Can Joey Votto hit .500...

[AtomicDumpling]

It is an interesting question. I imagine if Votto were to stop worrying about his OBP and SLG to concentrate 100% on his Batting Average he could hit .400 if he really tried. I think he has the talent and the skill to do it. Lucky for us though, Joey is plenty smart enough to realize that OBP and SLG are far more important than batting average.

[RedLegsToday]

Well, Joey finally dropped under .500 last night. Now 43-87 over his last 24 games. Still, 42-84 over his last 23 starting from May 24.

A couple of other tidbits from this run:

Started with a 15 game hitting streak, in which Joey hit 29-53, .547. Which means, that, even with the 0-4 on June 10, Joey stayed over .500.
I was also wrong on my first comment, he slipped to 35-71 and 36-74 (.486), before going 3-4 on June 17 to get him back to .500. But, if you start from May 25 (a 4-4), then he hasn't dropped below .500.

[RedLegsToday]

Also, I love the fact that Joey's career high in doubles for a season is 40, and that he already has 30 in 67 games this year. :-) On pace for 72.5. Reds record is 51, I believe. No one has hit 60 in a year since 1936 (Joe Medwick set the NL record with 64 that year).

[redsmetz]

Also, I love the fact that Joey's career high in doubles for a season is 40, and that he already has 30 in 67 games this year. :-) On pace for 72.5. Reds record is 51, I believe. No one has hit 60 in a year since 1936 (Joe Medwick set the NL record with 64 that year).

Fractions sort of breakdown in this situation. That 72 and a half doubles would be 72 doubles and another single, I think.

[MikeThierry]

I can't recall any player hitting over .500 in a given month, playing full time. I can't find even the greatest players of all time doing that. Votto is having a great year no doubt that I would almost say it's impossible to hit .500 for a month.

[Cyclone792]

I can't recall any player hitting over .500 in a given month, playing full time. I can't find even the greatest players of all time doing that. Votto is having a great year no doubt that I would almost say it's impossible to hit .500 for a month.

I just took a quick glance at a few guys:

George Sisler hit .526 in June 1920.

Ty Cobb hit .521 in July 1918. Splits are not available for Cobb prior to 1918, but my guess is he likely hit over .500 in a month at least one other time. IIRC, there may have been reports of him hitting nearly .500 well into the summer of 1911. He finished 1911 hitting .420 so it's certainly possible that he hit over .500 during one of those months.

Rogers Hornsby hit .509 in August 1924.

There may be a few others as well, but that's what a quick search turned up for me.

[MikeThierry]

I just took a quick glance at a few guys:

George Sisler hit .526 in June 1920.

Ty Cobb hit .521 in July 1918. Splits are not available for Cobb prior to 1918, but my guess is he likely hit over .500 in a month at least one other time. IIRC, there may have been reports of him hitting nearly .500 well into the summer of 1911. He finished 1911 hitting .420 so it's certainly possible that he hit over .500 during one of those months.

Rogers Hornsby hit .509 in August 1924.

There may be a few others as well, but that's what a quick search turned up for me.

Anyone in the modern era, because I can't find anyone. As you pointed out, there were some guys back in the 20's when the game was completely different but what those guys did back then have very little to do with how the modern ball player plays.

[Cyclone792]

Anyone in the modern era, because I can't find anyone. As you pointed out, there were some guys back in the 20's when the game was completely different but what those guys did back then have very little to do with how the modern ball player plays.

Actually, I would consider those years to be "the modern era". Pretty much once the foul-strike rule was implemented across MLB by 1903, the modern era takes shape.

[dougdirt]

Actually, I would consider those years to be "the modern era". Pretty much once the foul-strike rule was implemented across MLB by 1903, the modern era takes shape.

Well until you add in that until the league was truly integrated it wasn't really the best game around.

[MikeThierry]

Actually, I would consider those years to be "the modern era". Pretty much once the foul-strike rule was implemented across MLB by 1903, the modern era takes shape.

I consider the modern era in baseball starting in 1947. After that year, all the best players were able to play instead of just a select group based on color of skin.

[MikeThierry]

I would even go so far to say that it started in 1969 or so when they lowered the mound. After that, the type of game that went on during that time most mirror's the type of game we see today.

[Benihana]

Is Votto the best hitter in Reds history? Methinks yes.

True he has to continue to do it for more years, but has any Reds hitter been more dominant over a three year period than Votto has 2010-present?

[Cyclone792]

Well until you add in that until the league was truly integrated it wasn't really the best game around.

I consider the modern era in baseball starting in 1947. After that year, all the best players were able to play instead of just a select group based on color of skin.

A small percentage of black players joining MLB isn't going to significantly change what the game's best players are capable of doing. No evidence exists that says otherwise. The game's dominant players continued to dominate in the same fashion before and after integration. The only thing that changed was the style of play (less BA driven and more power driven).

Nevertheless, if you choose to ignore the game before 1947, then you're just shortchanging yourself.

[Cyclone792]

Is Votto the best hitter in Reds history? Methinks yes.

True he has to continue to do it for more years, but has any Reds hitter been more dominant over a three year period than Votto has 2010-present?

As a hitter, this three year stretch from Votto may be the best ever. As a total offensive force, Morgan's run from 1974-76 may still be ahead of Votto. Those 185 stolen bases during those three yeras at an 86 percent clip from Morgan drives up his value quite a bit.

[MikeThierry]

A small percentage of black players joining MLB isn't going to significantly change what the game's best players are capable of doing. No evidence exists that says otherwise. The game's dominant players continued to dominate in the same fashion before and after integration. The only thing that changed was the style of play (less BA driven and more power driven).

Nevertheless, if you choose to ignore the game before 1947, then you're just shortchanging yourself.

I'm not ignoring the game prior to 1947. I'm just saying it's pointless to compare what players do today to those players back in the 20's and 30's. It's just a different game, period. What Ty Cobb hit in 1918 has no bearing on what Joey Votto does in 2012. However, what George Brett did in 1985 has more relevance to what Joey Votto is doing this year.