Monday, September 26, 2011

XBH

Extra-base hits are a little-used, but I think important measure of excellence for hitters.  Getting over 80 is moderately unusual - it has only happened about 250 times in baseball history.  Take out steroids, Colorado, and the hitter's eras of the 20's and 30's, and the list drops to less than 100 - all-time greats such as Ruth, Mays, Greenberg, or Musial, and a bunch of guys having career years in their prime years 25-29, who show up on the list once or maybe twice. (Note: I think the Ruths and Greenbergs would have been dominant in other eras, but their numbers wouldn't have been quite so gaudy.)

It's about one player per year when it's legit.  This year there are two:  Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury.

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