The MLB season is amazingly getting set to reach the half-way mark as Tuesday most teams will be playing their 75th game of the season. How fast did THAT go by? And so with the All-Star break around the proverbial corner, we thought it only fitting that we come up with some of the more obscure achievements of players and teams as MLB completes it’s third month of games. See how many of these you really knew…but be honest.
1. BEST BATTING AVERAGE WITH 2 STRIKES: Joey Votto- Most of you do know what an outstanding season Votto is having so far this year, but in case you didn’t he has played in 20 games in June and through June 23rd has 10 multi-hit games. What that has done is raise his batting average 31 points from 3.29 to .360!
#19 Cincinatti Reds 1B Joey Votto will be one of those under consideration for MVP honors. Photo: cbssports.com
But aside from being a mega star slugger, here’s something you might not know; through 233 at bats this season, Votto is hitting .266 when he has two strikes on him. The league average is 90 points lower at .176. How’s that for an amazing stat!
2. BEST OFF-SEASON TRADE: Melky Cabrera-What a steal this was! The S. F. Giants should be charged with a felony for the theft they pulled off acquiring Melky Cabrera from the Kansas City Royals! The soon to be 28 year old has been enjoying an MVP season and is one of the main reasons that the Giants are 8 games over .500 and 3 games out of first place in the N.L. West.
For starters Cabrera has the most hits the majors (102) as of Sunday. His .355 batting average which is 73 points higher than his career average, puts him in second place behind the aforementioned Joey Votto (.360). His 49 runs scored ties him for second in the N.L. and third in MLB. Was there any other trade in the off-season bigger than this one?
3. THE CATCHER WHO IS THE HARDEST TO RUN ON: Let’s see if you can guess which one of the following five it is:
- Miguel Olivo– Mariners
- Buster Posey-Giants
- Yadier Molina-Cardinals
- Matt Wieters-Orioles
- Joe Mauer-Twins
If you guessed #3, Yadier Molina, then you’re correct! Molina is the winner of four straight Gold Gloves and is also the active career leader in caught-stealing percentage 43.7. Molina also leads the league in pickoffs with 41 while his closest rival, who happens to be his brother Jose who catches for the Tampa Bay Rays, is next with 23.
Cardinals Yaduer Molina is clearly the best defensive catcher in the major leagues. Photo:Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America)
4. WORST TEAM IN MLB: Chicago Cubs- They are currently in last place in the N. L. Central Division, 15.5 games behind the 1st place Cincinnati Reds. Since May 15th they have lost 20 of their last 24 games and are 24 games under .500. Their OBP is .302, 28th in the league and their OPS of .686 which ranks them 25th. Their pitching isn’t much better either as they have a team ERA of 4.42 which puts them at 26th in the league. But worst of all they are on target to finish with close to 105 losses; another miserable year for Cub fans…
Even Reds 1B Joey Votto doesn’t think too much of the Cubs’ season… Photo: cubssuck.com
FANTASY FURNACE 
Pingback: 4 Random MLB achievements that you probably didn’t know | The Sports Blitz
1 for 4. But there’s always tomorrow. ;)
Super interesting stats. There are great stories in these more obscure stats. Thanks for writing about them.
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Thanks for reading them Shannon!!
-Hank
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Great article Hank! This season has been awesome so far with great moments and performances. Very informative article brother I learned a few things reading it. Keep up the great work!
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Thanks Justin! Appreciate the kinds words..
-Hank
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I’m still trying to figure out what has gone so wrong for both Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum . Any ideas ?
The Cubs are still a work in progress don’t forget that as it’s taken them more than a century to get to where they’re now at . So why take any notice of them now ?
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Not sure labour Cliff Lee. Linecum’s mechanics might need a minor adjustment. He has totally regressed and his pitching coach, if he’s worth anything, should be able to help him figure it out.
The Cubs? As the Four Tops sang, ” It’s the same old song…” Looks like it will take quite a while for the ex red sox G.M. To turn things around in Chi-Town..
Thanks for checking in…
-Hank
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Lee is simply playing on a really bad team at the moment and even with the return of Utley I am not so sure things are liable to get any better .
In the case of Lincecum I think his confidence appears to be “shot to hell” .
What do you think about the proposed four-team playoff format for College Football , as being sold to the public by the BCS (Bowl Crapshoot System) ? When will those idiots actually get a clue and do the right thing ?
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That’s a good question…
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Nice post, Hank. Can’t believe the staying power of some of the division leaders. The Nationals? And it has become a real race between the Dodgers and Giants. And, those “darn” Yankees…
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Thanks Steven! And thanks for the reblog!
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Always a pleasure “doin’ business” with you!
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Reblogged this on stevenjeffries and commented:
This one is great stuff!
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Melky has really worked his butt off since being traded from the Yanks.
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Much to the dismay of the Yankees…
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I’d really like to hear Marlon Byrd’s explanation once again that in essence shows what an a#s he just happens to be ! Who the hell misuses an illicit substance often associated with bodybuilders under the pretext it was to aid a injury . Tamixofen is normally used by the guys within that environment for damaged pectoral muscles and women as part of a breast of their cancer regimen to in part , aid their recovery .
One more reason this sport continues to lack common sense , damn leadership amongst the owners , league hierarchy and the union .
tophatal ………….
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You raise some valid points. Thanks for checking in…
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If Byrd’s cup size is greater than a 38″DD perhaps a bra producer can help the player out .
That ump’ in the midst of the Indians Yankees’ controversy of the non-catch …….. is he that stupid of an official ? The fans is telling him he caught the ball and that oaf ignores the fan and chooses not to question the player . If baseball doesn’t want to adopt instant replay in all aspects of the game then it will never choose to make any radical changes even if it happens to be incremental .
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