.400 Hitter

[Appling]

You put Pujols, Bonds, Gwynn, or Boggs in Coor's Field they would hit .400. Someday the Rockies will have a player of that caliber.

An article in the June 24 issue of the Sporting News ("Into Thin ...") would have us believe that few players of any talent want to play at Coors. GM Dan O'Dowd is quoted as saying it is nearly impossible to assemble a winning team in Denver. "Winning is tougher for the Rockies and likely always will be."

Partly because of the Mike Hampton disaster, pitchers who have a choice will not play for Denver. They need players of "high character", more interested in team wins than in building their personal stats. Apparently most position players would prefer to play for a team that has a chance to win; and a team with no pitching can't win.

It may take two completely different rosters to win -- one to win games at Coors, and another to play a completely different type of baseball on the road. Not the best way to develop a .400 hitter.

[DTF955]

One forgets that George Brett was hurt a fair amount in 1980, and that he had some speed - but not as much as Carew in '77. Gwynn in '94 I don't think was all that fast anymore, but was somewhat.

You get a Carew or Gwynn type in his prime even away from Coors, they'll do it if they draw lots of walks or if they get hurt a lot. Why? Bunting, too, is almost out of style nowadays. You get a guy fast enough to get a dozen bunt base hits a year in a full season, and he tries, it'll force guys to play in just a step or two, too.

550-600 official plate appearances, 450 at bats, because of injuries, you only need 180 hits. Doable, but very tough.

[Appling]

Bunting, too, is almost out of style nowadays. You get a guy fast enough to get a dozen bunt base hits a year in a full season, and he tries, it'll force guys to play in just a step or two, too.

550-600 official plate appearances, 450 at bats, because of injuries, you only need 180 hits. Doable, but very tough.

Bunting in a "sacrifice bunt" situation is a great too that not too many use today. Try a bunt with runner on base and less than two out. If you beat it out you get credit for a hit, but if you don't beat the throw to first, you won't be charged with a time-at-bat (provided the runners advance on the bunt).

Barry Bonds has taught us all to think differently about the batting title. A player like him might get the needed 502 plate appearances and yet be charged with fewer than 350 at-bats. So a player could qualify for the batting title -- and hit over .400 -- with fewer than 150 hits.

[four tool]

Probably won't be done because no one has come close enough over a full season