Quiz – Singular Seasons (solved)

The players in this quiz include a number of all-time greats, some sabermetric favorites, and a couple of other guys.

So, what seasonal feat have only these players accomplished since 1901?

Rk	Player
1	Barry Bonds
2	Ted Williams
3	Mickey Mantle
4	Mickey Tettleton
5	Jack Clark
6	Jack Cust
7	Jim Wynn
8	Hank Greenberg
9	Gene Tenace
10	Rob Deer

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/7/2013.

Hint: none of these players accomplished this feat more than once.

Congratulations to Phil, RJ and Richard Chester! They teamed up to identify these hitters as the only players since 1901 to have a qualifying season with more walks than hits, 25 or more HRs and 100 or fewer RBI. Despite the somewhat modest RBI totals, that is a pretty potent combination as 9 of the 10 seasons (listed in comment #30) scored 130 OPS+ or better, including two seasons over 200. Evidently, pitchers were justified in pitching around these guys frequently.

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Timmy Pea

11 years ago

A huge walk by Michael Young in the ninth for the Phillies in today’s game. I didn’t really like the Phillies batting him 3rd, because he is not a selective hitter, but so far this year he leads the team in walks.

Phil

11 years ago

More hits than walks in a season over some floor of AB/PA? I never even get close on these, but that worked for the first four or five players I checked.

Phil

11 years ago

Reply to Phil

(Said that backwards, obviously–what I meant was more walks than hits…)

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Phil

Interesting avatar, Phil.

Yes, there is a floor for the season stats (one that’s easily selectable in P-I), and more walks than hits is part of the answer.

Great start!

Phil

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

I checked all 10, and they all had seasons where BB > H. But some had more than one, and that did seem way too easy–I’m sure that’s not all that rare.

Nixon has always fascinated me. Don’t worry, he’s not my idea of a model citizen.

Phil

11 years ago

Reply to Phil

I need to learn how to read–I thought you said that *wasn’t* part of the answer.

11 years ago

Is at least 25 HRs part of the answer?

Editor

John Autin

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

I tried 25+ HRs and more walks than hits — it lands those 10 guys, but also McGwire and McCovey.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

Is fewer than 500 AB part of the answer?

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Or zero triples?

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

I’ll submit more BB than hits, more than 25 HR, 0 triples and qualified for the batting title. In McCovey’s season he had only 495 PA.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

It should be 25 or more HR, not more than 25 HR.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Boy did I foul it up. My answer is more BB than hits, 25 or more HR, at least one triple and qualified for the batting title.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

More walks than hits, and 25 or more HRs is correct.

One more piece.

brp

11 years ago

Reply to Doug

Can’t dig too much right now but it looks like Rob Deer only did this feat in 1991, so that season is the key. Even though it’s Deer, Bonds and Teddy Ballgame might preclude this from being a K-related issue.

Taking a shot here, but Runs scored >= RBI?

Hartvig

11 years ago

Reply to brp

Jack Crust doesn’t meet that criteria. The season he had more runs scored than RBI + 25 home runs he also had more hits than walks. The season he had 25+ home runs and more walks than hits he drove in more than he scored. I’m guessing if you can figure out which one of the six seasons that Barry Bonds had more walks than hits and 25 or more home runs is the one that qualifies then you’ve got your answer. I thought it was fewer than 200 total bases for a while but Teddy Ballgame & Jim Wynn… Read more »

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to brp

Not Runs >= RBI.

11 years ago

A lot of these guys had some low doubles totals in their “more walks than hits, 25+ HR” years. Less than 20 doubles would give them all just one season as per the requirements (I think), except for Jack Clark, who has two seasons below 20 doubles and Ted Williams, who is the real problem, as he had 23 doubles in his year. I don’t see how it could be a ratio of 2B to HR either… More digging. Is the qualifying requirement 100 games, Doug? I ask because I suspect Bonds’ 2007 season is his year, which doesn’t seem… Read more »

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to RJ

The qualifying requirement is not 100 games. It’s more than that.

Joseph

11 years ago

More walks than hits, 25 or more home runs, led the league in walks.

Joseph

11 years ago

Reply to Joseph

Let me refine my answer. At least as many walks as hits, 25 or more home runs, and led the league in walks.

brp

11 years ago

Reply to Joseph

Deer didn’t lead the league in walks (just Ks). It may be a minimum of 502 PAs; I also noticed all the years I checked the HR > 2B… nothing else really jumping out.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to brp

HR > 2B isn’t it. Brings in too many other players.

I just looked at 25+ HRs and < 25 doubles, and a Mark McGwire season and two Jack Clark seasons are included. Of course, there could be others with 25+ doubles and more HRs.

Timmy Pea

11 years ago

Pierre, leading baseball in SB’s!

Timmy Pea

11 years ago

Question about B-Ref. When you look at a players stats, and let’s say he led the league in strike outs as a hitter. I understand it will be in bold. But what does in mean when the total is bold, and italicized? For example Mark Reynolds strike out totals in 2009. Thanks, I’ll hang up and listen.

bstar

11 years ago

Reply to Timmy Pea

Bold alone means you led the league. Bold and italicized means you led all of MLB.

Timmy Pea

11 years ago

Reply to bstar

Thanks BSTAR, got it.

Joseph

11 years ago

At least as many walks as hits, 25 or more home runs, and runs greater than or equal to RBI.

Joseph

11 years ago

Reply to Joseph

No, Tenace doesn’t fit that one.

Richard Chester

11 years ago

The last piece is fewer than 100 RBI.

Author

Doug

11 years ago

Reply to Richard Chester

Ding. Ding. Ding.

Well done, Richard.

I was going for a Walks > Hits group, but was trying to exclude the usual suspects (Yost, Joost, Bishop, Stanky, Cullenbine, etc.) that would have given the game away.

I was surprised and pleased that HR >= 25 and RBI <= 100 was all it took to come up with this list.

Rk	Player	OPS+	HR	RBI	BB	H	Year	Age	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	2B	3B	SO	BA	OBP	SLG
1	Barry Bonds	231	45	90	148	133	2003	38	SFG	130	550	390	111	22	1	58	.341	.529	.749
2	Ted Williams	201	29	89	136	133	1954	35	BOS	117	526	386	93	23	1	32	.345	.513	.635
3	Mickey Mantle	195	30	89	122	121	1962	30	NYY	123	502	377	96	15	1	78	.321	.486	.605
4	Jim Wynn	166	33	87	148	133	1969	27	HOU	149	653	495	113	17	1	142	.269	.436	.507
5	Jack Clark	148	26	94	132	110	1989	33	SDP	142	594	455	76	19	1	145	.242	.410	.459
6	Jack Cust	146	26	82	105	101	2007	28	OAK	124	507	395	61	18	1	164	.256	.408	.504
7	Mickey Tettleton	132	32	78	107	102	1995	34	TEX	134	547	429	76	19	1	110	.238	.396	.510
8	Hank Greenberg	131	25	74	104	100	1947	36	PIT	125	510	402	71	13	2	73	.249	.408	.478
9	Gene Tenace	130	26	73	110	102	1974	27	OAK	158	612	484	71	17	1	105	.211	.367	.411
10	Rob Deer	92	25	64	89	80	1991	30	DET	134	539	448	64	14	2	175	.179	.314	.386

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 5/9/2013.

11 years ago

Bonds missed by -2 ribbies from doing it again the next year. 97 more walks than hits!