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Monday, September 29, 2008

MLB.com: Lincecum among stats race winners

Atlanta’s Chipper Jones won the National League batting crown [.364], but Minnesota’s Joe Mauer, who leads the American League with a .330 batting average, might have one more game to play if the Twins are forced into a tiebreaker game against the White Sox on Tuesday.

Mets left-hander Johan Santana, with a shutout on Saturday, moved ahead of Cleveland’s Cliff Lee for the overall ERA title at 2.53. Lee has to settle for the AL ERA crown at 2.54, but tied Arizona’s Brandon Webb for the league lead in wins at 22. Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera led the NL and AL, respectively, in home runs, and Howard also claimed the NL RBI title. Howard hit 48 homers and drove in 146 runs. Cabrera belted 37 long balls in his first season with the Tigers.

The AL RBI leader is Josh Hamilton of Texas with 130, but Minnesota’s Justin Morneau could catch Hamilton in the potential tiebreaker game. Morneau has 129 RBIs.

NTNgod Posted: September 29, 2008 at 05:21 AM | 14 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: general

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1. Roy Hobbs of WIFFLE Ball Posted: September 29, 2008 at 06:27 AM (#2959737)

A league home run leader with only 37 is a blast from the past.

2. eric Posted: September 29, 2008 at 11:41 AM (#2959778)

The last person to lead the AL in HR with less than 40 was Fred McGriff with 36 in 1990. Interestingly, the last person to lead the NL in HR with less than 40 was also Fred Mcgriff, with 35 in 1992.

The NL leader hasn't been below 47 since 1995, when Dante Bichette lead with a rather pedestrian 40.

3. Biff isn't really an apt handle anymore Posted: September 29, 2008 at 12:21 PM (#2959784)

Wow, I'm surprised Hamilton was that close to being caught. He had a gigantic lead for most of the year.

4. Misirlou's got a busy day, he's wearing a vest Posted: September 29, 2008 at 12:38 PM (#2959795)

A league home run leader with only 37 is a blast from the past.

The last person to lead the AL in HR with less than 40 was Fred McGriff with 36 in 1990.

Quentin almost surely would have topped 40 had he not broken his wrist a month ago.

5. flournoy Posted: September 29, 2008 at 02:13 PM (#2959882)

The NL leader hasn't been below 47 since 1995, when Dante Bichette lead with a rather pedestrian 40.

That's a little artificially low, since 1995 was a strike year and 18 games were cut from the schedule.

If Joe Mauer goes 30 for 30 in the tiebreaker, he could just inch out a victory over Chipper for the major league batting title.

6. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: September 29, 2008 at 02:22 PM (#2959890)

And if the White Sox win today, and then Tuesday's tie-break goes to extra innings, and Mauer goes 0-for-7, Pedroia gets his batting title!

7. Lassus Posted: September 29, 2008 at 02:32 PM (#2959903)

I was kind of surprised Pedroia didn't play in the 2nd game. He goes 5-5, Mauer goes 0-5 today, that doesn't get him close? Mauer actually started 0-3 yesterday before ending up 2-5, which probably scotched the deal entirely.

8. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: September 29, 2008 at 02:42 PM (#2959918)

If Pedroia had done anything better than 2-for-4 in the 2nd game, he would've put the pressure on Mauer. (Pedroia 3-for-4 in the second game and Mauer 0-for-3 in the playoff gives the title to Pedroia, for instance.)

I'd guess that he might have gotten a shot if the weather hadn't been so terrible yesterday.

9. Alex meets the threshold for granular review Posted: September 29, 2008 at 03:07 PM (#2959961)

A-Rod led the AL with a .573 SLG. Three players in the NL topped that (Pujols, Ludwick, Chipper), and Pujols was the only player in MLB with a SLG over .600 (.651). The last time a SLG as low as .573 led either league was in 1991, when Will Clark led the NL with .536; the last time it happened in the AL was Ruben Sierra (!) in 1989, with .543. Contrast with 2000, when neither of those marks would crack the top 10 (probably 20, I don't have the full list) in either league and there were 9 players in the NL, and 6 in the AL, with SLG over .600.

10. eric Posted: September 30, 2008 at 02:51 AM (#2960787)

And of course I meant Fred McGriff lead the AL in HR in 1989, not 1990, when apparently some big fat guy who could hit home runs had a good year.

11. Booey Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:23 AM (#2960845)

Pujols was the only player in MLB with a SLG over .600 (.651).

Not true. Manny finished at .601.

But your overall point is still a good one...

12. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:26 AM (#2960848)

All these years and Chipper finally won something here.

13. Alex meets the threshold for granular review Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:53 AM (#2960869)

Not true. Manny finished at .601.

Ahhh, the league switch got me, I was using BR's league leaderboards. I also got Pujols' SLG wrong, it was .653.

14. nick swisher hygiene Posted: September 30, 2008 at 04:59 AM (#2960877)

would it be realistic to say that a rbi tomorrow guarantees Morneau the MVP?
I assume the "worst player to win multiple MVPs" thread has already taken place somewhere?
(edit: Morneau could end up with better #s than Maris, I suppose....)

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Monday, September 29, 2008

MLB.com: Lincecum among stats race winners

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