Reader’s research: Thome’s 600th HR and no waiting for a major milestone
Posted by Andy on August 16, 2011
I don't think too many people expected Jim Thome to reach 600 HRs last night, and most of us were surprised when he followed his 6th-inning homer with another in the 7th, vaulting right into the 600 HR club in just one plate appearances after reaching 599 career HRs.
This is the opposite of what we often see--Tony Gwynn recently described how the last 10 hits before 3,000 were so hard and the pressure in each plate appearance was immense.
When Derek Jeter ultimately reached 3,000 hits, he did it just like Thome--he got to 2,999 in the first inning and then homered in his next plate appearance in the 3rd inning.
What other players reached major milestones in the first possible plate appearance?
August 16th, 2011 at 7:40 am
I don't think anybody else did, did they?
I'm kicking myself, 'cause last night MLB.com was giving free look-ins to Thome's PA's. The one came up which he'd smack 600... and just as it was starting, I thought "whatever... he ain't hittin' it yet." so I clicked off the site and thought how silly it was that MLB overdramatizes everything sometimes and how it dilutes the suspense in a way.
Of course, an hour later, I find out that was the at-bat where he'd get the HR LOL ...I'm so lame sometimes.
August 16th, 2011 at 7:44 am
Cal Ripken hit 2999 and 3000 in consecutive plate appearances
August 16th, 2011 at 7:47 am
In fact, Ripken hit 2998, 2999, and 3000 in consecutive plate appearances.
August 16th, 2011 at 7:51 am
George Brett hit 2997, 2998, 2999, and 3000 all in consecutive plate appearances.
August 16th, 2011 at 8:21 am
Craig Biggio recorded hits 2998, 2999 and 3000 in consecutive PAs.
August 16th, 2011 at 8:43 am
Not sure whether or not this counts, but Aaron reached 713 home runs at the end of 1973 -- then matched the Babe in his first game the next season. I can remember because the Braves held him out of the second game so he could break the record at home.
August 16th, 2011 at 9:36 am
Baseball Tonight said Thome is the first of the 8 with 600 HRs to reach the milestone with a multiple HR game.
August 16th, 2011 at 10:56 am
The details of the Gwynn article aren't quite right. According to the gamelogs here at bb-ref, he hit 2990 on July 27th and hit 3000 nine games later (not 12 as the article states). 2999 and 3000 were consecutive plate appearances (different games though). He hit two HR in those nine games.
There were only four games left in the homestand, if he got really hot he could have done it at home, but you couldn't really say it was a slump that caused the milestone to occur on the road.
Of course, a suspended game could throw a monkey wrench into the game logs?
August 16th, 2011 at 11:01 am
I think we notice "the wait" much more now because ESPN cuts in to every PA when a player is one short of the milestone. Last year, there were 12 homerless games between A-Rod's 599th and his 600th. 50 PA. That's a lot of cutting into Yankee games.
August 16th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Adrian Beltre, currently on the DL, has a slim chance of having his 2000th hit be his 300th HR or his 300th HR become his 2000th hit. He is sitting on 1996 and 298.
Has anyone hit two mile stones on the same hit?
Also, before he went on the DL, there was a slim shot of him and Michael Young getting their respective 2,000th hit on the same day.
Well, checking the game logs, not really. But at the beginning of the season their was a good chance. Which brings me to my next question, has their been two players to hit milestones in the same game?
August 16th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye hitting their 300th homers back to back leaps to mind first. No doubt there are others.
August 17th, 2011 at 12:33 am
and so now (apparently, or so I've been hearing on TV) begins the HOF debate.
Much of this debate, if not its very existence, (as with many HOF debates on this site) seems to center around him having played much of his career during the Steroids [which is correct? Steroid? Steroids? Steroid's? RBI's?:) ]Era. Regarding that, everyone, down the line, swears that he is clean. .....
One thing that I'd not debate, Thome has had a ridiculous amount of value for a guy who I thought was probably good for 50 PA's and then retirement, when the Twins signed him, for like 10 bucks an hour no less, last year. In fact, I'd peg it as the only good move the Twins front office has made the past few years, other than getting a Mauer deal done- which they had to, to prevent a fan mutiny. (They should have dropped Delmon Young off in the forest somewhere, rather than insulting whatever poor kid he was traded for.)
Congrats Jim!!!
August 17th, 2011 at 12:39 am
oops, italics tag not closed, apparently, sorry.......although, I'll blame Delmon's play for that too.....:)