One of these is not like the other
The record for consecutive hits is 12 in a row, by Pink Higgins (1938) and Walt Dropo (1952).
Here's a note that I came across that I thought was pretty interesting:
In the last 50 years, what's the closest that someone has come to breaking that record?
I went through the play-by-play files back to 1957, trying to find which players had a hit in 12-out-of-13 at-bats--those guys who would've gotten to 13 hits in a row if not for one unlucky out right smack in the middle of their string of hits.
I only found three players since 1957who came so close to setting a new world's record for consecutive hits, and one of the names on the list represents perhaps the most unlikely batting feat in the last 50 years.
The first name on the list is Rod Carew, MIN AL, who went 12-for-13 from June 1 (2nd at-bat) thru June 5 (3rd at-bat), 1975. He had nine singles and three homers; the only time he made an out was on a flyball to the center fielder on June 4 in his second at-bat. And who was the pitcher with the prescription on how to get Carew out? None other than the Yanks' Doc Medich.
The next name on the list is John Olerud, NY NL. Like Carew, Olerud is a guy you might expect to find on this kind of list. Olerud did Carew one better and went 13-for-14 from Sept 15 (second game, 1st at-bat) thru Sept 20 (2nd at-bat), 1998. He contributed nine singles, a double, and three homers over that stretch. The lucky pitcher who kept Olerud from setting a new record with 14 straight base hits? It was Stros' Mike Hampton, who got Olerud to ground out in his 4th at-bat on 9/16. Olerud did get a consolation prize, though, as he ran off nine straight hits after that ground-out, falling just one hit short of tying the NL record.
And for the surprise name on the list, the guy who came just one hit away from setting a new major league record for consecutive base hits, the guy who makes Ty Cobb look like Tony Womack? How about Livan Hernandez? That's right, the same Livan Hernandez who currently pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks and who's got over 2300 innings pitched in his major league career. Hernandez's streak began on July 26, 2001, when he was still pitching for the Giants. He went 3-for-3 that day, 2-for-3 in his next start on July 31, then 3-for-3 on Aug 5, and then 4-for-4 on Aug 11. And which pitcher kept Hernandez from making a mockery of the record book by keeping a pitcher from setting a hitting record? How about rookie Dave Williams of the Bucs--whose strikeout of Hernandez must be the most famous of his whopping 245 career strikeouts.
A CENTURY OF COBB
Ty Cobb's Batting Line from 100 years ago:
August 3, 1907: at Washington; 1-for-5 with two runs scored; opposing starter: Gehring
....and a new feature:
STREAKS TO WATCH
--Brian Roberts, BAL AL, has an extra-base in 7 straight games now. Getting to 10 games in a row would be a pretty rare feat, but it would be an awesome feat for a second baseman. The only second basemen since 1957 with longer XBH streaks than Robert's 7-gamer? How about Pete Rose (9 games in 1966) and Bill Mueller (8 games in 2003).
--Jimmy Rollins currently has the longest hitting streak in the majors with 13 games in a row. Think he can match his 38-gamer from 2005/2006?
Here's a note that I came across that I thought was pretty interesting:
In the last 50 years, what's the closest that someone has come to breaking that record?
I went through the play-by-play files back to 1957, trying to find which players had a hit in 12-out-of-13 at-bats--those guys who would've gotten to 13 hits in a row if not for one unlucky out right smack in the middle of their string of hits.
I only found three players since 1957who came so close to setting a new world's record for consecutive hits, and one of the names on the list represents perhaps the most unlikely batting feat in the last 50 years.
The first name on the list is Rod Carew, MIN AL, who went 12-for-13 from June 1 (2nd at-bat) thru June 5 (3rd at-bat), 1975. He had nine singles and three homers; the only time he made an out was on a flyball to the center fielder on June 4 in his second at-bat. And who was the pitcher with the prescription on how to get Carew out? None other than the Yanks' Doc Medich.
The next name on the list is John Olerud, NY NL. Like Carew, Olerud is a guy you might expect to find on this kind of list. Olerud did Carew one better and went 13-for-14 from Sept 15 (second game, 1st at-bat) thru Sept 20 (2nd at-bat), 1998. He contributed nine singles, a double, and three homers over that stretch. The lucky pitcher who kept Olerud from setting a new record with 14 straight base hits? It was Stros' Mike Hampton, who got Olerud to ground out in his 4th at-bat on 9/16. Olerud did get a consolation prize, though, as he ran off nine straight hits after that ground-out, falling just one hit short of tying the NL record.
And for the surprise name on the list, the guy who came just one hit away from setting a new major league record for consecutive base hits, the guy who makes Ty Cobb look like Tony Womack? How about Livan Hernandez? That's right, the same Livan Hernandez who currently pitches for the Arizona Diamondbacks and who's got over 2300 innings pitched in his major league career. Hernandez's streak began on July 26, 2001, when he was still pitching for the Giants. He went 3-for-3 that day, 2-for-3 in his next start on July 31, then 3-for-3 on Aug 5, and then 4-for-4 on Aug 11. And which pitcher kept Hernandez from making a mockery of the record book by keeping a pitcher from setting a hitting record? How about rookie Dave Williams of the Bucs--whose strikeout of Hernandez must be the most famous of his whopping 245 career strikeouts.
A CENTURY OF COBB
Ty Cobb's Batting Line from 100 years ago:
August 3, 1907: at Washington; 1-for-5 with two runs scored; opposing starter: Gehring
....and a new feature:
STREAKS TO WATCH
--Brian Roberts, BAL AL, has an extra-base in 7 straight games now. Getting to 10 games in a row would be a pretty rare feat, but it would be an awesome feat for a second baseman. The only second basemen since 1957 with longer XBH streaks than Robert's 7-gamer? How about Pete Rose (9 games in 1966) and Bill Mueller (8 games in 2003).
--Jimmy Rollins currently has the longest hitting streak in the majors with 13 games in a row. Think he can match his 38-gamer from 2005/2006?
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