Comments on: Jason Giambi: On the Verge of History

By: mmayes

mmayes — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:50:38 +0000

Lyn Lary is safe. Giambi choked. He singled on 4/23 and 4/24. As of the end of play on 4/27 he's got 3 singles in 79 plate appearances. At that rate, he'll have 23 singles in 600 plate appearances, potentially challenging Bonds' 2001 season.

Write that up as a headline: Giambi On Pace to Challenge Bonds' 2001 Record.

By: gerry

gerry — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:29:08 +0000

Thus, for example, Luis Pujols holds the record for most at-bats by a player with 10 or fewer singles. In 1978, he hit .131, 20 for 153, with 8 doubles, a triple, a home run, and only 10 singles.

20 or fewer singles: Gorman Thomas, 1975, 43-for-240, .179, 12 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homers, 19 singles.

50 or fewer singles: Barry Bonds, 2001, 156-for-476, .328, 32 doubles, 2 triples, 73 homers, 49 singles. Everyone was paying attention to the home runs - who knew he set the record for most AB, 50 or fewer singles?

By: David in Toledo

David in Toledo — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:24:13 +0000

The last lumbering ex-first baseman who was "On the Verge Of History" (Stat O' The Day, April 11) and wasn't hitting his weight got cut the next week. Watch out for the precedent, Jason.

By: wboenig2

wboenig2 — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:35:58 +0000

Since 1 is a rather arbitrary number (unlike, say, zero), Giambi could conceivably set a record for most at-bats at any given number of singles.

Maybe we would be served better by identifying seasons by other players that followed a comparable pattern. One that comes to mind is Eli Marrero in 2005. In 138 AB, he mustered 25 hits for a .181 BA; of those 25 hits, sixteen went for extra bases (7-2-7), resulting in a more respectable .413 SA

That same year, Frank Thomas had 12 HR, 3 doubles and 8 singles (.219 BA)