stolen bases. He led the NL in triples once and doubles once. Abreu hit .300 or better in six seasons, drove in 100 or more runs eight times and scored 100 or more runs eight times. Abreu played for the Astros (1996-97); Phillies (1998-2006); Yankees (2006-08); Angels (2009-12); Dodgers (2012); and Mets (2014).

Bobby Abreu was a disciplined hitter who drew 1,476 walks – 20th all-time. He drew 100 or more free passes in eight consecutive seasons (1999-2006).

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Jose Cruz, Jr., OF, Blue Jays (SH) …. 34 home runs/32 steals in 2001

In his 2001 30-30 campaign, Jose Cruz, Jr. reached what would prove to be career highs in hits, batting average, runs, doubles, home runs, RBI and stolen bases. His 32 steals that season represented the only year in which he stole more than 15. He topped 30 home runs twice.

In his 12-season MLB career, Cruz had 1,167 hits (.247 average), 204 home runs, 624 RBI, 713 runs scored and 113 stolen bases. He played for the Mariners (1997); Blue Jays (1997-2002); Giants (2003); Rays (2004); Diamondbacks (2005); Red Sox (2005); Dodgers (2005-06); Padres (2007); and Astros (2008).

Jose Cruz Jr. brought good genes to his MLB career. His father, Jose Cruz, Sr., hit .284 over 19 major league seasons. In addition, his uncles, Hector and Tommy Cruz, had MLB careers of nine and two season, respectively.

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Vlad Guerrero, OF, Expos (RH) …

34 home runs/37 stolen bases in 2001

39 home runs/40 stolen bases in 2002

In 2002, as he completed his second consecutive 30-30 season, Vlad Guerrero just missed joining the elite 40-40 club – racking up 39 home runs and 40 steals. Notably, 2001 and 2002 were the only seasons in which Guerrero stole more than 15 bases – notching 77 steals in those two years and just 104 in his additional 14 MLB campaigns. He did top 30 home runs in eight seasons, with a high of 44 in 2000.

In his 16-season MLB career, Guerrero hit .300 or better 13 times, drove in 100 or more runs ten times and scored 100+ runs six times. He also had three 200-hit seasons, leading the NL with 206 hits for the Expos in 2002. He was an All Star in eight seasons. Guerrero played for the Expos (1996-2003); Angels (2004-2009); Rangers (2010); and Orioles (2011). His career stats include 2,590 hits (.318 average), 449 home runs, 1,496 RBI, 1,328 runs scored and 181 steals.

Vlad Guerrero was the American League MVP (Angels) in 2004, when he hit .337, with 39 home runs, 126 RBI, a league-leading 124 runs scored and a league-best 366 total bases.

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Alfonso Soriano, OF/2B, Yankees, Rangers, Nationals (RH) …

39 home runs/41 stolen bases in 2002 for the Yankees

38 home runs/35 stolen bases in 2003 for the Yankees

36 home runs/39 stolen bases in 2005 for the Rangers

46 home runs/41 stolen bases in 2006 for the Nationals

In 2002 (age 26), in just his second full MLB season, Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees joined the 30-30 club and nearly became a member of the 40-40 fraternity – hitting 39 home runs to go with 41 stolen bases. Four seasons later (2006), he cracked the 40-40 barrier, hitting 46 home runs and stealing 40 bases for the Nationals. In between, he notched another pair of 30-30 campaigns. His first 30-30 campaign may have been the most impressive, as Soriano led the AL in at bats, runs, hits and steals; while hitting.300 and driving in 100+ runs – finishing third in AL MVP balloting.

In his 16-season MLB career, Soriano was an All Star seven times (2002-08), stole 30 or more bases five times (40+ three times), launched 30 or more homers in a season seven times, drove in 100+ runs four times and scored 100+ four times. He collected 2,095 hits (.270 average), 412 home runs, drove in 1,159 runs, scored 1,152 times and swiped 289 bases. Soriano played for the Yankees (1999-2003, 2013-14); Rangers (2004-2005); Nationals (2006); and Cubs (2007-13).

Not known for his patience at the plate, in his first 30-30 season, Soriano walked just 23 times, while striking out 157 – but still managed to hit .300. He upped his walks and reduced his whiffs over time, ending with 496 walks and 1,803 strikeouts.

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Carlos Beltran, OF, Royals/Astros (SH) … 38 home runs and 42 stolen bases in 2004

Carlos Beltran retired as a player (at age 40) after the 2017 season. His 30-30 campaign came way back in 2004 – in a season that saw him traded from the Royals to the Astros in late June. Beltran played 69 games for the American League Royals and 90 games for the then National League Astros – and is the only player to play in both leagues in a 30-30 season. He hit 15 home runs and stole 14 bases for Kansas City and rapped 23 round trippers and stole 28 bases for Houston. Beltran put up four seasons of 30 or more home runs (a high of 41 in 2006) and four seasons of 30 or more steals (a high of 42 in 2004).

In his 20 MLB seasons, Beltran was an All Star nine times and a three-time Gold Glover. He collected 2,725 hits (.279 average), hit 435 home runs (fourth-most among switch hitters), drove in 1,587 tallies, scored 1,582 runs and stole 312 bases. Beltran is one of only four players with 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases – and the only switch hitter.

In his rookie season (1999), the 22-year-old Carlos Beltran hit .293, with 22 home runs, 108 RBI, 112 runs scored and 27 stolen bases for the Royals – capturing AL Rookie of the Year honors.

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David Wright, 3B, Mets (RH) … 30 home runs/34 stolen bases in 2007

David Wright was a force for the Mets – bringing power and speed, as well as solid defense at the hot corner (a two-time Gold Glover). While he only topped 30 home runs in a season twice and stole 30 or more bases just once, Wright had five season of 25 or more homers and three seasons of 20 or more steals. In his 30-30 campaign, he reached what would be his career highs in hits, doubles, and batting average – and added a Gold Glove for Good measure.

In his 14 MLB seasons, Wright was a seven-time All Star. He hit over .300 in seven seasons, topped 100 RBI in five and scored 100+ runs twice. Overall, he amassed 1,777 hits (.296 career average), 242 home runs, 970 RBI, 949 runs scored and 196 stolen bases. Wright played his entire career for the Mets.

David Wright hit the first Mets’ round tripper in Citi Field history on April 13, 2009. It was, however, the third official home run in Citi Field. Padres’ lead off hitter Jody Gerut inaugurated the ballpark with a home run to right to lead off the top of the first and San Diego 1B Adrian Gonzalez belted a solo shot in the top of the fifth. Wright hit the Mets’ first dinger, a three-run blast that tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth. (The Mets eventually lost 6-5.)

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Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies (SH) … 30 home runs/41 steals in 2007

Phillies’ SS Jimmy Rollins made the most of his 2007 30-30 season – translating it into an NL MVP Award. That season, Rollins led the league in games, at bats, runs scored and triples, while hitting .296 and earning a Gold Glove on defense. He also reached what would-be his career highs in games, at bats, hits, runs, triples, home runs, RBI and full-season batting average. It was Rollins’ only 30-home run season, but one of ten in which he stole 30 or more bases (a high of 47 in 2008).

In a 17-season MLB career, Rollins led the league in triples four times, stolen bases once and runs scored once. He collected 2,455 hits (.264 average), hit 231 home runs, drove in 936, scored 1,421 times and stole 470 bases (46th all-time). Rollins was a three-time All-star and four-time Gold Glover. He played for the Phillies (2000-2014); Dodgers (2015); and White Sox (2016).

In a portent of things to come, Jimmy Rollins’ first MLB hit was a triple. He would go on to hit 155 MLB triples, leading the NL four times and hitting ten or more three-baggers in five seasons.

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Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds (RH) … 30 home runs/32 stolen bases in 2007

Brandon Phillips smacked 30 home runs and stole 32 bases in 2007, the only season in which he reached either 30 round trippers or 30 steals. In 17 MLB seasons, Phillips was an All Star three times and won four Gold Gloves. He has reached at least 100 runs scored twice and 100+ RBI once. Phillips also stole 15 or more bases in seven seasons and hit 15 or more dingers in eight.

Phillips recorded 2,029 base hits (.275 average), 211 home runs, 951 RBI, 1,005 runs scored and 209 stolen bases. He has played for the Indians (2002-2005); Reds (2006-2017); Braves (2017); Dodgers (2017); and Red Sox (2018).

In 2019, Brandon Phillips is playing for Diablos Rojas del Mexico in the Mexican League

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Grady Sizemore, OF , Indians (LH) … 33 home runs/38 stolen bases in 2008

In 2008, Grady Sizemore hit 33 home runs and swiped 38 bases for the Indian – also earning a spot on the AL All Star team and a Gold Glove for his defensive play in center field. Overall, Sizemore was a three-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover. He topped 30 home runs once (four seasons of 20 or more) and reached 30+ steals twice (four season of 20 or more).

A series of injuries – beginning with elbow issues (that required surgery in 2009) and followed by knee and back surgeries – curtailed Sizemore’s career. Between 2009 and 2015, he played in 100 games in a season only once – missing the entire 2012 and 2013 seasons. In the four seasons between 2005 and 2008, he averaged 160 games per season, with an average stat line of .281-27-81, and 29 steals. In his first four full seasons, he led the AL in games played twice, runs scored once and doubles once; was an All Star three times; and a Gold Glover twice. He also hit 32 triples in that time, reaching 11 twice. From 2009-2015 (excluding 2012-13), he averaged just 84 games a season with an average stat line of .238-8-34, five steals.

In ten MLB seasons (1,101 games), Sizemore collected 1,098 hits (.265 average), hit 150 home runs, drove in 518, scored 66o times and stole 143 bases. Sizemore played for the Indians (2004-2011); Red Sox (2014); Phillies (2014-15); and Rays (2015).

During his MLB career, Grady Sizemore had abdominal, elbow, knee and back surgeries.

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Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins (RH) … 33 home runs/35 stolen bases in 2008

In 2008, Marlins’ 24-year-old shortstop Hanley Ramirez made his first All Star team and joined the 30-30 Club in just his third full MLB season. Ramirez hit .301, led the NL in runs scored with 125, hit 33 home runs and a stole 35 bases. It is one of just two 30-homer seasons for Ramirez (still active after 14 MLB seasons) and one of four 30+ stolen base seasons. (Ramirez stole 51 bases in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.)

As this is written, Ramirez has 1,834 MLB hits (.289 average), 271 home runs, 917 RBI, 1,049 runs scored and 281 stolen bases (15 MLB seasons). He has been an All Star three times, won the 2009 NL batting title with a .342 average and was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2006. He elected for free agency after being designated for assignment by the Indians in April.

Ramirez scored 100+ runs in two seasons, drove in 100+ in two seasons, topped 200 hits once, hit .300 or better five times. He has played for the Red Sox (2005, 2015-18); Marlins (2006-12); Dodgers (2012-14); and Indians (2019).

In 20 post season games, Hanley Ramirez has 27 hits (.380 average), one home run, 14 RBI, nine runs scored, two stolen bases and seven walks. His post-season on base percentage is .450.

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Ian Kinsler, 2B, Rangers (RH) …

31 home runs/31 stolen bases in 2009

32 home runs/30 stolen bases in 2011

Ian Kinsler, still active, has put up a pair of 30-30 campaigns in 14 MLB seasons. Interestingly, the power has seemed to come at the expense of the batting average. In 2009, Kinsler smoked 31 home runs and stole 31 bases. His home runs were up from 18 the previous year, but the batting average was down to .253 (from .319 the previous season). In 2010, Kinsler’s average was up to .286, but he hit only nine homers in 103 games. Then in 2011, his averaged slipped to .255, but he popped 32 homers and stole 30 bags. Notably, he made the AL All Star team in 2008 and 2010, but not in his 2009 and 2011 30-30 seasons. The 2009 and 2011 seasons were the only ones in which Kinsler reached 30 home runs or 30 steals. He does have five seasons of 20 or more homers and five seasons of 20 or more steals.

Kinsler is a four-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover. To date, he has 1,999 MLB hits (.269 average), 257 home runs, 909 RBI, 1,243 runs scored and 243 stolen bases. He has scored 100 or more runs in six seasons and drove in a career high 92 runs in 2014. Kinsler has played for the Rangers (2006-2013); Tigers (2014-2017); Angels (2018); Red Sox (2018); and Padres (2019).

On April 15, 2009, Ian Kinsler went six-for-six as his Rangers topped the Orioles 19-6 in Texas. Kinsler scored six times and drove in four runs. More important, he hit for the cycle, collecting two singles, two doubles, one triple and one home run. That game – and his season totals – made Kinsler the first player to have a 30-30 campaign and hit for the cycle in the same season. (He was joined in that achievement by the Red Sox Mookie Betts in 2018.)

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Matt Kemp, OF , Dodgers (RH) … 39 home run/49 stolen bases in 2011

Oh so, close. When Matt Kemp joined the 30-30 Club in 2011, he was so-o-o close to becoming part of the even more elite 40-40 fraternity. With 39 home runs and 40 steals on the season, he was just one long ball shy of the mark. In that 2011 season, Kemp led the NL home runs, runs scored (115) and RBI (126). In addition, he led the NL in total bases (353) and picked up his second Gold Glove for his play in center field. Kemp has stolen 30 or more bases three times and topped 30 home runs twice. He finished second in the MVP balloting to the Brewers’ Ryan Braun – despite outdistancing Braun in games played, at bats, runs, hits, home runs, RBI and stolen bases. Braun did top Kemp in batting average .332 to .324.

Kemp, still active, began his 14th MLB season in 2019. (Kemp started the season with the Reds; was released May 4 and signed by the Mets later that month; and released by New York in July).) Thus far in his career, Kemp has collected 1,780 hits (.285 average), hit 281 home runs, drove in 1,010, scored 932 runs and stolen 183 bases. He has been all All Star three times, including 2018. Kemp has played for the Dodgers (2006-2014, 2018); Padres (2015-16);Braves (2016-17); and Reds (2019).

On October 23, 2018 – in the top of second inning of Game One – Matt Kemp became the 35th player in MLB history to hit a home run in his first World Series at bat. It was a solo shot off Red Sox’ ace Chris Sale. In the bottom of the seventh, Kemp was joined on that list by the Red Sox’ Eduardo Nunez, who hit a three-run homer in his first WS at bat (as a pinch hitter).

It was just the third time two players have hit a home run in their first World Series at bat in the same game. The other two instances were in Game One of the 1988 Series (Mickey Hatcher, Dodgers and Jose Canseco, A’s) and Game One in 2002 (Barry Bonds, Giants and Troy Glaus, Angels).

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Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers, (RH) …

33 home runs/33 stolen bases in 2011

41 home runs/30 stolen bases in 2012

Ryan Braun put together back-to-back 30-30 campaigns in 2011-12 – winning the NL MVP Award in 2011. Those two years represent Braun’s only two seasons with 30 or more steals, mixed in with six seasons of 30 or more home runs. The still active Braun, however, has reached double-digits in steals in 12 of his 13 MLB seasons (including this season, in which he already has ten steals) – and in every season in which he played at least 100 games. In his 2012 30-30 season, he led the NL in runs scored and home runs.

As this is written, Braun has recorded 1,913 base hits (.298 average), 340 home runs, 1,109 RBI, 1.052 runs and 214 steals. He has topped 100 RBI in five seasons and 100 runs scored in four seasons. He has hit over .300 six times and led the NL in hits once (203 hits in 2009). He is a six-time All Star.

Ryan Braun was offered a baseball scholarship by Stanford University (among other schools), but chose to attend the University of Miami on a full academic scholarship. Among the recognitions he received for his play at Miami were National Freshman of the Year (2003) and Atlantic Coast Conference Player for the Year (2005). In 2005, he played in 58 games for Miami, hitting .388, with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

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Jacob Ellsbury, OF, Red Sox (LH) … 32 home runs/39 stolen bases in 2011.

Jacoby Ellsbury surprised a lot of people with his power in 2011 – notching his only season of 30+ home runs. 2011 is one of only two seasons in which Ellsbury reached double-digits in round trippers (he had 16 in 2014). The 39 steals that completed his 30-30 campaign were no surprise, however. He had already recorded campaigns of 50 and 70 stolen bases. (He would later add season of 52 and 39 steals.) In 2011, Ellsbury reached his full-season career highs in runs, hits, average, doubles, home runs, RBI and total bases. He also picked up his only Gold Glove.

The still active Ellsbury (although he has not played since 2017 due to a combination of injuries – hip/shoulder) has played 11 MLB seasons. He currently has 1,376 hits (.284 average), 104 home runs, 512 RBI, 749 runs scored and 343 steals. He has led his league in stolen bases three times, triples once and total bases once. His only All Star appearance was in his 2011 season (his 30-30 campaign). Ellsbury has played for the Red Sox (2007-13) and Yankees (2014-17).

On May 20, 2009, Jacoby Ellsbury tied the MLB record for most putouts for an outfielder in a nine inning game – with 12, as the Red Sox topped the Blue Jays 8-3 in Boston. Ellsbury, playing center field had two putouts in each of the first four innings, one in the fifth and all three in the sixth – and none in the final three frames.

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Mike Trout, OF, Angels (RH) … 30 home runs/49 stolen bases in 2012

Mike Trout – still active – got his 30-30 season out of the way early, joining the club at age 20 and in his first full MLB season. That season, the AL Rookie of the Year led the league in runs scored (129) and steals (49), while hitting .326 with 30 home runs. In his first eight MLB seasons (seven full seasons), Trout has hit 30 or more home runs five times and stolen 30 or more bases three times. Another 30-30 campaign may well be on the Horizon.

Trout, now in his “age-27” season, already has earned Rookie of the Year recognition, two Most Valuable Player Awards (2014 and 2016), led the AL in runs scored four times, RBI once, stolen bases once, walks twice and total bases once. The eight-time All Star has five seasons of 100+ runs scored and two seasons of 100 or more RBI. His line this year stands at .294-42-98, with ten steals.

As this is written, Trout has 1,315 hits (.305 average), 282 home runs, 746 RBI, 896 runs scored and 199 stolen bases.

In his seven full MLB seasons, Mike Trout has finished first or second in the AL MVP voting six times. (In 2017, he finished fourth.)

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Jose Ramirez, 3B/2B, Indians, (SH) … 39 home runs/34 stolen bases in 2018

Jose Ramirez – still active – notched his 30-30 campaign in his sixth MLB season (at age 25). In 2018, he reached new career highs in home runs, stolen bases, RBI and runs scored. 2018 was the first season he reached with 30+ HR or 30+ SB.

A two-time All Star, Ramirez led the league in doubles (56) in 2017. He has hit .300+ in two full seasons, scored 100+ runs twice and driven in 100+ once. To date, he has collected 773 career hits (.280 average), hit 107 home runs, driven in 383, scored 448 times and stolen 117 bases.

Since making the big leagues, Jose Ramirez has started 421 games at 3B, 119 at second base, 100 at SS, 49 in LF and 7 at DH.

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Mookie Betts, OF, Red Sox (RH) … 32 home runs/30 stolen bases in 2018

Mookie Betts put up a 30-30 season in 2018 – the frosting on the cake was a batting title, a Gold Glove and the AL MVP Award. (Betts also led the AL in run scored with 129.) In just his fifth MLB season, the still active Betts set new career highs in runs, doubles, home runs, average and stolen bases. It was Betts’ first season of at least thirty steals and his second with 30 or more home runs.

Betts is a four-time All Star and three-time Gold Glover. He has topped 100 runs scored in four of his five full MLB seasons (including 118 runs scored already this season), has driven in 100+ twice, topped 30 home runs twice and stolen 30 bases once (three times 25 or more). Thus far in his career he has 993 hits (.300 average), 131 home runs, 456 RBI, 596 runs scored and 123 stolen bases.

On July 2, 2017 Mookie Betts drove in eight runs while manning the lead off spot in the Red Sox lineup – tying the MLB record for RBI in a game by a lead off hitter.

Ronald Acuna, Jr. , OF, Braves (RH) … Season Still in Progress

As of end of play, August 23, 2019, Ronald Acuna, Jr. has 36 home runs and 30 steals (to go with a .295 average, 106 runs scored and 88 RBI). He could be on his way to MLB’s fifth 40-40 campaign. Just in his second MLB season, Acuna has 282 hits (240 games), a .294 career average, 62 home runs, 46 steals, 184 runs scored and 152 RBI. He was a 2019 All Star.

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com

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Making a Long (Ball) Story Short – 2019 Home Run Pace

August 22, 2019 by David

Photo by IDSportsPhoto

Okay, we are all aware that the Minnesota Twins have already blown past their previous single-season, franchise home run record of 225. In fact, as of the end of play on August 21, their 244 long balls had them on a pace to obliterate the MLB single-season team home run record of 267 (2018 Yankees). At their current pace, the Twins will smack 311 horse hides over the fences. Not only that, but three other teams were on a pace to pass the all-time, single-season record: The Yankees were on a 291-HR pace; while the Dodgers were on track to put 284 balls over the fence; and the Astros were moving forward on a 275-homer pace.

Overall, this season, there are 16 teams on a pace (As of August 21) to exceed their previous all-time single-season franchise highs for dingers: Twins; Yankees; Dodgers; Astros; Braves; Brewers; A’s; Red Sox; Cubs; Diamondbacks; {Padres; Mets; Nationals; Reds; Indians; and Pirates.

As of August 21, MLB teams were on a pace to hit 6,830 home runs this season – well ahead of 2017’s all-time high of 6,104. Further, this season (again through August 21), 16.1 percent of all MLB base hits (about one in six) have gone yard.

Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com

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Little League Classic – Oh Yes, and There was a Ball Game

August 19, 2019 by David

http://Embed from Getty Images

A fist bump from a major leaguer. What could be better than that for a Little Leaguer? Oh, I don’t know. How about playing video games, ping pong or just a game of catch with a big-league ball player? Or maybe sliding down a hill on a cardboard box with a Chicago Cub or being interviewed by a Pirate’s pitcher? Or handshakes, autographs and selfies with your favorite MLB player? Or maybe it’s taking in a major league game in the “good seats?” Or, perhaps, just actually playing in the Little League World Series?

It was all part of the Little League Classic – established two year ago, bringing major leaguers to Williamsport, PA, during the Little League World Series, for an official MLB game at Historic Bowman Field. It’s one of Baseball Roundtable’s favorite new MLB promotional events. (I’m not really fond of the “overseas” games, character races and between-innings quizzes.) Bringing young players (and, as we saw, their equally eager parents) together with big leaguers (who also seem ever younger to me) is great for the game.

The fun begins when the big leaguers (in team jerseys) arrive at Williamsport Regional Airport and are greeted by a high-fiving, fist-bumping, selfie-taking line of Little League players (in full uniforms). As I watched the arrival on television, I was struck by the truly wide-eyed awe on those Little League faces and the equally wide smiles worn by the big leaguers. On the bus ride(s) to the Little League’s Volunteer and Lamade Stadiums, the youngsters got up close to their heroes. There were plenty of selfies and autograph signings and conversations that ranged from favorite music to favorite players to how to throw the two-seamer.

MLB players took time to visit “The Grove,” the living complex for the Little Leaguers during the Series. There, MLBers matched up against their Little League counterparts in video games, ping pong and other competitive pursuits – even including “dance offs.” Later,you could also find the major leaguers joining youngsters in sliding down behind Lamade Stadium’s center field hill – on cardboard boxes. I’m sure the Cubs and Pirates trainers loved that action.

The players also made time to join fans in the stands to watch the Little League nines play the game. (Now, there’s pressure for you.) The media cooperated fully, turning over their cameras and microphones to allow major leaguers to interview Little Leaguers and vice versa.

A MINNESOTA HIGHLIGHT

Twelve-year-old Maddy Freking, who plays for the Midwest Team (Coon Rapids, MN), became just the 19^th girl to play in the Little League World Series – and she did Minnesota proud on and off the field. Baseball Roundtable was impressed with her poise, determination and skill set. Freking is the Midwest’s starting second baseman and also does some pitching. (She did both yesterday, also becoming just the sixth girl to take the mound in the LLWS.)

Freking’s performance thus far in the LLWS has included some spectacular fielding plays at both second base and on the mound, a display of pitching skills and an awareness of game situations. To see Freking play, click here for Good Morning America’s coverage (and Freking’s appearance on the show).

She has also shown a down-to-earth personality. During an interview before her game, when asked about being the only girl in this year’s LLWS, she replied “I’m getting a lot of it (attention), but I just want to play some baseball.” (She did just that, I might add.) Asked what advice she might give to other girls wanting to play baseball, Freking said “Girls can do what boys can do … and just keep playing.”

She also showed an appreciation for the history of the nation pastime. All the Little Leaguers were asked who their favorite player was (Javier Baez got the most mentions, followed by Mike Trout and Mookie Betts). Freking named her favorite as Jackie Robinson.

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“Skills. And with no disrespect, the last time I saw that much blonde hair throwing that hard, it was (Mets’ pitcher Noah) Syndergaard. That was bringing the heat. ” Pittsburgh Pirate Manager Clint Hurdle, commenting on Maddy Freking’s performance.

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Later the Cubs and Pirates – wearing colorful “Cubbies” and “The Burgh” uniforms for the occasion (far better than the black and white uniforms for the upcoming Players’ Weekend) – played a game at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman field.

The ceremonial first pitch for that game was itself a highlight, as players from all of the teams (one from each squad) lined up from center field to the mound, relaying the ball to Pirates’ reliever Kyle Crick at the plate.

http://Embed from Getty Images

Oh by the way, there was a ball game, played in front of a capacity crowd of 2,503 fans (all the seats are good seats), won by the Cubbies 7-1 and featuring home runs (of course) by the Cubbies’ Nick Castellanos and Anthony Rizzo and The Burgh’s Starling Marte. And, a good time was had by all.

Primary Resource: MLB.com

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BBRT’S 2019 Mid-season Under-25 All Star Squad

August 17, 2019 by David

Ronald Acuna Jr. –
21-year-old headed for a 30-30 campaign. Photo by IDSportsPhoto

Readers of Baseball Roundtable know I can be a bit old school – not a fan of the DH, waving a runner to first on an intentional walk, the “challenge” system, launch angle, exit velocity or spin rate.

You may also be aware of the fact that my youth saw the debuts and witnessed the development of such players as all-time stars as Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Sandy Koufax, Robert0 Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Al Kaline, Frank Robinson, Don Drysdale and more. Still, I have maintained in this blog that we are currently seeing the emergence of young talent that can compare with the 1950’s. With that in mind, I would like to present BBRT’s 2019 Mid-season, under-age-25 All Star squad. All positions, of course, are open to debate. (All 2019 stats through August 17.)

C – Will Smith, Dodgers … Age 24

Okay, he’s only got 25 MLB games under his belt (or his chest protector), but Smith is hitting .329 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI in just 76 at bats.

1B Pete Alonso, Mets … Age 24

Photo by slgckgc

Alonso will age off this list in December, but the rookie is on his way to a new NL rookie home run record. He earns this spot by virtue of a .263-39-91 stat line with plenty of season left. The question is, after he passes Cody Bellinger’s NL rookie dinger record, can he catch Aaron Judge’s overall mark?

Pete Alonso (age 24) won the 2019 All Star Game Home Run Derby, with 20-year-old Vlad Guerrero, Jr. finishing second.

2B – Gleyber Torres, Yankees … Age 22

Torres played 123 games for the Bronx Bombers last season, hitting .271-22-77 – earning an All Star nod in the process. He repeated as an All Star this season and is hitting .282-27-71. I have to include an honorable mention here. The Twins’ 22-year-old Luis Arreaz (a totally different type of hitter then Torres) has put up a .353-3-19 stat in his first 56 MLB games (all this season).

3B – Rafael Devers, Red Sox … Age 22

Devers joined the Red Sox as a 20-year-old in 2017 and hit .284, with 10 home runs and 30 RBI in just 58 games. He slipped to .240 in 2018, but hit 21 homers and drove in 66 runs in 121 games. This season (as of August 17), he stands at .328, with 25 home runs and an AL-topping 95 RBI. Notably, the Astros’ Alex Bregman – a two-time All Star who hit .286-31-103 as a 24-year-old last season – aged off this list (turning 25 on March 30).

SS – Fernando Tatis, Jr. Padres … Age 20

Tatis brought his baseball genes to the Padres this season. Currently shelved due to back issues, over his first 84 MLB games, Tatis went .317-22-53, with 16 stolen bases.

Astros’ SS Carlos Correa, this season, became just the third MLB shortstop ever to reach 100 home runs before turning 25. (The others are Cal Ripken, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez – pretty good company.)

OF – Cody Bellinger, Dodgers … Age 24

Photo by IDSportsPhoto

Bellinger came up at 21 (2017), went .267-39-97 in 132 games (stole 10 bags). Bellinger was an All Star, NL Rookie of the Year and set a new NL rookie home run record. (Peter Alonso will top that record this season.) Bellinger went .260-25-76 (14 steals ) in 2018 – and, this year, stands at .319-41-94 (10 steals).

OF – Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves … Age 21

Acuna joined the Braves (last season) as a 20-year-old and went .293-26-64, with 11 stolen bases (in 111 games) – winning NL Rookie of the Year honors. He’s looking even better this year. The 2019 All Star is standing at .297-35-85 with 29 steals (headed for a 30-30 campaign).

In his first MLB season, Ronald Acuna, Jr. became the youngest major leaguer to homer in five straight games, as well as the youngest major leaguer to it a post-season Grand Slam. (October 7, NLDS versus the Dodgers).

OF – Juan Soto, Nationals … Age 20

Soto joined that Nationals as a 19-year-old on May 20, 2018 – and promptly went .292-22-70 (five steals) in 116 games. He’s even better this season – .288-25-79, with 11 steals.

DH – Ozzie Albies, Braves … Age 22

The Braves’ second baseman came very close to the starting spot at second base. Fortunately, I needed a DH. Already a one-time All Star, Albies is hitting .297-18-66, with 11 steals this season.

FIRST OFF THE BENCH

The Pirates’ switch-hitting, 24-year-old outfielder Bryan Reynolds is off to such a good start to his MLB career (this is his first major-league season), I had to create a spot for him in this post (and on this team). As of August 17, Reynolds was hitting a robust .329, with 13 home runs and 49 RBI in 99 games. Yes, he is a factor in the NL batting race.

SP – Mike Soroka, Braves … Age 22

Soroka has put up a 10-2 record, with a stingy 2.41 earned run average for the Braves. An All Star at 21-years-old, he’s earned this spot.

RP Robert Osuna, Astros … Age 24

What can you say, at just 24, Osuna is in his fifth MLB season and already has 142 saves. He’s 3-3, 2.98 with 26 saves this campaign, has two 35+ save campaigns on his resume and will age off this list next year.

Primary Resource: Baseball-Reference.com

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From SCOOTS McGOOTS to SOUTHERN THUNDER & BISCUIT PANTS to THE SPLENDID SPLINTER … Baseball Nicknames, Past and Present

August 15, 2019 by David

August 23-25 will mark the 2019 MLB season Players’ Weekend – and there is a new twist. This year, the uniforms will be black and white (not a choice I would have made). The players will be providing all the color. Players will be able to bring their personalities to the field in their equipment (bats, batting gloves, wristbands and more) and will also be able to wear “tribute” patches and self-selected “nicknames” on their uniforms. The nicknames will once again be the highlight of the weekend and, in this post, Baseball Roundtable will take a look at BBRT’s three favorite nicknames from each team. I’ll follow that up with a look at back at what BBRT earlier reported as the best and worst baseball nicknames of all time. Here’s a spoiler alert, Lou Gehrig makes both the best and worst lists, having worn the monikers “Biscuit Pants” and “Iron Man.”

Side Note: BBRT apologizes for the time between posts. Just got a new computer and file and program transfers are taking longer than a “computer minute.”

Joey “WHO” Votto. Photo by Keith Allison

First, my favorite nickname for this season? That would be “WHO” – to be worn by Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto. (We now know the answer to “Who’s on first?”)

There are plenty of other good nicknames out there. Like the Indians’ Shane Bieber’s “NOT JUSTIN” (see his 2019 Topps’ card), Mike Leake’s “DRIP” and Melky Cabrera’s “MELK MAN.” There are also some that relate directly to on-the-field achievements, like Aroldis Chapman’s “THE MISSILE,” Nelson Cruz’ “BOOMSTICK” and hit-stealing Kevin Kiermaier’s “OUTLAW.”

There are a few that tie to physical characteristics, like Tyler Glasgow’s “BABY GIRAFFE,” Jared Hughes’ “OSTRICH” and Pablo Sandoval’s “PANDA.” There are even a couple that tie to past or part-time occupations – Michael Fulmer’s “THE PLUMBER” and Steve Cishek’s “SPEEDPASS.” And, let’s not forget the nicknames that just make you smile, like Zach Davies’ “BAT BOY,” Scott Barlow’s “SCOOTS McGOOTS,” and Jeff McNeil’s “FLYING SQUIRREL.” We should also give a nod to Luke Jackson’s “SKYWALKER,” because Star Wars never gets old.

So let’s get to it. Here are BBRT’s three favorite nicknames from each team.

—-Arizona Diamondbacks—-

Mike Leake – DRIP.

Jarrod Dyson – ZOOMBIYA. The kind of pitch you are looking for – one that zooms by ya. Plus, it takes me back to the ’60s.

David Peralta – FREIGHT TRAIN. He runs the bases with abandon.

—–Atlanta Braves—–

Josh Donaldson – BRINGER OF RAIN. This one’s been around awhile – as have his high-flying, rain-bringing dingers.

Mike Foltynewicz – HIGH FOLTAGE.

Julio Teheran – EL CABALLO DE OLAYA. The Horse of Olaya – and of the Braves.

—-Baltimore Orioles—–

Chance Sisco – SISCO KID. I loved the “Cisco” Kid, when I was a “kid.” No “Poncho” on the team though.

Trey Mancini – BOOMER.

Richie Martin – RICH BOY. Hmm? Possible backlash?

—-Boston Red Sox—-

Nathan Eovaldi – NITRO.

Chris Sale – THE CONDUCTOR. He does punch a lot of tickets.

Mookie Betts – MOOKIE. Can’t improve on that.

—–Chicago Cubs—–

Javier Baez – EL MAGO. The Magician. Have you seen his glove work?

Steve Cishek – SPEEDPASS. Not a pitching term, but Cishek once worked at a gas stations that used the Speedpass.

Brandon Kintzler – SALT. Kintzler is said to have a “salty” personality.

—–Chicago White Sox—–

Ivan Nova – SUPER NOVA.

James McCann – McCANNON.

Yoan Moncada – YOYO.

—–Cincinnati Reds—–

Joey Votto – WHO. … is on first?

Michael Lorenzen – ZEN. Gives me a sense of peace on the diamond.

Jared Hughes – OSTRICH. Watch him run in from the bullpen.

—–Cleveland Indians—–

Shane Bieber – NOT JUSTIN. Topps, pay attention.

Jason Kipnis – DIRTBAG. He’s a scrapper, not afraid to get his uniform dirty.

Yasiel Puig – WILD HORSE. This one’s often attributed to a Vin Scully description of a Puig triple, “The Wild Horse is loose.”

—–Colorado Rockies—–

David Dahl – BABY DAHL. Might be a little soft.

German Marquez – MARQUEE.

Bryan Shaw – GEEK. Loves video games.

—–Detroit Tigers—–

Michael Fulmer – PLUMBER. Fulmer has worked as a plumber in the off-season.

Brandon Dixon – BANDIT. Great nickname, not so great story. Apparently, someone misheard him being called “Brandon;” thought he heard “Bandit.”

Niko Goodrum – STINCHCOMB. Wha-a-at?

—–Houston Astros—–

Jake Marisnick – BIG FUDGE. A reference to his eating habits while on the DL.

Josh Reddick – MR. IRRELEVANT. Hard to standout on the star-studded Astros’ squad.

George Springer – HORHAY. A nod to his Puerto Rican and Panamanian roots.

—–Kansas City Royals—–

Scott Barlow – SCOOTS McGOOTS. Makes me smile.

Jacob Junis – JUNE BUG. See above.

Richard Lovelady – LOVE. Oh, more back-to-the-’60s vibe. The Summer of Love.

—–Los Angeles Angels—–

Albert Pujols – LA MÁQUINA. He has been a long-time hitting machine.

Dillon Peters – DILLYPICKLEZ.

Shohei Ohtani – SHOWTIME.

—–Los Angeles Dodgers—–

Kenley Jansen – KENLEYFORNIA.

Walker Buehler – BUETANE.

Pedro Baez – LA MULA. The Mule. Quite the work ethic.

—–Miami Marlins—–

Curtis Granderson – GRANDYMAN.

Garret Cooper – COOPALOOP.

Jose Urena – EL NUEVE. The nine. I thought it might be the inning Urena prefers to pitch. But I saw a story that says, in the Dominican Republic, youngsters would often greet each other with “El Nueve” — considered an friendly acknolwegement.

—-Milwaukee Brewers—-

Zach Davies – BAT BOY. Davies is also wearing “BB” in place of his uniform number.

Josh Hader – HADARADE.

Yasmani Grandal – YAZMANIAN DEVIL.

—–Minnesota Twins—–

Nelson Cruz – BOOMSTICK.

Jose Berrios – LA MAKINA. A pitching machine.

Max Kepler – RὉŻYCKI. Maximilian Kepler-RὉŻYCKI.

—–New York Mets—–

Jeff McNeil – FLYING SQUIRREL. Plays with a lot of energy.

Seth Lugo – QUARTERRICAN. A nod to his grandfather.

Todd Frazier – TODDFATHER

—–New York Yankees—–

Aroldis Chapman – THE MISSILE.

James Paxton – BIG MAPLE. Canadian roots.

Giancarlo Stanton – PARMIGIANCARLO.

—–Oakland A’s—–

Liam Hendriks – SLYDAH. Gotta love the breaking ball. (Or is it White Castle?)

Mike Fiers – SMOKEY.

Chris Herrmann – WORM.

—–Philadelphia Phillies—–

Scott Kingery – JETPAX. Kingery runs the bases with abandon.

Jake Arrieta – SNAKE. Just a classic.

Mike Morin – MOOSH. I like the sound and the alliteration.

—–Pittsburgh Pirates—–

Felipe Vazquez – NIGHTMARE. Vazquez wants to give bad dreams to batters, I assume.

Chris Archer – FLACO FUERTE. Skinny Strong. Assigned by a teammate who grabbed Archer’s arm and was apparently underwhelmed.

Melky Cabrera – MELK MAN.

—–Saint Louis Cardinals—–

Adam Wainwright – UNCLE CHARLIE. More love for the breaking ball.

Michael Wacha – WACHAMOLE. Is it a dip or a carnival game?

Ryan Helsley – HELLZ BELLZ.

—–San Diego Padres—–

Joey Lucchesi – JOEY FUEGO. He’s been on fire since he got this nickname at Southwest Missouri State.

Chris Paddock – SHERIFF. A Texan through and through; known for his game-day cowboy hat.

Fernando Tatis, Jr. – EL NIÑO. A tribute to his big-league dad.

—-San Francisco Giants—–

Madison Bumgarner – MAD BUM. All three of BBRT’s Giants’ favorites are MLB long-standing classics.

Pablo Sandoval – PANDA.

Jeff Samardzija – SHARK.

—–Seattle Mariners—–

Dee Gordon – A lightning bolt emoji. The man can run – enough said.

Dan Vogelbach – THE BABE. Does he really look like George Herman Ruth?

Felix Hernandez – KING FELIX. Another well-established moniker.

—–Tampa Rays—–

Kevin Kiermaier – OUTLAW. How many hits has he stolen with his glove?

Tyler Glasnow – BABY GIRAFFE. 6’ 6”, ‘nuff said.

Tommy Pham – PHAMTASTIC.

—–Texas Rangers—–

Elvis Andrus – EL COMANDO. Commander. Given to him by his brother, guess we know who was in charge.

Delino DeShields – LIL BOP. His MLB dad was known as BOP.

Nomar Mazara – BIG CHILL.

—–Toronto Blue Jays—–

Ken Giles – 100 MILES GILES. A nickname based on Radar-gun readings.

Teoscar Hernandez – MR. SEEDS. Sunflower seeds, that is.

Vlad Guerrero, Jr. – THE KID. The kid of a Hall of Famer, of course.

—–Washington Nationals—–

Hunter Strickland – SOUTHERN THUNDER.

Max Scherzer – BROWN EYE. Scherzer has honored his blue eye in the past (he has heterochromia of the eyes); the brown eye gets the honor this year.

Erik Fedde – FEDDECCINI. Didn’t get this word play pasta me.

——-BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE’S BEST AND WORST ALL-TIME NICKNAMES——-

Ted Williams collected nicknames like he collected base hits – The Kid, Splendid Splinter, The Thumper, Teddy Ballgame.

Nicknames have always been a part of our national pastime – some complimentary (Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio); some less so (Fred “Bootnose” Hoffman). Here is a look two purely subjective nickname-based lineups – one focused on baseball’s best nicknames, the other on some of the national pastime’s worst. (Keep in mind, these are not nicknames chosen for the weekend. They are earned monitors that “stuck.”)

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s get to the lists, leading off with some of MLB’s worst nicknames – often cruel, but always descriptive and almost always interesting.

—-BASEBALL’S WORST NICKNAMES—-

P – Hugh “Losing Pitcher” Mulcahy … Ouch! Mulcahy “enjoyed” a nine-season major league career (1935-47, minus five WWII years), during which he earned his nickname. He ran up a career record of 45-89, with a 4.49 ERA (all with the Phillies), leading the NL in losses twice, hits allowed once, earned runs allowed twice, walks allowed once, hit batsmen twice and wild pitches once. Notably, he made one MLB All Star squad; in 1944, when he led the NL with 22 losses (versus 13 wins), despite a respectable 3.60 ERA.

C – Gabby “Old Tomato Face” Hartnett … The Hall of Fame catcher reportedly picked up his nickname as he gained weight and developed a ruddy complexion. Notably, even “Gabby” was a nickname (real name Charles Leo Hartnett) – reflecting Hartnett’s career-long shyness and reluctance to speak to anyone, particularly reporters. Harnett played 20 MLB seasons (1922-41, all but the last season with the Cubs), hitting .297, with 236 home runs and 1,179 RBI. He was a six-time All Star and the 1935 NL MVP.

1B – Lou “Biscuit Pants” Gehrig … Great player with multiple nicknames –ranging from Biscuit Pants on the low end to Buster in the middle to Iron Man on the high side. The Biscuit Pants monitor acknowledged Gehrig’s baggy uniform pants, thick legs and sturdy derriere. A Hall of Famer, Gehrig played 17 seasons with the Yankees (1923-39), producing a .340 career average, with 493 home runs, 1,995 RBI and 1,888 runs scored. He was a seven-time All Star, two-time AL MVP, won one batting, title, led the AL in home runs three times, RBI five times, runs scored four times, doubles three times and triples once.

2B – Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman … At 5’9” and 215-pounds, it’s easy to imagine the source of Hickman’s nickname. Hickman played 1B, 2B and OF during his 12-year MLB career (1897-1908), delivering a .295 career average, with 50 home runs and 614 RBI. Hickman led the AL in hits and total bases in 1902, when he split time between Boston and Cleveland.

3B – Gary “The Rat” Gaetti … Despite the uncomplimentary nickname, Gary Gaetti was anything but a rat on the field. Also known as G-Man, Gaetti had a 20-season MLB career (1981-2000 with the Twins, Angels, Royals, Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox). He was a career .255 hitter, with 360 home runs and 1,341 RBI. Gaetti was a two-time All Star, four-time Gold Glover at third base and the 1987 American League Championship Series MVP.

SS – Bill “Wagon Tongue” Keister … Unlike Gabby Hartnett (see the catcher on this list), Bill Keister just wouldn’t shut up. In a seven-season MLB career (1896-1903), Keister played for Brooklyn, Boston, Saint Louis and Philadelphia in the NL and Baltimore and Washington in the AL. He hit .312, with 18 home runs, 400 RBI and 131 stolen bases – spending time at shortstop, third base and second base. In the field, Wagon Tongue did not put his money where his mouth was. In 1901, he set the all-time MLB low for fielding average by a shortstop (.851) – making 97 errors in 112 games (650 total chances).

LF – Johnny “Ugly” Dickshot … Not the best looking of men, it’s reported that Dickshot granted himself the title of the ugliest man in baseball. Clearly, the combination of his nickname and actual name earns Dickshot a spot on this list of worst baseball nicknames. In six major league seasons (spread over 1936-45), he played in 322 games (Pirates, Giants, White Sox), hitting .276, with seven home runs and 116 RBI. More than half his career offensive production came in his final season (1945, White Sox), when he hit .302, with seven home runs and 58 RBI.

CF – Hunter “Captain Underpants” Pence … The story has it that, during a minor league game, an aggressive heckler thought that (on the minor league PA system) “Hunter Pence” sounded a lot like “Underpants” and proceeded to taunt him with the Underpants chant, which apparently had more staying power when teammates promoted Mr. Underpants to “Captain.” As of this writing, Pence is in his 13th MLB campaign, with a .280 career average, 241 home runs and 931 RBI. He is a three-time all star.

RF – “Bucketfoot” Al Simmons … Another Hall of Famer on this list, Simmons’ nickname (which he disliked) was drawn from his batting stance. The bucketfoot stance seemed to work for him. In 20 MLB seasons (1924-1944; Athletics, White Sox, Tigers, Senators, Braves, Reds, Red Sox), Simmons hit .334, with 307 home runs and 1,828 RBI. He led his league in batting average, hits and total bases twice each and RBI once.

So, there is BBRT’s worst nickname lineup. If I had a bench, it would be manned by such notables as: Fred “Bootnose” Hoffman; Walt “No Neck” Williams; Jeff “Penitentiary Face” Leonard; Ernie “Schnozz” Lombardi; Harry “Stinky”Davis; Dick “Dr. Strangeglove” Stuart; and Bris “The Human Eyeball” Lord.

—–BEST BASEBALL NICKNAMES—-

Now, here’s the BBRT lineup based on a very subjective judgment of the best baseball nicknames. As you will note, solid performance often results in a solid (and memorable) nickname.

P – “Sudden” Same McDowell … Yes, there are some Hall of Fame Pitchers with great nicknames. Walter “Big Train” Johnson, “Rapid Robert” Feller are just two. However, that “Sudden” nickname is my favorite. McDowell – whose blazing heater could be past you with amazing suddenness – was a six-time All Star and five-time league strikeout leader. In a 15-year MLB career (1961-75, with the Indians, Giants, Yankees and Pirates), McDowell went 141-134, 3.17 and fanned 2,453 hitters in 2,492 1/3 innings.

C – Johnny “Little General” Bench … Catchers are supposed to take charge on the field and this nickname fits Hall of Famer Johnny Bench both behind and at the plate. Bench was a leader for the Reds for 17 seasons (1967-83). He was a 14-time All Star, ten-time Gold Glover, two-time league HR leader, two-time league MVP, 1968 Rookie of the Year and 1976 World Series MVP

Lou Gehrig gained fame as the Yankees “Iron Man,” but he was also know as “Biscuit Pants, “Buster” and “The Iron Horse” during his career. Photo by rchdj10

1B – Lou “Iron Man” Gehrig … Hall of Fame slugger Lou Gehrig (see his career achievements in the worst nickname lineup under Biscuit Pants) earned this nickname for his combination of power and durability (until it was broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. in 1995, Gehrig held the record for consecutive games played at 2,130).

2B – Felix “The Cat” Millan … The Cat earned his nickname for his slick fielding around the keystone sack. In 12 MLB seasons (1966-77, with the Brave s and Mets), Millan was a three-time All Star and two-time Gold Glover. He put up respectable offensive numbers with a career line of .279-22-403, with 699 runs scored.

3B – Pete “Charlie Hustle” Rose … BBRT could have put the ultimate hustler in at nearly any place on the diamond, but I like his aggressive play at the hot corner – where Rose started 627 games in his career. MLB’s all-time hits leader (4,256), Rose played 24 seasons in the majors (1963-86) – with the Reds (19), Phillies and Expos. Known for his hustle and aggressive play, Rose was a 17-time All Star, three-time batting champion and two-time Gold Glover, as well as the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year and 1973 NL MVP. He led the NL in games played five times, hits seven times, double five times and runs scored four times.

SS – Ozzie “The Wizard of Oz” Smith … In his 19 MLB seasons (1978-96, with the Padres and Cardinals), Hall of Famer Smith’s defensive wizardry earned him 13 Gold Gloves. The 15-time All Star had a career average of .262, with 28 home runs, 793 RBI, and 1,257 runs scored.

LF – Ted “The Splendid Splinter” Williams … Williams’ nickname – the Splendid Splinter – reflects his lanky, splinter-like build and his splendid skills. Notably, Williams’ play earned him a team’s worth of nicknames – The Kid, Teddy Ballgame and The Thumper also among them. Williams’ career on-base percentage of .482 is the best in baseball history. Think about it – reaching base, basically, one of every two trips to the plate. Williams was a 19-time All Star, two-time MVP and two-time Triple Crown winner. In 19 seasons with the Red Sox (1939-60, time lost for service in WWII and the Korean Conflict), Williams won six batting titles, and lead the AL in runs six times, RBI four times, home runs four times, doubles twice, walks eight times and total bases six times. He retired with a .344-521-1,839 stat line – and is the last MLBer to hit .400 for a season (.406 in 1941).

CF – Franklin “Death to Flying Things” Gutierrez … A lot of people probably expected to see Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio or Ty “The Georgia Peach” Cobb in this spot. However, based on the quality of the nickname, far-ranging outfielder Frank “Death to Flying Things” Gutierrez belongs here. In ten big league seasons (2005-13 & 2015-17, with the Indians, Mariners and Dodgers), Gutierrez earned one Gold Glove, a .257-97-361 stat line and one awesome nickname. Note: two players from the 1800s – Jack Chapman and Bob Ferguson also were honored with this nickname.

RF – Stan “The Man” Musial … Hall of Famer Musial (who started more than 1,800 of his 3,026 game played in the outfield) was indeed “The Man” – and not just in Saint Louis (where he played from 1941-63). He was respected for his bat and his attitude around baseball. Musial was a seven-time batting champ and three-time MVP, who also led the NL in hits six times, runs scored five-times, doubles eight times, triples five times and RBI twice. He retired with a .331 average, 3,630 hits 1,946 runs scored and 1,951 RBI.

If I had a bench for this squad, you might find such players as: Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio; “Rapid Robert” Feller; Babe “The Sultan of Swat” Ruth; Jimmy “The Beast” Foxx; Don “Donnie Baseball” Mattingly; Roger “The Rocket” Clemens, Reggie “Mr. October” Jackson; Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky; Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas; and Dwight “Dr. K” Gooden.

Again, all these choices are subjective. BBRT would love to hear from readers on some of your favorite MLB nicknames.

Primary Resources:

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Babe Ruth, Shane and Justin Bieber, Don(s) Larsen and Drysdale and a Few Random Baseball Thoughts

August 5, 2019 by David

Sometimes on a lazy day – actually almost always – my thoughts turn to baseball. So, here are just a few random thoughts (stories and stats) that crossed my mind today. Hope you enjoy this stream of consciousness post.

How About a Little Respect?

Photo by apardavila

Yesterday, August 4, the Phillies optioned 3B Maikel Franco to Triple A. Franco, at the time hitting .231-15-47, apparently got more respect from the opposition. He was leading all of MLB in 2019 Intentional Walks, with 17.

Things Can Turn Around Quickly

On August 3, Aaron Sanchez – an August acquisition by the post-season bound Astros – started his first game in a Houston uniform. It looks like the change of scenery was good for him.

When Sanchez came over from the Blue Jays on July 31, he was leading MLB in losses (3-14, with a 6.07 earned run average). In his first start for the Astros, Sanchez threw six scoreless, HITLESS innings (two walks/six whiffs), leaving the game with a 6-0 lead (and eventually picking up the win). A trio of relievers (Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski) followed Sanchez to the bump, turning three more scoreless, HITLESS frames. So, in Sanchez’ first start for his new team, he was part of MLB’s 14th combined no-hitter (out of 302 official no-hitters). The Astros, by the way, collected 15 hits in the 9-0 whitewashing. Side note: Sanchez was an All Star as recently as 2016, when he went 15-2, 3.00 in 30 starts for the Blue Jays.

Combined No-Hitters, Becoming a Thing?

The Astros’ August 3 no-hitter was the third MLB no-hitter thrown in 2019 – and the season’s second combined no-hitter. Given today’s pitch counts and seventh-, eighth- and ninth-inning specialists, combined no-hitters are becoming more common. MLB saw just one combined no-hitter before 1967 (more on that coming) and a total of nine combined no-hitters (out of 272 total no-hitters) through 2011. Since then, we’ve seen five combined no-hitters (out of 30 no-hit games). And again, two of three 2019 no-hitters have been collaborative works.

Babe Ruth and the First-ever Combined No-Hitter

The first-ever combine no-hitter took place on June 23, 1917 – with the Red Sox topping the Senators 4-0 in Boston. This game is special for several reasons:

It was the first MLB combined no-hitter;
Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher;
It is the only combined no-hitter in which the pitcher was not pulled by the manager with a no-hitter in progress;
It involved the most meager contribution by any starter (actually any pitcher) in a combined no-hitter (zero innings pitched/one batter faced);
It is arguably the most “perfect” combined no-hitter ever.

Ruth, at the time plying his trade as a 22-year-old southpaw starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, opened the game by walking Washington’s lead-off hitter Roy Morgan. Ruth and Boston catcher Pinch Thomas took issue with umpire Brick Owens’ strike zone and, during the argument, Ruth made contact with the umpire. The ultimate result of the confrontation was the ejection of both Ruth and Thomas (with Ruth earning a $100 fine and ten-game suspension); hence he was not pulled by the manager and left the soon to be first-ever combined no-hitter after facing just one batsman.

Red Sox’ pitcher Ernie Shore was called in to replace Ruth; and Sam Agnew took Thomas’ spot behind the plate. Morgan decided to test Agnew’s arm and was thrown out stealing, after which Shore retired the next 26 hitters in order – completing the first combined no-hitter and facing the minimum 27 batters. (Hence the “most perfect” combined no-hitter). Ruth finished the 1917 season at 23-13, with a 2.01 earned run average and a league-leading 35 complete games. Shore finished the campaign at 13-10, 2.22.

Can’t I Get Any Justin? Yes, you can.

Shane Bieber is having a great season. Not only was he the All Star Game MVP, his record stands at 11-4 and he leads all of MLB with three complete games and two CG shutouts. Name recognition? Maybe not so much.

The back of his Topps baseball card reads “Until Bieber did it 2018, no Indians pitcher in 54 years had logged six or more strikeouts in each of his first three big-league appearances. Justin was particularly comfortable on the road, where went a team-record 7-0 and was undefeated in 11 starts.” Yep, Shane’s 2018 road record was attributed to Justin Bieber.

Shane Bieber leads MLB in complete games this season with three. In 1884, Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn started 73 games – and completed 73 games. A few other tidbits:

The last pitcher to complete ten or more games in a season was the Rays’ James Shields (11 in 2011);
2000 was the first season that saw no MLB pitcher complete at least ten games;
The last pitcher to complete 20 games in a season was the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela in 1986 (20 CG);
The last pitcher to complete 30 games in a season was the Yankees’ Catfish Hunter (30 in 1975);
Currently, there are ten MLB teams without a complete game in 2019. There were nine in 2018;
The last season in which every MLB team had at least one complete game was 2014.

The Rays have gone the longest without a complete game 565 games (back to May 14, 2017). In the NL, that honor goes to the Brewers at 387 games (June 18, 2017.)

Finally, A Three-Blast Day

Photo by Keith Allison

The Twins Nelson Cruz has been a flexing his long-ball muscles for more than a decade. He came into the 2019 season, at age 38, with 360 MLB home runs and 203 home runs over the previous five campaigns (all for the Mariners). Yet, in 14 MLB seasons, he had never had a three-home run game. That is, not until, July 25 of this season, when (at age 39) he popped three home runs in a Twins 10-3 win over the White Sox. He proved it wasn’t a fluke on August 3, when he had his second three-home run day. This time it came in an 11-3 win over the Royals – and, by the way, made Cruz the oldest MLB player ever to have two three-homer games in a season. Oldest player ever with a three-homer game? That would be Stan Musial July 8, 1962, at age 41 (and 229 days). As I write this, Cruz is hitting .292-30-72 on the season.

The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time?

Photo by slgckgc

Jacob deGrom currently has a 6-7 record on the season, with a nifty 2.78 earned run average. Meanwhile, there are nine pitchers with ten or more wins, with ERA’s over 4.00. But all that should be nothing new to deGrom. In 2018, he won only ten games (10-9) in 32 starts, despite a MLB-lowest 1.70 ERA.

A few Whiff Stats

The first time any MLB batter fanned 200 times in a season was 2008 (Mark Reynolds – 204). Since then, we’ve seen a dozen more seasons of 200+ strikeouts.
Mark Reynolds has the most 200+ whiff seasons at three (2008, 2009, and 2010).
2018 saw the most players with 200+ whiffs in a season at three (Joey Gallo, Giancarlo Stanton, Yoan Moncada).
Babe Ruth never fanned 100 times in a season, but led the league in whiffs five time.

The Other Side of Don Larsen

Yankee Don Larsen is, of course, best known for throwing the only World Series perfect game. You should also know that, as a Saint Louis Browns’ rookie (1953), Larsen set a record for consecutive base hits by a pitcher (seven).

The streak started in the second game of a doubleheader against the Red Sox on July 24. In his final at bat (in the eighth inning) of that game, Larsen laced a double to right-center off Mickey McDermott. (Larsen came on in relief in the sixth inning). Larsen pitched again on July 26^th – one inning of relief against the BoSox – but did not come to the plate.

On July 28, he came on in relief (against the Athletics) in fourth inning and took the loss in 9-7 game. On the mound, Larsen gave up three earned runs in five frames (two hits, two walks, four strikeouts). At the plate, he did better, with an RBI single to CF in the fourth, a single to RF in the seventh and another single to RF in the ninth. The streak was now at hits in four consecutive plate appearances. Side note: The Browns let Larsen bat with two outs in the ninth, trialing 9-7. Larsen relieved against the Athletics again on July 30, pitching a scoreless eighth, but did not come to the plate.

On August 5, Larsen got the start against the Orioles and went the distance in a 5-0 loss. At the plate in that game, he collected: a single to left in the third; a single to left in the fifth; and single to center in the seventh – giving him base hits in seven consecutive plate appearances. At the time, he was 2-10, 4.32 on the mound, but had a .288 batting average on the season. It turns out, Larsen would appear in four more games before the streak would officially come to an end.

Larsen next trip to the plate came on August 7. In that game (against the Senators), he came in to play left field in the sixth and grounded out in the eighth. Technically, the streak was still alive, since he grounded out as a left fielder, not as a pitcher. He appeared again in the first game of a doubleheader against the Senators on August 9, this time as a pinch runner (scoring a run, but not appearing at the plate). In the second game of the DH, Larsen batted again, but still not as a pitcher. He hit into a double play as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning (as the Browns lost 12-3). On August 11, Larsen finally batted again as a pitcher. He started against the Tigers (taking the loss in a 9-3 game) and flied out to short in the third to end the streak.

Larsen ended his 1953 rookie season at 7-12, 4.16 – with a .284-3-10 line at the plate.

Photo by Ted Van Pelt

The World Champion 1965 Dodgers had just one batter with at least 100 bats and a .300 or better batting average. That was pitcher Don Drysdale, who hit .300-7-19 in 130 at bats. Next best was speedster Maury Wills at .286 in 650 at bats (no home runs and 33 RBI). Drysdale’s seven long balls were seventh on the team – although every player ahead of him had 400 or more at bats.

Primary Resources: ESPN.com; Baseball-Reference.com

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MLB Long Ball Records – Like Baseballs – Disappearing

July 28, 2019 by David

Yesterday, the Baltimore Orioles, with the second-worst record in all of baseball, set a new MLB record by hitting multiple (two or more) home runs in their tenth consecutive game. It’s the kind of story we’ve been hearing all season long (along with a tale about how the ball itself hasn’t changed) – as home run records seem to be falling just as fast as long balls are dropping into the stands. It seems that, almost daily, we hear about new “highs” or “fastest to” accomplishments when it comes to dingers.

Just how much has the game changed, when it comes to the long ball? This may shed some light:

Going into this season only five teams in MLB history had hit 250 or more home runs in a season. Currently, eight teams are on a pace to top 250 long balls in 2019.
The current MLB record for team home runs in a season is 267 (2018) Yankees. The Twins are on a pace to hit 313 home runs this season – topping the old record by 46 home runs. Further, both the Dodgers and Brewers are on pace to top the existing 267 mark.
The single-season record for home runs in all of major league baseball is 6,105 (2017). MLB is on a pace to see 6,694 long balls in 2019.

Past MLB teams with 250 or more home runs in a season:

2018 Yankees (267)
1997 Mariners (264)
2005 Rangers (260)
1996 Orioles (257)
2010 Blue Jays (257)

Primary resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com

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Three’s a Crowd – Or at least More Crowded

July 27, 2019 by David

Photo by Keith Allison

Yesterday – July 26, 2019 – Red Sox’ RF and lead off hitter Mookie Betts notched his fifth career three-homer game. That is as many three-home run games as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Harmon Killebrew and Mickey Mantle combined. (Ruth had two, the other one each.)

For the day, Betts went four-for-five, with three homers and a double, four runs scored and five RBI – as the Red Sox beat the rival Yankees 10-5.

Betts is now just one shy of the career record for three-homer games, which is shared by Johnny Mize and Sammy Sosa. Among those with five career three-homer games, you will find Joe Carter, Carlos Delgado, Dave Kingman, Mark McGwire and Alex Rodriguez (along with Betts, of course).

Three’s a Crowd – Or at least More Crowded.

Betts’ three-homer game marked a record four consecutive days in which MLB saw a player notch a three-homer game.

July 23 – Robinson Cano, 2B, Mets
July 24 – Paul DeJong, SS, Cardinals
July 25 – Nelson Cruz, DH, Twins
July 26 – Mookie Betts, RF, Red Sox

Here’s a look at the game’s top dozen home run hitters and the number of three-homer games for each. (Note: I went to number-twelve to include Harmon Killebrew for BBRT’s Minnesota readers.)

Betts, by the way, shares the record for the most three-homer games in a season (two). Betts had two three-homer games in 2016 and 2018. Johnny Mize had two three-homer games in 1938 and 1940.

A Promising Performance

Reports from MLB.com indicate that before yesterday’s three-homer outburst, the Red Sox’ Mookie Betts met with a 10-year-old fan and Make-A-Wish participant named Nico – and promised to step up and go deep against the Yankees. Promise made – promise kept.

Primary Resources: MLB.com; Baseball-Reference.com.

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A Record Eight Five-Homer Games … And a Lot of Season to Go

July 24, 2019 by David

This Monday, July 22, the Minnesota Twins banged out five home runs … while topping the Yankees 8-6 at Target Field. In the process, they tied the 1977 Boston Red Sox for the most games with five or more home runs in a season – and there is still a lot of season to go. Before looking at each of the Twins’ five-dinger games, here are a few tidbits. (Note: Later in the post, we’ll also take a look at the 1977 Red Sox’ 5+ homer outings.)

The Twins won all eight contests, and outscored their opponents 89-45.
The Twins racked up their five-home run games on the road five times and at home three. (The Red Sox accomplished the feat six times at home and twice on the road.)
Eleven different players homered for the Twins in those eight contests.

Six different Twins delivered a combined 14 two-homer games in the eight contests: Jonathan Schoop (four times); Mitch Garver (three); Nelson Cruz (three); Max Kepler (two); C.J. Cron; and Miguel Sano.
The Twins’ home runs total in the eight games: 48 total home runs – four games with five HRs, two games with six, two with eight.
At the end of play July 22, the Twins led all of MLB with 187 home runs; without a single player in the MLB top ten. Max Kepler with 25 home runs was tied for 14^th in MLB and stood fifth in the American League.
At the close of play on July 22, the Twins were on a pace to hit 306 home runs – well above the MLB record 267 hit by the Yankees last seasons.

Now, here’s a look at those 5+ home run games.

April 9

Twins HRs: Mitch Garver (2); Jonathan Schoop (2); Eddie Rosario; Jorge Polanco.

April 20

Twins HRs: Nelson Cruz (2); Mitch Garver (2); Jonathan Schoop (2); C.J. Cron; Eddie Rosario.

April 26

Twins HRs: Nelson Cruz (2); C.J. Cron; Eddie Rosario; Max Kepler.

All but one of the Twins’ five home runs were solo shots and four of the five came with two outs.

April 27

Twins HRs: Max Kepler (2); C.J. Cron; Marwin Gonzalez; Jason Castro.

The Twins went deep against Orioles’ pitching ten times in two games. As of July 22, the Twins had hit 23 home runs against the Baltimore staff, the most HRs Minnesota had against any team.

May 18

Twins HRs: C.J. Cron (2); Jonathan Schoop (2); Byron Buxton; Miguel Sano.

In this contest, the Twins reached five-home run mark by the third inning.

May 23

Twins HRs: Jonathan Schoop (2); Miguel Sano (2); Jorge Polanco; C.J. Cron; Max Kepler; Eddie Rosario.

June 29

Twins HRs: Nelson Cruz (2); Max Kepler (2); Miguel Sano.

The Twins homered in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to reach the five-dinger mark.

July 22

Twins HRs: Mitch Garver (2); Nelson Cruz; Max Kepler; Jorge Polanco.

—–1977 BOSTON RED SOX – EIGHT 5+ HOMER GAMES—–

Now, let’s look at the 1977 Red Sox and their eight games with five or more home runs.

Before looking at each game, here are a few tidbits.

The Red Sox won all eight contests (six at home), and outscored their opponents 89-45.
Ten different players homered for the Red Sox in those eight contests.
George Scott was the only player to homer in every one of the eight games – a total of nine long balls.

The Red Sox home run total in the eight games: 46 total home runs – four games with five HRs, three games with six, one with eight.

In the July 4, 1977 game in which the Red Sox popped eight home runs while topping the Blue Jays 9-6 in Boston, Boston did not have a base runner until the fifth inning, and actually trailed 6-5 going into the bottom of the eighth (when they hit four solo home runs). They scored all nine runs on home runs.

The 1977 Red Sox finished second in the AL East to the Yankees at 97-64.
The Red Sox led MLB with 213 home runs that season and were second to the Minnesota Twins in runs scored (859 to the Twins 867 – Minnesota, by the way hit 90 fewer homers that season than the Red Sox).
The 1977 Red Sox leading home runs hitters were: Jim Rice (39); George Scott (33); Butch Hobson (30); Carl Yastrzemski (28); Carlton Fisk (26). Rice finished third in MLB in HRs, Scott finished eighth.

Here are the game totals.

May 22

Red Sox HRs: Fred Lynn (2); Butch Hobson; Carl Yastrzemski; Dwight Evans; George Scott.

May 28

Red Sox HRs: Jim Rice (2); Carl Yastrzemski; Carlton Fisk; George Scott; Dwight Evans.

HEATING UP THE OLD RIVALRY

The rival New York Yankees visited Fenway for a three-game series July 17-19. The Red Sox swept the series and hit at least five long balls in each game; while outscoring New York 30-9. Coming against the Bronx Bombers had to make those long balls all the sweeter.

June 17

Red Sox HRs: Carlton Fisk (2); Rick Burleson; Fred Lynn; George Scott; Carl Yastrzemski.

June 18

Red Sox HRs: Carl Yastrzemski (2); Bernie Carbo (2); George Scott.

June 19

Red Sox HRs: Denny Doyle; Bernie Carbo; Jim Rice; Carl Yastrzemski. George Scott.

June 22

Red Sox HRs: Carlton Fisk (2); George Scott; Jim Rice; Butch Hobson.

All seven Red Sox’ runs scored via the long ball.

July 4

Red Sox HRs: George Scott (2); Fred Lynn(2); Butch Hobson; Bernie Carbo; Jim Rice; Carl Yastrzemski.

August 3

Red Sox HRs: Jim Rice (2); Butch Hobson; George Scott; Bernie Carbo.

11 of Boston’s 12 runs scored on home runs, the other on a bases-loaded walk.

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A Look at the New Baseball Hall of Famers … and a few who didn’t make it.

July 21, 2019 by David

Today’s Baseball Hall of Fame inductees are now officially “in the books and in the Hall.” Baseball Roundtable send out congratulations, in particular, to Mariano Rivera, the first-ever unanimous selection. Well-deserved congratulations also go to 2019 inductees Edgar Martinez, Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina. All four were voted into the Hall in the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) balloting.

In addition, BBRT would like to congratulate Today’s Game Era Committee electees Lee Smith and Harold Baines. In this post, we’ll look at the inductees, as well as the additional players who would have gotten BBRT’s vote (if I had one) and the results (reportedly earlier) of Baseball Roundtable’s annual (unofficial) fan vote (192 ballots). Those who follow BBRT will already know that the fans were a bit stingier with their support than the BBWAA “official” voters.

Bernie Tugs at Baseball’s Heart Strings.

There were lots of highlights at this year’s Hall of Fame celebration. How about the National Anthem being performed by noted jazz guitarist, 2009 Latin Grammy Award nominee and (oh, yeah) four-time World Series Champion Bernie Williams? Williams also provided a guitar salute to former teammate (and 2019 HOF inductee) Mariano Rivera – a unique version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” which included Rivera’s walk-in “Enter Sandman” riff.

Lets’ start with the 2019 inductees voted in by the writers – Rivera, Martinez, Halladay and Mussina – all of whom would have also gotten BBRT’s vote. (Side note: Back in November, BBRT predicted Rivera and Martinez would get in and identified Halladay and Mussina as BBRT’s two dark-horse candidates with a good chance at election.)

—–A LOOK AT 2019 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees Elected by the BBWAA.—–

Mariano Rivera – 100 Percent … (RHP/Closer, 1995-2013) … First year on the ballot.

Rivera is at the top of the 2019 HOF class, no matter how you look at it – and we finally have our first unanimous selection.

Rivera spent nineteen years with the Yankees and racked up an MLB-best 652 career saves. He was an All-star in 13 seasons, led the AL in games saved three times and finished in the top three in Cy Young voting four times. He saved 30 or more games in a season 15 times (including nine seasons of 40 or more saves, two of fifty or more) and put up an overall won-lost record of 80-52, with a 2.21 earned run average in 1,114 games. In 11 of his 19 seasons, Rivera’s earned run average was under 2.00 – which included a four-season span (2003-06), in which he saved 170 games, won 21 (13 losses) and put up a 1.69 ERA in 302 2/3 innings pitched. In his final season – at age 43 – Rivera went 6-2, with a 2.11 ERA and 44 saves. Rivera was the American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in five seasons and the MLB Delivery Man of the Year in three campaigns.

All those New York fans. When I was at Yankee Stadium pitching, it felt like I was pitching with 55,000 people next to me – throwing one pitch after another.

Mariano Rivera – from his Hall of Fame Induction Speech

The “Sandman” was even better In his 96 post-season appearances. In those big games, Rivera went 8-1, with 42 saves and a minuscule 0.70 ERA. He was named the World Series MVP in 1999 and the ALCS MVP in 2003. In 58 of his 96 post-season appearances, Rivera pitched more than one inning. In the 2003 post-season, he appeared in eight games, pitching 16 innings (more than one frame in seven of the eight appearances), earning a win and five saves, giving up just one earned run (0.56 ERA).

Mariano Rivera’s Best Season: Lots to choose from here – like 43 saves and a 1.38 ERA in 2005; or 44 saves and a 1.91 ERA in 2011 (at age 41). BBRT will go with 2004, when Rivera saved a career-high 53 games, won four (lost two) and posted a 1.94 ERA.

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Edgar Martinez – 85.4 Percent … (Designated Hitter/Third Base, 1987-2004) … Tenth/Final year on the ballot.

Photo by clare_and_ben

We’ve seen some bias against designated hitters in past voting, but Edgar Martinez’ election indicates this may be subsiding. Martinez clearly defined the DH role. In an 18-season MLB career (all with the Mariners), Martinez was named to seven All Star teams; won a pair of batting titles (hitting a high of .356 in 1995); earned five Silver Slugger Awards; topped 100 RBI in six seasons (leading the league with 145 in 2000); and scored 100 or more runs five times (leading the league with 121 in 1995). He finished his career with a .312 average; 2,247 hits; 1,219 runs; 1,261 RBI; 309 home runs; and 514 doubles.

Like most kids in Puerto Rico, I wanted to be like Roberto Clemente … and what an honor to have my plaque in the Hall alongside his.

Edgar Martinez – from his Hall of Fame Induction Speech

Martinez hit .571 in the 1995 AL Championship Series (12-for-21), with two home runs, six walks and 10 RBI in five games. In 34 post-season games, he hit .266, with eight home runs and 24 RBI.

Edgar Martinez’ Best Season: One of two … In 1995, Martinez led the league in batting average (.356), runs scored (121) and doubles (52), adding 29 home runs and 113 RBI. In 2005, Martinez put up a .324 average, 37 home runs, a league-leading 145 RBI and 100 runs scored.

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Roy Halladay – 85.4 percent …. (RHP/Starter, 1998-2013) … First year on the ballot.

Photo by Keith Allison

Roy Halladay had one of the best-ever ten-year runs on the mound (2002-2011). In those ten seasons, he went 170-75, with a 2.97 earned run average and 1,699 strikeouts in 2,194 2/3 innings. He was an All Star eight times during that span and won a pair of Cy Young Awards (2003 and 2010). Halladay also recorded three seasons of 20 or more wins during those ten seasons, leading his league twice. Between 2002 and 2011, he also led his league in complete games seven times, shutouts four times and innings pitched four times.

To both of the teams we were blessed to be part of – the Blue Jays and the Phillies – thank you for allowing us to grow up, to fail over and over and, finally, learn how to succeed within your organizations.

Brandy Halladay – at Roy Halladay’s Hall of Fame Induction

And, there is more to support Halladay’s spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. On May 10, 2010, he pitched a perfect game – striking out 11 – as his Phillies topped the Marlins 1-0 in Miami. Then, on October 6, 2010, Halladay tossed a no-hitter against the Reds in Game One of the National League Division Series – walking one and fanning eight as the Phillies won 4-0. It was just the second no-hitter in post-season history. Halladay was also one of just six pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues.

Halladay finished his career at 203-105, 3.38 with 2,117 strikeouts in 2,749 1/3 innings pitched. He pitched for the Blue Jays (1998-2009) and Phillies (2010-13).

Roy Halladay’s Best Season: In his 2010 Cy Young Award season – after being traded from the Blue Jays to the Phillies in December of 2009 – Halladay led the NL in wins (21-10); complete games (nine), shutouts (four), and innings pitched (250 2/3), while putting up a 2.35 ERA (third in the league), fanning 219 batters (second in the NL) and walking just 30. His 7.3 strikeouts to walks ratio was the NL’s best.

________________________________________

Mike Mussina – 76.7 Percent … (RHP/Starter, 1991-2008) – Sixth year on the ballot.

Photo by Willie Zhang

Mussina built a 270-153 record, with a career 3.68 ERA and 2,813 strikeouts over 18 seasons. While only once a 20-game winner (in his final season, at age 39), Mussina won 18 or 19 games five times, leading the AL with 19 wins in 1995. In his first three full seasons in the major leagues (1992-94), Mussina put up a .700 or better winning percentage each year (.783, .700, .762). His record over that span – for the Orioles – was 48-16.

I was never fortunate enough to win a Cy Young Award or be a World Series Champion. I didn’t win 300 games or strikeout 3,000 batters. And while my opportunities for those achievements are in the past, today I get to become a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Maybe I was saving up – from all of those” almost” achievements – for one last push. And, this time, I made it.

Mike Mussina – from his Hall of Fame Induction speech

Mussina was a five-time All Star and a seven-time Gold Glove winner. He recorded a .650 or better winning percentage in nine seasons, with a career (and league-leading) high of .783 in 1992. Mussina ranks 21st all-time in strikeouts and 26th in strikeouts-to-walks ratio (1,000 or more innings). He’s also in the top fifty all-time in games started, wins and winning percentage. Mussina pitched for the Orioles (1991-2000) and Yankees (2000-2008). Mussina appeared in 23 post-season games, with a 7-8 record and a 3.42 ERA.

Mike Mussina’s Best Season: Mussina may have saved his best for last. In his final season (as a Yankee), at age 39, he recorded his first twenty-win campaign. That year, Mussina went 20-9, 3.37 – and proved his durability by leading the AL in starts with 34, logging his 11th season of 200 or more innings pitched and earning his seventh Gold Glove.

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Lee Smith (RHP) … 1980-97 … Today’s Game Era Committee Selection

Photo by terren in Virginia

From Baseball Roundtable’s perspective, Lee Smith should have been in the Hall of Fame long ago. However, in his 15 years on the traditional ballot, he never garnered more than 50.6 percent support – and never less than 29.9 percent.

Why does BBRT feel strongly about Lee Smith’s spot in the Hall? Smith’s 478 career saves put him third on the all-time list (he was number-one when he retired after the 1997 season). He recorded 13 consecutive seasons (in an 18-year career) of 25 or more saves, a 3.03 lifetime ERA and 1,251 strikeouts in 1,289 innings pitched; led his league in saves four times; made seven All Star teams; and was the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year in three seasons.

No matter where I pitched, I always wanted to embody two traits – loyalty to the team and my teammates and dependability as a teammate and a pitcher.

Lee Smith – from his Hall of Fame Induction speech

Smith pitched for the Chicago Cubs (1980-87); Boston Red Sox (1988-90); St. Louis Cardinals (1990-93); New York Yankees (1993); Baltimore Orioles (1994); California Angels (1995-96); Cincinnati Reds (1996); Montreal Expos (1997).

Lee Smith’s Best Season: 1991, Cardinals … 6-3, 2.34 ERA, 47 saves, 73 innings pitched, 67 strikeouts.

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Harold Baines (OF/DH) … 1980-2001 … Today’s Game Era Committee Selection

Photo by Keith Allison

Harold Baines had a 22-season MLB career. He was a six-time All Star and two-time winner of the Designated Hitter of the Year Award. He is in the top 50 players all-time in hits with 2,866 (46th) and RBI with 1,628 (34th). Baines, with a .289 career average, hit .300 or better in nine seasons. He was a steady source of power with 384 home runs, never reaching 30 in a season, but hitting 20 or more home runs in ten campaigns. He drove in 100+ runs in three seasons and scored 1,299 runs in his career.

Baines hit .324, with five home runs, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored in 31 post-season contests.

Harold Baines played for the White Sox (1980-1989, 1996-1997, 2000-2001); Rangers (1989-1990); A’s (1990-1992); Orioles (1993-1995, 1997-2000); and Indians (1999).

Many of my former teammates and quite a few of my former opponents are sitting behind me today. Thank you for making baseball the greatest game of all – and for pushing so many of us to accomplishments beyond our dreams.

Harold Baines – from his Hall of Fame Induction speech

Harold Baines’ Best Season: Baines’ best MLB campaign may have been 1999, when – at age 40 – he made his final All Star team and hit .312, with 25 home runs and 103 RBI, playing for the Orioles and Indians. That season, Baines also hit .357 (5-for-16), with one home run and four RBI in four post-season (ALDS) games.

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A FEW WHO DIDN’T MAKE IT THIS YEAR, BUT SHOULD HAVE

As I noted earlier, BBRT would have cast its votes for all four of the deserving BBWAA electees. In addition, my ten-vote ballot would have included Jeff Kent, Todd Helton, Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, Omar Vizquel and Andy Pettitte. Here’s a look at the reasons behind that support.

Larry Walker – (Outfield, 1989-2005)

Larry Walker played for the Expos (1989-1994), Rockies (1995-2004) and Cardinals (2004-2005). Given BBRT’s admiration for “lumber AND leather,” Walker’s combination of three batting titles, three Silver Slugger Awards and seven Gold Gloves would earn him my vote.

Walker played 17 MLB seasons and retired with 2,160 hits, a .313 average and three batting titles. Between 1997 and 2001, he hit .350 or better in four of five seasons. The five-time All Star (and 1997 NL MVP) hit 383 home runs (a high of 49 in 1997) and stole 230 bases (a high of 33 in 1997). Walker hit just .230 in 28 post-season games, but did rack up seven home runs, 15 RBI and sixteen walks in those contests. Walker’s ten seasons in hitter-friendly Colorado may be hurting his vote totals – he hit .383 for his career in Coors, .271 elsewhere. Still, BBRT believes if you add his Gold Glove defense to his productive bat, you have a Hall of Famer. I’m also not much for punishing a player for taking full advantage of his home-field conditions.

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Todd Helton – (First Base, 1997-2013)

Todd Helton spent his entire 17-year career with the Rockies (playing half his games in hitter-friendly Coors field), putting up a .316 career average (.345 at home and .287 on the road). Despite that home/road split, Helton’s body of work deserves HOF consideration. He was a five-time All Star, three-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger. He hit over .300 in 12 seasons – and won the NL batting crown in 2000 with a .372 average. His 59 doubles that season are the seventh-most all-time. Helton drove in 100 or more runs in five seasons and scored in triple figures six times. His 1,335 walks indicate the respect he earned at the plate.

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Jeff Kent – (Second Base/Third Base/First Base, 1992-2008)

BBRT believes Jeff Kent is a deserving candidate, but he has not gotten much support from the writers. Kent holds the all-time MLB record for home runs by a second baseman (351 of his 377 career round trippers were hit while in the lineup at second base). He has a healthy .290 career batting average; 1,518 RBI (54th all time); and 560 doubles (29th all time).

Jeff Kent has more career runs batted in than such noted Hall of Famers as Mickey Mantle, Billy Williams, Eddie Mathews, Duke Snider and Orlando Cepeda.

Kent was a five-time All Star and the 2000 NL MVP. As primarily a middle infielder, he hit 20 or more home runs in 12 seasons (a high of 37 in 2007) and topped 100 RBI eight times. He hit .276, with nine home runs and 23 RBI in 49 post-season games. A couple of Gold Gloves, at this traditionally defense-oriented position, would have really helped his case.

Kent played for the Blue Jays (1992); Mets (1992-1996); Indians (1996); Giants (1997-2002); Astros (2003-2004); and Dodgers (2005-2008).

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Omar Vizquel – (Shortstop/Third Base, 1989-2012)

If Vizquel does make it to the HOF, it will be more with his glove (eleven Gold Gloves) than his bat. However, voters should be mindful of the fact that he finished his 24-season MLB career just 123 hits short of that milestone 3,000 safeties. Vizquel delivered premier defense to the Mariners (1989-1993); Indians (1994-2004); Giants (2005-2008); Rangers (2009); White Sox (2010-2011); and Blue Jays (2012). He was a three-time All Star – and put together a string of nine straight Gold Gloves at shortstop (1993-2001).

Omar Vizquel led his league in sacrifice bunts four times.

In the field, Vizquel has the highest career fielding percentage (.9847) among shortstops with at least 500 games at the position (tied with the still-active Freddy Galvis). Vizquel is also the all-time leader among shortstops in double plays, ranks third at the position for career assists and 11th in putouts. He shares the record (with Cal Ripken, Jr.) for the fewest errors by a shortstop in a season of at least 150 games played (three).

On offense, Vizquel put up a serviceable .272 career average, with 80 home runs, 951 RBI and 1,445 runs scored. The 1,445 runs put him in the top 100 players all-time (82nd); while his 2,877 hits puts him in the top 50 (43rd). He also swiped 404 bases – topping twenty steals eight times (a high of 42 in 1999) – putting him at number 72 on the all-time list. Vizquel played in 57 post-season games, hitting .250-0-20.

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Fred McGriff – (First Base, 1986-2004)

Fred McGriff played for the Blue Jays (1986-1990), Padres (1991-1993), Braves (1993-1997), Devil Rays (1998-2001, 2004), Cubs (2001-2002) and Dodgers (2003). McGriff was five-time All Star, who bashed 493 career home runs (led his league twice, hit 30 or more home runs in a season ten times); topped 100 RBI eight times (career total 1,550); and put up a .284 career average over 19 seasons. He ranks among MLB top 50 all-time in home runs, RBI, extra base hits and walks. McGriff was the 1994 All Star Game MVP. McGriff was also a solid post-season performer, going .303-10-37 in 50 post-season games.

Fred McGriff retired with 493 home runs, exactly matching the total of another well-respected first sacker – Lou Gehrig.

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Andy Pettitte – (LHP/Starter, 1995-2010, 2012-13)

Andy Pettitte’s HOF resume was achieved in the post-season. Pettitte holds the MLB post-season marks for most wins (19 … versus 11 losses), innings pitched (276 2/3), games started (44), and is second in strikeouts (183). His post-season accomplishments include a 3.81 career ERA and the 2001 American League Championship Series MVP Award.

Andy Pettitte started 30 or more games in a season 12 times, leading his league three times (1997, 2006, 2007.)

Pettitte was no slouch in the regular season (Yankees – 1995-2003, 2007-2010, 2012-13) and Astros (2004-06). He finished with 256 wins (153 losses) and a 3.85 ERA. Pettitte won 20 games in two seasons and 14 or more games 12 times – leading the AL with 21 wins in 1996. The three-time All Star struck out 2,448 batters in 2,316 innings.

So, there are the players I would have voted for in 2019 who did not get in (just a little lobbying advance of next years balloting.

—-THE BBWAA OFFICIAL BALLOT VERSUS BBRT’S UNOFFICIAL FAN BALLOT—-

Each year, BBRT conducts an unofficial fan HOF ballot. I’ve already reported on this, but here, again, are a few comparisons between the BBWAA Balloting and BBRT’s fan voting.

While the top four players were the same on both sets of ballots, the fan balloting seemed more demanding. In the fan ballot only Mariano Rivera and Edgar Martinez got the necessary 75 percent. Halladay and Mussina were in the 55-60 percent range.
Fans voting in the BBRT ballot were also a tougher sell on Rivera, who got 86.5 percent of the fan vote.
Players selected per ballot were fairly even, with fans casting votes for 7.7 players per ballot and the writers voting for 8.0 per ballot.
Fans seemed less forgiving than the writers when it came to PED suspicions. For example, in the BBWAA balloting, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds got 59.5 and 59.1 percent of the vote, respectively. In the BBRT fan balloting, Clemens got 44.9 percent and Bonds 43.2.
Fans spread their votes around a bit more. In BBRT’s fan balloting only three players received zero votes, while in the BBWAA official ballot eleven players were shutout.
Sixteen players were “one and done” on the BBWAA ballot (less than five percent support), while fifteen received less than five percent on the BBRT fan ballot. The names on the “one and done” lists were identical except that Miguel Tejada received 7.3 on BBRT’s unofficial fan ballot, but only 1.2 percent on the BBWAA ballot.

If you want to dig deeper, here are the totals:

Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com; Baseball-Almanac.com

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