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View Article Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication Grab Bag > Triple Milestones – Mid-Season 2006 With the season reaching the midway point, it’s time to take a first look at the players who are on track to achieve milestones in the triple crown categories with a .300 batting average, 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. The popular consensus before the season was that offense would be down this year with increased penalties for the use of anabolic steroids. However, offense has been very prominent in the first half and the list of players on track for triple milestones confirms that 2006 is shaping up as a big offensive year. Thirteen players are on target (.300-15-50) for triple milestones through July 2, a closer approximation of the halfway point than the All Star Game. This compares to ten who achieved all three in 2005. In addition eleven others are close (.285-13-45). Consistent with the success of the American League in inter-league play, the AL dominates with 9 players on target and 6 others close. The NL has 4 and 5 respectively. Here’s the list. American League, On Target (.300-15-50) Alex Rios Toronto .330-15-53 Vernon Wells Toronto .318-20-62 Miguel Tejada Baltimore .316-17-58 Travis Hafner Cleveland .313-22-66 Jermaine Dye Chicago .311-20-63 Paul Konerko Chicago .311-20-63 Magglio Ordonez Detroit .311-15-59 Manny Ramirez Boston .308-22-60 Joe Crede Chicago .300-16-57 Close (.285-13-45) Justin Morneau Minnesota .298-22-71 Lyle Overbay Toronto .298-14-49 Vladimir Guerrero Los Angeles .294-17-58 Jim Thome Chicago .288-27-68 Raul Ibanez Seattle .286-18-65 Alex Rodriguez New York .285-19-64 Chicago and Toronto dominate this list. Three White Sox players are on target and one other is close. Teammates, Dye and Konerko have identical numbers. Two Toronto players are on target and another is close.  No Yankees or AL West players are on target but some are close. Ramirez is shooting for his 9th triple milestone season after falling short on batting average in 2005. Rios, Dye, Konerko and Crede have never achieved triple milestones in the past. National League, On Target (.300-15-50)

Close (.285-13-45)

Miguel Cabrera	Florida	.344-13-55
Brad Hawpe	Colorado	.315-15-48
Chase Utley	Philadelphia	.300-16-49
Carlos Beltran	New York	.289-24-65
Carlos Lee	Milwaukee	286-25-68

Colorado and New York are the only teams with 2 players, one on each list.  The Rockies are the only NL West team that has a player on either list.  Pujols has easily made the list in each of the 5 years he has played in the major leagues.  Holliday and Wright have not achieved triple milestones in the past.

Five players who were on the 2005 triple milestone list are not on target or close in 2006.

Derek Lee	Chicago	.291- 4-13
Jason Bay	Pittsburgh	.283-20-60
David Ortiz	Boston	.273-26-75
Mark Teixeira	Texas	.268- 8-45
Carlos Delgado	New York	.257-22-55

Lee’s season was interrupted by a wrist injury. Bay and Ortiz have hit with power and could get their batting averages up over .300 by season’s end. Teixeira’s power seems to have disappeared and his average is also way down. Delgado is hitting with his usual power but has fallen way off in batting average.

Pitchers also have triple milestones to chase – 20 wins, 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00. Very few pitchers achieve all 3 in this offensive era.

No pitchers are on target in 2006 but 3 are close.

Francisco Liriano	Minnesota	9- 94-1.99
Johan Santana	Minnesota	9-131-2.76
Brandon Webb	Arizona	9- 97-2.72

posted @ Sunday, July 09, 2006 10:11 AM by Bill Gilbert

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