On this day in Baseball history

[JustRalph]

On this day in 1941

Ted Williams was batting .399 going into last game of the season

He goes 6 for 8 to end up hitting .406

Last man to ever hit .400

He had 120 RBI's and 37 home runs

* if the current infield fly rule had been in effect, he would have batted .416

[horses4courses]

On this day in 1941

Ted Williams was batting .399 going into last game of the season

He goes 6 for 8 to end up hitting .406

Last man to ever hit .400

He had 120 RBI's and 37 home runs

* if the current infield fly rule had been in effect, he would have batted .416

As remarkable as that is, something else gets my attention, too.
How the heck do you get eight at bats in a game?
I don't recall ever seeing that before.

[HuggingTheRail]

If that happened now, as soon as he nudged it to .400, he would be pulled from the game...

[cj's dad]

As remarkable as that is, something else gets my attention, too.
How the heck do you get eight at bats in a game?
I don't recall ever seeing that before.

Seriously ?? Lots of runs scored ? Extra innings ?

[Quagmire]

Double Header!

He was actually batting .3995 going into it which would round up to .400

[JustRalph]

Depending where you look on the net, it might have been a double header?

There also some places doing the math wrong it appears. Some are using the current infield fly rule etc.

A couple of big innings could do it I guess. Two games easy 8 at bats.

[JustRalph]

If that happened now, as soon as he nudged it to .400, he would be pulled from the game...

You gotta admit he played it square.......

Going on to be a fighter ace is a pretty big deal too

Considering early on he fought to delay his draft, so he could keep playing. I get the feeling this guy did nothing half ass.

He won the triple crown the next year, batted .356

[Quagmire]

http://www.boston.com/sports/redsox/williams/stories/exclamation_mark.shtml

‘‘What a thrill!’’ said Ted Williams in the Red Sox clubhouse at Philadelphia's Shibe Park on Sept. 28, 1941.‘‘I wasn ’t saying anything about it before the game, but I never wanted anything harder in my life.’’

The object of his affection was a .400 season ’s average, and he achieved it with heroic bravado. Rather than sitting out the final doubleheader of the season to preserve a .3995 average that would have been rounded up to .400, he decided,‘‘The record’s no good unless it’s made in all the games.’’

So he went 6 for 8 against the Athletics – four singles, a double, and a home run that gave him the American League championship with 37 — as he hiked his final average to .406.

[Quagmire]

You gotta admit he played it square.......

Going on to be a fighter ace is a pretty big deal too

Considering early on he fought to delay his draft, so he could keep playing. I get the feeling this guy did nothing half ass.

He won the triple crown the next year, batted .356

Greatest of all time...even better than Mariano :)

[horses4courses]

Seriously ?? Lots of runs scored ? Extra innings ?

Extra inning games aside, I don't remember seeing that many at bats in a long time - if ever. I only read box scores on occasion, though, but a team would have to score at least 15 runs to have a shot at that for someone.

I would reckon a player's chances of an eight at bat game would be in the region of hitting for the cycle.

Here's a few trivia facts on the subject:

Nine inning game -- 8, but the last time was in 1897, so looking just to the modern era, the record is 7, done many times.

Extra inning game -- 11, done 14 times, the last in 1984. In the famous 25-inning game between the White Sox and Brewers, four players had 11 AB.
Milwaukee -- Cecil Cooper.
Chicago -- Julio Cruz, Carlton Fisk, and Rudy Law.

[Shemp Howard]

Seriously ?? Lots of runs scored ? Extra innings ?

It was a doubleheader against the last place Athletics at Shibe Park, Philadelphia.

[Shemp Howard]

http://www.boston.com/sports/redsox/williams/stories/exclamation_mark.shtml

‘‘What a thrill!’’ said Ted Williams in the Red Sox clubhouse at Philadelphia's Shibe Park on Sept. 28, 1941.‘‘I wasn ’t saying anything about it before the game, but I never wanted anything harder in my life.’’

The object of his affection was a .400 season ’s average, and he achieved it with heroic bravado. Rather than sitting out the final doubleheader of the season to preserve a .3995 average that would have been rounded up to .400, he decided,‘‘The record’s no good unless it’s made in all the games.’’

So he went 6 for 8 against the Athletics – four singles, a double, and a home run that gave him the American League championship with 37 — as he hiked his final average to .406.


The A's blew a 9-3 lead in game 1, falling 12-11. Both teams combined for 31 hits.

In the 2nd game the losing pitcher for the A'as was HOFer Lefty Grove, his final game in the big leagues. Game was called after 8 innings due to the Philadelphia Blue Laws not allowing an inning to start on a Sunday after 6:00PM with the Sox ahead 7-1.

[JustRalph]

The A's blew a 9-3 lead in game 1, falling 12-11. Both teams combined for 31 hits.

In the 2nd game the losing pitcher for the A'as was HOFer Lefty Grove, his final game in the big leagues. Game was called after 8 innings due to the Philadelphia Blue Laws not allowing an inning to start on a Sunday after 6:00PM with the Sox ahead 7-1.

Wow! Great info .......

[Stillriledup]

Andy Pettitte, Sept 28, 2013 wins his 11th game of the year to push his record to 11-11. He's the only pitcher with 15 years or more in the big leagues to finish with a .500 record or better in every single year.

[Rookies]

You gotta admit he played it square.......

Going on to be a fighter ace is a pretty big deal too

Considering early on he fought to delay his draft, so he could keep playing. I get the feeling this guy did nothing half ass.

He won the triple crown the next year, batted .356

He sure did. Never, ever kissed any arse and as a result, not beloved at all.

A 'my way, or the highway' guy, well into retirement. :ThmbUp:

[MutuelClerk]

What's more impressive? Joe D's 56 games in a row with a hit. Or Teddy Ballgames 84 games in a row on base streak? Both records, both awesome. I'll take Teddy Ballgame.

[cj's dad]

How 'bout the O's having 4- 20 game winners in a season ? That WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

[JustRalph]

How 'bout the O's having 4- 20 game winners in a season ? That WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

Not the way they coddle pitchers today

[Stillriledup]

What's more impressive? Joe D's 56 games in a row with a hit. Or Teddy Ballgames 84 games in a row on base streak? Both records, both awesome. I'll take Teddy Ballgame.

Andy Pettitte's 18 seasons with a .500 or better record...that's some rarefied air.