Boxscore sleuthing – something new in 2013, maybe…

21 Replies

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.

21 thoughts on “Boxscore sleuthing – something new in 2013, maybe…”

  1. Insert Name Here

    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?

    Reply ↓
  2. 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.

    Reply ↓
  5. Ed

    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?

    Reply ↓
    1. Doug Post author

      They are just examples.

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

      Reply ↓
    1. 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.

      Reply ↓
      1. Insert Name Here

        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.

        Reply ↓
        1. Insert Name Here

          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.

          Reply ↓
    2. Doug Post author

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

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

      Reply ↓
  7. 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

    Reply ↓
  8. topper009

    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?

    Reply ↓
  9. topper009

    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 ↓
  10. ATarwerdi96

    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.

    Reply ↓

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