How long can Chipper Jones keep hitting over .400?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Ok, I found this in the SI Vault website. These are all the players that hit over .400 past June 1st since 1980.

09/19/1980 George Brett
08/03/1993 John Olerud
07/20/2000 Garciaparra
07/18/1997 Larry Walker
07/14/1997 Tony Gwynn
07/05/1993 Andres Galarraga
06/29/1999 Tony Fernandez
06/11/1990 Lenny Dykstra
06/10/2000 Todd Helton
06/10/1996 Roberto Alomar
06/07/1986 Wade Boggs
06/06/1988 Carney Langsford

So how long will Chipper keep hitting over .400?

[SamtheBravesFan]

Well, he needs a couple of minor slumps in a couple of series... I'll give two weeks at minimum, three tops.

[Brannu]

Hopeful...

I said he will finish the season over .400 simply because he is my favorite player in the game and I hope that it's something that he can achieve. But, you need such incredible consistency to hit over .400 and we all know that he is bound to hit a slump. I'd be happy if he won the battle title, as he came so close - the last day - to winning it last year.

I wonder how many individuals on that list actually went under .400 but climbed back above the mark, or if they just batted that high then went under and stayed under. Did they all win batting titles in those years?

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I said he will finish the season over .400 simply because he is my favorite player in the game and I hope that it's something that he can achieve. But, you need such incredible consistency to hit over .400 and we all know that he is bound to hit a slump. I'd be happy if he won the battle title, as he came so close - the last day - to winning it last year.

I wonder how many individuals on that list actually went under .400 but climbed back above the mark, or if they just batted that high then went under and stayed under. Did they all win batting titles in those years?

09/19/1980 George Brett (Yes, finished at .390)
08/03/1993 John Olerud (yes, finished at .363)
07/20/2000 Garciaparra (yes, finished at .372)
07/18/1997 Larry Walker (no, finished 2nd at .366)
07/14/1997 Tony Gwynn (yes, finished at .372)
07/05/1993 Andres Galarraga (yes, finished at .370)
06/29/1999 Tony Fernandez (no, finished 8th at .328)
06/11/1990 Lenny Dykstra (no, finished 4th at .325)
06/10/2000 Todd Helton (yes, finished at .372)
06/10/1996 Roberto Alomar (no, finished 7th at .328)
06/07/1986 Wade Boggs (yes, finished at .357)
06/06/1988 Carney Langford (no, finished at .279. He hit .196 after he dropped below .400!)

[Honus Wagner Rules]

The top BAs since Teddy Ballgame hit .406.

.394- Tony Gwynn 1994
.390- George Brett 1980
.388- Rod Carew 1977
.388- Ted Williams 1957
.379- Larry Walker 1999
.376- Stan Musial 1948
.372- Tony Gwynn 1997
.372- Ichiro Suzuki 2004
.372- Nomar Garciaparra 2000
.372- Todd Helton 2000
.370- Andres Galarraga 1993
.370- Tony Gwynn 1987

[bob]

I think we'll see him fall below it (and stay there) sometime before the all star game. think he'll end up with a still very impressive .370~, maybe .380.
Berkman i see ending up with a .350 or so AVG. His current BA was boosted so much by that monster week he had, he'll need to be more consistant to maintain his current total.

[Pere]

If Chipper finishes over .366, that will be the Atlanta season record (Rico Carty 1970).

[nerfan]

If Chipper finishes over .366, that will be the Atlanta season record (Rico Carty 1970).

Of course, it wouldn't be the Braves record. (Hugh Duffy)

As for Chipper, I'm going to say its gonna be a September slump that takes him out of the running. I say he wins the batting title by 40 points.

[holyroman]

I think we'll see him fall below it (and stay there) sometime before the all star game. think he'll end up with a still very impressive .370~, maybe .380.
Berkman i see ending up with a .350 or so AVG. His current BA was boosted so much by that monster week he had, he'll need to be more consistant to maintain his current total.

Berkman had more than a monster week. He had a monster month.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Of course, it wouldn't be the Braves record. (Hugh Duffy)

As for Chipper, I'm going to say its gonna be a September slump that takes him out of the running. I say he wins the batting title by 40 points.

That's why he said "Atlanta" record.

[nerfan]

That's why he said "Atlanta" record.

Okay. But the Atlanta (not Atlanta Braves) record would then be Billy Goodman's 1946 .388 for the Atlanta Crackers.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Okay. But the Atlanta (not Atlanta Braves) record would then be Billy Goodman's 1946 .388 for the Atlanta Crackers.

Well... if you want to be that nitpicky, then yes. :P

[Brannu]

09/19/1980 George Brett (Yes, finished at .390)
08/03/1993 John Olerud (yes, finished at .363)
07/20/2000 Garciaparra (yes, finished at .372)
07/18/1997 Larry Walker (no, finished 2nd at .366)
07/14/1997 Tony Gwynn (yes, finished at .372)
07/05/1993 Andres Galarraga (yes, finished at .370)
06/29/1999 Tony Fernandez (no, finished 8th at .328)
06/11/1990 Lenny Dykstra (no, finished 4th at .325)
06/10/2000 Todd Helton (yes, finished at .372)
06/10/1996 Roberto Alomar (no, finished 7th at .328)
06/07/1986 Wade Boggs (yes, finished at .357)
06/06/1988 Carney Langford (no, finished at .279. He hit .196 after he dropped below .400!)

Thanks!! That makes since (more "no's" at the bottom of the list and "yes's" at the top).

[Cubsfan97]

I would assume that has something to do with when they were done hitting .400. The top of the list, they were batting into the ASB with .400, whereas the bottom is just into the first few weeks of June...dont forget, D-Lee went batting .400 to late June and only finished with, what a .330 BA I think?

[Richmond Hill Phoenix]

How great would it be for MLB, in a year where power numbers are down (which I don't mind, but I'm sure the guys up top do) to have a guy chasing .400 as the season winds down. If he carried it into September, it would be bigger than McSosa in 1998.

That being said, I voted for July 15th. I can't see him carrying it on for much longer than that (and even a month+ might be a stretch), but we can still hope right?