Boston's Betts Is the 4th Dude in 4 Days to Drill 3 HRs in a Game
Baseball's so-called list of records that will never be broken has a few feats that will likely live up to that billing:
- Cy Young's 511 career victories looks even more impervious these days;
- Walter Johnson's 110 shutouts, which obviously means at least that many complete games; and
- Jack Taylor's 202 consecutive appearances without needing a relief pitcher.
There are even more hitting records on the list, but these days, who believes any of them are actually outta reach?
Right, because dudes at the dish are digging in more than ever before.
Except maybe in 1930, when for a few reasons, MLB's baseballs were definitely hitter friendly.
- The entire St Louis Cardinals starting lineup's batting averages were above .300, and
- Hack Wilson totalled an incredible 191 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs.
The most amazing stat of all that season had to be that no pitchers were killed by line drives.
MLB's Lords of the Realm knew what they were doing then, just like they know what they've done now.
OK, they've pinned the jacked-up ball on Rawlings, but who really believes they weren't behind it?
Never in the game's history has anyone seen four different ballplayers go bridge three times in four consecutive days:
- Robinson Canó on Tue 23 Jul,
- Paul DeJong on Wed 24 Jul,
- Nelson Cruz on Thu 25 Jul, and
- Mookie Betts on Fri 26 Jul.
Isn't this getting a bit ridiculous?
Bombs in abundance are clearly the 2019 season's signature theme.
- This is also when the Minnesota Twins are mounting an unprecedented assault on the team home run record for a campaign.
- Looks like Paul Goldschmidt has finally decided to get in on the fun, as he's now gone deep in five straight games.
Incidentally, Goldschmidt had his three-dinger game earlier in the season.
Gotta wonder how breakable achievements like these have become:
- Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak,
- Ted Williams' career .482 on-base percentage, and
- Henry Aaron's career 6856 total bases.
Who knows? Maybe some singles machine Pete Rose 2.0 is on the way up somewhere and will challenge Ty Cobb's career .367 average, as if that stat means anything anymore.
It sure the hell is.
Especially with the probability of more Trouts and Bellingers on the way.
After the 1930 experience, MLB's captains of industry felt some sorta sense of decency and did a HAL9000-like nut-cutting on the ball.
In this era, nobody's showing the same inclination, and it doesn't look like anyone will anytime soon.