Quiz – Triple Something Seasons (solved) |

A few days ago, an HHS reader noticed that Eddie Collins had a season in 1910 with 81 runs, RBI and steals, and suggested this would be a good idea for one of my quizzes. So, as we wait for the deciding NLDS game tonight, why not?

None of these players had a triple crown season. But, they all had a season with a matched set of counting stats. What were those seasons? For bonus marks, what rookie had a matched set of 3 counting stats this season (min. 20 of each) that has never before been accomplished?

Rk	Player
1	Frank Doljack
2	Brooks Robinson
3	Jason Kendall
4	Johnny Hopp
5	Glenn Beckert
6	Dom DiMaggio
7	Amos Strunk
8	Todd Walker
9	Billy Werber
10	Lenny Dykstra
11	Frank Isbell
12	Joe Kuhel

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 10/3/2013.

Hint: the matched counting stats are not the same for all these players. But, there is a common link connecting all of them.

Congratulations to aweb and Andrew (and others) who quickly identified that these players all had a season with their extra-base hit total matching two other counting stats. And congrats to Richard Chester for identifying Evan Gattis as the answer to the bonus question with his 21 HR, 2B and BB this season. The seasons are after the jump.

Here are the seasons for the quiz players.

Player	Year	Tm	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO
Frank Doljack	1931	DET	63	209	187	20	52	13	3	4	20	3	15	17
Brooks Robinson	1970	BAL	158	673	608	84	168	31	4	18	94	1	53	53
Jason Kendall	1998	PIT	149	627	535	95	175	36	3	12	75	26	51	51
Johnny Hopp	1946	BSN	129	493	445	71	148	23	8	3	48	21	34	34
Glenn Beckert	1969	CHC	131	582	543	69	158	22	1	1	37	6	24	24
Dom DiMaggio	1940	BOS	108	466	418	81	126	32	6	8	46	7	41	46
Amos Strunk	1915	PHA	132	565	485	76	144	28	16	1	45	17	56	45
Todd Walker	2005	CHC	110	433	397	50	121	25	3	12	40	1	31	40
Billy Werber	1933	TOT	111	472	427	64	110	30	6	3	39	15	33	39
Lenny Dykstra	1988	NYM	126	466	429	57	116	19	3	8	33	30	30	43
Frank Isbell	1909	CHW	120	477	433	33	97	17	6	0	33	23	23	34
Joe Kuhel	1942	CHW	115	482	413	60	103	14	4	4	52	22	60	22

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/9/2013.

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Richard Chester

11 years ago

Is Evan Gattis the answer to the bonus question? 21 2B, HR and BB.

Author

Doug

Reply to Richard Chester

He is. Nice start.

Evan is the first to ever have those 3 matching stats, with a minimum of 20.

nightfly

Matched sets meaning three of the same number, right? Because my first check, Dykstra, seems only to have matched pairs here and there (for example, 68 runs and bbs in 1994).

Reply to nightfly

Correct. 3 counting stats of the same number.

But the particular counting stats are not the same for all players.

aweb

Amos Strunk in 1915 had 45 K, 45 RBI, and 45 XBH

Jason Kendall in 1998 had 51 K, 51 BB, and 51 XBH.

Reply to aweb

Brooks Robinson in 1970 had 53 BB, K, and XBH

Gary Bateman

Glenn Beckert had 24 BB, K & XBH in 1969 and Johnny Hopp had 34 of each in 1946. I see a trend.

Editor

John Autin

Frank Isbell, 1909 — 23 steals, walks, and extra-base hits.

Andrew

The common factor is extra base hits:

Doljack, 1931: 20 runs, 20 RBIs, 20 XBH
Robinson, 1970: 53 BB, 53 SO, 53 XBH
Kendall, 1998: 51 BB, 51 SO, 51 XBH
Hopp, 1946: 34 BB, 34 SO, 34 XBH
DiMaggio, 1940: 46 RBI, 46 SO, 46 XBH
Strunk, 1915: 45 RBI, 45 SO, 45 XBH

And so on, I’m at work and can’t compile them all now but I’m pretty sure I’ve got it.

Dykstra ’88 — 30 walks, steals and XBH.

Reply to John Autin

JA,

Don’t know if you noticed my post on “Mattingly goes for the kill …”, but that “first ever” post-saeson game you spotted for Andy Dirks in the Tigers/As game was unique for only a few hours. Was matched my Xander Bogaerts in the Red Sox/Rays game.

Talk about bizarre!

You guys are sharp. Well done.

Kevin Polcovich in 1997 had 21 XBH, RBI and BB. He’s not on your list.
Also Jason Ellison in 2005 with 24 of each.

Also Alfredo Griffin with 29 of each in 1989.

The list is not exhaustive. The idea was just to find the common thread (in this case, XBH) and the season when that total matched two others.

Some more unusual trifectas:
– SO/H/G – 122 Evan Longoria (2008)
– SO/3B/SB – 18 Paul Waner (1930)
– R/H/BB – 21 Reggie Willits (2008), Rick Miller (1976)
– GIDP/BB/SB – 10 Alex Cintron (2006)
– GIDP/HR/2B – 15 Hector Lopez (1955), 11 Rick Dempsey (1984)
– SO/SB/RBI – 46 Damaso Garcia (1984)
– SO/SB/BB – 32 Larry Bowa (1977)
– SH/SB/BB – 23 Jack McCarthy (1903)
– SB/HR/2B – 22 Will Venable (2013)

Reply to Doug

R/H/RBI- 36 Charlie Keller (1947)