Category: Sports

Among current Major League Baseball players, Nolan Arenado had 75 XBH four straight years (’15-’18) before coming up just short in ’19 with 74. Mike Trout has three (’13-’15) and also had 74 last year when an injury ended his MVP season after 134 games. Alex Bregman has accomplished it the past two years with 83 and 80. (The next few seasons will reveal the impact of sign stealing on his performance.)

Here are the total number of 75 XBH seasons by some of the most famous players:

Zero: Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente, Al Kaline, Eddie Murray and Derek Jeter

1X: Nap Lajoie, Ty Cobb, Eddie Mathews, Carl Yastrzemski (the legendary ’67 Triple Crown season), Willie McCovey, Johnny Bench, George Brett and Cal Ripken

2X: Tris Speaker (at age 23 and again at 35), Mel Ott (and two seasons with 74), Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Gary Sheffield, Larry Walker and Adrian Beltre

3X: Charlie Gehringer, Frank Robinson (and five more with 70+), Mike Schmidt and Robinson Cano

4X: Johnny Mize (missed three seasons for military service, ’43-’45), Ernie Banks, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Brian Giles (’99-’02 and never again), Chipper Jones and Frank Thomas

5X: Rogers Hornsby, Chuck Klein (every year from ’29-’33, when he averaged 91), Joe Medwick (’34-’38 and, like Klein, never again), Ken Griffey, Jr, Albert Belle (plus 73 in the strike-shortened ’94 season and 74 in ’99), Jeff Bagwell, Nomar Garciaparra (with 73 in ’99) and David Ortiz

6X: Joe DiMaggio (missed three seasons, ’43-’45) Ted Williams (missed three seasons, ’43-’45; had 73 when he hit .406 in ’41 and 72 in ’48 ), Carlos Delgado, Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez (with 74 on three other occasions)

And now the illustrious Top 10 (12 total with ties)

7X

Hank Greenberg (’34 – 96, ’35 – 98, ’37 – 103, ’38 – 85, ’39 – 82, ’40 – 99, ’46 – 78)
Hank Aaron (’57 – 77, ’59 – 92, ’61 – 83, ’62 – 79, ’63 – 77, ’67 – 79, ’69 – 77)
Rafael Palmeiro (’91 – 78, ’93 – 79, ’96 – 81, ’98 – 80, ’99 – 78, ’01 – 80, ’02 – 77)
Barry Bonds (’92 – 75, ’93 – 88, ’98 – 88, ’00 – 81, ’01 – 107, ’02 – 79, ’04 – 75)
Miguel Cabrera (’05 – 78, ’06 – 78, ’08 – 75, ’10 – 84, ’11 – 78, ’12 – 84, ’14 – 78)

Greenberg missed ’42-’44 for military service. Palmeiro had 71 before the ’94 strike. Bonds had 70 in the delayed ’95 season, 72 in ’96 and 71 in ’97.

Aaron averaged 72 from ’55-’72. Bonds averaged 76 from ’92-’04.

8X

Jimmie Foxx (’30 – 83, ’32 – 100, ’33 – 94, ’34 – 78, ’35 – 76, ’36 – 81, ’38 – 92, ’39 – 76)
Stan Musial (’43 – 81, ’44 – 77, ’46 – 86, ’48 – 103, ’49 – 90, ’50 – 76, ’53 – 92, ’54 – 85)
Alex Rodriguez (’96 – 81, ’98 – 82, ’00 – 77, ’01 – 87, ’02 – 86, ’03 – 83, ’05 – 78, ’07 – 85)

Foxx had 72 in ’31 and 70 in ’40. From ’30-’40, he averaged 80. Musial, who missed ’45 for military service, had 74 in ’51 and averaged 80 from ’46-’54. Rodriguez had six by age 27 and averaged 77 from ’96-’07.

9X
Willie Mays
(’54 – 87, ’55 – 82, ’57 – 81, ’59 – 82, ’61 – 75, ’62 – 90, ’63 – 77, ’64 – 77, ’65 – 76)

Mays, who missed ’53 for military service, had 70 every year from ’54-’66, and averaged 78 during that stretch.

10X

Albert Pujols
(’01 – 88, ’02 – 76, ’03 – 95, ’04 – 99, ’05 – 81, ’06 – 83, ’08 – 81, ’09 – 93, ’10 – 82, ’12 – 80)

Pujols, who like ARod reached six times by age 27, had 71 in ’07 and 66 in ’11 (the two years he came up short), and averaged 83 from ’01-’12.

11X

Lou Gehrig
(’26 – 83, ’27 – 117, ’28 – 87, ’29 – 77, ’30 – 100, ’31 – 92, ’32 – 85, ’33 – 85, ’34 – 95, ’36 – 93, ’37 – 83)

Babe Ruth
(’19 – 75, ’20 – 99, ’21 – 119, ’23 – 99, ’24 – 92, ’26 – 82, ’27 – 97, ’28 – 91, ’29 – 78, ’30 – 86, ’31 – 80)

From ’26-’37, Gehrig averaged 89. Ruth averaged 84 from ’19-’31. They both had 75+ XBH each year from ’26 to ’31.

Today was supposed to be Opening Day for Major League Baseball, when hope springs eternal; however, Coronavirus has changed so much in this country and around the world. Perhaps this reflection on the National Pastime will brighten someone’s day.

Since my first visit to Arlington Stadium at age 12, when my father taught me how to keep score, I’ve always been fascinated by the statistics of major leaguers. Thus, the genesis for this posting happened more than 30 years ago.

In 1989, I was producing Rangers games for Home Sports Entertainment. One night in August, our color analyst, Norm Hitzges, mentioned on air what an amazing accomplishment it is for a player to get 75 extra base hits (XBH) in a single season. He brought it up because Ruben Sierra – 23 years old and in his fourth year – was on a tear… and, in fact, would end up with 78 XBH (35 doubles, 14 triples, 29 home runs). Alas, despite playing until age 40, Sierra never again reached that lofty plateau, although he did come close two years later, falling just short with 74.

Whether baseball purists and statheads give 75 XBH any credence, for me, the achievement is a measurement of the greatness of the best hitters ever. In my research on baseball-reference.com, I examined the season results of the players ranked in the top: 100 doubles, 100 triples, 150 home runs, 100 slugging percentage, and 200 WAR (Wins Against Replacement, which is a respected measurement of career achievement). I also looked at more than 100 players who weren’t on any of those lists.

World War II and the Korean War disrupted the careers of several Hall of Famers – and the ’81 and ’94 strike-shortened seasons impacted recent players. Then again, there are many who achieved it during the steroid era. Draw your own conclusions.

If you’d like to dive into the rabbit hole with me, click here.

In the early days of our marriage, Kathy and I – huge college football fans – had a competition between us each year to pick winners of the New Year’s Day bowl games. (This is when there used to be lots of games that day.)

Having moved away from DFW, we returned in 2003 to be with my siblings and rang in the New Year at our good friends’ house. So naturally we invited them and our young kids to join in the fun.

Then in 2009, we extended it further… including my brothers and sister, and their spouses – and starting with games that begin the day after Christmas. This year the Handler Family Bowl Pool had 33 participants – extending now to my nieces and nephews and their significant others, plus their own growing generation of children.

The morning after each set of games, I email a spreadsheet and commentary to everyone… holding their interest through the Championship game. It’s a highly competitive family event.

While I’m the biggest football fan – and watch more games than anyone – over nearly 30 years, I’ve never won. Several times some folks who never watch claimed first place. (Like the time the winner picked all the teams that wear red!) Which is exactly why I NEVER gamble on football.

Side Note: Kathy quit participating long ago, because picking winners interfered with her enjoyment of the games. So we started a new tradition: Schlocky Hallmark Christmas movies. This year we watched 21. I love the holidays!