Albert and consecutive games on-base record...

by DCRedbird on May 5, 2008 12:02 PM EDT Comment 11 comments

First, I haven't seen it, but my apologies if someone's already covered this on the site in recent days... With his double last night, Albert reached based for the 32nd consecutive game, which got me wondering: What's the all-time record streak for this category? We all know about DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, but I've never heard who holds the record for consecutive games on base....

Turns out it is Ted Williams, who reached base in 84 consecutive games in 1949 (July 1 through September 27). DiMaggio's 1941 hitting streak helped him post the 2nd highest streak on the list -- 74 consecutive games on base (May 14 through August 2). Williams also holds the 3rd and 4th spots -- 69 straight games in 1941, and 65 games in 1948.

As for players in more recent years: Barry Bonds (as you might expect) has the longest streak -- 58 games in 2003. (That's the longest NL-streak, matching Duke Snider's 58 games in 1954.) Wade Boggs had a 57-game streak in 1985; Ryan Klesko (?!) had a 56-game streak in 2002 for the Padres; and Jim Thome had a 55-game streak for Cleveland in 2002. Stan the Man holds the Cards' record -- Musial reached base in 55 straight cames in 1943. More recently, Vince Coleman reached base in 50 straight games in 1987.

Two questions for everyone to ponder/debate:

1) What do you think Albert's chances are of breaking the Splendid Splinter's record this season (or even DiMaggio's 74, for that matter)?

2) What's the more impressive record (or -- perhaps a slightly different question -- which will be the toughest to break): Ted Williams's on-base streak, or DiMaggio's hitting streak?

As for #1, I'd put Albert's chances at about 15 percent; 84-straight is a hell of a lot of games.

For #2 -- tough call. Obviously it's a little easier simply to reach base in a game than to get a hit... but keeping any sort of streak alive depends on a fantastic combination of talent and sheer luck, so Williams's 84-straight-games on-base streak looms pretty large to me given the huge number of consecutive games where he had to do something right (either get a hit, draw a walk, or get plunked). So I'd give that the slight nod over the great DiMaggio hitting streak. I'd be surprised to see either one broken anytime soon, but my guess is DiMaggio's might be a little easier to crack.

1 recs | Comment 11 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Less than 15%

What will end his streak is when the chumps around him stop hitting and he decides that he can’t afford to take walks anymore. His walk rate will fall and there will be a game where he hits it right at people and that’ll be that.

Sorry to be such a wet blanket…

by guayzimi on May 5, 2008 12:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, 84 is a ton of games

I wouldn’t put Bonds’ NL record out of the question, though.

On with the (good) youth movement!

by aet15 on May 5, 2008 1:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'd give him...

a 30% shot at breaking Musial’s team record during his current streak. 50/50 at some point later in his career. Maybe 5% at breaking the MLB record.

As for number 2: I think the 56 game hit streak is much tougher than the 84 game on-base streak.

by cardzfanbub on May 5, 2008 2:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed on the hit streak vs. the OB streak

nowadays with organizations putting players out there who are more focused on OBP, it seems more likely to me that a player will put an 0-3, BB line out there on a poor night. that said, 84 games is a loooong time.

go cards, o's, and phillies.

...boiler up.

by moboiler on May 5, 2008 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Two follow-up stat questions...

Not sure if these are easy to research or not…I don’t have easy access to any of this data:

Did Albert get on base at the end of last season? If so, how many games long is his streak, counting the wrap-around?

Secondly, what’s the longest streak starting from game 1 of a season? It seems like Albert might be fairly close to reaching that.

by davebug on May 5, 2008 3:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

it starts this season

he went 0-5 with no walks in the last game of 2007

"You say the world has lost it's love. I say embrace what it's made of" - Dar Williams

by Valatan on May 5, 2008 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

not so difficult

Albert had a 16 game OB streak snapped in the last game of ‘07 when he went 0-for-5 at Pittsburgh.

The longest OB streaks to start a season (since 1956) are:

53 – Derek Jeter, 1999
52 – Frank Thomas, 1996
48 – Mark McGwire, 1996
47 – Alvin Davis, 1984
42 – Tim Raines, 1986
41 – Toby Harrah, 1985

Incidentally, Pujols is still one below his own personal best of 33 games starting the season, in 2005. That one wrapped around to the end of ‘04 totalling 42. That in turn is only his 2nd longest streak, because from July 28th to Sept 22 of 2001, he reached base safely in 48 consecutive games. He also had a 34 games OB streak in July/Aug 2006.

by john vb on May 5, 2008 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Most Recent Streak

Orlando Cabrera had 63-game on-base streak last year with the Angels

by nzach54 on May 5, 2008 6:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

less than 15%

b/c at some point he’ll get a day off, but Tony will use him as a pinch-hitter, and he’ll make an out in his single AB.

also: the hitting streak has got to be harder. at least, for a power like Pujols it has to be. it seems like he’s had a dozen games this year already with only 2 “official” ABs because teams are pitching around him or intentionally BB him. it isn’t hard to make 2 straight outs in one of those games.

for a singles guy like Ichiro or Polanco or somebody, the hit streak might be easier.

by kindred on May 5, 2008 7:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Both?

I don’t see how one can differentiate between the hit streak and the OBP streak. Those are equally impressive streaks that I don’t see anyone ever breaking. It’s just a different game now.

by trogdor on May 6, 2008 12:17 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

won't happen...

Like kindred said, at some point he’ll get a day off and get used as a pinch hitter, make an out, and that will be that. Because this Cards team doesn’t win games until the last three innings, I would guess this will happen sooner rather than later.

Oh, and a 56 game hitting streak is much much tougher to break. Nobody has ever approached that record, but there are any number of non-HOF players to have a long on-base streak. Someone like Albert, who draws a ton of walks, doesn’t have to be locked in every night to break the on-base record as he’s probably going to draw at least one free pass every 4-5 AB’s. Considering his streaks earlier in his career when people weren’t pitching around him, I’d give him a good shot at breaking this record if Tony doesn’t mess things up.

"I just wish that the late Harry Caray were still around so I could hear him mispronounce 'Kosuke Fukudome' every fukun' night" -- Dennis Miller

by fourstick on May 6, 2008 9:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs