Should the Astros change their name?
Astros owner Jim Crane created some news Monday when he told reporters the team is considering changing its name upon moving to the American League in 2013. The Houston franchise began as the Colt .45′s in 1962 and changed its name to Astros when it moved into the Astrodome three years later.
The Astros are changing leagues and likely will have new uniforms in 2013, and now perhaps even a new name. Let us know what you think about the Astros possibly changing names by taking our poll:
Astros lower ticket prices
The Astros on Monday announced several new, fan-friendly initiatives, including a reduction in ticket prices, rebates for season ticket holders and a revised policy on bringing food and beverages into Minute Maid Park.
“We feel this is the right thing to do,” Astros owner Jim Crane said. “It is one way for us to let our fans know how vital they are to our success, and to let them know we’ve been listening to them.”
NEW FOOD & BEVERAGE POLICY
Fans are now allowed to bring food and water into Minute Maid Park for Astros games. Food must be transported in a small, clear (see-through) plastic bag, and water must be in a sealed, plastic bottle, being one liter or less in size. One bottle of water per person is allowed. The Astros new policy now mirrors that of most Major League ballparks.
Additionally, the Astros have expanded the $5 beer special to include every permanent concession stand and permanent bar at Minute Maid Park where domestic beer is sold.
SEASON TICKET REBATES
As a special thank you for their loyalty and commitment, the Astros will issue five percent rebates to full-season and 27-game season ticket accounts that are renewed by January 31, 2012. Those rebates will be distributed in the form of a gift card that can be used to purchase food, merchandise or individual game tickets at Minute Maid Park.
REDUCTION IN TICKET PRICING
The 2012 season will bring a reduction in the cost of over 5,000 seats at Minute Maid Park, in comparison to the start of the 2011 season.
The Astros low-priced, Outfield Deck seats have been reduced even lower, now costing $5 for adults and $1 for children ages 3-14 (adult tickets were $7 in 2011). With this reduction, a family of four can now attend an Astros game for $12, which is the best everyday value in the Houston sports market and less than a single movie theater ticket in some instances.
In August, with the consultation of Crane, the Astros made a significant reduction in the price of a large number of Field and Club Level seats at Minute Maid Park for 2012. Seats in the newly-created Field Box II sections are now priced at $29, down from $41 in 2011. And, with the creation of the new Power Club, located on the exclusive Club Level, fans have the opportunity to purchase a $35 ticket that includes a $15 credit for food, beverage and retail items. Those same seats were $46 in 2011, with no added credit.
VALUE TICKET OPTIONS RETURN
The Astros will also continue to offer several of the popular ticket specials that have been available in recent years in an effort to make Astros games affordable to all fans.
Price Matters Days presented by H-E-B
This offer, which is available for every Monday through Thursday Astros game, includes one View Deck II ticket, one hot dog, a bag of H-E-B chips and one soda for just $10, which represents a savings of over 50%. Also, for $10 more, fans can purchase a lower level seat in the Bullpen Boxes.
All You Can Eat
For $30, this deal includes a Mezzanine game ticket and unlimited hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts, nachos, soda and water and is available for every home game. Groups of 20 or more are eligible to purchase this package for just $25.
Coca-Cola Value Zone
This offer, which is available for every Friday, Saturday and Sunday game, includes a Mezzanine ticket and Astros cap, as well as a hot dog and Coke product beverage for $20.
POWERADE Double Play Tuesdays
This popular offer, which is available every Tuesday, features two Outfield Deck tickets for just $2. Additionally on Tuesdays, fans can now also purchase two Field Box II tickets for just $40, which is new in 2012.
9-Inning Lunch Break
This package is offered for weekday, 1:05 p.m. games and includes a Field Box ticket and $20 in Minute Maid Park food and beverage vouchers, which is a $61 value, for just $45, a savings of $16 per ticket.
Dynamic Pricing
This offer is available for every Astros home game for select seats. Prices, which fluctuate based on demand, can represent up to 50% in savings per ticket.
Special Fundraising Pricing
The Astros offer special fundraising opportunities to charities and community organizations, which can earn up to $10 per ticket by selling discounted Astros tickets.
Group Ticket Specials
With the Astros Group Ticket Program, groups of 20 or more can purchase discounted tickets. Group discounts can be as high as 50% per ticket, depending on the size of the group.
Spring Training tickets on sale Saturday
Individual tickets for 2012 Astros Spring Training home games will be available for purchase by the public on Saturday , beginning at 9 a.m. CT.
The Astros open the 2012 Grapefruit League season at home on March 3 vs. the Washington Nationals at 12:05 p.m. CT at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. This year marks Houston’s 28th season in sunny Kissimmee. Workouts for pitchers and catchers in Kissimmee, which are open to the public at no charge, begin on February 20.
Tickets, which are priced the same as last spring, can be purchased in several ways: online at www.astros.com; at the Osceola County Stadium box office (home games only); by telephone at 1-800-745-3000 and in person at Florida Ticketmaster outlets (home and road games). The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET and on all game days.
Osceola County Stadium ticket prices for individual games are: $24 for Dugout Box Seats, $22 for Outfield Box Seats, $20 for Upper Reserved Seats and $15 for Outfield Reserved Seats. Please note that tickets to any of the four premium games (Phillies, Cardinals, Yankees and March 27 game vs. the Tigers) are $3 higher per ticket.
PROMOTIONS
The 2012 spring schedule once again includes giveaways and promotions for fans of all ages. On March 6 vs. the Mets, the first 2,000 fans will receive an Astros Visor, and on March 13 vs. the Phillies, the first 2,000 fans will receive an Astros Drawstring Backpack. Both giveaway items are compliments of Holiday Inn Main Gate East.
Following the three Astros Sunday home games (March 11, 18, 25), the Kids Run the Bases promotion will give kids the opportunity to run the bases . The Astros are also offering Value Days for fans on several dates. A ‘2 for $28’ special offer will be available on four dates (March 6, 18, 23, 28) and includes two outfield reserve tickets, two hot dogs and two Coca-Cola fountain drinks for $28. Additionally, the popular ‘All You Can Eat’ promotion is back and will be offered on the following four dates: March 5, 9, 15, 30.
ATTRACTIVE SCHEDULE
The Astros Spring Training schedule includes 15 home dates, with eight of those games landing on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, making it convenient for Houstonians traveling to Florida in March.
Two popular opponents, the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, will visit Kissimmee on March 5 and 6, respectively, and will be followed by the Toronto Blue Jays (Friday, March 9) and A.L. Central Champion Detroit Tigers (Sunday, March 11). The Astros will then host the five-time defending NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies on March 13 and the Blue Jays again on March 15. The Mets return on Sunday, March 18, followed by the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals (March 20) and the Nationals on Friday, March 23. Another division rival, the Pittsburgh Pirates, will be in Kissimmee on Sunday, March 25, followed by the Tigers (March 27), the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins (March 28) and the Braves, who return for the second time on Friday, March 30. The Astros wrap up their Spring home schedule by hosting the AL East Champion New York Yankees, who will make their one visit of the Spring on Saturday, March 31.
TICKET INFORMATION, SPECIAL OFFERS, PRICES REMAIN SAME
Season tickets for Florida Spring Training games can be purchased now by calling 321-697-3201. Season ticket prices for all 15 games, which includes free parking, are as follows: $330 for Dugout Box Seats, $300 for Outfield Box Seats, $270 for Upper Reserved Seats and $225 for Outfield Reserved Seats.
Also available for purchase is the “Getaway Weekend Plan,” which includes tickets to all five Saturday and Sunday home games and is priced starting at $90 (includes free parking).
Cust “excited” to join Astros
Jack Cust, who signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the Astros with an option for 2013, was bubbling with excitement about his new team during an interview Wednesday with MLB.com
“I’m excited for it,” he said. “I feel like it energizes me. We’ve been talking to Houston for a little bit now, and I knew there was a prospect of me going down there. I feel I’m in good shape and ready to go. It’s definitely exciting going to a new league and in the Central division, which has a lot of very good teams.”
Cust, who is on a non-guaranteed Major League deal, appeared in 67 games before being cut loose by the Mariners last July, batting .213 with three homers and 23 RBIs. He spent the previous four seasons with the Oakland A’s, hitting 97 homers and driving in 281 runs in that span.
“Last year was a big disappointment for me after having some pretty good years the previous four seasons,” Cust said. “I never really had a year like last year and it motivates you. I feel like I’m a hard worker. I’m going to keep working hard and I’m excited to go out and show people I can still do what I know I can do, which what I’ve always done: hit the ball out of the ballpark and get on base and score runs.”
Cust said he hasn’t spoken to anyone with the Astros regarding his role with the club in 2012, but he wants to try to win a starting job. He could possibly get some time at first base, too.
“Whatever it is, you’ve got to get yourself ready to play,” he said. “I like to hit the ball to all fields, hit home runs and drive in runs and score runs. That’s what the game is all about on offense. I play hard every day and I want to play every day. That’s the name of the game to me, going out there and playing the game hard and leaving it all on the field. I’m excited to show the fans what I can do.”
Astros to kick off CAREavan Feb. 1
The Astros 2012 CAREavan will begin Feb. 1 with three full days of visits throughout central and south Texas, a trip to Oklahoma City, Okla. and five days in the Houston area. In addition to numerous private community stops, each day will include free public autograph sessions at Academy Sports and Outdoors stores.
The team will make two-day trips to Austin (Feb. 1-2), Brownsville, Harlingen and McAllen (Feb. 1-2) and San Antonio (Feb. 2-3), travel to Corpus Christi and Victoria (Feb. 3), and head to Oklahoma City (Feb. 6). The team’s annual winter trek will also visit five different communities in the Houston area (Feb. 6-10). More than 30 Astros players, alumni, coaches and front office staff will take part in the 2012 CAREavan. A summary of the team’s activities and the players participating are listed below and a list of stops open to the public is posted at www.astros.com/careavan.
The 2012 CAREavan is part of a two-week winter baseball festival that includes the annual Baseball Dinner and the Astros In Action Foundation’s FanFest. On Feb. 10, the Astros In Action Foundation and Minute Maid will host the 27th Annual Baseball Dinner benefiting the Grand Slam For Youth Baseball scholarship program. This year’s dinner will highlight 50 years of Houston baseball. Past Astros MVPs will be honored and the evening will feature awards given to current Astros and other area baseball standouts.
FanFest will be Feb. 11 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Minute Maid Park. The one-day fundraising event will feature autograph sessions, a garage sale of Astros merchandise, mystery grab bags and new experiences including the opportunity to run the bases. Fans will be able to meet the new ownership group and hear from Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow at Talkin’ Baseball sessions. Proceeds from FanFest benefit the Astros Urban Youth Academy. Information about CAREavan, the Baseball Dinner and FanFest is available at www.astros.com/community.
Here’s a list of CAREavan public appearances:
Feb. 1 – Austin
Jordan Lyles, J.B. Shuck, Kyle Weiland, Doug Brocail, Dave Raymond
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 5400 Brodie Lane, Austin.
- 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 1 – Brownsville
Jose Altuve, Jimmy Paredes, Fernando Rodriguez, Alex Trevino
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 4305 Old Hwy. 77, Brownsville.
- 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 2 – Harlingen and McAllen
Jose Altuve, Jimmy Paredes, Fernando Rodriguez, Alex Trevino
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 3901 Expressway 83, McAllen.
- 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 2 – San Antonio
Jarred Cosart, J.A. Happ, Humberto Quintero, Angel Sanchez, Larry Dierker, Brett Dolan
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 7523 Northwest Loop 410, San Antonio.
- 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 3 – Corpus Christi and Victoria
Brian Bogusevic, Chris Johnson, J.B. Shuck, Shane Reynolds, Milo Hamilton
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 8903 Navarro, Victoria.
- 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 6 – Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma City RedHawks Season Ticket Holder Reception
- 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Open to RedHawks season ticket holders
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 7700 South Walker, Oklahoma City, Okla.
- 7:15 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
- Open to fans
HOUSTON AREA STOPS
Feb. 6 – Houston
Jason Bourgeois, Bud Norris, Bobby Meacham, Brad Mills, Bob Watson, Jimmy Wynn, Jim Deshaies
Chick-fil-A, 2715 Southwest Fwy., Houston.
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Lunch service for fans
- Open to fans
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 2404 Southwest Fwy., Houston.
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to fans
Feb. 7 – Sugar Land
Chris Johnson, Bud Norris, Brett Wallace, Doug Brocail, Brett Dolan
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 23801 Brazos Town Crossing, Rosenberg.
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to all fans
Feb. 8 – Spring/The Woodlands
Brian Bogusevic, Jason Bourgeois, J.D. Martinez, Brad Mills, Jose Cruz, Jim Deshaies
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 1360 Lake Woodlands Dr., The Woodlands.
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to all fans
Feb. 9 – Cypress
Jed Lowrie, J.D. Martinez, Brad Mills, Alex Trevino, Jeff Luhnow, Bill Brown
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 19720 Northwest Fwy., Cypress.
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Open to all fans
Feb. 10 – Katy
Jason Castro, Jed Lowrie, Brett Wallace, Bill Brown
Academy Sports + Outdoors, 23155 I-10 West, Katy.
- 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Open to fans
Tickets available for Houston Baseball Dinner
Tickets are still available for the 2012 Houston Baseball Dinner Benefiting Grand Slam For Youth Baseball’s Scholarship Program, which will include a special celebration of the Astros 50th anniversary.
This year will mark the 27th season of the popular dinner, which will take place on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston. The event is sponsored by the Astros In Action Foundation and Minute Maid, with proceeds benefiting the Grand Slam For Youth Baseball Scholarship Program.
In addition to honoring the top players from the 2011 ballclub, this year’s dinner will include a special 50th anniversary tribute featuring Astros Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton and a long list of former Astros team MVPs, including Bob Watson, J.R. Richard, Jimmy Wynn, Larry Dierker, Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell, Bob Aspromonte and more. Phil Garner, manager of the 2005 NL championship team, will also be in attendance. Members of the 2011 Astros scheduled to attend include J.D. Martinez (Rookie of the Year), Wandy Rodriguez (Pitcher of the Year) and Jason Bourgeois (Darryl Kile Award) and manager Brad Mills. Former Astros Hunter Pence (2011 MVP) and Lance Berkman (Houston Area Player of the Year) will also be recognized at the event, but won’t attend.
Additionally, longtime Astros television broadcaster Bill Brown will receive the Fred Hartman Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball. 2011 marked Brown’s 25th season as the Astros play-by-play TV voice.
Houston Baseball Dinner co-founder Ivy McLemore, a long-time baseball writer who currently serves as a MLB official scorer, will receive the Allen Russell Distinguished Achievement Award. Brazoswood’s Bobby Williams will receive the Ray Knoblauch Award as the area’s outstanding high school coach in 2011.
2012 GREATER HOUSTON AREA PRESEASON HIGH SCHOOL TEAM, COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The event will also include the annual introduction of the 16-member All-Greater Houston Preseason High School Team as well as the Greater Houston Area’s Preseason College Player of the Year. Members of the Preseason High School team are as follows: SS Geonte Jackson, Fort Bend Elkins High School; 1B Austin Dean, Klein Collins High School; C Hunter Kopycinski, St. Thomas High School; RHP Kevin McCanna, The Woodlands High School; IF Leon Byrd, Cypress Ranch High School; OF Billy ‘Nick’ Williams, Galveston Ball High School; RHP Grayson Long, Barbers Hill High School; C-OF Boomer White, Memorial High School; RHP Holden Helmink, Willis High School; RHP Chris Lanham, Lamar High School; OF Jesse Baker, Brenham High School; IF Dalton Perry, Brazoswood High School; C Cameron Burns, Bellaire High School; RHP Blake Fox, Episcopal High School; IF Billy Arendt, Second Baptist High School; LHP-1B Hayden Jones, Langham Creek High School.
The Preseason College Player of the Year, who will also be recognized at the dinner, will be selected later this month.
SPECIAL VIP RECEPTION, SILENT AUCTION
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, a special VIP reception will be held prior to the dinner, at 6 p.m.,
and will feature several of the former MVPs and current Astros players. A limited amount of MVP tables for 10 that will include tickets to the dinner and the VIP reception will be available for purchase for $2,500.
Dinner attendees will also have the opportunity to bid on several attractive items at a silent auction, with those proceeds also going to the GSFYB Scholarship Program.
Tickets for the dinner are priced at $100 each or at $1,000 for a table of 10, and can be purchased online at
www.astros.com/baseballdinner or by calling Jo Russell at 713-789-0626. General information on the dinner is available at www.gsfyb.org, via email at info@gsfyb.org or by calling 713-259-8686.
Pettini replaces Pedrique as bench coach
The Astros have hired Joe Pettini as bench coach to replace Al Pedrique, who has resigned. Pettini spent the last 10 years working under Tony La Russa with the Cardinals.
Pedrique, who served as bench coach of the Astros the previous two seasons, said Wednesday he had resigned after refusing a reassignment to become bullpen coach, a position that became open when Jamie Quirk left to become bench coach of the Cubs.
“I’m leaving,” Pedrique said. “I resigned after being told I was going to be the bullpen coach.”
Pedrique was named bench coach prior to the 2010 season and after interviewing for the managerial position that eventually went to Brad Mills. He had been with the organization for seven years, joining the Astros in 2004 as a special assistant to the general manager. In 2009, he served as the Astros Minor League field coordinator and joined the Major League staff in September as third base coach.
Pedrique was named interim manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second half of the 2004 season after opening the year as the team’s third base coach. He has more than 33 years of experience in baseball as a player, coach and manager.
Astros are still searching for a bullpen coach to replace Jamie Quirk, who left to become the bench coach of the Cubs. Hitting coach Mike Barnett, pitching coach Doug Brocail, third base coach Dave Clark and first base coach Bobby Meacham are set to return to the Astros in 2012.
Astros get Martinez from Mets
The Astros have won a waiver claim on former Mets top prospect Fernando Martinez, a source confirmed for MLB.com.
Widely considered one of the Mets’ top prospects from 2006-10, Martinez was billed as a power-hitting outfielder expected to be a cornerstone of the Mets’ lineup throughout this decade. But multiple injuries and an arthritic right knee have prevented Martinez from appearing in more than 82 games in any of the past three seasons.
The Astros would have to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to make room for Martinez.
Forty-seven of those appearances have come with the Major League club, though almost exclusively as a reserve. Martinez hit .183 with two home runs during those stints. He hit .260 with eight home runs in 63 games for Triple-A Buffalo last season.
Astros busy in the Dominican
The Astros have signed a pair of teenagers out of the Dominican Republic, pitcher Carlos Vasquez and outfielder Edward Santana, and have reached an agreement with pitcher Tomas Lopez, whose signing isn’t yet official.
Vasquez, 16, is a 6-2, 180-pound right-hander with an extra large frame and someone who Astros director of Latin American scouting Felix Francisco believes will be a power pitcher. He throws between 88 and 90 mph now, but Francisco said the ball jumps out of his hands and he has a good breaking ball.
“We feel this guy is going to be really strong in the future,” Francisco said.
Santana, 17, was the best position player left on the market, Francisco said. He can play center field, but the Astros like more in right field. There are many things Francisco likes about Santana, whose older brother used to play in the Rangers system.
“He runs 60 yards in 6.75 seconds and has a good arm,” Francisco said. “He can hit and has a real nice balance. He stays inside the baseball and uses the whole field. He’s not a big power guy right now and more of a guy you can project will hit 15-20 home runs. His power will come with time, but he does have good bat speed and good extension.”
Francisco likes that Santana hits the ball to the opposite field, which you don’t usually see in young players in the Dominican.
Lopez, 17, is a right-handed pitcher with nice arm action. He recently established himself in the Dominican Prospect League and began to draw interest from several teams, including the Astros.
All three players will report to the Astros academy in the Dominican Republic and will play there this summer.
Will Hall call Bagwell?
Jeff Bagwell will find out today if he’s received enough votes to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The results of the voting by eligible members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will be revealed during an MLB.com simulcast of the announcement on MLB Network live at 1 p.m. CT.
The vote was conducted by the BBWAA this past December. Because of the least-imposing first-year group of eligible players in recent memory, former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin seems to be the lone possibility for election.
Bagwell appeared on 41.7 percent of the ballots in his first year of eligibility last year and will need to get 75 percent to get elected. It’s unlikely he’ll make that kind of jump this year.
Bagwell probably would have been a slam dunk to make the Hall of Fame had he reached 500 home runs. He fell just 51 shy of that mark when a degenerative shoulder ended his career early, but his numbers across the board appear Hall of Fame worthy. Sure, there will be those who will hold it against him that he played in era when many sluggers were under the suspicion of performance-enhancing drugs, but Bagwell has been clean of any allegations. There’s no reason to believe he didn’t do everything the right way.
Those same voters who are inclined to take into account such intangibles should remember Bagwell played most of his career in the cavernous Astrodome, which surely took several home runs away from him. And if you look beyond the gaudy numbers, the voters should remember Bagwell was a terrific defensive player and base runner.
“I’m pulling for him,” long-time Astros teammate Craig Biggio said. “You know my feelings about him. To me, he’s a Hall of Famer. He had 40-something percent last year and you hope the number keeps climbing and gets to that 75 percent. He was a tremendous player and did a lot of great things on the baseball field. To me, there’s no doubt about it – he’s definitely a Hall of Fame baseball player.”
Of course, Biggio will be on the Hall of Fame ballot next year as part of a star-studded class that includes former Astros pitchers Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling, along with Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Biggio said. “These last four years went by super-fast.”
Biggio, of course, seems to be a lock to reach Cooperstown, considering he reached 3,060 hits and has more doubles than any right-handed hitter in history. Bagwell didn’t play as long as Biggio, but his numbers are equally as impressive.
During Bagwell’s 15 seasons, the Astros had their most successful run in franchise history, qualifying for the postseason six times while finishing at .500 or above 13 times. The Astros had the third-best winning percentage (.531) in the NL from 1991-2005.
In 1994, Bagwell became just the third player in history to win the NL Most Valuable Player Award by a unanimous vote after hitting .368 with 39 home runs, 116 RBIs, a .750 slugging percentage, .451 on-base percentage and a career-high 1.201 OPS.
Bagwell was a four-time All-Star, earned three Silver Slugger Awards, a Rawlings Gold Glove Award and remains as the only first baseman in NL history to reach the 30-30 club in home runs and stolen bases in a season, which he did twice in his career.
Here are some of Bagwell’s accomplishments (entering 2011 season):
HOW BAGWELL MEASURES UP ALL-TIME
- .948 career OPS ranks 22nd in Major League history and 10th among right-handed hitters. Four of the nine right-handed hitters ranked ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame, while four others are not yet eligible for induction.
- .408 career on-base percentage ranks 15th all-time among right-handed hitters and ninth all-time among first basemen (3rd among RH first basemen).
- is one of just 12 players in baseball history to hit at least 400 home runs while compiling a .408-or-higher onbase percentage.
- is the only first baseman in NL history to reach the 30-30 club in home runs and stolen bases, and the only first baseman in ML history to reach this milestone twice in a career.
- is the just the eighth player in ML history to win both the Rookie of the Year (1991) and Most Valuable Player (1994) awards.
- is the only first baseman in ML history and one of 12 players all-time to reach 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases.
- is one of five players in history to collect 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in six consecutive seasons (1996-2001). Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Albert Pujols are the others.
- is the only player in history to record 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored and 100 walks in six consecutive seasons (1996-2001).
- .297 career average ranks 18th all-time among players with 400 home runs, and 10th all-time among righthanded hitters with 400 home runs.
AMONG HIS PEERS (1991-2005)
- 1,529 RBIs ranked second in the Majors and first among right-handed hitters.
- 1,517 runs scored ranked third in the Majors.
- ranked third in the Majors in hits (2,314), walks (1,401) and extra-base hits (969).
- ranked fifth in the Majors in home runs (449) and games played (2,150).
- reached 100 RBI eight times, 100 runs scored nine times, 30 home runs eight times, 100 walks seven times, 1.000 OPS four times, .300 batting average six times.
- finished in the top 10 of the MVP voting five times.
SOLID DECADE
- from 1994-2003, led all first basemen in hits, runs, walks, extra-base hits, doubles and stolen bases, ranked second in games and RBIs and third in home runs.
Brian McTaggart
Recent Comments