Total Bases

Total Bases This statistic fascinates me. For me it shows the difference between a slugger and a home run hitter. There have been players that have hit home runs that I do not consider good hitters. But when they are slugging, they get all four kinds of hits, amassing total bases. Usually the players are hitting home runs and have a high batting average are the players that are the better hitters. Total bases are a category I use to assess the better hitters. Here are some stats that are worth mentioning. Most seasons with at least 400 total bases. Lou Gehrig - Five seasons Chuck Klein - Three seasons Jimmy Foxx, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth, Sammy Sosa and Todd Helton - All with two seasons Most Seasons with at least 350 total bases Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth - Nine seasons Willie Mays - Seven seasons Jimmy Foxx - Six seasons Stan Musial, Hank Greenburg, Alex Rodriguez Hank Aaron, Rogers Hornsby, Vladimir Guerrero - Five seasons Al Simmons, Sammy Sosa, Chuck Klein - Four seasons Albert Pujols - His first four seasons All over 300 total bases Three seasons over 350 total bases There are only three players that have accumulated over 6000 total bases in their careers. All three players played at least 22 seasons. Hank Aaron - 6856 Stan Musial - 6134 Willie Mays - 6066 There were four players out of the top 35 players in lifetime total bases that did not hit at least 200 life time home runs. Tris Speaker- 117 home runs Ty Cobb - 117 home runs Pete Rose - 160 home runs Honus Wagner - 101 home runs In Ted Williams first eight years in the majors he had at least 300 total bases. Lou Gehrig, Chuck Klein and Jimmy Foxx are the only players to have over 400 total bases in consecutive years. Babe Ruth had eight seasons when he had 374 or more total bases. Of the top 55 seasons for total bases. This would be the highest number of total bases per seasons. 19 of those seasons occurred from 1990 to 2004 One season in the 1950's was in the top 55 One season in the 1970's and one in the 1980's as well None in the 1960's From 1900 to 1949 - 33 of the best season for total bases occurred.