October 12, 2010

Doubles

The 2010 Red Sox hit 358 doubles. Only five teams in baseball history -- and only two non-Red Sox teams -- have hit more doubles in one season.

Boston hit 39 more than the second-place team (Blue Jays, 319) and a whopping 131 more than the lowly Padres (227).
 1   376   2008   Rangers
2 373 1930 Cardinals
373 1997 Red Sox
373 2004 Red Sox
5 371 2003 Red Sox
6 358 1930 Cleveland
358 2010 Red Sox
8 357 1936 Cleveland
357 2003 Blue Jays
357 2006 Rangers
11 355 1921 Cleveland
Adrian Beltre led all MLB hitters with 49, which was also good for the 9th-best season in team history.

The Red Sox record is also the MLB record: 67, by Earl Webb, at age 33, in 1931. Webb hit 20 more doubles than any other player that year. It's one of the least-known "unbreakable" records; no one has hit as many as 60 doubles in 74 years. (Here is the SABR bio for the Earl of Doublin'.)

10 comments:

Dr. Jeff said...

Ok but what percentage is at home? The Wall might have something to do with it, right?

allan said...

Ok but what percentage is at home?

B-Ref is your friend, yo.

Home - 189 (52.8%)
Road - 169

Check out 2003 and 2004!

2003
Home - 216
Road - 155

2004
Home - 218
Road - 155

Dr. Jeff said...

Hey, we have JOS, who needs B-Ref! Thanks!

FenFan said...

The Red Sox record is also the MLB record: 67, by Earl Webb, at age 33, in 1931.

I somewhat remember Webb being a baseball oddity, so I also looked at his B-Ref page.

He hit 30 doubles the year before and 28 the following season, splitting his time between Boston and Detroit. In his seven-year career, he hit 155 doubles, so he collected 43% of his career total in one season... and set the record doing it!

Oh, and why he was traded the following season, according to the Bullpen, was to get Dale Alexander who, like Webb, was a doubles hitter with a short career.

Cool stuff!

allan said...

Hey, we have JOS, who needs B-Ref! Thanks!

I should collect 50 cents from each of you to pay for my Play Index subscription! :>)

allan said...

& "The Earl of Doublin'" is a great nickname!!

Fenway Park existed then, but there was no "Green Monster" yet off which to hit doubles."

It was not green, but hasn't FP always had a big-ass wall in left? The third picture down on this post is from 1917-1918. The 4th one is from 1912. Maybe it was not quite 37 feet high -- though it might have been -- but there was a high wall there that was not in CF or RF.

laura k said...

Hey, we have JOS, who needs B-Ref! Thanks!

Do we need a "let me B-Ref that for you" button?

laura k said...

Is there a way to know how many potential home runs or doubles were turned into singles by the Wall?

9casey said...

L-girl said...
Is there a way to know how many potential home runs or doubles were turned into singles by the Wall?



I think that would invove alot of physics.........yuck

Dr. Jeff said...

Re: $0.50. I would donate, but it is an ad-free blog with no tip jar. Keep on keepin' on.

p.s. Weird hearing Orsillo but watching TX vs. FL