The Story of 40 Home Runs and the RBI
Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 10:09 am
Once upon a time, there was a baseball lineup.
The lineup consisted of a leadoff hitter who was very good at getting on base and stealing bases.
The leadoff hitter was followed by a second hitter who was good with the bat. He could bunt, make contact on hit and run plays, and spray the ball to every field. The third hitter was the best hitter on the team. He could hit for power, average, and inflict the most damage on opposing teams.
The clean up hitter followed him. He was a big man. if the first three hitters did their job, they would be waiting on base for the clean up hitter to send them home. The fifth and sixth hitters were third and fourth hitter wannabe's. They weren't quite as good as them, but were formidable in the lineup. The seventh hitter was a wild card. He could surprise or falter. The fans would hold their breath waiting for a hit from him. For the eighth hitter, holding one's breath in waiting for a hit could result in the breath holders demise. He was usually an out. The pitcher bats ninth. Like a blindfolded kid swatting at a pinata, there was little hope of a hit.
These types of lineups would last over 100 years in baseball. Dead ball to live ball. From 19th century to to the 20th century.
Baseball fans, players, and organizations were comfortable with these lineups.
It was the way of the baseball world.
When the live ball era arrived in 1920, statistics, like lineups became predictable.
The first and second hitters would hit for average and score runs. The third and fourth hitters would get the majority of runs batted in. The rest of the lineup would see lesser statistics.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would hit 40-odd homers and have over 100 rbi.
So would Jimmy Foxx, and Ted Williams, and others throughout the 1920's, 30's, 40's, and most of the 50's.
It was indelible that if a third or fourth hitter bopped 40 homers, he would also be driving in 100 runs.
Most, having the triangular effect of a 40/120 season
But, In the late 50's, something happened that had never happened before.
Duke Snider became the first hitter to smack 40 home runs without driving in 100 runs.
How could this happen?
That same year, Minnie Minoso would drive in 103 runs and only hit 12 balls over the fence.
Snider not garnering 100 rbi was hardly noticed at the time. There were few stat mongers like us to bring it to light.
And sadly, baseball fans didn't know it at the time, but it was curtains for the Duke.
The Dodgers would move to LA the next season and Snider would never see 40 homers or 100 rbi again.
In 1958 and 1960, it happened again. Same guy both times.
A star would hit 40 homers without driving in 100 runs.
Mickey Mantle.
Mantle had won the Triple Crown in '56 and along with Willie Mays, Stan Musial, and Snider, they had ruled the 50's.
Mantle was still to see his best power year ever in 1961, when Mantle and Roger Maris would go after the Babe's 60 home run mark.
Mantle got hurt and never had a chance at the record. Maris got the record and wished it were he who had gotten hurt, not Mantle.
In '58 and again in '60, Mantle would hit 40 homers without driving in 100 runs.
The anomaly of third and fourth hitters bopping 40 homers and not driving in 100 runs would continue to happen sporadically over the next few decades.
Harmon Killebrew in '63
Rico Petrocelli in '69
Hank Aaron in '69 and '73
Davey Johnson in '73
Darrell Evans in '85
Matt Williams in '94
Ken Griffey Jr. in '94
Barry Bonds in '03
Adam Dunn in '06 and '12
Alfonso Soriano in '06
Adrian Gonzalez in '09
The commonality among all these hitters is that batting average was usually wanting. Only Aaron would wind up with a lifetime batting average over .300
Mantle and Bonds came close at .298
Bonds, only on this list because of injury and pitchers being smart enough to walk him 148 times during his 130 games of hitting 45 homers.
Why do I bring the 40 homers without 100 rbi to your attention?
It's because in the past, it was an anomaly. Something that happened from time to time.
It couldn't be a trend because a trend needs to occur three years in a row.
My friends, it is now a trend.
In 2015, no less than five hitters had 40 homers and less than 100 rbi.
Albert Pujols 40/95
Carlos Gonzalez 40/97
Mike Trout 41/90
Bryce Harper (who has never had 100 rbi) 42/99
Nelson Cruz 44/93
In 2016, it didn't stop
Todd Frazier 40/98
Chris Carter 41/94
Brian Dozier 42/99
And finally in 2017, Joey Gallo driving himself home more than his passengers with a 41/80 ratio.
Why is this occurring frequently now?
One reason is BS....not THAT BS....BS, in this case, meaning 'Before Shifts'.
Shifts have cut down batting average which produces as many or even more home runs, but less hits.
Another reason is lineups.
CarGo, Trout, Frazier, Carter, Dozier, and Gallo are not prototypical third or fourth hitters.
Some, not third or fourth hitters at all.
Trout is, but he is used as a second hitter in today's lineup makeover.
Another reason is today's ball player.
Spray hitters are gone. So are 'table setters' for the most part.
It is dog eat dog for rbi.
Trea Turner can have eight rbi in a game as much as Bryce Harper.
There are many more solo homers than back in the day.
Mostly because the hitter batting in front of the home run hitter is trying to hit a home run too.
'Small Ball' is dead.
It is too early to know if there will be another 40/<100 rbi season this year.
Some hitters are hitting home runs without the rbi to match.
Here are some of those players....
Mike Trout 25/50
Giancarlo Stanton 23/55
Bryce Harper 23/54
Mookie Betts 23/51
Nelson Cruz 22/55
Joey Gallo 22/51
Max Muncy 22/41
The 'triangular effect' of having three rbi per homer is disappearing.
During the last three years, only three players with 40 homers have achieved it
'15 Josh Donaldson 41/123
'15 Nolan Arenado 42/130
'16 Nolan Arenado 41/133
'16 Edwin Encarnacion 42/127
It did not happen in 2017.
I cannot come up with a clever end to this story.
Back in the day, there was a cigarette called "Lucky Strikes".
On each package were the letters "LSMFT"
During advertisements, the commercials would tell us that LSMFT meant 'Lucky Strikes Means Fine Tobacco!"
In our school yard, it meant 'Loose straps means flabby tits'
12 year old humor.
Different things mean different things to different people.
The home run is King.
The RBI, a pauper.
For me, it means a little less from the game I love.
But for agents and their players?
The agents and players lived happily ever after.
The lineup consisted of a leadoff hitter who was very good at getting on base and stealing bases.
The leadoff hitter was followed by a second hitter who was good with the bat. He could bunt, make contact on hit and run plays, and spray the ball to every field. The third hitter was the best hitter on the team. He could hit for power, average, and inflict the most damage on opposing teams.
The clean up hitter followed him. He was a big man. if the first three hitters did their job, they would be waiting on base for the clean up hitter to send them home. The fifth and sixth hitters were third and fourth hitter wannabe's. They weren't quite as good as them, but were formidable in the lineup. The seventh hitter was a wild card. He could surprise or falter. The fans would hold their breath waiting for a hit from him. For the eighth hitter, holding one's breath in waiting for a hit could result in the breath holders demise. He was usually an out. The pitcher bats ninth. Like a blindfolded kid swatting at a pinata, there was little hope of a hit.
These types of lineups would last over 100 years in baseball. Dead ball to live ball. From 19th century to to the 20th century.
Baseball fans, players, and organizations were comfortable with these lineups.
It was the way of the baseball world.
When the live ball era arrived in 1920, statistics, like lineups became predictable.
The first and second hitters would hit for average and score runs. The third and fourth hitters would get the majority of runs batted in. The rest of the lineup would see lesser statistics.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would hit 40-odd homers and have over 100 rbi.
So would Jimmy Foxx, and Ted Williams, and others throughout the 1920's, 30's, 40's, and most of the 50's.
It was indelible that if a third or fourth hitter bopped 40 homers, he would also be driving in 100 runs.
Most, having the triangular effect of a 40/120 season
But, In the late 50's, something happened that had never happened before.
Duke Snider became the first hitter to smack 40 home runs without driving in 100 runs.
How could this happen?
That same year, Minnie Minoso would drive in 103 runs and only hit 12 balls over the fence.
Snider not garnering 100 rbi was hardly noticed at the time. There were few stat mongers like us to bring it to light.
And sadly, baseball fans didn't know it at the time, but it was curtains for the Duke.
The Dodgers would move to LA the next season and Snider would never see 40 homers or 100 rbi again.
In 1958 and 1960, it happened again. Same guy both times.
A star would hit 40 homers without driving in 100 runs.
Mickey Mantle.
Mantle had won the Triple Crown in '56 and along with Willie Mays, Stan Musial, and Snider, they had ruled the 50's.
Mantle was still to see his best power year ever in 1961, when Mantle and Roger Maris would go after the Babe's 60 home run mark.
Mantle got hurt and never had a chance at the record. Maris got the record and wished it were he who had gotten hurt, not Mantle.
In '58 and again in '60, Mantle would hit 40 homers without driving in 100 runs.
The anomaly of third and fourth hitters bopping 40 homers and not driving in 100 runs would continue to happen sporadically over the next few decades.
Harmon Killebrew in '63
Rico Petrocelli in '69
Hank Aaron in '69 and '73
Davey Johnson in '73
Darrell Evans in '85
Matt Williams in '94
Ken Griffey Jr. in '94
Barry Bonds in '03
Adam Dunn in '06 and '12
Alfonso Soriano in '06
Adrian Gonzalez in '09
The commonality among all these hitters is that batting average was usually wanting. Only Aaron would wind up with a lifetime batting average over .300
Mantle and Bonds came close at .298
Bonds, only on this list because of injury and pitchers being smart enough to walk him 148 times during his 130 games of hitting 45 homers.
Why do I bring the 40 homers without 100 rbi to your attention?
It's because in the past, it was an anomaly. Something that happened from time to time.
It couldn't be a trend because a trend needs to occur three years in a row.
My friends, it is now a trend.
In 2015, no less than five hitters had 40 homers and less than 100 rbi.
Albert Pujols 40/95
Carlos Gonzalez 40/97
Mike Trout 41/90
Bryce Harper (who has never had 100 rbi) 42/99
Nelson Cruz 44/93
In 2016, it didn't stop
Todd Frazier 40/98
Chris Carter 41/94
Brian Dozier 42/99
And finally in 2017, Joey Gallo driving himself home more than his passengers with a 41/80 ratio.
Why is this occurring frequently now?
One reason is BS....not THAT BS....BS, in this case, meaning 'Before Shifts'.
Shifts have cut down batting average which produces as many or even more home runs, but less hits.
Another reason is lineups.
CarGo, Trout, Frazier, Carter, Dozier, and Gallo are not prototypical third or fourth hitters.
Some, not third or fourth hitters at all.
Trout is, but he is used as a second hitter in today's lineup makeover.
Another reason is today's ball player.
Spray hitters are gone. So are 'table setters' for the most part.
It is dog eat dog for rbi.
Trea Turner can have eight rbi in a game as much as Bryce Harper.
There are many more solo homers than back in the day.
Mostly because the hitter batting in front of the home run hitter is trying to hit a home run too.
'Small Ball' is dead.
It is too early to know if there will be another 40/<100 rbi season this year.
Some hitters are hitting home runs without the rbi to match.
Here are some of those players....
Mike Trout 25/50
Giancarlo Stanton 23/55
Bryce Harper 23/54
Mookie Betts 23/51
Nelson Cruz 22/55
Joey Gallo 22/51
Max Muncy 22/41
The 'triangular effect' of having three rbi per homer is disappearing.
During the last three years, only three players with 40 homers have achieved it
'15 Josh Donaldson 41/123
'15 Nolan Arenado 42/130
'16 Nolan Arenado 41/133
'16 Edwin Encarnacion 42/127
It did not happen in 2017.
I cannot come up with a clever end to this story.
Back in the day, there was a cigarette called "Lucky Strikes".
On each package were the letters "LSMFT"
During advertisements, the commercials would tell us that LSMFT meant 'Lucky Strikes Means Fine Tobacco!"
In our school yard, it meant 'Loose straps means flabby tits'
12 year old humor.
Different things mean different things to different people.
The home run is King.
The RBI, a pauper.
For me, it means a little less from the game I love.
But for agents and their players?
The agents and players lived happily ever after.