So far this season, Brandon Phillips (20 HR/22 SB), Hanley Ramirez (27/28), and Grady Sizemore (28/30) are already past the 20/20 mark. Carlos Beltran, Lance Berkman, Corey Hart, Matt Holliday, Matt Kemp, Ian Kinsler, and Alex Rodriguez are above fifteen in each category this year, so it's likely at least some more players will make it in the final six weeks of the year.
Now that the usual one is out of the way, I want to talk about another type of 20/20 club. I think of it as a kind of reverse 20/20 club, in a way. I'm talking about players with 20+ GIDP and 20+ errors in the same season. Grounding into a double play is kind of an anti-home run because not only are you costing the team yourself as a potential run-scorer, you are also taking away another potential run-scorer who was already on the bases. Similarly, an error is kind of like an anti-stolen base because rather than giving your team an extra base, you've given your opponent one.
Unfortunately, it's not possible to find all members of the other 20/20 club throughout baseball history. Errors have been recorded way back past 1901, but GIDP have only been recorded in the National League since 1933 and in the American League since 1939. Regardless, there has been a steadily growing membership (76 different players with 101 seasons through 2007) in the group. In the 75 seasons between 1933-2007, a full 25 had no new members of the GIDP & E club, 22 had one member join, 17 had two, 7 had three, 3 had four, and two seasons had six different players reach the 20/20 marks.
Getting to twenty GIDP in a year isn't easy, but it's also not really position-specific. Granted, a speedy, centerfielder type will be harder to double up, but most players with 500-600 plate appearances can potentially reach 20 GIDP. It's in the errors category that a lot of guys are weeded out. To reach twenty errors, you pretty much have to be an infielder. No regular outfielders are in the group, and only one regular catcher and two regular first basemen are in my 20/20 club. Some players may have had an error committed in the outfield or at first base help them reach 20 errors, but most of the time they played second, short, or third. This really isn't a surprise, since those positions get the most chances to make both fielding and throwing errors.
So who are the members of the dubious 20/20 club? I've listed them below alphabetically, with the season(s) they got into the club, as well as their team, the positions at which they committed errors (in order of errors made), and their GIDP and error totals.
20+ GIDP & 20+ E in the Same Season, 1933-2007
Name | Year | Team | Position(s) | GIDP | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dick Allen | 1971 | LAD | 3B/LF/1B | 23 | 21 |
Luis Aparicio | 1949 | CHW | SS | 23 | 26 |
Tony Batista | 2003 | BAL | 3B | 20 | 20 |
Buddy Bell | 1984 1985 | TEX TEX/CIN | 3B 3B | 21 24 | 20 25 |
David Bell | 2005 | PHI | 3B | 24 | 21 |
Jimmy Bloodworth | 1943 | DET | 2B | 29 | 21 |
Lou Boudreau | 1940 | CLE | SS | 23 | 24 |
Ken Boyer | 1963 1964 | STL STL | 3B 3B | 20 22 | 34 24 |
Ed Brinkman | 1973 | DET | SS | 22 | 24 |
Hubie Brooks | 1985 | MON | SS | 20 | 28 |
Rick Burleson | 1980 | BOS | SS | 24 | 22 |
Ed Busch | 1944 | PHA | SS/2B | 20 | 41 |
Jorge Cantu | 2005 | TBD | 2B/3B | 24 | 21 |
Vinny Castilla | 1996 | COL | 3B | 20 | 20 |
Ed Charles | 1963 | KCA | 3B | 21 | 25 |
Dick Cole | 1954 | PIT | SS/3B/2B | 20 | 28 |
Dave Concepcion | 1974 1985 | CIN CIN | SS SS | 20 23 | 30 24 |
Joe Cronin | 1941 | BOS | SS/3B | 20 | 27 |
Babe Dahlgren | 1944 | PIT | 1B | 20 | 20 |
Sam Dente | 1950 | WSH | SS/2B | 25 | 34 |
Bob Dillinger | 1950 | PHA/PIT | 3B | 20 | 20 |
Chico Fernandez | 1957 | PHI | SS | 21 | 26 |
Julio Franco | 1983 1984 1985 | CLE CLE CLE | SS SS SS | 21 23 26 | 28 36 35 |
Nomar Garciaparra | 1998 | BOS | SS | 20 | 25 |
Mike Goliat | 1950 | PHI | 2B | 20 | 21 |
Joe Gordon | 1942 | NYY | 2B | 22 | 28 |
Dick Groat | 1955 1958 1959 1961 1966 | PIT PIT PIT PIT PHI | SS SS SS SS SS/3B | 20 21 21 22 20 | 32 20 29 32 20 |
Granny Hamner | 1949 1951 1957 | PHI PHI PHI | SS SS 2B | 20 20 23 | 32 31 21 |
Ron Hansen | 1965 | CHW | SS | 21 | 26 |
Jim Ray Hart | 1966 | SFG | 3B/LF | 23 | 26 |
Charlie Hayes | 1993 | COL | 3B | 25 | 20 |
Billy Herman | 1933 1939 | CHC CHC | 2B 2B | 21 24 | 45 29 |
Pinky Higgins | 1941 1942 | DET DET | 3B 3B | 20 21 | 26 30 |
Billy Hitchcock | 1950 | PHA | 2B/SS | 30 | 22 |
Butch Hobson | 1979 | BOS | 3B | 23 | 25 |
Johnny Hudson | 1938 | BRO | 2B | 20 | 27 |
Randy Jackson | 1951 1953 | CHC CHC | 3B 3B | 21 20 | 24 22 |
Gregg Jefferies | 1992 | KCR | 3B | 24 | 26 |
Billy Johnson | 1948 | NYY | 3B | 22 | 20 |
Willie Jones | 1949 | PHI | 3B | 20 | 27 |
Billy Jurges | 1938 1939 | CHC NYG | SS SS | 22 26 | 34 28 |
George Kell | 1944 | PHA | 3B | 28 | 20 |
Buddy Kerr | 1950 | BSN | SS | 21 | 28 |
Harmon Killebrew | 1970 | MIN | 3B/1B | 28 | 20 |
Don Kolloway | 1947 | CHW | 2B/3B/1B | 22 | 27 |
Hal Lanier | 1970 | SFG | SS | 20 | 22 |
Sam Leslie | 1933 | NYG/BRO | 1B | 20 | 21 |
Johnny Lipon | 1950 | DET | SS | 20 | 33 |
Hector Lopez | 1958 | KCA | 2B/3B | 23 | 21 |
Frank Malzone | 1958 1960 | BOS BOS | 3B 3B | 21 20 | 27 26 |
Bill Mazeroski | 1964 | PIT | 2B | 21 | 23 |
Bill Melton | 1973 | CHW | 3B | 20 | 23 |
Cass Michaels | 1949 | CHW | 2B | 20 | 22 |
Willie Montanez | 1976 | SFG/ATL | 1B | 26 | 22 |
Jo-Jo Morrissey | 1933 | CIN | 2B/SS/3B | 21 | 40 |
Thurman Munson | 1975 | NYY | C | 23 | 23 |
Marty Perez | 1972 | ATL | SS | 21 | 27 |
Tony Perez | 1969 | CIN | 3B | 20 | 32 |
Aramis Ramirez | 2003 | PIT/CHC | 3B | 21 | 33 |
Rafael Ramirez | 1985 | ATL | SS | 21 | 32 |
Pee Wee Reese | 1954 1955 | BRO BRO | SS SS | 20 22 | 25 23 |
Cal Ripken, Jr. | 1983 1985 | BAL BAL | SS SS | 24 32 | 25 26 |
Alex Rodriguez | 2006 | NYY | 3B | 22 | 24 |
Bill Russell | 1977 1979 | LAD LAD | SS SS | 23 20 | 29 30 |
Ron Santo | 1961 1969 1973 | CHC CHC CHC | 3B 3B 3B | 25 21 27 | 31 27 20 |
George Scott | 1977 | BOS | 1B | 24 | 24 |
Vern Stephens | 1948 | BOS | SS | 25 | 24 |
Dick Stuart | 1961 1963 | PIT BOS | 1B 1B | 22 24 | 21 29 |
Pete Suder | 1941 1942 | PHA PHA | 3B/SS SS/3B/2B | 23 20 | 21 22 |
Miguel Tejada | 2004 2005 | BAL BAL | SS SS | 24 26 | 24 22 |
Felix Torres | 1963 | LAA | 3B/1B | 20 | 23 |
Gil Torres | 1944 | WSH | 3B/1B/2B | 20 | 24 |
John Valentin | 1997 | BOS | 2B/3B | 21 | 22 |
Mickey Witek | 1943 | NYG | 2B | 21 | 31 |
Todd Zeile | 1999 2002 | TEX COL | 3B 3B | 20 27 | 25 21 |
Ryan Zimmerman | 2007 | WSN | 3B | 26 | 23 |
So who's got a chance to join this list in 2008? So far, two players have reached the 20 error plateau: Arizona 3B Mark Reynolds and Florida SS Hanley Ramirez. However, Reynolds is at eight GIDP and Ramirez is at five, so it's all but impossible for them to make it. In fact, there is only one player this year with what I consider a realistic shot at making it onto the list. The Seattle shortstop has grounded into fifteen double plays and committed eighteen errors. He's the only 15/15 player so far this year.
Along with checking Daniel Cabrera's HBP total after every start, it might be worth looking to see what Betancourt's done lately for the rest of the year.
1 comment:
Interesting that two front-line players like Hanley Ramirez and Mark Reynolds are at the top of this year's "Other 20-20" club. It just goes to show that managers and clubs are willing to overlook deficiencies in one part of a player's game when the other ones are so valued.
What clubs have to do with group is determine why they are hitting into DPs or causing errors. In these 2 cases, the SS and 3B positions are prime breeding grounds for errors (usually trying to get to a ball and make a "web-gem" play"). Are they playing in the best positions for them?
GIDP is not always a stat entirely due to the player, as there is another person involved. You could have a slow lead runner. This can also be said (although to a lesser degree) for errors, in certain cases. A more effective pitcher or skilled fielder could save these players from earning the E. On the other hand, they could also deserve it and should know better.
HR and SB are entirely attributable to the player's sole action, so I tend to put more credence into that achievement.
Maybe the "Other 20-20" club should have included Caught Stealing and Strikeouts.
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