Hitting performance can be measured by Batting Runs (BR) which was discussed in an earlier post. In Summary, Batting Runs is the estimated number of runs a player would contribute to an average team beyond what an average player would have contributed in his place. The Batting Runs statistic is described in more detail towards the bottom of the linked article. (Note that "average" includes pitchers as is done at FanGraphs.com. Baseball-Reference.com does not include pitchers, so their Batting Runs totals are lower.)
Cabrera has 37 Batting Runs so far this year. So, he has contributed 37 runs above what an average player would have been expected to contribute in the same number of outs. In addition to Cabrera, Fielder and Jackson have 26 Batting Runs apiece giving them a total of 89 Batting Runs. Over the course of a 162 game season that would translate to 130 Batting Runs.
The Tigers all-time best Batting Runs trios are shown in Table 1 below. The list is headed by the 1961 group of Norm Cash (90 BR), Rocky Colavito (58) and Al Kaline (44) with a total of 192. All of the other combinations did their work prior to World War II which is generally the case when one looks at all-time best Tigers offensive producers. Cabrera, Fielder and AJax would need to pick up their current pace to crack the all-time top ten.
Table 1: All-Time Best Tigers Batting Runs Trio
Player 1
|
BR
|
Player 2
|
BR
|
Player 3
|
BR
|
Total
BR
|
|
1961
|
Norm
Cash
|
90
|
Rocky
Colavito
|
58
|
Al
Kaline
|
44
|
192
|
1911
|
Ty
Cobb
|
93
|
Sam
Crawford
|
59
|
Jim
Delahanty
|
35
|
187
|
1940
|
Hank
Greenberg
|
78
|
Rudy
York
|
57
|
Charlie
Gehringer
|
37
|
172
|
1938
|
Hank
Greenberg
|
79
|
Rudy
York
|
45
|
Charlie
Gehringer
|
45
|
169
|
1937
|
Hank
Greenberg
|
79
|
Charlie
Gehringer
|
56
|
Rudy
York
|
34
|
169
|
1921
|
Harry
Heilmann
|
65
|
Ty
Cobb
|
56
|
Bobby
Veach
|
35
|
156
|
1925
|
Harry
Heilmann
|
59
|
Ty
Cobb
|
50
|
Al
Wingo
|
39
|
149
|
1917
|
Ty
Cobb
|
81
|
Bobby
Veach
|
43
|
Donie
Bush
|
17
|
141
|
1935
|
Hank Greenberg
|
66
|
Charlie Gehringer
|
42
|
Mickey Cochrane
|
33
|
140
|
1909
|
Ty
Cobb
|
73
|
Sam
Crawford
|
39
|
Donie
Bush
|
25
|
137
|
Table 2 displays the best Tigers Batting Runs trios since 1946. It shows that if Cabrera, Fielder, Jackson troika continues at the same pace for the rest of the season, they would have the best total since 1961. Other recent groups include Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco with 122 in 2007 and Cabrera, Alex Avila and Victor Martinez with 116 in 2011.
So, the Tigers current big three of Cabrera, Fielder and Jackson is in good company if they can maintain their performance and there is no reason they can't.
Table 2: Best Tigers Batting Runs Trios Since 1946
Year
|
Player 1
|
BR
|
Player 2
|
BR
|
Player 3
|
BR
|
Total
BR
|
1961
|
Norm
Cash
|
90
|
Rocky
Colavito
|
58
|
Al
Kaline
|
44
|
192
|
2012
|
Miguel
Cabrera
|
54*
|
Prince
Fielder
|
38*
|
Austin
Jackson
|
38*
|
131*
|
1959
|
Eddie
Yost
|
44
|
Al
Kaline
|
43
|
Harvey
Kuenn
|
41
|
129
|
2007
|
Magglio
Ordonez
|
62
|
Curtis
Granderson
|
37
|
Placido
Polanco
|
23
|
122
|
1956
|
Charlie
Maxwell
|
43
|
Al
Kaline
|
42
|
Ray
Boone
|
35
|
121
|
2011
|
Miguel
Cabrera
|
65
|
Alex
Avila
|
28
|
Victor
Martinez
|
23
|
116
|
1950
|
Vic
Wertz
|
42
|
Hoot
Evers
|
39
|
George
Kell
|
34
|
114
|
1946
|
Hank
Greenberg
|
52
|
Roy
Cullenbine
|
44
|
George
Kell
|
17
|
113
|
1967
|
Al
Kaline
|
49
|
Bill
Freehan
|
33
|
Dick
McAuliffe
|
27
|
109
|
1962
|
Rocky Colavito
|
37
|
Al Kaline
|
35
|
Norm Cash
|
34
|
107
|
1968
|
Willie
Horton
|
43
|
Bill
Freehan
|
36
|
Jim
Northrup
|
25
|
104
|
*Extrapolated to 162 games
No comments:
Post a Comment