Ryan Howard: the personification of feast or famine

[Mr. Happy]

.250 avg. 48 dingers 146 ribbies 19 errors 198 K's

[VirtualBob]

.250 avg. 48 dingers 146 ribbies 19 errors 198 K's

Reminds me of Harmon Killebrew, but I don't think even he was ever that extreme.

[Mr. Happy]

Reminds me of Harmon Killebrew, but I don't think even he was ever that extreme.

Killer had a 30 error season at the third sack in 1959.

[strosrays]

I don't remember Killebrew being a particularly bad 1B.  At third base, well, he was something to see.

When I think of "feast or famine", a guy like Dave Kingman comes to mind.  One thing about Howard, he takes a lot of walks, like Killebrew did.  They are/were creating some offensive value when not hitting home runs, even hitting .250.

[VirtualBob]

Killer had a 30 error season at the first sack in 1959.

And I looked up his numbers after my post.  In 1962 (I think), which is pretty much in the sweet spot of my junior high baseball mania, he hammered 48 HR with well over 100 RBI's & K's.  Not quite Howard's numbers, but close.  He was also 3rd in the MVP voting that year.

And the difference between both these guys and Kingman was that Ryan & Harmon are/were genuine stars.  Kingman was mediocre even with his towering drives.

[Mr. Happy]

I don't remember Killebrew being a particularly bad 1B.  At third base, well, he was something to see.

When I think of "feast or famine", a guy like Dave Kingman comes to mind.  One thing about Howard, he takes a lot of walks, like Killebrew did.  They are/were creating some offensive value when not hitting home runs, even hitting .250.

I corrected my earlier post. In 59, Killebrew played 3B and made 30 errors. Kingman was feast or famine, although he had some decent years toward the end of his career.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

I had always remembered Harmon Killebrew as a big guy, like Boog Powell, or Frank Howard. I was surprised to see in baseball-reference.com he was only 5'11". Built like a tank, though.

[BUWebguy]

I'm surprised to see Howard's even at .250. That's taken a nice hot streak to even get that high.

[strosrays]

In 1963, for Minnesota, Killebrew hit 45 HRs and drove in 96 runs.  That was the record for most home runs in a season by a player who did not drive in at least 100 runs.  It was broken in 2006 by Alfonso Soriano, for Washington, who hit 46 HRs and drove in 95 runs.

The thing is, Soriano was the Nats leadoff hitter in 2006, so it is kind of understandable how he didn't make it to 100 RBIs.  Killebrew, on the other hand, batted 3rd or 4th most of the 1963 season for the Twins, a team that led the AL in runs scored by a wide margin.

That team had a wide distribution of both RBIs and runs scored.  In fact, it would be interesting to know how many teams in the modern era have led their league in runs with no individual player either scoring or driving in 100 runs.  I'm guessing not too many, but I could be wrong.  I'm too lazy to research it.

[mihoba]

In 1963, for Minnesota, Killebrew hit 45 HRs and drove in 96 runs.  That was the record for most home runs in a season by a player who did not drive in at least 100 runs.  It was broken in 2006 by Alfonso Soriano, for Washington, who hit 46 HRs and drove in 95 runs.

The thing is, Soriano was the Nats leadoff hitter in 2006, so it is kind of understandable how he didn't make it to 100 RBIs.  Killebrew, on the other hand, batted 3rd or 4th most of the 1963 season for the Twins, a team that led the AL in runs scored by a wide margin.

That team had a wide distribution of both RBIs and runs scored.  In fact, it would be interesting to know how many teams in the modern era have led their league in runs with no individual player either scoring or driving in 100 runs.  I'm guessing not too many, but I could be wrong.  I'm too lazy to research it.

That is strange. No real high average hitters as Tony Oliva was just a rookie, and no real leadoff type guy with speed. Cesar Tovar came along later. Plenty of power though.

No real surprise that Oliva hit .323 with 109 runs scored hitting in front of Killebrew and Allison the next year in his ROY campaign.

[Lumpus]

.250 avg. 48 dingers 146 ribbies 19 errors 198 K's

Actually that sounds just like a modern Rob Deer to me, albeit with a better batting average.  I thought it resembled Dave Kingman too, but his K numbers were never quite that bad.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Actually that sounds just like a modern Rob Deer to me, albeit with a better batting average.  I thought it resembled Dave Kingman too, but his K numbers were never quite that bad.

Just looking at the numbers for one year is not being fair to Howard, Rob Deer never really came close being to the kind of hitter Ryan Howard is.

[TheWizard]

198Ks.  That is not too shabby...