Biggio and Home Runs

[ValpoCory]

Craig Biggio has now hit 15 or more home runs in 11 of the last 12 seasons.  The only outlier was his injury shortened 2000 season.

His career total is up to 275, a nice total.  ESPN.com lists his 2006 season pace now at 22 home runs.  If Bidge hits 22 this year, he would only be 18 home runs away from 300 heading into 2007.  


The Link

[ValpoCory]

Another Biggio stat ... during this latest Astros streak where they have won 5 of 7 games, Biggio has started in all of the wins and not started in both of the losses.

[mihoba]

Which brings up the next easy trivia question.

How many players have hit over 300 home runs and have over 400 stolen bases in a career?

[MusicMan]

Bobby and Barry Bonds.

[mihoba]

Exactly. Rare air indeed. Little Joe didn't make that list, and neither did Rickey "The Greatist". Nor RyneBerg.

Career highs in HR's the last two years. The Crawfords have been nice to Pigpen.

[Trey]

Quote:
Bobby and Barry Bonds.

I'm sorry, you forgot to phrase your response in the form of a number.

2

[ValpoCory]

Quote:
Which brings up the next easy trivia question.

How many players have hit over 300 home runs and have over 400 stolen bases in a career?

There have been 65 players in MLB history to steal 400 SB and over 100 to hit 300 home runs.

Nobody ahead of Barry Bonds on the SB list has hit 300 home runs.  Bonds is the only member of the 500 SB - 300 HR club.

The only other player who qualifies as a member of the 400 SB - 300 HR club ... is Bobby Bonds (461 SB, 332 HR).

Biggio could be the 3rd, and the first non-Bonds.

[mihoba]

Quote:

Quote:
Bobby and Barry Bonds.

I'm sorry, you forgot to phrase your response in the form of a number.

2

You are correct, forget those pesky names!

Rename the Crawfords to Biggio's Bleachers.

[mihoba]

Quote:
Bonds is the only member of the 500 SB - 300 HR club.
 

Big Head Barry is the only member of the 500 SB - 700 HR club.

[BudGirl]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:
Bobby and Barry Bonds.

I'm sorry, you forgot to phrase your response in the form of a number.

2

You are correct, forget those pesky names!

Rename the Crawfords to Biggio's Bleachers.

I like that idea, a lot.

[drew corleone]

Quote:
Exactly. Rare air indeed. Little Joe didn't make that list, and neither did Rickey "The Greatist". Nor RyneBerg.

Career highs in HR's the last two years. The Crawfords have been nice to Pigpen.

Yeah, but it's not like the vast majority weren't legit. Now the one last night... quintessential Crawford Boxes tater. But I'll take it.

[David in Jackson]

Biggio has 10 HRs at home this year, 5 on the road.  The split last year was even more dramatic (though I can't find it quickly).

[jaklewein]

 The Crawfords have been nice to Pigpen.

Exactly.  It seems the park was made for him.  To that point, the term "dead-pull hitter"...look that up in the dictionary, well, a baseball dictionary if there is such a thing and you'll find a picture of Craig.

[JimR]

he would make the HOF as a workup player, too.

[jaklewein]

He did it again...unbelievable!

[hostros7]

Has he hit one at MMPUS not into the C-boxes this season?

[Limey]

Quote:
Rename the Crawfords to Biggio's Bleachers.

Is that similar to Blum's Fake Blonds?

[JackAstro]

Quote:
Has he hit one at MMPUS not into the C-boxes this season?

Nope. In fact, if you look at all the years at once, he's hit 50 at MMPUS, and all but about 5 have gone into the boxes. One went to right field, and a few went just to the right of the boxes, over the visitors' bullpen.

[WulawHorn]

Yeah- but I get tired of guys like JDJO and the idiot callers acting like Craig is getting a ton of cheapies.  I charted it like 2 years ago and he probably only snuck 3 or 4 out that wouldn't have been out of any ballpark.  All of his power is to that area, and  a ton of times he hits balls up onto the concourse, or line shots into the 6th row that are still going hard (and 20 feet up) that would have been HR's anywhere.  I think I notice it more on the road, like in SD when Roberts brought that ball back and you think- well, that would have been gone anywhere.

And btw- Workup is like the greatest game ever. I used to love that in practice.  It made practice actually fun.

[strosrays]

Quote:

Quote:
Which brings up the next easy trivia question.

How many players have hit over 300 home runs and have over 400 stolen bases in a career?

There have been 65 players in MLB history to steal 400 SB and over 100 to hit 300 home runs.

Nobody ahead of Barry Bonds on the SB list has hit 300 home runs.  Bonds is the only member of the 500 SB - 300 HR club.

The only other player who qualifies as a member of the 400 SB - 300 HR club ... is Bobby Bonds (461 SB, 332 HR).

Biggio could be the 3rd, and the first non-Bonds.

Bobby Bonds was better than any of 'em.  My "funnest" player ever to watch.  I can't even think of a modern comp.

Barry (allegedly) achieved the bulk his numbers while using performance enhancers like anabolic steroids and HGH.  Bobby Bonds accumulated his while using only Easy Jesus.  And lots of it.  Allegedly.

[strosrays]

Quote:
Yeah- but I get tired of guys like JDJO and the idiot callers acting like Craig is getting a ton of cheapies.

Adjusting to the park, changing one's style to take advantage of the surroundings, hitting the ball to the specific place you are trying to hit it -- to me, these are positive, admirable traits.  I think its funny Ortiz apparently considers it a form of cheating.

[WulawHorn]

If Craig's surname was hernandez then JDJO would consider it an admirable trait.  It's funny to me when he claims racism yet is the most racist guy in the media, in this market, in my opinion.

[WulawHorn]

Plus- JDJO isn't smart enough to realize that much of what is going on with Bidge and his increase in HR's is b/c he has had to change his approach to deal with father time.

[pravata]

Quote:

Quote:
Has he hit one at MMPUS not into the C-boxes this season?

Nope. In fact, if you look at all the years at once, he's hit 50 at MMPUS, and all but about 5 have gone into the boxes. One went to right field, and a few went just to the right of the boxes, over the visitors' bullpen.

They're sittin right there.  Why wouldn't he?  As for JdeJO and ilk, those stands aren't rolled out just for Biggio.  They've also ruined more than one hitter's swing.

[mihoba]

Quote:
They've also ruined more than one hitter's swing.

And at least one pitcher's career.

[JackAstro]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:
Has he hit one at MMPUS not into the C-boxes this season?

Nope. In fact, if you look at all the years at once, he's hit 50 at MMPUS, and all but about 5 have gone into the boxes. One went to right field, and a few went just to the right of the boxes, over the visitors' bullpen.

They're sittin right there.  Why wouldn't he?  As for JdeJO and ilk, those stands aren't rolled out just for Biggio.  They've also ruined more than one hitter's swing.

You'll get no argument from me. I think it's damn impressive that his aim is so good. Perhaps JdJO would prefer that players hit over or around them to legitimize their power. If so, maybe he should recommend that the boxes function as an extended peninsula of foul territory jutting into the field of play... something like this. It's probably no crazier than the hill and the flag pole. Personally, I think he's full of shit - the park clearly needs a moat instead of a warning track. The boxes are fine as is.

[pravata]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:
Has he hit one at MMPUS not into the C-boxes this season?

Nope. In fact, if you look at all the years at once, he's hit 50 at MMPUS, and all but about 5 have gone into the boxes. One went to right field, and a few went just to the right of the boxes, over the visitors' bullpen.

They're sittin right there.  Why wouldn't he?  As for JdeJO and ilk, those stands aren't rolled out just for Biggio.  They've also ruined more than one hitter's swing.

You'll get no argument from me. I think it's damn impressive that his aim is so good. Perhaps JdJO would prefer that players hit over or around them to legitimize their power. If so, maybe he should recommend that the boxes function as an extended peninsula of foul territory jutting into the field of play... something like this. It's probably no crazier than the hill and the flag pole. Personally, I think he's full of shit - the park clearly needs a moat instead of a warning track. The boxes are fine as is.

All about the bat speed.  Which is fun because about 4 years ago I was reading about how his bat speed had dropped below what a major leaguers should be.  I had a fun conversation with Gerry Hunsicker about that at the time, he said how can you tell bat speed by watching on TV?

[ValpoCory]

Quote:
Biggio has 10 HRs at home this year, 5 on the road.  The split last year was even more dramatic (though I can't find it quickly).

19 home vs. 7 away in 2005.

However, Biggio first hit more home home runs at MMP than road homers in 2004.   It took him a couple years to get this way.

Edit: added Link
The Link

[Alkie]

Yeah, over the last 6 years, he's only averaged 2.7 more HRs at home than on the road.

Big deal.

[Arky Vaughan]

Quote:
Yeah, over the last 6 years, he's only averaged 2.7 more HRs at home than on the road.

Big deal.

Plus, if there were an issue here, it would be measured by how well Biggio hits homers at Minute Maid versus everybody else.

Biggio has hit 3.5 homers per 100 at-bats at Minute Maid. The average at Minute Maid since 2000 has been 3.6 homers per 100 at-bats.

So Biggio is about at the average among everybody who hits there. What's so cheap about that?

[strosrays]

Quote:

Quote:
Yeah, over the last 6 years, he's only averaged 2.7 more HRs at home than on the road.

Big deal.

Plus, if there were an issue here, it would be measured by how well Biggio hits homers at Minute Maid versus everybody else.

Biggio has hit 3.5 homers per 100 at-bats at Minute Maid. The average at Minute Maid since 2000 has been 3.6 homers per 100 at-bats.

So Biggio is about at the average among everybody who hits there. What's so cheap about that?

I'm curious what the HR/AB ratio is for left-handed hitters.  For all the hoo-ha about the Crawford boxes and a short porch in left, I've had the impression the park really benefits lefties.  The ball seems to fly out of there to right and right-center.

[austro]

Quote:
I'm curious what the HR/AB ratio is for left-handed hitters.  For all the hoo-ha about the Crawford boxes and a short porch in left, I've had the impression the park really benefits lefties.  The ball seems to fly out of there to right and right-center.

I thought that somebody presented numbers not too long ago that show that MMPUS depresses numbers for lefties, and that the park actually plays below league average (for home runs) to right field.  I think the Huff and Scott shots a couple nights ago are actually quite exceptional.  But, hey, it's Friday and I may not be remembering things correctly.

I'm off to Dell Diamond to watch Albers.  Everybody have a good weekend.

[WulawHorn]

Yes- MMP depresses home runs and slugging percentage for left handed hitters, leaguewide.  Berkman in particular has spoken about that at least 2 or 3 times, that it pisses him off when people talk about HR's at MMP being easy when in reality, for lefties at least, or non pull hitting right handers it is difficult.

Also, the ball, I think, carries much less with the roof open then with it closed.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

If a homer counts the same whether it is hit 315 feet or 500 feet. Then no one should care how far one is hit. To comment on the validity of one homer compared to another is a mentality that I can not understand. The value is the same, so one is just as valid and the next. That being said, I'm glad the ol' boy knows just how hard to hit one and save his strength. It proves Biggio is a smart player in that he knows just how hard to swing to clear the fence. No waisted effort hitting it farther than necessary.

[JimR]

exactly. these holier than thou folks should talk about Yankee Stadium's 296' to RF.

[No? in Austin]

Quote:
exactly. these holier than thou folks should talk about Yankee Stadium's 296' to RF.

Or Bobby Thompson's "shot heard round the world".