Mauer 2000 hit countdown

[Nine of twelve]

Ummm, Bohemian Rhapsody is from 1975. Unless there is another Bohemian Rhapsody, aside from the Queen song, that I'm not aware of.

Google says it returned to the charts in 1992 with an assist from the movie "Wayne's World".

[Darius]

A little late to the party, but some things not considered in regards to Mauer and his career trajectory:

 

Careers are like bell curves. The average number of hits per year was used to extrapolate, which isn't really accounting for the fact that the high-end range amounts are the ones being pulled from the potential population, skewing the average lower. Those peak years could've very well all been 200+ hit seasons if healthy.

 

Also, who knows how those concussions have robbed him of something still to this day. He may still putting up 200 hit seasons. It's pretty the apparent that the same level of bat control and power just wasn't/isn't there (more Ks, fewer XBHs).

 

Walks are being used in a deragatory sense. But, there was a time when many of those walks were a result of pitchers avoiding him. People seem to forget tha he used to flat-out rake pre-injury. He would square up everything and drive the ball hard. He was a line drive machine (could sustain high BABIPs, which he couldn't do much post-injury)..

 

In short, I think it's perfectly reasonable to hold the opinion that he's in the 3k club if not for the concussions.

[Mr. Brooks]

A little late to the party, but some things not considered in regards to Mauer and his career trajectory:

 

Careers are like bell curves. The average number of hits per year was used to extrapolate, which isn't really accounting for the fact that the high-end range amounts are the ones being pulled from the potential population, skewing the average lower. Those peak years could've very well all been 200+ hit seasons if healthy.

 

Also, who knows how those concussions have robbed him of something still to this day. He may still putting up 200 hit seasons. It's pretty the apparent that the same level of bat control and power just wasn't/isn't there (more Ks, fewer XBHs).

 

Walks are being used in a deragatory sense. But, there was a time when many of those walks were a result of pitchers avoiding him. People seem to forget tha he used to flat-out rake pre-injury. He would square up everything and drive the ball hard. He was a line drive machine (could sustain high BABIPs, which he couldn't do much post-injury)..

 

In short, I think it's perfectly reasonable to hold the opinion that he's in the 3k club if not for the concussions.

His 162 game average is 186 hits.

A guy that walks as often as Mauer, simply isn't going to get enough AB's to get 200+ hit seasons, unless they hit .350+.

 

The only 2 seasons that he could have gotten to 200+ hits, had he played every game, were the seasons that he batted .347 and .365, and even that .347 season would have been close.

 

And that's not a derogatory comment on taking walks. It's just a fact that it limits the number of opportunities to get a hit.

[ashbury]

In short, I think it's perfectly reasonable to hold the opinion that he's in the 3k club if not for the concussions.

There have been many great-hitting catchers with long careers. No one who played more than 50% of their games at catcher, not even whoever you may think was greatest, has ever gotten 3000 hits. It's a superhuman feat to be assuming of anyone, even without the concussions.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

There have been many great-hitting catchers with long careers. No one who played more than 50% of their games at catcher, not even whoever you may think was greatest, has ever gotten 3000 hits. It's a superhuman feat to be assuming of anyone, even without the concussions.

Yeah... and add in Mauer's propensity for walks - which easily take away ~20 or so hits a season - and it'd be almost impossible to hit 3,000.

 

He could probably vie for 2,500 but I think 3,000 is an unreasonable goal.

 

But it really doesn't matter. Mauer's hit count isn't what made him great. What made him great was the entire package at the most demanding defensive position on the diamond.

[ashbury]

Yeah... and add in Mauer's propensity for walks

Guess what trait those other top-ten catchers almost^* all seem to share? I know, shocking, right?

 

^{* _{Besides Pudge}}

[jimmer]

Biggio averaged 174 hits per 162, Cal Ripken averaged 172, Eddie Murray averaged 174, Ichiro 189, Beltre 174....

 

The games played (due to injury and playing catcher) is what will keep him from getting to 3000.

[Mr. Brooks]

Biggio averaged 174 hits per 162, Cal Ripken averaged 172, Eddie Murray averaged 174, Ichiro 189, Beltre 174....

 

The games played (due to injury and playing catcher) is what will keep him from getting to 3000.

Yeah, I wasn't using his hits per 162 to argue that the lack of games played hasn't affected his ability to get to 3k hits. It's self evident that missing games equals less hits.

 

I was using it to dispute that he would have a lot of 200+ hit seasons if he'd played every game.

 

Also, I'm not sure many (any?) catchers have ever played the sheer number of seasons that those guys you listed have. It's too physically demanding of a position to play into your 40's.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Back to our countdown. Mauer gets a pair of hits bringing his total to 1994. That year brought us the Gingrich wave election, the genocide in Rwanda, the Macintosh, the (10-year) Assault Weapons Ban, the deaths of Jackie O, Nixon, and Kurt Cobain, the election of Nelson Mandela, Schindler’s List, the Chunnel, the Lion King, and Justin Bieber.

 

My apologies on the Bohemian Rhapsody snafu. I’m just a poor boy...will you let me go?

[70charger]

Bismillah no!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Back to our countdown. Mauer gets a pair of hits bringing his total to 1994. That year brought us the Gingrich wave election, the genocide in Rwanda, the Macintosh, the (10-year) Assault Weapons Ban, the deaths of Jackie O, Nixon, and Kurt Cobain, the election of Nelson Mandela, Schindler’s List, the Chunnel, the Lion King, and Justin Bieber.

 

My apologies on the Bohemian Rhapsody snafu. I’m just a poor boy...will you let me go?

The Mac was 1984.

[Puckett34]

 

The Mac was 1984.

But when did the Mac return?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

But when did the Mac return?

It... never left?

 

Apple has produced Macs from 1984 through today.

[Puckett34]

 

It... never left?

 

Apple has produced Macs from 1984 through today.

Sorry.     Was referencing the song, Return of the Mack.    Cheap attempt at being funny.   

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w 

[Craig Arko]

 

It... never left?

 

Apple has produced Macs from 1984 through today.

One could argue that the Performa era was a kind of disappearance.

[Number3]

"One could argue that the Performa era was a kind of disappearance."

 

The Peforma was the home/consumer version of the Mac as opposed to business/education. In those markets it was still the Macintosh.

 

Joe Mauer is not a force in the Twins lineup. He rarely has an impact on whether or not they win or lose games. He is like Castro behind the plate in that he still is a pro who does his job but is not a difference maker. He leaves it up to others.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

One could argue that the Performa era was a kind of disappearance.

Heh, fair enough.

[Tomj14]

 

"One could argue that the Performa era was a kind of disappearance."

 

The Peforma was the home/consumer version of the Mac as opposed to business/education. In those markets it was still the Macintosh.

 

Joe Mauer is not a force in the Twins lineup. He rarely has an impact on whether or not they win or lose games. He is like Castro behind the plate in that he still is a pro who does his job but is not a difference maker. He leaves it up to others.

So getting on base last year .384 and starting the year at .462 isn't a force? Good to know

[AlwaysinModeration]

The Mac was 1984.

So, my 1994 “source” says

 

“March 14 – Apple Computer, Inc. releases the first Macintosh computers to use the new PowerPC Microprocessors.”

 

I abbreviated this, in my mind and in my post, to “Apple Computer, Inc releases the first Macintosh computers.” I suppose one COULD quibble with the results of my abbreviation.

[ashbury]

It's one of those details that nobody can possibly be expected to remember.

 

[jctwins]

Consider this reader disappointed that this isn't a vintage jersey/classic pic thread to match the number countdown.

[AlwaysinModeration]

1995! What historical events can I incorrectly cite from that year? What will all the haters find to critique?

 

The Bosnian War, the Oklahoma City bombing, Forest Gump, the Unabomber, “Gangsta’s Paradise”, the death of Howard Cosell, the OJ trial, and Toy Story.

[Puckett34]

1996!

[AZTwin]

Small sample size but man he looks good. If he hits .280 this year I wouldn’t be opposed to a 2 year extension.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Mauer is rocking a ridiculously high BABIP (.429) but his K rate is just 10%.

 

It's really early and the weather has been terrible but is the old Joe slowly coming back? I refused to let myself believe he'd improve upon last season but maybe it's possible...

[jimmer]

 

 I refused to let myself believe he'd improve upon last season but maybe it's possible...

I pretty much said all offseason he would ;-)

 

And yeah, it's very early, so just as really poor numbers by some players will improve, his BABIP is unsustainable high so he'll come down some.  Thing is, when he was on, he carried high BABIPs. 

 

Also, like you said his K rate is down, but it was heading back down last year too.  In fact after hitting a career high of a whopping 18.5% in 2014, we've seen 16.8, 16.1 then 13.7 last year and so far 11.4 this year.

 

He's not going to hit over .400, obviously, and he'll have streaks where he slumps, but it wouldn't shock me to see him hit in the .320s with an OBP over .400. Nor would it have before the season even started.

 

Also, the cold has stopped at least two, and perhaps three, of his deep shots from going out of the park.  He is squaring up nicely.

[jimmer]

 

Small sample size but man he looks good. If he hits .280 this year I wouldn’t be opposed to a 2 year extension.

He'll hit higher than that.

[TFRazor]

 

I pretty much said all offseason he would ;-)

 

And yeah, it's very early, so just as really poor numbers by some players will improve, his BABIP is unsustainable high so he'll come down some.  Thing is, when he was on, he carried high BABIPs. 

 

Also, like you said his K rate is down, but it was heading back down last year too.  In fact after hitting a career high of a whopping 18.5% in 2014, we've seen 16.8, 16.1 then 13.7 last year and so far 11.4 this year.

 

He's not going to hit over .400, obviously, and he'll have streaks where he slumps, but it wouldn't shock me to see him hit in the .320s with an OBP over .400. Nor would it have before the season even started.

 

Also, the cold has stopped at least two, and perhaps three, of his deep shots from going out of the park.  He is squaring up nicely.

Thank goodness I'm not the only one who saw those. First one I saw made me shoot beer out of my nose while thinking, "Holy crap.... Joe just hit a home run... in April?!?!"

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I pretty much said all offseason he would ;-)

 

And yeah, it's very early, so just as really poor numbers by some players will improve, his BABIP is unsustainable high so he'll come down some.  Thing is, when he was on, he carried high BABIPs. 

 

Also, like you said his K rate is down, but it was heading back down last year too.  In fact after hitting a career high of a whopping 18.5% in 2014, we've seen 16.8, 16.1 then 13.7 last year and so far 11.4 this year.

 

He's not going to hit over .400, obviously, and he'll have streaks where he slumps, but it wouldn't shock me to see him hit in the .320s with an OBP over .400. Nor would it have before the season even started.

 

Also, the cold has stopped at least two, and perhaps three, of his deep shots from going out of the park.  He is squaring up nicely.

I also thought he had the chance to improve based on his more advanced metrics but after getting burned by past Mauer false starts, I refused to truly believe it could happen.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Joe’s nine-game hot streak turns to start the season has him hitting over 400 and up to 1997 career hits. 1997 was the year of:

 

The Heaven’s Gate cult, Pathfinder on Mars, Deep Blue, The English Patient, the Kyoto Protocol, a cloned sheep named Dolly, Harry Potter, the death of Princess Di, “Candle in the Wind”, the Prius, the Titanic (the movie), Simone Biles, and the creation of Chongqing as a municipality in China (it’s personal, I was living there).