Tuesday, September 22, 2009

My favourite stat right now

Yes, I am geeky enough to have a favourite statistic. And I am also geeky enough to be a student of baseball history, which is why this statistic excites me so much. Albert Pujols is in the running for baseball's triple crown this season. He won't get it, of course. It's nearly impossible now to win a batting triple crown (although a few pitchers still have a shot). After all, the last guy to do it was Yastrzemski in 1967. But Jayson Stark of ESPN has pointed out something far more amazing than winning a triple crown in a single year. Pujols is on pace to win baseball's triple crown - for the entire decade. He's currently first in homers, first in RBIs and second in batting average this season in the NL.


But over the past decade, from 2000-2009, he is far and away first in homers (366 to Barry Bonds' 317). He is also first in RBIs (1,101) and first in batting average (.334 to Todd Helton's .331). There is no way he'll be overtaken in any of those categories before the end of this season, and by extension the decade. Read the full ESPN article here, it's fascinating.

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4492671&name=stark_jayson&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d4492671%26name%3dstark_jayson