It’s been a banner year for the men behind the plate when at the plate – Cal Raleigh is a pair of big flies away from an unfathomable 60; Hunter Goodman will finish with around half that, but his longball tally has already established a new high mark for Rockies […]
Today’s high octane leadoff hitters are of a different makeup than those who dominated the role in the 20th century. Consider that going back to 1901, the single-year high marks for home runs, RBI, total bases and extra-base hits when batting leadoff all come from players in the 21st century, […]
A one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win. There’s a harmony in this event, the numerical synchronicity, the metered sound adding an extra layer of allure to an already compelling narrative: the tightest of contests where runs are the rarest mineral to be mined, the fellow on the mound taking on […]
Cast the script back to 1977 … The good: just 21 years old, Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton bats .322 and amasses 200 hits (both top-three marks in the NL) and paces the Senior Circuit with 18 triples. The bad: somehow, despite coming to the plate 644 times, Templeton draws 15 […]
In 1938, while producing more multi-home run games in a season (11) than anyone before, Hank Greenberg walloped 58 home runs. In all the years since, no one has surpassed those 11; in all the seasons since, no Tiger has matched those 58. As the game has evolved and four-base […]
In the entire statistical record covering Major League Baseball, there are 19 player seasons that can spread their metaphorical arms wide, wide, wide with the boast of at least 100 runs scored and driven in, 100 walks drawn and at least 20 home runs and 20 steals. There are a […]
When 19-year-old Mickey Mantle stepped onto the diamond for his big league debut on April 17, 1951, the single-season high mark for home runs by a switch-hitter rested at 35, courtesy of Ripper Collins’ efforts representing the 1934 Cardinals. When the 1955 campaign came to a close, the mark was […]
Over a five-year stretch from 1948-1952, the average Ralph Kiner season looked like this: 109 runs scored, 44 home runs, 112 RBI, 119 walks. Only 10 different players – apart from Kiner – have assembled that line in a season, and that’s what Kiner averaged. And if that perspective is […]
In his farewell season in 2016, David Ortiz positively scoffed and sneered and even snarled at that old figure, Father Time. Playing his final game of the year just a couple of months shy of his 41st birthday, Ortiz concluded his age-40 campaign with 38 round-trippers and a .620 slugging […]
In 1978, J.R. Richard became just the fourth different right-handed hurler since 1893 to rocket to 300 strikeouts: a 303-K campaign that placed him alongside Walter Johnson (1910, 1912), Bob Feller (1946) and Nolan Ryan (1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977). It was an explosive outcome for the 28-year-old who, before […]