.400

[lesgrant]

I’d say Bonds because of the low ABs. I don’t think one can hit their way to .400. The formula has to be massaged by walking as much as possible.

Also, I don’t think the media would stop Ichiro. He has been a household name wherever he’s played and is used to headlines and large press conferences regarding insignificant games. Check him out by the cage during BP.

[bigh0rt]

I don't see anyone hitting .400 in my lifetime. Some may flirt, even come dangerously close, but I just can't envision it happening, realistically. That being said, I'd love to see it.

[Music2004Man]

Just out of curiousity, How many times has it happened in baseball history? Also, why has it been harder to do it recently? I'm fairly young but all of the talk that I hear seems to say that the pitching is weaker now than it has been in the past because of expansion and the smaller ballparks? Do you guys think this is true?

[Tavish]

Just out of curiousity, How many times has it happened in baseball history? Also, why has it been harder to do it recently? I'm fairly young but all of the talk that I hear seems to say that the pitching is weaker now than it has been in the past because of expansion and the smaller ballparks? Do you guys think this is true?

Its happened 28 times in history, and 26 of those were pre-1925, 15 were in the 19th Century. There are tons of reasons and theories as to why the .400 hitter is becoming exctint. The most obvious ones to me are the longer schedules and the improved defensive range.

The more games you play the harder it is to sustain a level of play that far outside the standard. In the 1800s, when a majority of the .400 seasons happened, seasons were around 130 or fewer games. Since the movement to the 162 games season in 1958 there have been a total of 2 players who have come within .020 of hitting .400 in a full season.

Bigger gloves have improved defensive range which cuts down on the number of hits.

[BritSox]

Gwynn was the best contact hitter of his generation, so it ought to be possible for the best hitter of a future generation to make a similar run at it. I'd imagine a truly great hitter, in a hitter's park might have a shot.

One wonders what the reaction would be if a guy was hitting over .400 and was shut down with a few weeks or so left.

[wkelly91]

.400 HITTERS ON JUNE 10, SINCE 1940

Hot Hitters

The nine men below had a .400 batting average the morning of June 10th of their season. They are the only batting title qualifiers to do that since 1940. Four of the men: Walker, Aaron, Carty, and Carew (in 1975), won the batting title in that season.

Ted Williams .416 (1940)
Dixie Walker .421 (1944)
Stan Musial .418 (1958)
Willie Mays .416 (1958)
Henry Aaron .411 (1959)
Billy Williams .406 (1964)
Rico Carty .422 (1970)
Rod Carew .421 (1975)
Rod Carew .421 (1983)
Lenny Dykstra .407 (1990)

Williams had the lowest batting average for his full season, hitting .312 in 1964. Dykstra posted the next lowest average (.325). The highest final mark was Carty's .366 in 1970.

Of the nine men on this list, six are in the Hall of Fame.

Dykstra had a .285 lifetime average, the lowest career mark of any batter on this list. Billy Williams hit .290 and Carty finished at .299. The other six men had career averages of .300 or higher.

http://www.thebaseballpage.com/stats/lists_feats/400hitters_June10.htm

All .360+ batters since 1977...I have highlighted all the Colorado hitters.

1977 Rod Carew .388 Minnesota

1980 George Brett .390 Kansas City

1983 Wade Boggs .361 Boston

1985 Wade Boggs .368 Boston

1987 Wade Boggs .363 Boston

1987 Tony Gwynn .370 San Diego

1988 Wade Boggs .366 Boston

1993 John Olerud .363 Toronto

1993 Andres Galarraga .370 Colorado

1994 Tony Gwynn .394 San Diego

1995 Tony Gwynn .368 San Diego

1997 Tony Gwynn .372 San Diego

1998 Larry Walker .363 Colorado

1999 Larry Walker .379 Colorado

2000 Nomar Garciaparra .372 Boston

2000 Todd Helton .372 Colorado

2002 Barry Bonds .370 San Francisco

2004 Ichiro Suzuki .372 Seattle

2004 Barry Bonds .362 San Francisco

11 different batters hit over .360, 3 of those since 1998 out of Colorado.

If Ichiro or Pujos played in Colorado I'd say they have a good chance. Only Carew and Ichiro had any spped about them the other nine had modest speed at best.

Olerud came out of nowhere to flirt with it in 1993....whose to say that we don't have another player come out of nowhere?

Miggy Cabrera is very young and rapidly growing as a hitter....whose to say in 3-4 years where he will be?

[davidmarver]

Pujols strikes out too much to get to .400. If he can put more balls in play and limit his striking out to around 20-30, he may have an outside chance.

.400 hitters strike out very little and I think that's the main difference...even if it's just routine grounders, a few of those may find the hole. Lets say instead of 70 times, Pujols K's 20 times. A .200 out of those 50 balls put in play would raise his average 15 points.

The same applies for Ichiro: he would have a chance if he could not strikeout as often...especially given his speed.

Gwynn had the best chance of anyone in recent memory: it's too bad '94 was a strike year.

I don't think I'll see someone hit .400 in the next decade, though.

[pokerplaya]

.400 HITTERS ON JUNE 10, SINCE 1940

Hot Hitters

The nine men below had a .400 batting average the morning of June 10th of their season. They are the only batting title qualifiers to do that since 1940. Four of the men: Walker, Aaron, Carty, and Carew (in 1975), won the batting title in that season.

Ted Williams .416 (1940)
Dixie Walker .421 (1944)
Stan Musial .418 (1958)
Willie Mays .416 (1958)
Henry Aaron .411 (1959)
Billy Williams .406 (1964)
Rico Carty .422 (1970)
Rod Carew .421 (1975)
Rod Carew .421 (1983)
Lenny Dykstra .407 (1990)

Williams had the lowest batting average for his full season, hitting .312 in 1964. Dykstra posted the next lowest average (.325). The highest final mark was Carty's .366 in 1970.

Of the nine men on this list, six are in the Hall of Fame.

Dykstra had a .285 lifetime average, the lowest career mark of any batter on this list. Billy Williams hit .290 and Carty finished at .299. The other six men had career averages of .300 or higher.

http://www.thebaseballpage.com/stats/lists_feats/400hitters_June10.htm

All .360+ batters since 1977...I have highlighted all the Colorado hitters.

1977 Rod Carew .388 Minnesota

1980 George Brett .390 Kansas City

1983 Wade Boggs .361 Boston

1985 Wade Boggs .368 Boston

1987 Wade Boggs .363 Boston

1987 Tony Gwynn .370 San Diego

1988 Wade Boggs .366 Boston

1993 John Olerud .363 Toronto

1993 Andres Galarraga .370 Colorado

1994 Tony Gwynn .394 San Diego

1995 Tony Gwynn .368 San Diego

1997 Tony Gwynn .372 San Diego

1998 Larry Walker .363 Colorado

1999 Larry Walker .379 Colorado

2000 Nomar Garciaparra .372 Boston

2000 Todd Helton .372 Colorado

2002 Barry Bonds .370 San Francisco

2004 Ichiro Suzuki .372 Seattle

2004 Barry Bonds .362 San Francisco

11 different batters hit over .360, 3 of those since 1998 out of Colorado.

If Ichiro or Pujos played in Colorado I'd say they have a good chance. Only Carew and Ichiro had any spped about them the other nine had modest speed at best.

Olerud came out of nowhere to flirt with it in 1993....whose to say that we don't have another player come out of nowhere?

Miggy Cabrera is very young and rapidly growing as a hitter....whose to say in 3-4 years where he will be?

Good post, but I know offhand that you are missing Piazza's .362 in 1997.

[HOOTIE]

One wonders what the reaction would be if a guy was hitting over .400 and was shut down with a few weeks or so left.

I wouldn't respect the guy, .400 or not. We don't need cowards in bb. Ted Williams was at .399 with a doubleheader left in 41. I believe he got a hit in his 1st to abs, putting him over .400. They wanted to take him out for the year, but he said no way. I'm not backing into it. Ted had a huge double header and finished at .406. I respect the decision to play, and not back into it, way more then the actual .400

I really think the media would kill any chance for .400 now. The prssure would be enormous, even for a cool guy like Ichiro. They would have daily ab updates on ESPN, and tons of reporters hounding him every game. The pressure imo would be staggering. Ted in 41 had nothing like todays media world.

[dannyolbb]

One wonders what the reaction would be if a guy was hitting over .400 and was shut down with a few weeks or so left.

I wouldn't respect the guy, .400 or not. We don't need cowards in bb. Ted Williams was at .399 with a doubleheader left in 41. I believe he got a hit in his 1st to abs, putting him over .400. They wanted to take him out for the year, but he said no way. I'm not backing into it. Ted had a huge double header and finished at .406. I respect the decision to play, and not back into it, way more then the actual .400

I really think the media would kill any chance for .400 now. The prssure would be enormous, even for a cool guy like Ichiro. They would have daily ab updates on ESPN, and tons of reporters hounding him every game. The pressure imo would be staggering. Ted in 41 had nothing like todays media world.

Kinda like what happened when they were chasing 61?