Mark Reynolds and the Inner Sanctum

by Azreous on Aug 10, 2009 2:40 PM EDT in Randomness

We've talked here before about Mark Reynolds' outside chance at becoming the first member of the 50 HR-30 SB club (Larry Walker was closest in 1997), which would be a hugely impressive accomplishment. But he's already joining some exclusive company in baseball history as we speak, uncharted territory for a pretty successful franchise in its first decade-plus of existence.

Two plateaus of note after the jump...

40-20 Club
First achieved by Willie Mays in 1955 (51-24), 26 players have hit this plateau in a single season, most of them coming in the 1990s. Prior to 1988, three no-names were the only ones to accomplish the feat: Mays, Carl Yastrzemski, and Hank Aaron (twice). It doesn't seem to much of a stretch to think that Reynolds will be joining this list -- he's already got enough stolen bases, and is just four home runs away. Three players have done it this decade, including a familiar name who didn't play anywhere near that level for us:

Shawn Green (49-20 / 2001)
Alex Rodriguez (48-21 / 2005)
Alfonso Soriano (46-41 / 2006)
Alex Rodriguez (54-24 / 2007)

45-25 Club
No one accomplished 45 homers and 25 stolen bags until 1993, when Barry Bonds put up 46-29 in his first season with the Giants, en route to his third NL MVP title in four years. In total, just five players have managed to reach this plateau, which Reynolds is nine HRs and five SBs away from. A couple other names on the list are mildly surprising, and it also includes Larry Walker's MVP season in '97 where he was just one HR shy of being in a club by himself:

Barry Bonds (46-29 / 1993)
Larry Walker (49-33 / 1997)
Jose Canseco (46-29 / 1998)
Chipper Jones (45-25 / 1999)
Alfonso Soriano (46-41 / 2006)

There may not be much left to root for while watching the Diamondbacks this year (unless we storm back and win the NL West, in which case ignore this), but we are bearing witness to some pretty remarkable stuff from Mr. Reynolds. When a guy is hitting .290 and putting up counting numbers like this, it's awfully hard for the strikeouts and errors to be all that important.

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Indeed

For the 2nd year in a row my hopes that our ace would capture the CY have gone down in flames in August. Actually, I thought Webb would win anyway last year when he recovered to win some games in September. However, seeing Haren crash and burn in August for the 2nd year in a row has dashed my hopes for him and CY. (Please don’t let Lincecum win it again, the punk.) Back to Reynolds. He is fun to watch and I am keeping my fingers cross (knock wood) that he doesn’t get hurt or slump from here on out. Oh, and if he doesn’t win player of the week, well then he is being punished for this team’s failures.

by TwinnerA on Aug 10, 2009 3:04 PM EDT reply actions

See the fantasy recap

Six homer this week? Seems like a lock to me…

"Win, or die" -- Marquise de Merteuil

by Jim McLennan on Aug 10, 2009 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Nice piece

I’m not so sure he is just an ‘outside chance’ for 50-30. If he simply maintains his current page, he’ll be at 52 homers, 29 SB, so he doesn’t really need much more than to keep that up, and he’ll be there or thereabouts by the final weekend. I can’t see Hinch putting the brakes on him in the final game if he’s an SB short!

"Win, or die" -- Marquise de Merteuil

by Jim McLennan on Aug 10, 2009 3:14 PM EDT reply actions

if he gets on base in the last game and needs a SB

I expect him to run like the wind and the opposing catcher to pseudo throw him out.

Go DBacks!

by JustAJ on Aug 10, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Eh.... dunno about that.

It’s not like it’s gonna be some big, well-known thing. He plays for Arizona.

And this isn’t exactly a Brett Favre/Michael Strahan situation.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I know but

I’m a fan and demand high and false expectations

Go DBacks!

by JustAJ on Aug 10, 2009 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Ahh.

In that case, Mark will deflect the ball with his sheer manliness and won’t be caught stealing the rest of the season.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree to an extent, but...

I wonder if he’s going to lose some playing time once September call-ups happen, if for nothing else than the logjam at first that might force Tracy over to third for a few starts. That, coupled with the fact that he’s played all but three games this season, makes me think he’ll be given a few days off next month — although I certainly don’t imagine him asking for them, and he might play anyway.

Outside chance may be a bit too strong, but I feel like his chances are no better than 40-60.

by Azreous on Aug 10, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't see 30-50

I’m going to go ahead and start the betting at………

27-48

Go DBacks!

by JustAJ on Aug 10, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions

....

that doesn’t equal 100…?

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

27 steals - 48 homers

Go DBacks!

by JustAJ on Aug 10, 2009 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Ahh. Yes,

Chris’ 40-60 comment threw me off.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

If Tracy isn't traded by the waiver deadline

He’ll be let go. There’s no reason whatsoever to keep him when he’s not going to be back. We’re still running him out there to dangle him to teams who might want to add one last left-handed bat.

My brother: Did you see the genre of this song [Wake Up by Arcade Fire]?
Me: Isn't it Alternative?
My brother: No, it was funeral. Most depressing thing ever. I s*** you not. Go look it up.
Me: ::checks iTunes:: That's the album title.

by Dan Strittmatter on Aug 11, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Tracy

has been hitting better of late, too.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 11, 2009 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions

sorry, just caught something

40-20 Club:

Shawn Green (49-20 / 2001)
Alex Rodriguez (48-21 / 2005)
Alfonso Soriano (46-41 / 2006)
Alex Rodriguez (54-24 / 2007)

doesn’t it qualify Alfonso into the 45-25 club? However this time it doesn’t:

45-25 Club

Barry Bonds (46-29 / 1993)
Larry Walker (49-33 / 1997)
Jose Canseco (46-29 / 1998)
Chipper Jones (45-25 / 1999)
Alfonso Soriano (54-24 / 2007)

"Twin-headed infinite swirling vortex of grotesque suckitude known as Tony Clark and Eric Byrnes"

by sergey606 on Aug 10, 2009 3:53 PM EDT reply actions

Good point....

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Just a typo.

Pulled A-Rod’s numbers from the first list by mistake. Fixed.

by Azreous on Aug 10, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Mark Reynolds on his own

would account for over half of the Mets’ team total in home runs of 68.

Go DBacks!

by JustAJ on Aug 10, 2009 4:11 PM EDT reply actions

BECAWZ U CANT HIT HOME RUNZ IN CITI FEELD!!!11!!

He had… what? 4 in 4 games? So, extrapolate that to 112 games, take half of that for home games, and subtract David Wright’s 7 HRs, then add 1/2 of 36 for his current road total, and you have…. hmmm… carry the 1…. 135 home runs for the Mets, 74 of which belong to Mark Reynolds.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Also,

Mark Reynolds just set a new single season record for home runs…. in 112 games. Hmm. This math might be a bit off.

"In the future, I want to be a fossil. Or, at least have my feces be fossilized"
-Pygalgia

by DbacksSkins on Aug 10, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

No

The math is fine. Reality is off. Mark Reynolds will craft a new one- replacing the Big Bang with a home run.

"The conflict is representative of the Darwinian struggle between avians and mammals for dominance."
"Based on Bugs giving Daffy Duck a cigar made out of dynamite?"

by kishi on Aug 10, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions