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I argue with friends about something that happens in baseball that I do not consider an 'accomplishment'. ESPN, MLB, and other news sources love it when it happens. They go through each at bat of this feat as if a perfect game had been thrown.

I am talking about hitting for the cycle.

I don't consider it an accomplishment as much as an oddity or coincidence. No player goes for a cycle. Besides the hits, it doesn't help the team more than,say, a guy with three home runs. Yet, the media fawns. But, I digress.

The last two Yankees who hit for the cycle?

All those great Yankee players, and the last two are Melky Cabrera and Tony Fernandez.



The most common American name is Smith.

I went to 'Minor League Baseball.Com.

There are 32 Smith's in the listings.

And 113 Rodriguez's.



Rodrigo Lopez threw 200 innings last year.

He won seven games.

Tyler Clippard threw 91 innings.

He won 11 games.

My 'on pace' friends must be wondering why Clippard wasn't used more...





Tired of pitchers intentionally walking your powerful first round draft pick?

Take Ryan Braun, he received just one free pass last year.



Carlos Marmol had more strike outs than Joe Blanton, Johnny Cueto, and DiceBB Matsuzaka last year.



Mariano Rivera had 33 Saves last year.

And only 45 strike outs.



David Huff had a 3/1 ratio that no pitcher wants.

Huff had 37 K's and 11 Losses.



Sean Burnett had a 1.14 WHIP, A 2.14 ERA with 62 K's in 63 innings pitched, and yet, his pitching record was 1-7.

The anti-Tyler Clippard.



Only Rickie Weeks had more than 20 home runs and more than 60 rbi from the leadoff spot.



98 players had at least 10 stolen bases in 2010.

Only 10 of those players scored 100 runs.

44 of those players would also hit at least 10 home runs

44 10/10 players



35 players had at least 20 stolen bases in 2010.

Only 3 of those players scored 100 runs.

7 of those players would also hit 20 home runs

7 20/20 players



19 players had at least 30 stolen bases in 2010.

Only one of those players scored 100 runs(Carl Crawford)

None of these players hit 30 home runs.

0 30/30 players



Note to Self- When seeing automatic 100 runs for good base stealers next year, dismiss them.

When seeing 30-30 projections...laugh



Only two players in baseball history have hit four hundred home runs and stolen home at least 10 times, who were they?

I'll even give you a hint-

For the better part of each hitters careers, they hit back to back...

(Answer at the bottom of the post)



Prince Fielder led baseball in walks last year with 114.

One player had exactly one hundred more walks than home runs last year.

Daric Barton had 110 walks and 10 home runs.



17 'hitters' had at least 80 bases on balls last year.

161 whiffers had at least 80 strike outs.

Only one player did not make both lists.

Albert Pujols only struck out 76 times. He was third in walks with 103.



The answer to the 400/10 stolen home 10 times question is Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Most of these steals of home were on the back ends of double steals.

Nice post Dough. Completely agree on the cycle.



PS - Last 2 Red Sox players to accomplish the feat. John Valentin and Scott Cooper

Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



Only two players in baseball history have hit four hundred home runs and stolen home at least 10 times, who were they?

I'll even give you a hint-

For the better part of each hitters careers, they hit back to back...





The answer to the 400/10 stolen home 10 times question is Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Most of these steals of home were on the back ends of double steals. Ruth had 123 stolen bases during his career; unofficially he was caught stealing 117 times, not a great percentage.



His most famous stolen base attempt was unsuccessful.



The 1926 World Series was between Ruth’s NY Yankees and Rogers Hornsby’s St. Louis Cardinals. With the series tied at three games apiece, the Cardinals took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. With 373 game winner Pete “Grover Cleveland” Alexander pitching in relief for the Cardinals, the Yankees needed one to tie and 2 to win the series. The first two batters, Earle Combs and Mark Koenig, both grounded out third to first. Up to the plate came Babe Ruth. After going to a full count, Ruth walked.



Up next for the Yanks batting fourth, not Lou Gehrig, but Bob Meusel. Gehrig spent a majority of the ’26 season batting third and didn’t really move to the cleanup role until ’27. In this game Gehrig was batting 5th.



Alexander now faced Meusel. Muesel was 5 for 21 in the series, including going 2 for 3 with a walk against Alexander in game 6.



On the first pitch, Ruth broke for second……



I’ll let these two quotes tell you the rest of the story…….



“My biggest thrill in baseball was making a simple tag on a runner trying to steal second base. The play was the biggest surprise of my career, and I’d have to say the biggest break any of my teams ever got. It also goes to prove that the World Series is not won -- it’s lost. The guy I tagged out -- and by a mile, too – was Babe Ruth” ~ Rogers Horsnby



“I wasn’t doing any f**king good on first base” ~ Babe Ruth



[ December 28, 2010, 02:43 PM: Message edited by: Navel Lint ]

Originally posted by Red Sox Nation:

Nice post Dough. Completely agree on the cycle.



PS - Last 2 Red Sox players to accomplish the feat. John Valentin and Scott Cooper Holy cow!

Fernandez, Cabrera, Valentin, and Cooper are, for the most part, footnotes with those two storied franchises.

Thanks.

Originally posted by Navel Lint:

quote:Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:



Only two players in baseball history have hit four hundred home runs and stolen home at least 10 times, who were they?

I'll even give you a hint-

For the better part of each hitters careers, they hit back to back...





The answer to the 400/10 stolen home 10 times question is Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Most of these steals of home were on the back ends of double steals. Ruth had 123 stolen bases during his career; unofficially he was caught stealing 117 times, not a great percentage.



His most famous stolen base attempt was unsuccessful.



The 1926 World Series was between Ruth’s NY Yankees and Rogers Hornsby’s St. Louis Cardinals. With the series tied at three games apiece, the Cardinals took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. With 373 game winner Pete “Grover Cleveland” Alexander pitching in relief for the Cardinals, the Yankees needed one to tie and 2 to win the series. The first two batters, Earle Combs and Mark Koenig, both grounded out third to first. Up to the plate came Babe Ruth. After going to a full count, Ruth walked.



Up next for the Yanks batting fourth, not Lou Gehrig, but Bob Meusel. Gehrig spent a majority of the ’26 season batting third and didn’t really move to the cleanup role until ’27. In this game Gehrig was batting 5th.



Alexander now faced Meusel. Muesel was 5 for 21 in the series, including going 2 for 3 with a walk against Alexander in game 6.



On the first pitch, Ruth broke for second……



I’ll let these two quotes tell you the rest of the story…….



“My biggest thrill in baseball was making a simple tag on a runner trying to steal second base. The play was the biggest surprise of my career, and I’d have to say the biggest break any of my teams ever got. It also goes to prove that the World Series is not won -- it’s lost. The guy I tagged out -- and by a mile, too – was Babe Ruth” ~ Rogers Horsnby



“I wasn’t doing any f**king good on first base” ~ Babe Ruth [/QUOTE]Good stuff, Russ.

I thought about Ruth as I watched Mantle almost get doubled off first base in the ninth against the Pirates in the seventh game of the '60 series.



Nowadays, the media would remind the public every day during the off season and then really crank it up once spring training started.

thanks for making the offseason go a little faster. ugh... is it spring training yet?



crazy babe ruth story as well...