Boxscore sleuthing – something new in 2013, maybe… |

Towards the end of this coming season, we may see something that hasn’t ever happened before. At least not involving players on the same team.

This something (whatever it is) has occurred involving players on opposing teams only rarely, including in the following games.

Cardinals 4, Nationals 2 – Aug 27, 2010

Yankees 4, Braves 3 – June 28, 2006

Mariners 5, Rangers 2 – June 27, 1999

Orioles 6, Twins 5 – July 2, 1966

Giants 11, Braves 10 – Sept 19, 1961

So, what is this something?

Hint: if it doesn’t happen this year, it won’t happen next year, either.

Congratulations to ATarwerdi96! He correctly identified that, with a 40 home run season this year, Prince Fielder would join Tiger teammate Miguel Cabrera in the 300 HR club and do so when both are aged 30 or younger. As far as I can tell, it would be the first time a team has had two such players. The closest so far has been the 1962 Braves, with Eddie Mathews, aged 30, at 399 home runs, and 28 year-old Hank Aaron with 298 round-trippers.

After the jump, more on precocious home run hitters, including the players represented in the box score clues.

The occasions that two players with 300+ career home runs have faced each other when both were aged 30 or younger are:

Adam Dunn and Albert Pujols in 2009 and 2010
Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones in 2006
Ken Griffey and Juan Gonzalez in 1999
Frank Robinson and Harmon Killebrew in 1966
Eddie Mathews and Willie Mays in 1961

Here are all players to reach 300 career HR in their age 30 season or sooner.

Rk	Player	Year	HR	From	To	Age	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Tm
1	Miguel Cabrera	2012	321	2003	2012	20-29	1512	6474	961	1802	386	13	1123	709	.318	.395	.561	.956	FLA-DET
2	Adam Dunn	2010	354	2001	2010	21-30	1448	6065	865	1246	266	10	880	990	.250	.381	.521	.902	CIN-TOT-WSN
3	Albert Pujols	2010	408	2001	2010	21-30	1558	6782	1186	1900	426	15	1230	914	.331	.426	.624	1.050	STL
4	Andruw Jones	2007	368	1996	2007	19-30	1761	7276	1045	1683	330	34	1117	717	.263	.342	.497	.839	ATL
5	Alex Rodriguez	2006	464	1994	2006	18-30	1746	7774	1358	2067	364	26	1347	820	.305	.386	.573	.958	SEA-TEX-NYY
6	Vladimir Guerrero	2005	305	1996	2005	21-30	1301	5494	860	1586	294	38	936	494	.324	.391	.587	.977	MON-ANA-LAA
7	Manny Ramirez	2002	310	1993	2002	21-30	1229	5233	842	1400	301	13	1036	695	.316	.411	.599	1.010	CLE-BOS
8	Juan Gonzalez	2000	362	1989	2000	19-30	1363	5779	860	1554	312	21	1142	376	.294	.343	.566	.908	TEX-DET
9	Ken Griffey	2000	438	1989	2000	19-30	1680	7319	1163	1883	342	33	1270	841	.296	.380	.568	.948	SEA-CIN
10	Sammy Sosa	1999	336	1989	1999	20-30	1409	5808	841	1413	206	35	941	428	.267	.324	.510	.834	TOT-CHW-CHC
11	Jose Canseco	1995	300	1985	1995	20-30	1245	5384	796	1275	229	12	951	560	.271	.351	.515	.867	OAK-TOT-TEX-BOS
12	Johnny Bench	1978	310	1967	1978	19-30	1633	6760	876	1593	311	22	1111	705	.268	.343	.484	.827	CIN
13	Harmon Killebrew	1966	336	1954	1966	18-30	1270	5202	740	1158	158	14	855	737	.263	.371	.535	.906	WSH-MIN
14	Frank Robinson	1966	373	1956	1966	20-30	1657	7088	1165	1855	352	52	1131	785	.304	.391	.562	.953	CIN-BAL
15	Hank Aaron	1964	366	1954	1964	20-30	1656	7216	1180	2085	351	79	1216	603	.320	.376	.567	.943	MLN
16	Rocky Colavito	1964	302	1955	1964	21-30	1326	5579	760	1302	227	16	905	704	.272	.364	.515	.879	CLE-DET-KCA
17	Mickey Mantle	1962	404	1951	1962	19-30	1675	7199	1340	1821	256	67	1152	1251	.309	.429	.581	1.009	NYY
18	Eddie Mathews	1962	399	1952	1962	20-30	1634	7124	1138	1690	248	61	1082	1031	.282	.386	.543	.929	BSN-MLN
19	Willie Mays	1961	319	1951	1961	20-30	1372	5960	1013	1657	265	94	935	647	.316	.390	.585	.975	NYG-SFG
20	Duke Snider	1957	316	1947	1957	20-30	1425	6086	994	1609	288	66	1003	692	.303	.383	.560	.943	BRO
21	Ralph Kiner	1953	329	1946	1953	23-30	1212	5223	827	1214	167	34	888	870	.281	.404	.563	.967	PIT-TOT
22	Mel Ott	1939	369	1926	1939	17-30	1864	7808	1332	2061	359	63	1386	1135	.315	.419	.558	.977	NYG
23	Jimmie Foxx	1938	429	1925	1938	17-30	1710	7293	1355	2049	346	102	1520	1104	.335	.437	.635	1.073	PHA-BOS
24	Babe Ruth	1925	309	1914	1925	19-30	1198	4939	986	1355	282	85	955	940	.345	.475	.697	1.171	BOS-NYY

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 2/19/2013.

Finally, when Prince Fielder does swat number 300, he and dad Cecil will be just the second father-son duo to reach that plateau (of course, I don’t have to tell you what the other pair is). Prince and Cecil are already the only father-son tandem to both have a 50 HR season.

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Insert Name Here

11 years ago

IF it doesn’t happen this year, it won’t happen next year.

So if it DOES happen this year, it can happen next year?

Doug

Reply to Insert Name Here

It will happen this year, or not again for the forseeable future.

Reply to Doug

Okay, I understand now. Thanks.

Mike HBC

I have no idea (I’m no sleuth; I’ve never once solved one of these), but man, I want to find out the answer even more than usual.

I see lots of guys who hit 500+ home runs but that Cards-Nats game doesn’t have anyone even close to that level.

Author

Reply to Ed

Don’t give up on that thought too fast.

ATarwerdi96

Does it have something to do with MVP awards? There are a lot of MVP winners in those games.

Reply to ATarwerdi96

That is definitely the popular idea, but it’s not about MVPs.

Doug: A question….you say “including in the following games”. I read that to mean that there are other games in which this “whatever” occurred and you’re just giving us these as examples. Or is this a complete listing of such games?

They are just examples.

But, it is quite a rare occurrence – maybe one game in a thousand over the past 50+ years.

Richard Chester

Doug: Is A-Rod involved? He will not be playing in 2013 until the latter part of the season.

Reply to Richard Chester

In the 5 games cited there was a prior MVP on each team who may have been involved in that “something”. In 2013 A-Rod and Ichiro will be prior MVPs on the same team but did not do that “something” in 2012.

I think it has something to do with a prior MVP hitting a home run. Pujols homered in the Cards-Nats game. Giambi and A-Rod homered in the Braves-Yanks game. Griffey homered in the Rangers-Mariners game. Frank Robinson homered in the Twins-Orioles game. Finally, Willie Mays homered in the Braves-Giants game. However, none of these have a matching MVP on the other team, and the presence of Giambi and A-Rod both homering in the Braves-Yanks game means that this must be a more specific answer if this feat has never been accomplished by two players on the same team.

Correction: None of the have a matching MVP on the other team who hit a home run in that game. There appears to be a MVP on every team involved in these games.

It’s not about MVPs. But, that was a good thought.

The “something” to happen in 2013 doesn’t involve A-Rod.

topper009

Mays hit a grand slam off Warren Spahn in the first game, I would think HOF vs HOF grand slams are rare but that’s not the answer for this puzzle

The M’s Rangers game seems like the one to study, Griffey HR’d for the Mariners but only 3 Rangers got a hit in the game, Rusty Greer with a HR, Todd Ziele and Tom Goodwin. Defending AL MVP Juan Gonzalez was in the lineup…so what was so special about Greer’s HR in that game?

I feel like this has something to do with the last 2 MVPs doing something in a game but that seem to totally fit, and the last 2 AL MVPS are on the same team so this feat could be accomplished this year by Verlander/Cabrera

Reply to topper009

Good thought.

But, it’s not about MVPs.

Is this it? In each of the games, there is a player on each team with 300 home runs before age 31. If Prince Fielder can hit 40 home runs by the end of this season, both he and Miguel Cabrera will have 300 for their careers before age 31. However, Cabrera turns 31 in 2014, which is why it couldn’t happen that year, only in 2013.

Way to go, ATawerdi96. That’s it.