The True Triple Crown?

[O'sFanThruJune]

Just checking out the stats over at ESPN, and noticed this:

AL Batting Average:

1. M. Bradley .324

2. K. Youkilis .319

AL On-Base Percentage:

1. M. Bradley .448

2. J. Mauer .411

AL Slugging Percentage:

1. M. Bradley .587

2. A. Rodriguez .583

In an era where increasingly more fans and analysts are using the "slash" stats as the fastest way to judge a player's offensive output, will this accomplishment (if Bradley holds on) be celebrated, or mostly ignored?

[66-70-83-??]

Just checking out the stats over at ESPN' date=' and noticed this:

AL Batting Average:

1. M. Bradley .324

2. K. Youkilis .319

AL On-Base Percentage:

1. M. Bradley .448

2. J. Mauer .411

AL Slugging Percentage:

1. M. Bradley .587

2. A. Rodriguez .583

In an era where increasingly more fans and analysts are using the "slash" stats as the fastest way to judge a player's offensive output, will this accomplishment (if Bradley holds on) be celebrated, or mostly ignored?[/quote']

Bradley's accomplishments are impressive.

But, he has missed 25% of his team's games this year. That takes it down a notch or two.

"Showing up" is also a valuable skill.

It will be mostly ignored. Getting the most actual HR's, RBI's, and highest average is still a great accomplishment. You have to be really good, lucky, and play virtually everyday to accomplish it.

[O'sFanThruJune]

But, he has missed 25% of his team's games this year. That takes it down a notch or two.

That's a good point. And it certainly hurts his counting stats. But he has played enough to qualify for the batting title. I'm about to check out baseball-reference and figure out which Triple Crown is more rare. I have a feeling the classic version is the more rare.

[Frobby]

It will be ignored.

Anyway, I still like the original Triple Crown. BA is a large component of OBP and SLG, but it is totally unrelated to HR and there are a lot of other factors at play in RBI. I think the original Triple Crown is a harder feat to pull off.

By the way, Rogers Hornsby won "your" Triple Crown six times, incuding five seasons in a row. Ted Williams won it five times, while Honus Wagner did it four times. Bonds, Musial, Lajoie and Cobb each did it twice.

[O'sFanThruJune]

NL Slash-Stat Triple Crowns (since 1900): 20 Total

Barry Bonds (2004)

Barry Bonds (2002)

Todd Helton (2000)

Larry Walker (1999)

Stan Musial (1948)

Stan Musial (1943)

Arky Vaughan (1935)

Chuck Klein (1933)

Rogers Hornsby (1928)

Rogers Hornsby (1920-1925) (!!!)

Sherry MaGee (1910)

Honus Wagner (1907-1909)

Honus Wagner (1904)

AL Slash-Stat Triple Crowns: 19 Total

George Brett (1980)

Fred Lynn (1979)

Carl Yastrzemski (1967)

Frank Robinson (1966)

Ted Williams (1957)

Ted Williams (1947-1948)

Ted Williams (1941-1942)

Jimmie Foxx (1938)

Lou Gehrig (1934)

Babe Ruth (1924)

Ty Cobb (1917)

Tris Speaker (1916)

Ty Cobb (1914)

Ty Cobb (1909)

George Stone (1906)

Nap Lajoie (1904)

Nap Lajoie (1901)

NL Classic Triple Crowns (since 1900): 4 Total

Joe Medwick (1937)

Chuck Klein (1933)

Rogers Hornsby (1925)

Rogers Hornsby (1922)

AL Classic Triple Crowns: 9 Total

Carl Yastrzemski (1967)

Frank Robinson (1966)

Mickey Mantle (1956)

Ted Williams (1947)

Ted Williams (1942)

Lou Gehrig (1934)

Jimmie Foxx (1933)

Ty Cobb (1901)

Nap Lajoie (1901)

[O'sFanThruJune]

By the way, Rogers Hornsby won "your" Triple Crown six times, incuding five seasons in a row. Ted Williams won it five times, while Honus Wagner did it four times. Bonds, Musial, Lajoie and Cobb each did it twice.

This leads me to believe that you had an easily accessible list, while I just spent a half hour figuring it out by looking at three bbref.com windows side by side. Ugh.

It looks like the Classic is the more commonly accomplished of the two, as you suggested. But now I'm wondering, if you could start your own Triple Crown now, what would you use? I kind of like the slashes, but it seems like you almost have to include HRs. RBI would clearly be the big point of contention, and I would be on the side looking to drop that stat.

[Frobby]

This leads me to believe that you had an easily accessible list' date=' while I just spent a half hour figuring it out by looking at three bbref.com windows side by side. Ugh.

It looks like the Classic is the more commonly accomplished of the two, as you suggested. But now I'm wondering, if you could start your own Triple Crown now, what would you use? I kind of like the slashes, but it seems like you almost [i']have[/i] to include HRs. RBI would clearly be the big point of contention, and I would be on the side looking to drop that stat.

I just did the same thing you did - looked at baseball-reference.com. I just had a head start on you. But I don't understand why you say the "Classic is the more commonly accomplished of the two." I assume you meant the opposite.

As for me, I'm fine with the Classic categories. It's true that RBI are dependent on what your teammates do, but that's OK with me. I wonder how many times a player has led the league in BA and HR but not RBI?

[TyCobb]

NL Slash-Stat Triple Crowns (since 1900): 20 Total

Barry Bonds (2004)

Barry Bonds (2002)

Todd Helton (2000)

Larry Walker (1999)

Stan Musial (1948)

Stan Musial (1943)

Arky Vaughan (1935)

Chuck Klein (1933)

Rogers Hornsby (1928)

Rogers Hornsby (1920-1925) (!!!)

Sherry MaGee (1910)

Honus Wagner (1907-1909)

Honus Wagner (1904)

AL Slash-Stat Triple Crowns: 19 Total

George Brett (1980)

Fred Lynn (1979)

Carl Yastrzemski (1967)

Frank Robinson (1966)

Ted Williams (1957)

Ted Williams (1947-1948)

Ted Williams (1941-1942)

Jimmie Foxx (1938)

Lou Gehrig (1934)

Babe Ruth (1924)

Ty Cobb (1917)

Tris Speaker (1916)

Ty Cobb (1914)

Ty Cobb (1909)

George Stone (1906)

Nap Lajoie (1904)

Nap Lajoie (1901)

NL Classic Triple Crowns (since 1900): 4 Total

Joe Medwick (1937)

Chuck Klein (1933)

Rogers Hornsby (1925)

Rogers Hornsby (1922)

AL Classic Triple Crowns: 9 Total

Carl Yastrzemski (1967)

Frank Robinson (1966)

Mickey Mantle (1956)

Ted Williams (1947)

Ted Williams (1942)

Lou Gehrig (1934)

Jimmie Foxx (1933)

Ty Cobb (1901)

Nap Lajoie (1901)

Now that is impressive

[O'sFanThruJune]

I just did the same thing you did - looked at baseball-reference.com. I just had a head start on you. But I don't understand why you say the "Classic is the more commonly accomplished of the two." I assume you meant the opposite.

Yup, that's what I meant.

Now that is impressive

Apparently I'm having a tough day...