5 replies to this topic

[Timezkware Tim]

I know we kicked this around before, but our team (for those of you who believe in this) has the potential for more clutch hitting than past teams. By clutch, I don't just mean hitting with RISP, but all the timely hits that can turn around a game. Thole, Murph, Baxter, and Hairston are those types of contact hitters. If they can bring some consistency to the plate and get their BA up, the Mets would be able to really manufacture some runs, especially since we are not a base stealing team anymore.

Tim

[birtelcom]

I know we kicked this around before, but our team (for those of you who believe in this) has the potential for more clutch hitting than past teams. By clutch, I don't just mean hitting with RISP, but all the timely hits that can turn around a game. Thole, Murph, Baxter, and Hairston are those types of contact hitters. If they can bring some consistency to the plate and get their BA up, the Mets would be able to really manufacture some runs, especially since we are not a base stealing team anymore.

Tim

Thole has been an on-base machine. Maybe he should be batting leadoff, move Ruben back down in the order?

[Timezkware Tim]

birt, how rare is a catcher batting leadoff? (only you would know).

Tim

[birtelcom]

birt, how rare is a catcher batting leadoff? (only you would know).

Tim

Since 1918 there have been 900 major league games in which a catcher started the game in the leadoff spot in the batting order. So on average it happens only nine or ten times a season somewhere in the majors. Half of those 900 starts have been by one guy, Jason Kendall.

The Mets have started a catcher as their leadoff hitter exactly once if franchise history. On May 2, 1963, Choo Choo Coleman (career batting average at the time was about .219 and his career OBP was about .270) had just a single in 5 PAs as the leadoff hitter, but the Mets won 10-3.

[Timezkware Tim]

I love learning new mets trivia. There's always something. Thx.

Tim

[metsfanohio]

and here is another one......in the series just completed against the marlins, the mets were on the receiving end of 4 consecutive walks by 4 different pitchers in the same inning.......first time ever in mlb history that that happened.