Tampa Bay Rays are not hitting
Posted by Andy on April 7, 2011
Yesterday, the Rays lost again, dropping to 0-5. They got only 4 hits in the game. Even before that (because I wrote this post last night...) they had some terrible hitting going on.
Check out the teams with the most players having at least 10 at-bats and a batting average under .100:
| Rk | Year | Tm | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | Tampa Bay Rays | 4 | Johnny Damon / Dan Johnson / Matthew Joyce / Manny Ramirez |
| 2 | 2011 | Boston Red Sox | 2 | Jarrod Saltalamacchia / Marco Scutaro |
| 3 | 2011 | Detroit Tigers | 2 | Alex Avila / Magglio Ordonez |
| 4 | 2011 | Houston Astros | 2 | Bill Hall / Humberto Quintero |
| 5 | 2011 | Washington Nationals | 2 | Rick Ankiel / Ian Desmond |
| 6 | 2011 | Cleveland Indians | 1 | Shin-Soo Choo |
| 7 | 2011 | Colorado Rockies | 1 | Troy Tulowitzki |
| 8 | 2011 | San Diego Padres | 1 | Brad Hawpe |
| 9 | 2011 | Seattle Mariners | 1 | Brendan Ryan |
| 10 | 2011 | Texas Rangers | 1 | Adrian Beltre |
| 11 | 2011 | Toronto Blue Jays | 1 | Juan Rivera |
That's 4 out of 17 players from the Rays. And after today, John Jason joined the group with another 0fer, Man-Ram fell to .059, Damon fell to .067, Dan Johnson fell to .053, and Matt Joyce fell to .071.
As of the moment, the Rays have the worst BA in the majors at .138.
April 7th, 2011 at 7:56 am
Batting average? Batting average??? Did it turn 1982 overnight, and nobody told me?
April 7th, 2011 at 9:14 am
@1
he meant BABIP but forgot the last three letters, right?
right guys?.......
......guys?
April 7th, 2011 at 9:57 am
I really thought the Rays would be OK this year and threaten the Sox (cough cough) and Yankees but their remade bullpen and what appears to be a pretty anemic offense are not a good sign.
April 7th, 2011 at 11:05 am
They Rays actually have a 5th. John Jaso is 0-10. Must be a greater than 10 instead of at least 10 query.
The more sabermetrically inclined might note that the Rays have four regulars with an OPS+ which is less than zero. Even for these tiny sample sizes, that's impressive.
April 7th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Did it turn 1982 overnight, and nobody told me?
Even in 2011, I think you'll have trouble finding any hitters who are productive in spite of batting under .100.
April 7th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Kinda related:
When the Yankees face the Rays soon, I believe it will be the first time 4 players with 2500+ hits will appear in the same game. Damon, Jeter, Rodriguez & Ramirez. Also all 4 have 1500 Rs.
April 7th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
@6.
Great observation, Duke. I have found an earlier one with four 2500 hits guys. It's Phillies vs. Mets in '83. Phillies had Rose, Morgan and Perez, and Mets had Rusty Staub.
Here is a box with all four players appearing:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI198307022.shtml
The '83 Expos had Al Oliver who passed the 2500 hit mark in August that year. The Phils and Expos played after that date, but couldn't find a box with all four appearing.
April 7th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Oops. I take it back. Morgan didn't pass 2500 hits until 1984.
April 7th, 2011 at 5:15 pm
@6
Four players with 2500+ hits in the same game. What a fun question to look up!
Here's one from 1927:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192708310.shtml
Speaker was on the Senators while Cobb, Collins and Wheat were on the Athletics. That might have happened a few other times that year.
I think that's it though. The other times I've found four 2500+ players on pairs of teams, they've been in opposite leagues or I haven't been able to get them in the same game.
April 7th, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Five Cobb/Collins/Wheat/Speaker games from 1927:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192704160.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192704180.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192704290.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192706221.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192708310.shtml
Never all four starting though. So, we could still be in for a first.
April 7th, 2011 at 7:09 pm
@ David RF & Doug
I was looking for some other 4-man combos. And in 1971, I think the Braves vs the Giants had 4 guys with 2000 HRs; Mays at 600 +, McCovey at like 370, Aaron at 700 + and Cepeda at 350 +. In the same year, Banks and Williams had over 800 HRs for the Cubs as well.
April 7th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
@9. Good one, David. I hadn't realized that Wheat finished up as an Athletic.
I also haven't found any others.
The '71 World Series is an interesting one. Three 2500+ hit guys with Brooks and Frank Robinson for the Orioles, and Clemente for the Bucs.
April 7th, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Brooks didn't hit #2500 until 1973. I might look at the HR problem. My method needs a cutoff. 300 or 350?
April 7th, 2011 at 8:51 pm
@ 12,
Actually Wheat was quite athletic his whole career.
Sorry.
April 7th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
DavidRF
The New York Yankees, hypothetically say -100-150 games into the year, might field a team with a line-up with these HR totals:
Rodriguez - DH – 640
Jones- CF- 420
Teixeira -1B – 300
Posada – C - 280
Chavez – 3B - 240
Jeter – SS - 240
Swisher – RF - 180
Granderson –LF – 150
Cano -2B - 130
Imagine if they go after a Big Bopper at the trading deadline. Say - move Posada behind the plate nd bring in a big DH if the offense is struggling, you could have 3 - 400 HR players.
April 7th, 2011 at 11:25 pm
I chose 300 HR. It was not that common before 1970 or so for a team to have multiple 300 HR players. Then maybe 1-2 teams a year had them until 2000 or so. Last year there were eight teams with 300 HR teammates.
The first teammates were Ruth & Gehrig. Just for the one year (1934). After that, you have to wait until Mize/Dimaggio.
Ruth/Gehrig 1934
Mize/Dimaggio 1949-51
Hodges/Snider 1958-61,63
Berra/Mantle 1960-63
Mathews/Aaron 1963-66
Mays/Snider 1964
Mathews/Kaline 1967-68
Mantle/Colavito 1968
Aaron/Cepeda 1969-72
Mays/McCovey 1969-72
Switching to 3+ players....
Banks/Williams/Santo 1971
Cash/Kaline/Howard 1972-73
Baylor/Evans/Rice 1987
Ripken/Carter/Palmeiro/Baines 1998
Belle/Baines/Ripken 1999
Canseco/Vaughn/McGriff 2000
Thomas/Baines/Canseco 2001
ARod/Palmeiro/Gonzalez 2003
ARod/Sheffield/Sierra 2004
ARod/Sheffield/Sierra/Giambi/Martinez 2005
ARod/Sheffield/Giambi 2006
Delgado/Alou/Green 2007
Ramirez/AJones/Kent 2008
Berkman/IRodriguez/CLee 2009
Glaus/DLee/CJones 2010
Konerko/AJones/Ramirez 2010
April 8th, 2011 at 1:54 am
Games featuring Speaker, Cobb and Collins are probably the only ones with three 3000+ hit players.
Even games with two 3000+ hit players are pretty rare. Probably only:
- Combinations of Speaker, Cobb and Collins
- Aaron and Mays
- Rose and Brock (2 games in Sep 1979)
- Brett and Yount
- Winfield and Murray (second half of 1995 season - first 3000-hit teammates since Cobb and Collins)
- Molitor and Murray (first half of 1997 season)
- Gwynn and Henderson (last game of 2001 season ONLY - another 3000-hit teammates)
Honorable mention: Roberto Clemente's 3000th hit in 1972 came against the Mets. Willie Mays didn't play in that game but was in uniform.
Any others?
April 8th, 2011 at 9:14 am
David RF
Ron Cey & Reggie Jackson on '86 Athletics.
April 8th, 2011 at 9:16 am
David RF
Craig Nettles & Dale Murphy on the '87 Braves
April 8th, 2011 at 10:30 am
@18,@19
Yeah, I understand. There were a lot of 300-HR pairs, but I stopped listing them in when I switched to 300-HR trios in the early 70s. Here's more... information condensed to save space
FRobinson/Powell, Santo/Allen, BWilliams/McCovey, Perez/Yaz, Perez/Schmidt, Murphy, DaEvans, JClark/Lynn, GCarter/Murray, LarParrish/JCarter, McGwire/Canseco, McGwire/Gaetti, Fielder/Strawberry, Bonds/JCarter, CDavis/Strawberry, Sosa/Gaetti, Bonds/Galarraga, JGonzalez/Burks, McGriff/Sosa, Thome/Burks, Walker/GVaughn, Walker/Castilla, Walker/Edmonds, Burks/Ramirez, AJones/CJones, LGonzalez/Green, Finley/Helton, Ramirez/Thome (LA), AJones/IRod, Sheffield/Delgado, Glaus/Pujols, Thome/Griffey, DLee/Soriano, Edmonds/Rolen, Dunn/IRod, Helton/Giambi.... probably still missed a few... its a long list.
There's so many pairs that I missed a few trios that I should have listed above:
Parker/Parrish/Winfield 1991
Konerko/Thome/Dye 2009
April 8th, 2011 at 10:53 am
@17
That's a good list. I see Winfield/Brett/Yount permutations possible in late 1993 but but it the Twins didn't play the Royals or Brewers late that year.
Then interleague play increases the possibilities but it doesn't look like Gwynn ever played Ripken or Boggs after they each hit the milestone.
Speaker went to Philly in 1928 (Wheat had retired) so the A's had a 3300+ H trio.
April 8th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
@21.
I checked the Winfield/Brett and Winfield/Yount possibilities at the end of '93. Winfield got his 3000th hit for the Twins against Oakland on Sep 16, but there were no subsequent Twins games that year against the Royals or Brewers.
Similar story for Molitor in '96. He also got his 3000th hit for the Twins on Sep 16, but no games against Murray (then with the Orioles) until '97 when Eddie was with the Angels.
Looks like the only players to play in the World Series after reaching 3000 hits were Mays in '73, Rose in '80 and '83, and Murray in '95. Appears that Winfield was left off of the Tribe's post-season roster in '95.
April 8th, 2011 at 12:37 pm
@21.
David, that's quite something that the As had three 3000+ hit men on their roster in '28. All three appeared together numerous times during the season, although Collins did not start in any of his appearances that year, and only played in the field 3 times.
This game was the last time all three played in the field and finished the game. Cobb and Speaker both doubled, and Collins scored a run, but the Yanks prevailed 12-6 behind Gehrig's 2 homers and 5 RBIs.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA192807011.shtml
In '29, with Speaker and Cobb both gone and Collins reduced to just 9 hitless PH appearances. the As rolled to the AL pennant over the Yanks and bounced the Cubs in the series.
April 17th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
[...] a recent post, some readers got into an interesting discussion about whether there has ever been a major-league [...]