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Monday, June 23, 2014

The Greatness of Tony Gwynn




It is bittersweet that sometimes when eulogizing the death of a notable public figure or a close loved one we see and hear things about their lives that make us see them in a light that makes us appreciate them more so after their passing then we did while they were alive.

So it was last week with the passing of Tony Gwynn.

The following articles from Yahoo Sports and ESPN  demonstrate the greatness of Tony Gwynn as a baseball player in strictly numeric terms and many of them are simply amazing.

from Yahoo Sports:
https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/19-incredible-stats-about-tony-gwynn-s-hall-of-fame-career-182243389.html
  • Never had more than 40 K's in a single year
  • 4.2% career K-rate
  • .341 BABIP ( Batting average on Balls put in Play )
  • 97.6% Hall of Fame vote ( which means 2.4% of sportswriters should be horse-whipped )
  • In 1988 he lead the league in batting average and his career average dropped by three points
  • From Jayson Stark: 129 AB's versus Greg Maddux and Perdo Martinex - 0 K's
from ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/11092617/mlb-late-tony-gwynn-incredible-hitting-numbers

This article gives an example of his greatness in strictly human terms. Great disposition, great respect and love for the game, the craft of hitting and his fellow competitors.

Rockies icon Todd Helton remembers greatness of Tony Gwynn
Helton:
“Tony had smile that would light up the room. That’s who he was. He always had a smile on his face, but he was very hard on himself as ahitter. He was like me that way.”
“In ’99, he gave me the best piece of advice I ever got as a hitter. He asked me what I was looking at when I got the plate and looking out at the pitcher. I told him I concentrated on the release point.
“He said, ‘No you have to have your eyes focused on a fixed target. Keep your eyes on the bill of his cap or on his belt buckle. Focus on that to start the pitch.’ I became a better hitter after that.”

And last but not least, these incredible statistical tables from Baseball Reference demonstrating his superior mastery of the craft of hitting. In the first one, Gwynn is not only the top lifetime hitter for average with two strikes, but also # 4 on the OPS list ( On-Base Average + Slugging Percentage ).

The only other guys to appear on both lists:

  •  Todd Helton #6 AVG, #2 OPS
  • Albert Pujols #12 AVG, #3 OPS
  • Mark Grace #18 AVG, #23 OPS


All great hitters for average and power, with their ability demonstrated at the point of peak duress (ie: hitting with two strikes) .

What is most notable, IMO is the disparity in Batting Average between Tony Gwynn ( .302 ) another all-time great hitter, Wade Boggs ( .262 ). That kind of differential between the best and second best in any category is simply incredible.

Once again, RIP Tony Gwynn.

P.S. - Say a prayer for former Bills QB Jim Kelly.

For entire career, Two Strikes (within Count/Balls-Strikes), (requiring AB≥500), sorted by greatest Batting Average for this split

The link to your saved query/report is:
RkIPlayerSplitGBAPABAOBPSLGOPSBAbiptOPS+
1Tony GwynnTwo Strikes1259.3022053.302.340.401.741.33875
2Wade BoggsTwo Strikes1383.2622996.262.338.338.675.31058
3Luis PoloniaTwo Strikes1015.2611969.261.305.353.658.33881
4Juan PierreTwo Strikes1627.2593204.259.309.301.610.30874
5Ichiro SuzukiTwo Strikes1868.2593813.259.290.312.602.33956
6Todd HeltonTwo Strikes2046.2584488.258.344.426.770.33362
7Matt CarpenterTwo Strikes320.257766.257.332.381.712.36272
8Dustin PedroiaTwo Strikes1017.2562330.256.322.367.689.30770
9Joe MauerTwo Strikes1148.2552564.255.309.351.661.33053
10Brian HarperTwo Strikes611.2521032.252.290.321.611.28965
11Orlando PalmeiroTwo Strikes809.2521456.252.299.321.621.29577
12Albert PujolsTwo Strikes1808.2523712.252.317.453.770.29454
13Gregg JefferiesTwo Strikes1086.2511956.251.292.361.653.28971
14Nomar GarciaparraTwo Strikes1134.2492035.249.301.399.700.32460
15Chuck KnoblauchTwo Strikes1414.2483110.248.341.348.689.32076
16Placido PolancoTwo Strikes1567.2482917.248.300.326.626.29770
17Johnny RayTwo Strikes321.247587.247.295.311.606.30468
18Mark GraceTwo Strikes1733.2443021.244.330.356.687.30167
19Willie RandolphTwo Strikes485.244902.244.334.277.610.31668
20Tike RedmanTwo Strikes326.244570.244.283.331.614.32676
21Paul MolitorTwo Strikes1310.2432486.243.314.350.664.32163
22Carney LansfordTwo Strikes427.242668.242.343.324.667.31179
23Martin PradoTwo Strikes812.2421753.242.281.361.643.30367
24Kenji JohjimaTwo Strikes367.241660.241.292.346.638.29778
25Mark LorettaTwo Strikes1453.2412968.241.310.310.620.30165


RkIPlayerSplitGBAPABAOBPSLGOPSBAbiptOPS+
201Andre EthierTwo Strikes1082.2142270.214.281.323.603.32748
202Ryan HaniganTwo Strikes432.214803.214.281.297.578.27066
203Adam LindTwo Strikes822.2141811.214.268.372.640.31762
204Scott LivingstoneTwo Strikes397.214600.214.257.278.535.30256
205Casey McGeheeTwo Strikes536.2141077.214.277.315.592.33363
206Terry PendletonTwo Strikes1157.2142272.214.250.305.555.30257
207Randy ReadyTwo Strikes391.214710.214.320.283.603.28762
208John ValentinTwo Strikes926.2141879.214.307.316.623.29055
209Geronimo BerroaTwo Strikes617.2131287.213.303.323.626.33759
210Billy ButlerTwo Strikes963.2131986.213.262.304.567.31040
211Orlando CabreraTwo Strikes1724.2133326.213.264.300.564.26860
212Brett GardnerTwo Strikes598.2131452.213.295.287.581.31958
213Wilton GuerreroTwo Strikes425.213735.213.232.263.495.32147
214J.J. HardyTwo Strikes1080.2132346.213.258.327.585.28660
215Reggie JeffersonTwo Strikes527.2131011.213.265.329.594.36845
216John KrukTwo Strikes795.2131535.213.311.304.615.34046
217Andrew McCutchenTwo Strikes760.2131741.213.301.341.642.31347
218Brandon PhillipsTwo Strikes1293.2132804.213.268.300.568.29954
219Alex SanchezTwo Strikes343.213659.213.260.284.544.33555
220Mike SciosciaTwo Strikes448.213737.213.259.281.540.26254
221Barry BondsTwo Strikes2209.2124181.212.354.428.782.28050
222Kent HrbekTwo Strikes676.2121168.212.328.320.647.28856
223Chipper JonesTwo Strikes2103.2124019.212.321.366.687.31049
224Howie KendrickTwo Strikes919.2121938.212.253.296.549.33146
225Jonathan LucroyTwo Strikes476.212970.212.258.300.558.28943

--

For entire career, Two Strikes (within Count/Balls-Strikes), (requiring AB≥500), sorted by greatest On-Base Plus Slugging for this split
The link to your saved query/report is:
RkIPlayerSplitGOPSPABAOBPSLGOPSBAbiptOPS+
1Barry BondsTwo Strikes2209.7824181.212.354.428.782.28050
2Todd HeltonTwo Strikes2046.7704488.258.344.426.770.33362
3Albert PujolsTwo Strikes1808.7703712.252.317.453.770.29454
4Tony GwynnTwo Strikes1259.7412053.302.340.401.741.33875
5Manny RamirezTwo Strikes2105.7374806.226.322.414.737.33749
6Edgar MartinezTwo Strikes1863.7204069.239.342.377.720.33355
7Jeff BagwellTwo Strikes1930.7194220.216.334.385.719.32553
8Frank ThomasTwo Strikes2083.7134451.215.335.378.713.29048
9Matt CarpenterTwo Strikes320.712766.257.332.381.712.36272
10Rafael PalmeiroTwo Strikes2249.7054473.221.314.391.705.28161
11Miguel CabreraTwo Strikes1607.7043360.230.309.395.704.35147
12Nomar GarciaparraTwo Strikes1134.7002035.249.301.399.700.32460
13Magglio OrdonezTwo Strikes1618.6993143.241.319.380.699.31762
14Albert BelleTwo Strikes1322.6982642.209.306.393.698.29753
15Brian GilesTwo Strikes1569.6952995.217.337.358.695.29056
16Gary SheffieldTwo Strikes2200.6944453.224.321.373.694.27854
17Rusty GreerTwo Strikes911.6921932.236.324.368.692.32161
18Bobby AbreuTwo Strikes2242.6915364.231.325.366.691.35259
19Mike TroutTwo Strikes385.690929.232.327.363.690.40246
20Chuck KnoblauchTwo Strikes1414.6893110.248.341.348.689.32076
21Dustin PedroiaTwo Strikes1017.6892330.256.322.367.689.30770
22David OrtizTwo Strikes1880.6884169.210.305.383.688.31050
23Mark GraceTwo Strikes1733.6873021.244.330.356.687.30167
24Chipper JonesTwo Strikes2103.6874019.212.321.366.687.31049
25Chase UtleyTwo Strikes1295.6872870.227.308.378.687.31459
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