Multiple Five Hit Games in a Season by Older Players Revisited
Posted by Raphy on August 4, 2011
Last night, Derek Jeter became the second player since 1919 to have a multiple five hit game season at the age of 37 or older. Jeter joins Dave Winfield, who had 2 five hit games in 1991 when he was 39 years old. Here are the oldest players to put up more than one 5 hit game in a single season.
| Rk | Player | Age | Date | Tm | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | HBP | SH | SF | ROE | GDP | SB | CS | WPA | RE24 | BOP | Pos. Summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Dave Winfield | 39.264 | 1991-06-24 | CAL | KCR | W 9-4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.278 | 4.545 | .804 | 4 | RF |
| 16 | Dave Winfield | 39.192 | 1991-04-13 | CAL | MIN | W 15-9 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.340 | 5.613 | .538 | 4 | RF |
| 63 | Derek Jeter | 37.038 | 2011-08-03 | NYY | CHW | W 18-7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.083 | 2.115 | .398 | 2 | SS |
| 68 | Derek Jeter | 37.013 | 2011-07-09 | NYY | TBR | W 5-4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.370 | 2.576 | 1.312 | 1 | SS |
| 71 | Zack Wheat | 36.336 | 1925-04-24 | BRO | PHI | W 10-8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 3 | LF | ||||
| 102 | Zack Wheat | 37.070 | 1925-08-01 | BRO | CHC | W 7-1 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 3 | LF | ||||
| 109 | Edd Roush | 36.042 | 1929-06-19 (2) | NYG | PHI | W 12-6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1 | CF | ||||
| 111 | Edd Roush | 36.038 | 1929-06-15 | NYG | PIT | W 20-15 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1 | CF | ||||
| 116 | Edd Roush | 36.009 | 1929-05-17 | NYG | BSN | W 9-5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.000 | 1 | CF | ||||
| 117 | Roberto Clemente | 36.005 | 1970-08-23 | PIT | LAD | W 11-0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.212 | 3.684 | .552 | 3 | RF |
| 118 | Roberto Clemente | 36.004 | 1970-08-22 | PIT | LAD | W 2-1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.301 | 1.859 | 1.816 | 3 | RF |
The players below Winfield and Jeter each have something striking about them.
- Clemente's games were consecutive. Since 1919, he is the only player of any age to do this.
- Roush was the oldest player to have three 5 hit games in a season.
- Wheat's multiple 5 hit game season at age 36 followed a similar season at age 35.
Moving the cut-off line back a little shows that this is a stat clearly dominated by the 1920 and early 1970s . In fact, Jeter and Winfield are the only players since 1974 to have multiple 5 hit games in a season for any player at least 34 years old. Here the players 34 or older:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GDP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ty Cobb | 1922 | 4 | Ind. Games | 22 | 21 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | .952 | .955 | 1.524 | 2.478 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | Tris Speaker | 1923 | 3 | Ind. Games | 15 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.600 | 2.600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | Edd Roush | 1929 | 3 | Ind. Games | 21 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .714 | .714 | 1.238 | 1.952 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | Dave Winfield | 1991 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | .909 | .909 | 2.364 | 3.273 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Billy Williams | 1972 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .909 | .909 | 1.818 | 2.727 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Zack Wheat | 1924 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.100 | 2.100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Zack Wheat | 1925 | 2 | Ind. Games | 10 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.500 | 2.500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | Derek Jeter | 2011 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .909 | .909 | 1.364 | 2.273 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Baby Doll Jacobson | 1926 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | .909 | .909 | 1.455 | 2.364 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | Dom DiMaggio | 1951 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .909 | .909 | 1.364 | 2.273 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Tommy Davis | 1974 | 2 | Ind. Games | 11 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.100 | 2.100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Roberto Clemente | 1970 | 2 | Ind. Games | 13 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .769 | .769 | 1.077 | 1.846 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Sparky Adams | 1930 | 2 | Ind. Games | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .833 | .833 | 1.333 | 2.167 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
August 4th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
Winfield was Jeter's hero as a kid. (And mine.)
August 4th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Nice catch on Roberto Clemente, Steve.
Wow, batting 0.729 over a two-game stretch! Too bad his next game (Aug. 25th) was an 0-for-3 and his previous game (Aug. 21) was 1 for 3.
However, on August 26th he went 3 for 5 against San Diego. So over a four-game stretch that's 13/21 for a 0.619 BA. Wonder where that kind of outlier stands historically?
Take that, Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe and Ted Williams. 🙂
August 4th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
I never knew about that exclusive mark for Clemente. He hit .352 that season. I think that's also a small group that has hit .350 or better at 35 years or older in recent years...Tony Gwynn, Ichiro Suzuki, Chipper Jones (surprisingly).
August 4th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
While having multiple 5 hit games at age 36 is impressive, Wheat did not do it in the same season as the title of the post suggests. At least not in the games that came up in the first chart. That has one game from 1924 and one from 1925.
August 4th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
@2
In July 1952 Walt Dropo of the Tigers went 15 for 18 over a four game stretch for a BA of .833. During that streak he tied a ML record for consecutive hits with 12.
August 4th, 2011 at 3:08 pm
@4 Sorry. That's my mistake. You can see Wheat's games by clicking Ind Games in the second chart. I'll fix that. Thanks Ari. I've now fixed it. Wheat's games are flip-flopped on the chart, but they are now from the same season.
August 4th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
@5
Richard, did you find that streak by searching for consecutive hits or did you just know about Dropo's streak from other sources?
August 4th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
@7
I have known about that streak since the day he achieved it. I believe Pinky Higgins is the guy he is tied with.
August 4th, 2011 at 7:51 pm
@8
~Defers to Richard~
Hoo-rah, you've been watching baseball way longer than me, if I'm understanding you correctly, Richard. You are my baseball superior! 🙂
Not gonna ask how old you were in 1952 because that would be impolite, but your stock just went way up in my universe. People who are old enough to have had eyeballs on games, even through newspapers, in the 1940's and 1950's have my respect.
August 4th, 2011 at 8:09 pm
@10
Thanks for the compliment. I don't mind telling you that I am 72 and have been rooting for the Yankees since 1947. Games were not yet on TV so I had to learn about baseball via Mel Allen's radio broadcasts. I was there at Yankee Stadium when Larsen pitched his perfect game.
August 4th, 2011 at 8:48 pm
@10
Richard Chester, please don't ever stop posting on this site.
How many of us have seen what you have with your experience?
You mean you didn't get a Tweet from Mel Allen to keep you abreast of what was happening in those seasons? 🙂
What a melodious voice!
Weren't the early 1950's the palmy days of baseball, when fans could really identify with players, there were three NY teams and idiosyncratic ballparks? Did you ever attend the Polo Grounds in person?
Sorry, Richard, I romanticize.
August 4th, 2011 at 9:00 pm
@11
I was in the Polo Grounds just a few times, the last one being a New York Titan football game. The PG was much better for football than baseball.
It was easier to identify with players because they were not so constantly changing teams. The best thing about baseball in those days was that the games were much shorter, with none of these games which seem endless.
August 4th, 2011 at 9:01 pm
YES just stole another tidbit from this blog!
August 4th, 2011 at 9:03 pm
How many of us have seen what you have with your experience?
At least Frank Clingenpeel (where's he been?) and Mike Felber.
I won't force our esteemed colleagues to publicly disclose who has the most experience among them.
August 4th, 2011 at 9:39 pm
@13
JT, what did they steal? I hope the YES announcers (or their producer) had the decency to credit their source.
August 4th, 2011 at 9:47 pm
The topic of this thread (Winfield and Jeter).
August 5th, 2011 at 1:52 am
I was there at Yankee Stadium when Larsen pitched his perfect game.
[*genuflects*]