Bill Gilbert: Pitching Carries Astros in April

May 3, 2018

SABR Analyst and Pecan Park Eagle Contributor Bill Gilbert sums up the 2017 AL Champion Astros Repeat Run through the early part of  2018.

Pitching Carries Astros in April

By Bill Gilbert

The Houston Astros compiled a won-loss record of 20-10 in April to lead the American League West Division by 2 1/2 games over the Seattle Mariners and 3 games over the Los Angeles Angels.  The starting pitching was superb. The five pitchers in the rotation each started 6 games and they collectively recorded an ERA of 2.44, by far the best in the major leagues. Three pitchers with ERA’s under 2.00 led the way, Justin Verlander (1.36), Charlie Morton (1.72) and Gerrit Cole (1.73). Cole set a team strikeout record for April with 61. The bullpen also performed well with an ERA of 2.76. Most encouraging was the rebound of closer, Brian Giles, after a poor World Series. In April, Giles converted all three save opportunities and allowed a total of only two runs in his eleven games.

The Houston offense started slowly but by the end of the month the team ranked well above the major league average in most offensive categories.   In 2017, the Astros averaged scoring 5.53 runs per game. In April 2018, they averaged 4.97 compared to the MLB average o 4.46. Six teams averaged over 5 runs per game in April led by the New York Yankees at 5.86.

Jose Altuve batted .347 and Carlos Correa hit .330 in April but the rest of the team hit in the low to mid .200’s. George Springer and Josh Reddick each hit 6 home runs.

April was the first month in the history of major league baseball when strikeouts (6,656 ) outnumbered hits (6,360). This is a continuation of a trend that may not be good for baseball in the long run. Astros pitchers were a major factor in this imbalance by striking out 316 opposing batters while allowing only 196 hits.

The New York Yankees bring their 9-game winning streak to Houston to open the month of May for a four game series with the Astros. matching the best hitting team in baseball with the best pitching team. It could happen again in the post-season.

As expected, teams in the AL West have improved, especially the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels, but the Astros should prevail barring major injuries.

Bill Gilbert

5/2/2018

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

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Our Out Of This World Astros

May 2, 2018

Rumor has it that one of our fine Astros starters is actually from Mars. Can’t see any evidence of it, can you?

 

A Tale of Two Ken Giles Guys

After the Yankee Game One Astros 2-1 Win Save on Monday, 4/30/18 , we wrote: 

Ken Giles looked like the guy we always hoped he could be with that 3K 9th of the 3 batters — and with all of them getting punched out by  100 MPH heat.

Store that fist-pumping self-confidence you showed on the final strike three of the night. Mr. Giles, and bring it back with you in your gut every single day you come to the ballpark for a game. Any guy who can pitch like that against this Yankee club, really does, have nothing else to fear, but fear itself.

 

After the Yankee Game Two Blown Scoreless Tie and 3-0 9th Inning Astros Loss on Tuesday, 5/01/18 , we now write: 

May Day to Ken Giles! — May Day to Ken Giles! — May Day to Ken Giles!

We don’t know what to say because most of us out here don’t have the talent you showed up and used in your 9th inning annihilation of three pretty good Yankee hitters to seal the Astros win in Game One. You either variably didn’t read, hear, get, or understand the message from anyone about the power of fear itself yesterday — so we decided to be another place you heard it again today — only 24 hours later — after last night’s tough loss.

Open the window, Aunt Minnie! — Ken can’t breathe in here! — Nor can he see the light! — Bust things up and let’s have some fresh air and new outlook on one of life’s biggest deals — learning to live our lives with all our moving parts working.

Hey, Ken! If you need to be afraid of something — don’t be afraid of trying! – Be afraid of not trying!

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

 

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Signs of Arms and Bats in Flight at MMP

May 1, 2018

For fans who interfere with fly balls and foul pop flies near the stands, this should be the view of MMP by those who are found guilty on the next pitch in the game.

In spite of the 2-1 “squeeze by” win the Astros took last night in their four-game series April 30th opener at MMP from the Yankees, the club also began to show some awakening to the old bruise brothers style of offensive ball that served them so well in the 2017 championship year during their-two-wins out of three with Oakland in the previous set.

In my book, the club that can do them both well has the best shot at any World Series, whether they are trying to repeat or not. The Astros have an insanely talented started starting pitcher rotation and an apparently better bullpen than last year’s group, although we still need to see how they improve and hold up under the force of the long season. Ken Giles looked like the guy we always hoped he could be with that 3K 9th of the 3 batters — and with all of them getting punched out by  100 MPH heat.

Store that fist-pumping self-confidence you showed on the final strike three of the night. Mr. Giles, and bring it back with you in your gut every single day you come to the ballpark for a game. Any guy who can pitch like that against this Yankee club, really does, have nothing else to fear, but fear itself.

And, Astros fans, just say the words …. and mean them as we know you do:

Justin Verlander …. Dallas Keuchel …. Lance McCullers, Jr. …. Gerrit Cole …. Charlie Morton …. line ’em up and send them out there one at a time for every game …. and with any kind of help from the pen and our supply of already proven bats …. any of us fans who are not total “dumaskis” about the game of baseball …. and who also are without a knack for irritating others to the bone as soon as they meet us …. any from that group …. could probably manage the Astros to a .600 season this year. We’d still probably have to be an A.J. Hinch or a Larry Dierker to win it all, but even that idea is not carved in marble anywhere. – Is it?

As an appetizer to all of you citizen fan Astro manager candidates, here are the primary offensive numbers for all the Astros who batted or pinch ran for anybody else during the March through April 30th first part of the 2018 season.

2018 Houston Astros Batting

Opening Day Through 4/30/18

Astro Hitters G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO BA%
George Springer 30 120 24 32 8 0 6 19 0 13 25 .267
Alex Bregman 29 108 11 28 8 0 1 12 3 20 16 .259
Jose Altuve 30 118 17 41 5 0 2 15 1 11 16 .347
Carlos Correa 29 103 20 34 9 0 4 21 2 15 30 .330
Mar. Gonzalez 28 95 9 22 5 0 2 16 0 14 28 .232
X – J.D. Davis 9 24 1 6 0 0 0 1 0 4 9 .250
Yuli Gurriel 15 58 6 13 6 0 1 7 0 4 9 .224
Evan Gattis 25 80 7 16 5 0 1 8 0 8 25 .200
Brian McCann 20 59 12 16 2 0 2 8 0 10 13 .271
Jake Marisnick 25 63 9 9 1 0 3 7 2 1 34 .143
Max Stassi 15 39 5 10 2 0 2 7 0 4 14 .256
Derek Fisher 23 49 10 9 1 2 2 7 2 3 24 .184
Josh Reddick 26 86 18 20 1 0 6 16 1 14 20 .233

Ballpark Etiquette Note. Hey Fans! They are not playing the games to either help you catch a foul ball near the stands, or else, to challenge you to a game of “ball in play vs. fan souvenir” on each loose ball. If you get in the way of a possible out or home run, for either team, you deserve to be thrown out of the ballpark immediately.

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

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Houston’s 1962 1st MLB April

April 29, 2018

“You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd!!

In their first 1962 season as a major level baseball franchise, our Houston Colt .45s entered the National League, along with their fellow expansion club, the New York Mets, as the 9th and 10th members of the National League. Meanwhile, Houston fans, owners, and players alike all waited with baited breath for the construction and opening of what was then known ingloriously as The Harris County Domed Stadium to open its gates to the future.

It was a future that was three years and a tad more creative identity recognition away from it’s final arrival in April 1965 as the “Houston Astros, playing in the Astrodome, the Eighth Wonder of the World!” Those original Houston Colt .45s would open their premier season in a topless, classless venue known as Colt Stadium. It was a product of haste on the parking lot that also was destined to hold the wondrous air-conditioned and sun, rain, and mosquito-sheltered domed park that would be going on nearby under the watchful eye of principal owner Judge Roy Hofheinz and every game fan from as far away as Louisiana and Oklahoma who came to Houston in those days to see for themselves.

Neither the Houston or New York new clubs had much talent in the spring of 1962. They got their players dirt cheap the during the off-season from fire sale choices made available to them alternately by the eight long-time NL members at pre-set variable prices in this so-called baseball pool drafting process.

A half-serious young country and western singer named Roger Miller even used the phrase for a line he wrote into a song he called “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd.” The fitting baseball tagline included was “You Can’t Go Swimming in a Baseball Pool!” — Miller may as well have added, “You can’t go Winning from A Baseball Pool!” It was the truth, even if the Houston Colt .45s used their first month of seasonal baseball life trying to sell a miracle to Houston fans.

The Early Illusion in 1962

As most know, the first Houston club got off to a gangbusters start at Colt Stadium on April 10, 1962, crushing the Chicago Cubs, 11-2, behind little lefty Bobby Shantz and the two-homer day of muscular outfielder Roman Mejias. What fewer know is that the Colts then imposed two more back-to-back losses of 2-0 each on the Cubs to sweep their first MLB 3-game series in history by a total run differential of 15-2.

The Colts played mediocre ball from there through the end of April, but that was OK. No one expected them to finish their first month with a 7-8 record, in a percentage tie bond with the Reds for 6th place and a GB share of 5th place with the Phillies and Reds for 5th place, just outside the first division.

The Colts even won their last April-played game on April 29th, defeating Milwaukee at home in Colt Stadium by 3-2.

1962 NL Standings Thru April 30, 2018

POS TEAM WON LOST W% GB
1 San Francisco 15 5 .750 –
2 St. Louis 11 4 .733 1.5
3 Pittsburgh 13 5 .722 1.0
4 Los Angeles 13 8 .619 2.5
5 Philadelphia 8 9 .471 5.5
6-7t Cincinnati 7 8 .467 5.5
6-7t Houston 7 8 .467 5.5
8 Milwaukee 8 11 .421 6.5
9 Chicago 4 16 .200 11.0
10 New York 3 13 .188 10.0

The rest of the season was the inevitable reality unfolding.

The Colt .45s finished the 1962 season with  record of 64-96 for a .400 winning percentage. They took 8th place all to themselves, but they ended up resting 36.5 games behind the NL pennant winning San Francisco Giants (103-62, .624) and gasping for air.

They found the breathing room when they realized what we fans already had found as our grasp on hope: By finishing 8th in 1962, the Astros front office had proven they must have been miles better than their Mets counterparts at the baseball pool. — Look. — The Mets finished 1962 in 10th place with a record of 40-120, .250. And sandwiched between the Colts and Mets were the ancient Cubs — and with ho baseball to blame for their failure — unless it was how they gave away their winnable players.

It became easier to remember the 1962 NL as a 3-club loop:

Our 1962 Houston Special NL Standings

POS TEAM WON LOST W% GB
1 Houston 64 96 .400 —
2 Chicago 59 103 .363 6.0
3 New York 40 120 .250 24.0

A Darrell Pittman Contribution

Darrell Pittman found this article on how the first month success of the Colt .45s bumped the gate in the Hot Springs (AR) Sentinel-Record of May 2, 1962. My hunch is that Houston attendance in April 1962 would have been good, anyway, no matter what, but that winning only could have helped.

 

 

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

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A Tale of Two Lefties

April 28, 2018

Dallas Keuchel
Houston Astros

 

A Tale of Two Lefties

Oakland (8) @ Houston (1), Minute Maid Park,

Friday, April 27, 2018, 7:05 PM.

For five solid and time-breezy innings last night, lefty starters Sean Manaea (4-2) of the Oakland Athletics and Dallas Keuchel (1-4) of the Houston Astros tied up in one of the most delightful pitching competitions we’ve seen in a long while. Each man retired all nine batters they each faced through the third inning, and Keuchel even extended his play with perfection by retiring all three men he saw in the top of the fourth.

Some clever old school running in the top of the fourth then enabled George Springer to reach first base and eventually score on a slashing single to right by Carlos Correa in the bottom of the fourth. That 1-0 crooked number advantage for the Astros was looking pretty good with the stuff that Keuchel was showing, but we needed more caution with the wind that suddenly entered our sails. It had not come from any kind of big sign of a break in A’s pitcher Manaea. It had come, as we said, from some brilliant small ball play by Springer and Correa.

Then came the top of the 5th. Game 2 had begun after Keuchel recorded his 13th out of the necessary 27 perfect game outs.

Matt Coleman promptly banged a solo homer into the left field Crawford Street Boxes, tying the game at 1-1. Then, after the Astros drew another goose egg in the bottom of the 5th. Chad Pinder of the A’s piled another shot into the Crawfords with a man on base to extend the score to 3-1, Oakland.

The 7th inning saw Keuchel do something he had never done before. He gave up his third home run in a single game for the first time in his history. This one came with another runner on, falling over the right field wall and barely out of the reach of a frustrated George Stringer. Those two runs and another single score in the 7th extended the score to 6-1, A’s.

Manaea and Keuchel both left the game after the 7th, but the A’s would score two more in the top of the 8th off reliever Joe Smith to make the final score, 8-1, Oakland on 10 hits and 1 error. The Astros closed with 1 run, 5 hits, and 0 errors.

Manaea gave up no earned runs in 7 innings, registering 7 strikeouts and 1 walk. Keuchel gave up 6 earned runs on 7 hits, with 3 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3 home runs, and 4 wild pitches.

What happened to Dallas Keuchel? Who knows?

It did seem that his pitches were rising as the game wore on, but maybe that’s not something you can read by TV – or even close up, if you don’t have the right viewing angle. (And the last time I checked, the batter, the catcher, and the home plate umpire own “dibs” on those three spots.)

Sometimes it can be a swelling or an injury to the throwing hand that only the pitcher himself notices that accounts for the kind of game that Mr. Keuchel had last night. Sometimes it can be the result of a mental distraction. Sometimes it’s just the common affliction of being human that causes us to falter at the worst of all moments. Whatever it was last night, let’s hope Dallas gets over it soon. A 20% winning percentage by any of our starters is not conducive to our goal of seeing the Astros repeat as World Series Champions in 2018.

If you have any thoughts on what happened to Dallas Keuchel last night, please let us hear from you. We like the guy, but we need him to be the pitcher of Cy Young seed that he obviously once was – and was again – for the first four innings of last night’s game.

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

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What’s Your Favorite Kind of Baseball Game?

April 27, 2018

Minute Maid Park 5

 

What’s your favorite kind of baseball game? Assuming you have some interest in the outcome of the game itself, what are you prepared to give up three to four hours for the sake of learning the final result?

(1) High Drama (Game 5 of the 2017 World Series occurs as a model): Lot’s of action; high and low moments; lead changes; power and small ball figuring variously into the same plane; good pitching and  big plays, both good and bad; notable errors; and finishing on a dramatic walk-off hit as a high stakes victory.

(2) Pitchers’ Duel: Two pitchers match each other for at least five innings in their pursuits of perfect games or no-nos. If either one makes it, you get to wear your “I Was There” button forever.

(3) Small Ball Bonanza: Two clubs show up to demonstrate the fine art of small ball play in a game which stresses the vanishing talents for getting on base, base running, men-on-base defensive pitching, and the ongoing pursuit of fielder positioning and relay throw perfection.

(4) Bomber Ball:  The stuff of McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds in the modern era. Draw a walk — hit a homer — ad nauseum. Detailed pitcher assignments prevail and the 100 pitch count is the rule on starters. It’s your club’s job to bomb the other team more often than they do your guys.

(5) Other: If you have a name and description for the kind of game you prefer watching that doesn’t quite fit our four descriptors, please name and describe it for us as a post-column comment. – Also, please use the comment section to let us know if any of our four described game types comes close to being your favorite style of play.

Thanks. ~ And we’ll see you tonight in spirit at the Astros’ home opener with the Oakland As.

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

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Ty Cobb and Power: Upon Further Review

April 27, 2018
tycobb swings

“That ought to do it!” ~ Ty Cobb Ty Cobb of the Tigers Belts walk-off HR in 9th as Detroit beats Chicago, 16-15. ********** June 2, 1925

 

Ty Cobb and Power: Upon Further Review

In our previous article, “Ty Cobb’s 1925 Power Show”, we covered the Games of May 5th and 6th at St. Louis in which Ty Cobb and the Tigers routed the Browns twice on the heels of a supposedly expressed Georgia Peach promise to show the world what he also was capable of doing with power, if he chose to play the game in Babe Ruth’s preferred style.

We made the comment that “His two-day game totals from May 5th and 6th of 1925 were 9 hits in 12 tries at bat (.750), 6 runs scored, 11 runs batted in on 5 HR, 1 double, and 3 singles. The experience must have sated his need to prove anything further, because Ty Cobb never repeated the dramatic two-game showing elsewhere from there.”

A fairly quick post-publication comment from good SABR colleague and distinguished baseball researcher and writer Gregory Wolf notably urged me to re-examine what Cobb did almost exactly a month later for the Tigers in a 16-15 punch out of the White Sox on a 9th inning walk-off homer by Cobb at home.

On June 2, 1925, the Tigers and Pale Hose were involved in a slap-happy slugfest, but the Tigers seemed to have secured a prospective win when they mounted a 15-5 lead by the end of the 6th.

Then. What do you know? The Sox battled back to tie the game at 15-15 going into the bottom of the 9th. Setting the table.

With one out, Ty Cobb blasted a walk-off HR to deep right center that gave the game to the Tigers, 16-15. Veteran viewers of the ballpark said it was the longest homer they ever saw Cobb hit at home. (Uh, forgiveness here. We were too late to get direct quotes and we haven’t had a chance to check the news files on what people actually said about the Cobb walk off blast. We do know from Gregory Wolf’s article. Here’s the quote: “Cobb’s blast was ‘undoubtedly the longest hit he has ever made on the Detroit lot,’ opined Detroit sportswriter Salsinger.”

While you are at it, check out the link to Gregory H. Wolf’s much more eloquently detailed report of that June 2, 1925 game. I think you will be glad you did:

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/june-2-1925-tigers-win-16-15-game-wild-bedlam

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

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Ty Cobb’s 1925 Power Show

April 26, 2018

Ty Cobb
“Let me show you what I can do!”
May 5, 1925

 

Before we take a brief look at Ty Cobb’s brief power show it is interesting to look at how top ten hitters for average in baseball history fare in home run power, relative to each other, and to all the great home run hitters, who are there, without regard to batting average figures.

 

Top 10 Career Batting Averages 
All Time LeadersCourtesy of Baseball Almanac
Ty Cobb .366 (.36636) 1
Rogers Hornsby .358 (.35850) 2
Joe Jackson .356 (.35575) 3
Ed Delahanty .346 (.34590) 4
Tris Speaker .345 (.34468) 5
Ted Williams .344 (.34441) 6
Billy Hamilton .344 (.34429) 7
Babe Ruth .342 (.34206) 8
Harry Heilmann .342 (.34159) 9
Pete Browning .341 (.34149) 10

 

Top 10 Career Home Run Totals
By Top 10 Career Batting Average LeadersInspired by Baseball Almanac
Babe Ruth (8) 714 1
Ted Williams (6) 521 2
Rogers Hornsby (2) 301 3
Harry Heilmann (9) 183 4
Tris Speaker (5) 117 in 10,195 tab 5
Ty Cobb (1) 117 in 11,434 tab 6
Ed Delahanty (4) 101 7
Joe Jackson (3) 54 8
Pete Browning (10) 46 9
Billy Hamilton (7) 40 10

 

Top 10 Career Home Run Hitters 
All Time LeadersCourtesy of Baseball Almanac
Barry Bonds 762 1
Hank Aaron 755 2
Babe Ruth 714 3
Alex Rodriguez 696 4
Willie Mays 660 5
Ken Griffey, Jr. 630 6
Albert Pujols 619 7
Jim Thome 612 8
Sammy Sosa 609 9
Frank Robinson 586 10
  • Only Babe Ruth qualified for the Top 10 Lists of Best Career BA and HR Hitters.

 

Summation

Only three of the all time batters for average were also sluggers — and only Ted Williams played as recently as 1960. Ruth, of course, easily takes the lead in a category load with early 20th century and a few 19th century players like Pete Browning and Billy Hamilton, two who unsurprisingly finish 9th and 10th on a list limited to the top ten dogs in the chase also for the game’s best career batting average of all time.

The more we do these little looks at the oil and water relationship between big power numbers and high batting averages, the more our appreciation grows for the rare talent who can do both consistently over time.

Probably no player saw this coming of power to baseball’s center stage in the 1920s via Ruth better than Ty Cobb. I figure it had to be something he felt every time his Tigers took the field against Ruth and the Yankees. He also knew that his ability to hit for an incredibly high average was at the expense of power he saved from homer chasing for the sake of hits, base running, and the like. Then, one day, he simply had to go out and make, at least, a one day correction — for the sake of the attention he hoped to draw to his message that he too (Cobb) could find the fences more often, if he so chose.

Cobb’s “I’ll show ’em my power today” game. The date was May 5, 1925. The Tigers were set to play the Browns in St. Louis and Cobb supposedly announced that he was going to show the world a sample of his own power on that date. He went out and had a 6 for 6 day at the plate that included 3 home runs, a double, 4 runs scored, and 5 RBI, leading Detroit to a 14-8 victory. The following day, Cobb led the Tigers to an 11-4 win over the Browns, hitting 2 more home runs, while scoring 2 runs and collecting 6 more RBI.

His two-day game totals from May 5th and 6th of 1925 were 9 hits in 12 tries at bat (.750), 6 runs scored, 11 runs batted in on 5 HR, 1 double, and 3 singles. The experience must have sated his need to prove anything further, because Ty Cobb never repeated the dramatic two-game showing elsewhere from there.

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

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Out of the Mist, the Ghost of Babe Ruth

April 25, 2018

 

Top 10 Home Run Totals
All Time Career Leaders 

Courtesy of Baseball Almanac
Barry Bonds 762 1
Hank Aaron 755 2
Babe Ruth 714 3
Alex Rodriguez 696 4
Willie Mays 660 5
Ken Griffey, Jr. 630 6
Albert Pujols 619 7
Jim Thome 612 8
Sammy Sosa 609 9
Frank Robinson 586 10

 

Top 10 Batting Averages 
Among Top 10 HR Leaders 

Inspired by Baseball Almanac
Babe Ruth .342 1
Hank Aaron .305 (.304998) 2
Albert Pujols .305 (.304538) 3
Willie Mays .302 4
Barry Bonds .298 5
Alex Rodriguez .295 6
Feank Robinson .294 7
Ken Griffey, Jr. .284 8
Jim Thome .276 9
Sammy Sosa .273 10

As a Pitcher…. and as we all know….. Babe Ruth also was the only member of the elite top ten home run hitters of all time to distinguish himself also as a pitcher on the HOF track of accomplishment.  His career mark of 94 wins against only 46 losses produced a .671 winning percentage and an ERA of 2.88, mostly with Boston, prior to his 1920 move to the Yankees — a move that put the roar firmly into baseball’s power conversion during the 1920s — and he made that move as one who brought power to a high batting average that is now sacrificed by most power hitters for the sake of power.

Next time the “next Babe Ruth” comes to town, let’s give him a chance to accomplish all these improbably simultaneous milestones as a guy who hits with great power and high average on the days he’s not earning mention for the Cy Young.

If he really does come along some day, my dime is on the odds that it really is the ghost of Babe Ruth. Who else could it be?

Congratulations to Jose Altuve for getting his first home run of the year this afternoon against the Angels. Now the plug is out of the jug. — Way to go, Jose Altuve!

********************

Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

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Albert Pujols’ Career Crunching #s

April 24, 2018

Albert Pujols
Once Upon a Time
Baseball’s King of the Beasts

Worst kept secret in baseball.

If 38-year old Albert Pujols retires at the end of this season, look for him as a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee in the first year of his eligibility in 2024. By then, he will have strung together five seasons of inactivity and qualified himself for placement on the ballots of the certified baseball writers who get those honors of anointment.

3,000 Hit Club next.

If you care to browse the hitting leadership charts that Baseball America has so neatly arranged for us, you will find that Prince Albert is all over the place among the leadership figures in many categories, all time. In fact, Pujols is on the cusp of breaking into the 3,000 hit club during the Angels current series in Houston, in spite of going hitless in the 2-0 LA victory of Monday night. Sitting on 2,992 hits this morning, we Astros fans will simply have to hope he doesn’t catch fire in the remaining games.”Eight” is a doable number when the Pujols bat gets hot.

Doubles.

Top 10 in Doubles 
All Time LeadersCourtesy / Baseball Almanac
Tris Speaker 792 1
Pete Rose 746 2
Stan Musial 725 3
Ty Cobb 724 4
Craig Biggio 668 5
George Brett 665 6
Nap Lajoie 657 7
Carl Yastrzemski 646 8
Honus Wagner 640 9
David Ortiz 632 10
Hank Aaron 624 11
Albert Pujols 624
Adrian Beltre 621 13

Albert’s pursuit of a room in the Top Ten Doubles house is fairly obvious as a doable, but quickly losable lease. He needs only 9 more two-base hits to replace the retired David Ortiz for the # 10 spot, but the still very active and spry Adrian Beltre is only three back of Pujols and capable of making his own run at the same spot this very year. Then it will (for a while) be up to which, if either, of these hitting giants retires after 2018.

Other Hitting Categories.

Click over to the Baseball Almanac Career Hitting Leaders chart yourselves and check out all the high placements in the Top 50 that Albert Pujols has achieved during his illustrious, if often heartbreaking career for us Astros fans:

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hi2b1.shtml

The Ruthian Royalty.

Top 10 in Home Runs 
All Time LeadersCourtesy / Baseball Almanac
Barry Bonds 762 1
Hank Aaron 755 2
Babe Ruth 714 3
Alex Rodriguez 696 4
Willie Mays 660 5
Ken Griffey, Jr. 630 6
Albert Pujols 618 7
Jim Thome 612 8
Sammy Sosa 609 9
Frank Robinson 586 10

The chart speaks for itself, but it lacks human wit. When I recited this list to good friend Sam Quintero by phone on his way home from last night’s first Angels game, I also noted what we all know — that Bonds, Rodriquez, and Sosa were also questionable for future inductions because of the steroids taint. “Oh well,” Sam observed, “at least, A Rod has Jennifer Lopez in his life.” — Sam did not say that A Rod had Jennifer Lopez “to fall back upon,” but he may as well have.

Have fun at tonight’s Houston debut of the “Japanese Babe Ruth” when he takes the mound against the Astros tonight at Minute Maid Park. Let’s hope that Orbit loads up his Babe Ruth persona with that stack of 50 hot dogs we see him ordering in the game time TV commercials before he takes the mound.

 

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Bill McCurdy

Principal Writer, Editor, Publisher

The Pecan Park Eagle

 

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