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 […]
A year ago, Shohei Ohtani flirted with the exceptional achievement of clocking triple digits in extra-base hits, a feat that’s been managed only 15 times in this National Pastime’s history. Ultimately falling one shy of the century mark, Ohtani had to settle instead for a belt that was stitched with […]
Albert Pujols’ first 10 seasons were as close to ideal as any player has ever experienced – a full-time player from day one, no significant time lost to injury or labor issues or global conflict or global pandemic, a start at a very young age, eye-popping numbers throughout. That […]
In 1978, the lanky, towering right-hander J.R. Richard became the first Astros pitcher to lead the NL in any one of the three Triple Crown categories, pacing the Senior Circuit with 303 strikeouts. As a follow-up, Richard ticked off another box, the first ERA title for Houston (that same season, […]
Sometimes, a player’s line doesn’t need the author’s flourishes – the adjectives, the superlatives, the flow-y and show-y. The numbers, with perhaps just a little context, are all that’s required to … sing. Here’s one such story – just the facts. On June 25, 1987, the visiting Reds lost […]
Since 1893, there are 32 examples of a National or American Leaguer operating in his age-23 or younger season, qualifying for the batting title, and finishing the year with a .350 or better average. There’s some mighty famed campaigns to have climbed this peak. There’s Joe Jackson’s record rookie season […]
Among the many (some may say myriad?) remarkable pulls from Barry Bonds’ career is his ability to step inside the left side of the batter’s box, take his stance against a southpaw and, in that traditionally unbalanced equation in favor of the pitcher, do some serious damage. Since 1969, there […]
More than a century ago, a 22-year-old right-hander named Eddie Stack signed his name into the Major League register. His debut came in front of the home fans at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl and had the Cubs as the invited guests. This was the Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance Cubs (although Evers was out of […]
In the 149 NL seasons that have played out to a conclusion, a player representing the Phillies franchise has staked the claim as home run king in 29 of them. Curiously, only two of those who’ve worn the crown wore it only once. Mike Schmidt is king of all the […]
It’s been more than a decade since the American League saw the same player capture the batting crown, on-base title, and slugging belt. A year after he claimed the traditional Triple Crown in 2012, Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera took home the rate-stat version, slashing .348/.442/.636. Minnesota’s Joe Mauer – in 2009 […]