Much is being made in spring training in the
Cactus League that Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has gone hitless
in his first 21 at-bats of the spring. Ichiro, himself, seems unconcerned about
all the fuss—and with good reason.
Since he joined the Mariners in 2001, Ichiro has piled up 1,592 hits—an average
of 227 a season. He’s had seven straight 200-hit seasons to start his career
and had a major league record 262 hits in 2004. No player in major league
history has had more hits over a seven-year span.
Suzuki, a career .333 hitter, has been such a hitting machine in his Mariners
career that he has virtually lapped the field in most hits produced since he
joined the Mariners to start the 2001 season. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Juan Pierre has 1,358 hits over the same period—a mere 234 hits behind Ichiro.
Since Ichiro began his amazing big league career, here are the top 10 leaders
in base hits.
|
| |
| Rank |
Player, Pos., Team |
Hits (2001-07) |
| 1. |
Ichiro Suzuki, of, Mariners |
1,592 |
| 2. |
Juan Pierre, of, Dodgers |
1,358 |
| 3. |
Derek Jeter, ss, Yankees |
1,348 |
| 4. |
Albert Pujols, 1b, Cardinals |
1,344 |
| 5. |
Miguel Tejada, ss, Astros |
1,315 |
| 6. |
Michael Young, ss, Rangers |
1,305 |
| 7. |
Jimmy Rollins, ss, Phillies |
1,290 |
| 8. |
Todd Helton, 1b, Rockies |
1,284 |
| |
Alex Rodriguez, 3b, Yankees |
1,284 |
| 10. |
Vladimir Guerrero, of, Angels |
1,277 |
|
| -- Allan Simpson |
Top Ten List Archives |
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While the 1985 draft which produced Barry
Bonds, Barry Larkin, Rafael Palmeiro and Randy Johnson is generally considered
the best baseball draft ever, the 1986 draft can make its own case.
The first six players drafted in the June regular phase that year were Jeff
King, Greg Swindell, Matt Williams, Kevin Brown, Kent Mercker and Gary
Sheffield—all of whom went on to enjoy long and productive major league
careers. All but Sheffield have retired. No draft before or since 1986 has ever
had more consecutive picks play in the big leagues as the first 13 players
drafted that year hit paydirt. The 14th selection also was also a big leaguer,
of sorts, as Greg McMurtry went on to play in the NFL after rebuffing overtures
from the Boston Red Sox, who drafted McMurtry out of a Massachusetts high
school in 1986.
A total of 174 players selected in the June 1986 draft (the last year that
baseball conducted a January and June draft) went on to play in the big
leagues, including four—Sheffield, lefthander Rudy Seanez, and righthanders Tom
Gordon and Roberto Hernandez—who were still playing in the big leagues a year
ago. Mercker, who missed the 2007 season while recovering from elbow surgery,
has an opportunity to play this year as he signed a minor league contract with
the Cincinnati Reds prior to spring training.
Following is a list of the first 10 players drafted in 1986, their years in the
big leagues and their signing bonuses. Though King and Swindell, the first two
picks, ended up holding out most of the summer and signed the largest and third
largest bonuses in the first round, none approached the bonus package received
by a fourth-rounder that year: Bo Jackson, the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner who
inked a $1 million major league deal with the Kansas City Royals.
|
| |
| Rank |
Player, Pos., Club |
Years/Majors |
Bonus |
| 1. |
Jeff King, 3b, Pirates |
1989-99 |
$180,000 |
| 2. |
Greg Swindell, lhp, Indians |
1986-2002 |
165,000 |
| 3. |
Matt Williams, 3b, Giants |
1987-2003 |
157,500 |
| 4. |
Kevin Brown, rhp, Rangers |
1986-2005 |
174,500 |
| 5. |
*Kent Mercker, lhp, Braves |
1989-2006 |
100,000 |
| 6. |
*Gary Sheffield, ss, Brewers |
1988-2007 |
142,500 |
| 7. |
Brad Brink, rhp, Phillies |
1992-94 |
145,000 |
| 8. |
*Patrick Lennon, ss, Mariners |
1991-99 |
120,000 |
| 9. |
*Derrick May, of, Cubs |
1990-99 |
100,000 |
| 10. |
*Derek Parks, c, Twins |
1992-94 |
130,000 |
|
| * High school selection |
| -- Allan Simpson |
Top Ten List Archives |
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