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Sunday, August 31, 2008

MLB.com: Chipper’s 20th home run makes history

With a seventh-inning leadoff homer against Washington reliever Charlie Manning at Nationals Park on Saturday night, [Chipper] Jones joined Hall of Fame third baseman Eddie Mathews as the only players in Major League history to begin their careers with 14 consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs.

While determining this, the Elias Sports Bureau used a player’s rookie season as their first season. Thus, the eight games Jones played in 1993 didn’t apply.
...
Mathews, who is the only player in Braves franchise history to play in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta, hit 512 career homers, with 493 of those coming while he was with the Braves.

The 25 long balls Mathews hit during his 1952 rookie season marked his lowest season total until he put up 23-homer seasons in 1963 and 1964. He hit a career-high 47 homers in 1953, when the Braves played their first season in Milwaukee.

NTNgod Posted: August 31, 2008 at 05:43 AM | 4 comment(s)
Related News: General, History, Atlanta

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1. Booey Posted: August 31, 2008 at 10:49 AM (#2923461)

Yet another similarity between Mathews and Jones. I've always thought of them as comparable players...

2. Bob Dernier Cri

Posted: August 31, 2008 at 11:32 AM (#2923479)

It's a very impressive mark of both skill and consistency, even if it's a bit arbitrary. Fourteen seasons is the extreme, but others are close: Frank Robinson had 12, Reggie Jackson 13; AROD has 13 in his first 13 full seasons, though he was technically no longer a rookie in 1996. Willie Mays would have had 18 but for war service. And but for war service, Ted Williams would have had twenty.

Hank Aaron did have 20 straight 20-HR seasons after his rookie year, but he missed September of 1954 with a broken ankle, and only hit 13 HR that year. He probably wouldn't have hit 7 more HR in September even healthy, of course.

3. Teheran's Uranium Enriched Missiles Posted: August 31, 2008 at 12:14 PM (#2923503)

This team doesn't deserve Chipper Jones. God, they suck.

4. OCF Posted: August 31, 2008 at 01:18 PM (#2923619)

Hank Aaron did have 20 straight 20-HR seasons after his rookie year, but he missed September of 1954 with a broken ankle,

Aaron was 20 years old in that injury-shortened rookie year; his 20-HR streak started at the age of 21. Mathews was 20 in his rookie year. Rodriguez may not have been technically a rookie in 1996 but he was 20 years old. Frank Robinson was a 20 year old rookie. Willie Mays was a 20 year old rookie; his 20-HR streak started at the age of 23. Ted Williams was a 20 year old rookie; his missed seasons were ages 24-25-26 and 33-34. Reggie Jackson was a 22 year old rookie.

Chipper Jones had a "cup of coffee" at the age of 21 and was on track to be a 22 year old rookie, but he lost that season to an injury. His actual rookie year came at the age of 23.

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Sunday, August 31, 2008

MLB.com: Chipper’s 20th home run makes history

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