It's really hard to win the batting triple crown. Everyone knows that. Hasn't been done since 1967.
It's so hard that even winning the triple crown on your own team is hard. Only three players lead their own team in home runs, RBIs and batting average this season. Here they are:
Albert Pujols, Cardinals
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Pablo Sandoval, Giants
That's some hall of fame company the Kung Fu Panda is in. And he's not just winning the Giant triple crown because his teammates are so inept offensively. He has a very good traditional line of -- 0.330 -- 17 -- 68. So far Sandoval hasn't hurt the Dodgers much, with just two singles in eight trips to the plate. We'll see what Weaver and the relievers can do against him today.
Kemp and Ethier split the Dodger honors in the triple crown categories, by the way, with Kemp leading in batting average and Ethier leading in RBIs and home runs. Manny is ahead of Kemp in batting average but he doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify. If Manny hadn't missed those 50 games he probably would be winning the Dodger team triple crown.
Finally, here are some shockingly low team leaders in the triple crown categories. When you see this you can understand how these teams have had such disappointing years.
Mets, home runs --- Gary Sheffield, 10 ( Injuries are the reason for this. )
Pirates, runs batted in --- Andy LaRoche, 41 ( Brother Adam had 40 with the Pirates )
Padres, batting average --- David Eckstein, 0.264 ( Gwynn is hitting 0.290, Hairson 0.299, but neither qualifies )
12 August 2009
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