Trivia: All Rollins, all the time.
Keeping with our Jimmy Rollins theme, here’s a stumper.
Rollins entered Sunday’s game against the Mets with 651 at-bats and 710 plate appearances, the most in the Major Leagues. While he’ll likely surpass his career highs of 689 at-bats and 758 appearances — set last season in 158 games — Rollins is also on pace to break the record for most at-bats in a season and most plate appearances in a season.
One More Dying Quail got the first part right — Willie Wilson holds the record for most at bats in a season.
Can you name the player who holds the record for most plate appearances in a season?
September 7th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Coley, I appreciate your optimism, but just how the heck are they going to fill in the pitching next year? Moving Myers back into the rotation might help, but then you have practically an entire bullpen to replace (save maybe Romero and Madson). Either way another starting pitcher must be signed. JD Durbin or Kyle Lohse just aren’t going to cut it. The only reason the Phils are even in contention this late in the season is the surprising pitching of Kendrick. Can he repeat next year? As far as the bullpen’s performance, I think it speaks for itself. No MLB team should have Gordon, Alfonseca, or Mesa, let alone all three.
Given the field that they play in, the Phils should be recruiting ground ball pitchers at every level. As you pointed out, the offense will take of itself. Perhaps a marginal pitching improvement will help, but Pat Gillick has had three years to do so. This year has exploded in his face. What next?
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September 7th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Joe, I don’t think the Phils are that far away. It’s not like they need to find Smoltz/Maddux/Glavine in order to compete. The team’s offense is so good that they can win with just a competent pitching staff.
I think Myers should be a starter again. Add him to Hamels and that’s a good top two. Moyer and Kendrick and good fourth and fifth options. It’s the third starter they’re missing. They need to find one of those. I’m sure there will be one on the market, though it will probably mean overpaying.
As for the bullpen, I’m a firm believer that there is no way to predict what the majority of relievers will do from one season to the next. Bullpens are, in most cases, a crapshoot. That having been said, it’s probably a good idea to make sure the Phils don’t start next season w/ either Alfonseca or Mesa. Just for my own piece of mind.
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September 17th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
I\’m going to take a wild guess and say Johnny Damon. Lead-off guy, pretty durable over several seasons, now has several years of good ballclubs behind him since leaving the Royals. Someone has to get the guessing started!
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September 17th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Cal Ripken, Jr?
He must have had a shot, with so many games under his belt.
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September 17th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Ummm… Pete Rose? Ichiro?
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September 17th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Also, I’m guessing Wade Boggs. (I just realized we had to guess two names.)
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September 17th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
No one’s got it yet.
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September 17th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
Rickey Henderson. He’s like, really old.
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September 17th, 2007 at 11:59 pm
Nope, not Rickey.
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September 18th, 2007 at 12:54 am
I’m pretty sure Willie Wilson still holds the single season record for at-bats with 705 back in the mid-1980s (note to self: if that’s right, remember to thank the 1988 Topps baseball card set in acceptance speech).
Plate appearances? I might’ve guessed Ichiro, but you already said that was wrong, so I’ll go with Juan Samuel.
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September 18th, 2007 at 1:24 am
Willie Wilson is correct. Juan Samuel is not. But Samuel does share some history with the player who holds the record for most plate appearances in a season.
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September 18th, 2007 at 5:22 am
Well, it has got to be a leadoff hitter on a very, very good offensive team. And a guy who never gets hurt or misses any time…
What about Derek Jeter, in one of those seasons back he led off every day for the Yankees?
Although I dont think Jeter has any sort of Juan Samuel connection…
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September 18th, 2007 at 9:09 am
I guess everyone’s playing by the honor system and not looking it up on BaseballReference.com, so I’ll play by that rule.
We already got at-bats…
For plate appearances, I’m going to guess Dave Cash. My second guess is Maury Wills.
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September 18th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Not Dave Cash. Not Maury Wills.
Here’s a big hint. The guy who holds the record for most plate appearances in a season now owns a car wash in California.
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September 18th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
It’s Nails!
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September 18th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
It is, indeed, Mr. Lenny “Nails” Dykstra. Congrats, Paul.
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September 20th, 2007 at 2:09 am
The car wash clue made it too easy. Being from around the Philadelphia area, I hear too many Lenny Dykstra/car wash jokes.
For some reason, I would have never guessed it was The Dude.
Nice trivia question.
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