By the Decade: Doubles

Miguel Tejada and Hanley Ramirez are tied for the league lead in doubles with 26, which is a pace for about 54 throughout the season. The last non-strike shortened season without 50 doubles by any player was 1992.

Getting to 50 doubles was a (somewhat) magical number from about 1940-1995. The lowest number of doubles to lead a league throughout a season was 32 by Sal Bando and Pedro Garcia for the AL in 1972. The highest number since 1936 was 59 by Todd Helton in 2000.
Number of 50 double seasons by the decade:
20's: 11
30's: 20
40's: 4
50's: 2
60's: 1
70's: 2
80's: 2
90's: 10
00's: 27

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Here's Your Leader, Right Here!

As we watch the Mets struggle with injuries and put secondary players into the everyday line up, the never ending talk of leadership reared it's ugly head yesterday when David Wright responded to a comment made by former Mets closer and hometown son, John Franco.

In a rather gentle way which is the (W)right was David basically told John that he does not go what goes on in the Mets clubhouse so he really isn't qualified to make that kind of statement.

Rather than adding fuel to that debate I thought we should look back at Mets in the past that were gritty players that defined leadership to the nth degree.

My earliest memory of such a player was the first tough, gritty, no nonsense type of player who Mets fans immediately identified as a player they could call their own.

That player; Ron Hunt.

He was born on Feb 23rd 1941 in St Louis Missouri. He broke into the major leagues as the second baseman for the New York Mets in 1963 and played there through the 1966 season.

Ron's speciality was to get hit by the pitch. In 1963 the Mets needed base runners and Casey Stengel didn't care how that happened. Ron has told reporters that they even had a signal that Casey would flash from the dugout to the 3rd base coach which actually called for Hunt to be hit by the pitch. Ouch, very big ouch. This became his signature trademark and contribution to the game.

Ron has attributed this to be his motto, "Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball.? During his years with the Mets Ron was hit 45 times. From 1968 through 1974 he led the league in this painful category with a total of 192 HBP. In 1971 he was hit a ridiculous 50 times falling one HBP short of the major league record.
Author Poll

Who is the leader in the Mets Clubhouse

* David Wright
* Carlos Beltran
* Johan Santana
* Gary Sheffied
* Other

vote to see results


In 12, what had to be very sore, seasons Ron's had some very respectable statistics.

He played in 1487 games. In 5235 at bats he collected 1429 hits with 223 doubles, 23 triples and 39 hr's. He drove in 370 runs with 65 stolen bases with 555 walks and 382 strike outs. Striking out 7 times out of every 100 at bats is a huge statistic. Add 243 HBP and you'll find that Ron Hunt was not an easy out.

Overall his lifetime BA .273 with a .368 OBP and .715 OPS. Those are very respectable career numbers.

The following is copied from Ron Hunt's Instructional Baseball Program.

Since 1986 Ron Hunt has been teaching the fundamentals of baseball at his facility in Missouri. He is now offering group and one-on-one instruction either at his facility or he will travel to your hometown.

Dedicated players and coaches of all ages are taught all aspects of the game 'personally' from Ron Hunt, 12 year major league veteran.

Philosophy:

Over the years Ron Hunt's players and coaches have had one thing constant ?.. discipline! He teaches the mental aspects of the game as well as the physical regimen. Ron's students may not always have the most ability on the field, but they do have the most heart, desire, and dedication towards the game. His credo: executing basic fundamentals on routine plays, not committing mental errors, and maintaining a never give up attitude.

What are the benefits of his program?

Ron Hunt teaches the game of baseball personally to each and every player and coach and will provide exposure to college and professional scouts if warranted.

Along with the fundamentals of baseball, there are many other principles of life that are part of the learning experience in his program. These include self-discipline, getting along with others, taking responsibility upon oneself, being a team player, and equality.

Since 1986, 95% of Ron's summer program players have received college scholarships (20 of which that did not play high school baseball) and 11 have been drafted. Nineteen players from other organizations have received scholarships through association with the Ron Hunt Eagles Baseball Association, and 9 have been drafted.

Ron Hunt was the right player for the right team at the right time. Maybe, just maybe when one of these 10 million dollar a year players get into a rut at the plate and can't hit himself out of a paper bag, he will let the pitch take a chunk out of his hide and I bet that slump ends the very next at bat.

Ron Hunt. Now there was a leader.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ddmetsfanblog.com/2009/07/heres-your-leader-right-here.html

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07.02.09 – Minor League Report

TOM O’SHEA’S MINOR LEAGUE REPORT        7-2-09

THE OGDEN RAPTORS       ROOKIE

Orem drop kicks the Raptors over the desert mountains and into the sun set 14-6.

VASQUEZ (L, 0-1, 9.35), started and there is nothing nice that can be said about his pitching.  In fact, every hurler for the Raptors gave up more earned runs than they pitched innings so it’s best to try and forget they even tried to be professional pitchers on July 2nd lest you lose your temper and start looking for  4 strong ropes and 4 appropriate trees.  Little League teams have made better collective efforts.

SONGCO (.343) smashed his 4th home run and  ERICKSON (.233) hit his 2nd round tripper.  CAVAZOS-GALVEZ (.268), hit 2 doubles, his 3rd and 4th.

CAVAZOS-GALVEZ went 3-5; SANDS (.463), went 3-5; JACOBS (.333) went 2-4 with a walk.  IDEN (.211), went 2-4.
THE ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES    AAA  

AN ARTICLE ON  CHARLIE HAEGER, AAA ALL STAR WHO HAS THROWN 12 QUALITY STARTS OUT OF 15, A 3.75 ERA AND 8-4 RECORD.  Haeger throws the knuckleball, a decent slider and a good fastball according to those who’ve seen him pitch:
            

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090701&content_id=5647670&vkey=news_t342&fext=.jsp&sid=t342

Isotopes beat Memphis 3-2.

JOSH LINDBLOM (W, 1-0, 1.50) looked like a future Ace for the Isoltopes in a quality start yesterday on the 2nd.  He went 6 innings on 3 hits, 1 run (earned) 3 walks and 4 Ks. THREETS (H, 10, 1.72) set up closer STRICKLAN D (S, 15, 3.86). THREETS went 2 innings and gave up just a hit and had a strike out. STRICKLAND allowed one earned run in his 1 inning of work.

DEWITT (.245), HOFFMAN (.272) REPKO (.258), and CLOSSER (.347) all had 2 hit games for the “Topes.

 
THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS    AA   

The Lookouts lose to Carolina 4-3.

TRAVIS CHICK (L, 6-4, 3.70), pitched a quality start in a losing effort going 7 innings and giving up 4 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 0 walks.  He struck out 7.  He’d have fared better had he not been bitten by the gopher ball–surrendering 2 taters to Carolina.  RODRIGUEZ (3.64), GARATE (2.43) and BATISTA (2.63) all mopped up well for the Lookouts pitching shut out ball the rest of the way.

3 Lookouts blasted doubles:  ANDREW LAMBO (.266), his 25th, JOSH BELL (.281), his 20th, and GOODWIN (.233),  his 7th.  BELL went 2-3 with one walk.

THE INLAND EMPIRE 66ERS     A    ADVANCED   

STEVE JOHNSON (3.80) pitched a quality start going 6.1 innings and gave up 2 runs (earned) on 6 hits, 2 walks and fanned 8.  SCHREIBER (0.00), BRANNON  (5.87), and PFEIFFER (W, 2-2, 2.60), pitched shut out ball the rest of the way.

CASERES (.295), whacked a triple, his 4th.  ORTIZ (.242) and TRAYVON ROBINSON  (.296) both hit doubles.  For ROBINSON, it was his 22nd.

PRESTON MATTINGLY (.276) went 3-5.

 
THE GREAT LAKES LOONS     A    

The Loons played a double header against Lansing winning the day game 4-2 and coming up a day late and a dollar sort in the night cap 3-1.

In the day game, BLEVINS (W, 6-5, 4.33) pitched a complete game, giving up just 2 runs (earned ) on 6 hits, walking 0 and striking out 5.  He gave up one home run.

JAMIE PEDROZA (.277) hit his 10th homer.  SILVERIO (.268) hit his 5th.  PEDROZA also whacked is 21st double.  PEDROZA was the only Loonie to get 2 hits going 2-3.

In the night cap they were winning 1-0 going into last inning when the whneels came off ther wagon.  MILLER (L, 3-5) pitched 6.1 innings, a quality start, and gasve jup 2 earned runs on 4 its, 1 walk and 7 Ks.  ST. CLAIR gave up an earned run in 2/3ds of an inning of relief.

MATT WALLACH whacked his 1st homer of the year in the 5th inning.

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