My WAG is that it’s both. I would be shocked if he is able to consistently do what he has done this year because of common sense; these records have stood for decades because they’re just so hard to accomplish, and I don’t think anyone could do this every year.
However, I don’t think it’s a total fluke and I expect him to continue to be a superb hitter for some time. He seems to have really figured something out and it’s not like he was terrible before, he just managed to elevate himself much further this year. It was back in 2022 that Seattle fans celebrated their first return to the playoffs in over 2 decades because of a Cal Raleigh homer clinching a wildcard spot, and he already had a reputation of being a reliable slugger back then.
During the Yankees/Nationals game the Yankees scored 9 runs in the 3rd inning with 15 batters coming to the plate. Anthony Volpe was 2 of the 3 outs. He’s 1 for his last 37. He’s last or second to last in most batting categories. He also has a ton of errors and bad plays in the field. I don’t know how they can keep playing him.
In the history of MLB, has one player ever been all 3 outs of a single inning?
Obviously that’d have to be one hell of an inning for the batting team, since our goat would have to be at minimum batters #1, #10, & #19 in that inning. If he wasn’t batter #1, his third at-bat would have to be #20 or more. And for him to be all 3 outs means everybody else either made it home, or were stranded on base at the final out.
There’s a feeling in town that Cardinals ownership has been taking attendance for granted, bordering on open contempt; basically implying that fans will show up no matter what, so spending money on theteam is not a high priority. I think fans are sending the message back that they in fact want to watch good baseball, not just baseball.
They’re also investing a lot of money in property development, focusing probably too much on Ballpark Village rather than team building.
I was at the Mariner/Padre game yesterday. A fun day at the ballpark. The Mariners have beat San Diego 5 out of 6 times this year, and SD isn’t a bad team. My Grandson got an autograph from Logan Gilbert and Julio Rodriquez, so he had quite a day.
'Zactly there, @Railer13
A batter who hits into a triple play causes all three outs in the inning. That’s commonplace enough. But that batter isn’t all 3 outs all by themselves. Which was the scenario I’m asking about.
Unrelated to that point …
Further considering the triple play situation, there are occasions where the runners are pretty much screwed and even with ideal offensive play they can’t find a safe base. But in many cases, triple plays come from less than optimal baserunning. So the batter might be “credited” on the official scorebook with hitting into a triple play, but a more nuanced analysis would place some blame for some of the three outs on a baserunner who goofed. Maybe the runner missed the bag rounding a base, or ended up running to an already-occupied base and was then doomed in the rundown, etc. A core feature of most triple plays is they happen very, very quickly. And are rare enough that they catch most participants by surprise. On both sides.
Earlier in the week, KC beat the Tigers 10-8, thanks in large part to a 6-run third inning. Jonathan India led off the inning with a strikeout. Then there was a groundout. Then there was a single, double, single, homer, single, double, double, and then India ended the inning with a popout.
Royals traded for India in the offseason, looking for a leadoff hitter to bat in front of Bobby Witt. That experiment failed, as India is now batting 8th in the lineup and is hitting .234. Great move, KC.
Volpe is 4 for his last 54 and down to .206. And his fielding has sucked. They are still hoping for him to turn it around but at this rate he can’t be playing in the post season.
Adding insult to injury, Volpe’s BABIP since June 15th is .154. No other player in MLB was below .210 in the span.
I’m not sure what will happen if the Yankees make the playoffs. Obviously they’ll most likely play Caballero more, but they could be influenced by what happened last season. Volpe had a godawful .432 OPS in September, but followed it with an .815 OPS in the postseason. It was like a completely different dude showed up.
Yea, quite an experience. He already has the bug though. Played in Little Leage tournament in Cooperstown this year, and it seems that he knows every MLB player past and present.
Baseball has been life changing for him. Two years ago he could barely play, knew little about the game, and just wanted to play video games and build Legos. Now he’s playing baseball year-round (practically. We do live in a rainy climate), is in great physical shape, and has made many friends. (he’s also quite good, says his proud grandpa.)
