A question for Fans of baseball

[Diesel]

I just been checking out some of the going ons of baseball this year..and I started to think, what's the hardest feat in baseball. Here's some that I came up with.

[coachx]

Atlanta fans say the Jones duo hit back to back homers many a time. So I can't go there. I saw Bob Horner hit 4 homers in a game and have seen many a player hit 3 in a game.

I went with steal home as the toughest b/c switch hitters have a better chance to hit a homer from both side of the plate then they would stealing home.

Now if your NOT A SWITCH HITTER, I would guess hitting a homer form both side of the plate is the toughest to do.

One thing I put on top of them all is pitching a perfect game with no hits or walks in the steroid era. (Needs 9 innings of consistent perfection instead of a few good swings.) Remember every warning track fly ball turns into a homerun and several ground ball outs are now hit hard enough to just make it through the infield for a hit. Plus the strike zone was shrunk from what it was for the last 125 years to make it easier to get a walk. Pitchers have had it stacked against them for a while now.

Edited May 5, 2009 by coachx

[macdaddy]

It depends on whether we are judging degree of diffculty or probability of it happenning. I went for the cycle as the most difficult to accomplish. The back to back to back involves 3 players hitting a single home run each which they do all the time. Its just unlikely they do it in a row. Switch hitting homers is a guy hitting two in a game which again is not likely but to me not as difficult as the cycle. I thought about stealing home but in my opinion that involves as much luck as it does skill.

The cycle is amazing because its 4 hits in a game which by itself is difficult, but also requires power and speed.

[frosgrim]

It depends on whether we are judging degree of diffculty or probability of it happenning. I went for the cycle as the most difficult to accomplish. The back to back to back involves 3 players hitting a single home run each which they do all the time. Its just unlikely they do it in a row. Switch hitting homers is a guy hitting two in a game which again is not likely but to me not as difficult as the cycle. I thought about stealing home but in my opinion that involves as much luck as it does skill.

The cycle is amazing because its 4 hits in a game which by itself is difficult, but also requires power and speed.

I too went with the cycle, mainly due to hitting a triple, which is as much luck as it is anything else.

Stealing home is an art.

I think it was in the early or mid-1990s when KC was doing it w/ surprising regularity. I think Hal McRae was the manager and he had some sort of system that the base runner could use to set the pitcher up and get the steal. System means you can learn it, thus reducing the influence of luck. Unlike the triple which no one can hit with any sort of regularity.

[Diesel]

Atlanta fans say the Jones duo hit back to back homers many a time. So I can't go there. I saw Bob Horner hit 4 homers in a game and have seen many a player hit 3 in a game.

I went with steal home as the toughest b/c switch hitters have a better chance to hit a homer from both side of the plate then they would stealing home.

Now if your NOT A SWITCH HITTER, I would guess hitting a homer form both side of the plate is the toughest to do.

One thing I put on top of them all is pitching a perfect game with no hits or walks in the steroid era. (Needs 9 innings of consistent perfection instead of a few good swings.) Remember every warning track fly ball turns into a homerun and several ground ball outs are now hit hard enough to just make it through the infield for a hit. Plus the strike zone was shrunk from what it was for the last 125 years to make it easier to get a walk. Pitchers have had it stacked against them for a while now.

Well, the ones I picked are "ripped from the headlines" sorta.

In a game earlier this year a guy hit for the cycle and a team hit back to back to back homeruns.

BTW, it wasn't just back to back HRs..

It was back to back to back homeruns. I count that as rare because usually a team changes pitchers after a back to back. Moreover, most teams don' t have their power hitters set up that way.

The cycle is just hard... no matter how you look at it.

I wouldn't go with the perfect game. I don't remember the last time there was one.

the other night, a guy hit a HR from both sides... To me, that's special. I count hitting power as being one way. I remember when Switch hitters had like a .315 on one side and maybe a .220 on the other. Now a guy can hit for power either way. It's neat.

[coachx]

I wouldn't go with the perfect game. I don't remember the last time there was one.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/rare_feats/...re=perfect_game

Randy Johnson had the last one against our Braves. I was at the freaking game and still have the ticket stub. It was painful to watch being a Braves fan but atleast you knew you were watching history.

I was also at the game where, for the first time, 3 pitchers combined for a no hitter. I believe Kent Merker started, and Mike Stanton and A. Pena came on in relief. That was pretty cool to see too.

[AHF]

The cycle is definitely doable.

In 2009, 3 guys have already hit for the cycle.

In 2008 - 5 guys hit for the cycle.

A no hitter is MUCH rarer. Perfect games are crazy rare compared to either.

[AHF]

How often does the switchhitter thing happen?

[CBAreject]

The cycle is definitely doable.

In 2009, 3 guys have already hit for the cycle.

In 2008 - 5 guys hit for the cycle.

A no hitter is MUCH rarer. Perfect games are crazy rare compared to either.

If you consider that 8 (or 9) guys have a chance to hit for the cycle for a team on a given night when only 1 has a chance to pitch a no hitter, it could be considered harder to hit for the cycle, in terms of percentages.

HR from both sides of the plate in one game happens about 5-6 times a year. The last guy I remember hitting a HR from both sides in one inning was Carlos Baerga.

EDIT: Just looked it up. Apparently Mark Bellhorn also did it in one inning. Here is a list http://www.baseball-almanac.com/feats/feats20.shtml

If you look at the AL list, Nick Swisher has been the guy to do it almost every time for the last couple of years. He has done it 8 times in 3 years. For comparison's sake, consider that the best switch hitter of all time, Mickey Mantle, did it 10 times in his career. Eddie Murray holds the record with 11. Swisher is almost sure to surpass him.

Edited May 7, 2009 by CBAreject

[AHF]

Ha! Check out how that list explodes during the steroid era.

[coachx]

If you look at the AL list, Nick Swisher has been the guy to do it almost every time for the last couple of years. He has done it 8 times in 3 years. For comparison's sake, consider that the best switch hitter of all time, Mickey Mantle, did it 10 times in his career. Eddie Murray holds the record with 11. Swisher is almost sure to surpass him.

Wow ! Roid Head Ken Caminiti has Mickey tied at 10 !

[buckeye242424]

Speaking of rare things in baseball...I thought this would fall into that category.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=4145564