Pujols and the Triple Crown

Here is a chronological list of players who have won the triple crown:

1. Paul Hines (NL) - 1878
2. Tip O'Neill (AA) - 1887
3. Hugh Duffy (NL) - 1894
4. Nap Lajoie (AL) - 1901
5. Ty Cobb (AL) - 1909
6. Rogers Hornsby (NL) - 1922 & 1925
7. Chuck Klein (NL) - 1933
8. Jimmie Foxx (AL) - 1933
9. Lou Gehrig (AL) - 1934
10. Joe Medwick (NL) - 1937
11. Ted Williams (AL) - 1942 & 1947
12. Mickey Mantle (AL) - 1956
13. Frank Robinson (AL) - 1966
14. Carl Yastrzemski (AL) - 1967

All but Paul Hines and Tip O'Neill are in the baseball hall of fame. Excluding those 2 players, of the 12 remaining, only Mantle, Williams ('42), Gehrig, Hornsby ('25), Cobb, and Duffy lead the entire league in the triple crown categories. As you can see from the above, no one since 1967 has won the triple crown. The last player I can remember coming close to the feat was Larry Walker in 1997. Of course, I have my doubts about the real value of simply looking at batting averages, runs batted in, and home runs. In the age of intentional walks, a player's batting average becomes a generic statistic that tells you very little about a player. If you're measuring a player's offensive value, it goes without saying that his OBP or OPS are better yardsticks. I'm sure there are better metrics out there than even those 2. For all the reasons everyone else has cited, e.g., he'll see 2 or 3 different pitchers a night, he'll be pitched around and walked, and he'll have to rely to on some average players to be on base when he steps to the plate, Pujols will not win the triple crown. In any event, it's interesting to follow so I thought we might keep tabs on Pujols to see if he can win the damn thing. Pujols as of 7/22/09:

• BA - .328 (2nd behind Hanley's .348)
• HR - 34 (in 1st and 2nd place at 25)
• RBI - 90 (in 1st and 2nd place 86)