Of players who qualify for the batting title as of today, June 17th:
1) If statistics are to be believed, what qualifier is easily the best hitter in all of baseball, slugging over .700 and carrying the best OPS in the majors?
2) Whose line is this: (.318, 14 HR, 39 RBI at six different positions. . . . and the second-best OPS in all of baseball)?
3) Has a utility player like the unnamed fella in question #2 ever won a batting title?
4) Finally, what player who doesn't yet qualify is likely to set a record by winning a batting title this year. . . .and what sort of record would it be?
7 comments:
1) Albert Pujols
2) Ben Zobrist
3) no idea.
4) Joe Mauer. Batting title?
1) Pujols... duh :)
2)oddly, as Matt said, it is indeed Ben Zobrist
3) I believe so and I want to go with my bias and say it was Jose Oqendo
4) not the foggiest idea
actually I stand corrected, Mauer has a higher OPS and Slugging than Albert... :( althought without min. ABs Mark Buehrle is actually the OPS leader :P
You guys nailed the first two and Matt's on the money with Mauer. But the question is, what would be the significance of Mauer's winning this particular batting title?
As for #3, I'm still taking submissions!
would it be first time a left handed hitting catcher won the batting title?
3. Bill Mueller or Freddy Sanchez?
4. Mauer has won the batting title before (twice, in fact), so it wouldn't be left handed-hitting catcher. Would it be the first time a catcher won the batting title in two consecutive years? Or maybe most batting titles before a certain age?
And your answers....
#1 Pujols is #1
#2 ZO-RILLA!
#3 Billy Goodman hit .354 for the Red Sox in 1950 in just 110 games, just enough plate appearances (485) to qualify in those days. He played all the infield positions and the outfield, but never played more than 45 games at any position. Pete Runnels later won two batting titles for the Sox while playing more than one position, but the vast majority of his games were at one position each year, so less of a true utility player, and more of a regular with flexibility.
#4 The significance is that no catcher has ever won more than two batting titles, ever. It's a demanding position. That's why Pudge's recent achievement is so impressive, far more so than most of the milestones we often see trumpeted.
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