Shoop Research Paper

Bryce Harper is the player that you love to have on your own team, but opponents can't stand him! He might have a swagger that annoys opponents, but he is one heck of a baseball player and this year he is breaking out to the superstar everyone expected! He is just 22 years of age and he is one of the most feared hitters in baseball. He has battled injuries to start his career because of what some have termed too much hustle, but this year he has put all together. He is hitting .331 27 home runs and 64 runs batted in the no question NL MVP at this point in the season. He might rub fans and opponents the wrong way but he is fun to watch play baseball I just wish as a Braves fan he was in a different division.

The National League has its own advantages because of its lack of a Designated Hitter. Some National League statistics have always been higher

Throughout the history of major league baseball we have seen countless astonishing hitters come pass through, some putting up record breaking numbers, at times too good to be true. Barry Bonds, known as the “homerun king” was able to put up an amazing total of 73 home runs in 2001. The very next season, he continued to present his skill with a .370 batting average. Between 1999 and 2007, Bonds’ stats were shocking, hitting 351 home runs, winning four national league MVP awards, and racking up 780 RBI’s, 69 stolen bases, and just over one thousand hits. Alex Rodriguez, better known as “A-rod” is another huge name when talking about the greatest hitters in baseball. For nine seasons out of Rodriguez’s twenty two season career, 8.5% of the balls he would put into play were home runs. By the end of his lengthy career, he was able to collect 698 home runs, over two thousand RBI’s and runs scored, with over three thousand hits. He was also named All-Star fourteen times. With numbers like these, it is hard to

He also surpassed his 1998 numbers in total bases, compiling 425. Sosa once again led the league in home runs with 49 in 2002. Known as a free-swinger in his early years, and as an easy strikeout candidate, Sosa became an effective hitter for average. He owns numerous team records for the Cubs, and holds the major-league record for the most home runs hit in a month (20, in June 1998). In recognition of his accomplishments as a hitter, Sosa won Silver Slugger awards (an award for offensive output voted on by managers and coaches) in 1995 and 1998-2002.[1]

The hitter’s full performance is fully encompassed by the OPS statistic because of the inclusion of the slugging percentage to the formula. Winning means scoring more than the other team and a team cannot win unless they are getting on base. Therefore, the team that gets more bases has a better chance of winning, but OPS is sometimes left up to factors out of the control of players such as varying sizes of stadiums. To neutralize variables not in control of the hitter, Sabermetricians developed OPS+. The league average OPS+ will always be 100, so if a player’s OPS+ rating is 100 he is an average player. Calculating OPS+ is slightly more difficult to than OPS.

"Pitching is the art of instilling fear" (Sandy Koufax). These are the words Sanford ¨Sandy¨ Koufax believed in, and strived towards throughout his entire Hall of Fame baseball career. Through his impeccable talents on and off the field, Sandy was able to engraft the characteristics of trust, loyalty, and determination into all of the hearts of those who watched him. Sandy Koufax was the most influential baseball player of the 1960s, because he had a lot of experience with the game of baseball since he was young, he had a great impact on the people who watched him because of his actions, and he helped pave the way for the game of baseball to become even better.

Hitters are not getting hits they would normally get because of it. The All-Star first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto said, ”The Pirates have always shifted heavily. There’s been numerous occasions… when I’ve hit to left field, and down the left-field line… those [batted balls], which are usually hits, have been outs against the Pirates. They are taking away hits.” (Sawchick 110). Analytics such as statcast, have lead to a huge reform in the way the game is played. Do to this, teams are implementing more and more defensive shifting.

While the team was warming up Marv Signeski, the varsity coach, came up to Jeter and said, " Son, varsity tryouts are in another two hours" (Jeter 49). After implying that he obviously thought Jeter was able to play above the junior varsity level, Signeski had been mistaken. After Noticing Jeter's arm strength, according to Jeter, Signeski thought that Derek was a junior or a senior (49). Later, he would go on to play junior varsity for two-thirds of the season before the varsity coach moved him to the varsity team. In his sophomore year, Jeter tried out for the varsity squad and made it. His junior year was an exceptional year and he hit .557 (57.7% of the time he was able to get a hit) (Biography par 3). This shows that he could hit the ball very well. He was also able to back his batting average up with a power swing. Jeter hit seven home runs his junior year (Biography par 3). Showing he could not only hit, but he could hit the long ball too. Jeter's senior year was an even more amazing year statistically. According to his website, in his senior year, Derek had an amazing .637 on base percentage (63.7% of the time he was able to reach base safely, but not on an error) (par 3). Being on base so much doesn't come from just hitting the ball. Jeter also got on base 21 times just by walking (Biography par 3). Jeter was noticeably a patient hitter. Showing patience

Rose had his best offensive season in 1969, leading the league in batting for the second straight season (.348) and leading the league in runs with 120. As the team's lead-off man he was a catalyst, rapping 218 hits and walking 88 times. He hit 33 doubles, 11 triples, and tied a career-best with 16 home runs. He drove in 82 runs, slugged (also known as a slugging percentage; is a measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.) .512 (by far the highest mark of his long career), and had another career best .432 OBP (on base percentage) (Sports Reference, Inc). But the Reds finished four games out of first, and Rose lost the MVP to Willie McCovey. Rose and Roberto Clemente were tied for the batting title going into the final game; Rose bunted for a base hit in his last at-bat of the season to beat out Clemente.

Yadier Molina is and always will be one of the greatest catcher to ever play the game of baseball. With Yadi coming into the league at such a young age, he has had more of an opportunity to prove himself and the stats and awards he has won can really back it up. Not just is he one of the greatest to play the game at that position, he is one of the best “on the field managers” as they say as far as controlling the tempo of the game and how it is played. With all of the accomplishments Molina has had in his career, it proves why he is one of the best to ever play the game at the catching position.

The big strong hitters today that look to try and pull the ball and hit for power use the hitting philosophy called rotational hitting. Rotational hitting is turning and pulling the ball. Most of the hitters who use rotational hitting usually do not have high averages. Rotational hitting teaches using your body, mainly the core, to generate more power. The whole goal of rotational hitting is just trying to hit the ball harder. Mike Epstein is most associated with the rotational philosophy and made it popular. If a player is just looking to hit the ball harder and farther, he should probably try rotational hitting (Epstein).

What is the measure of a great baseball center fielder? Both Kevin and B.J. have been center fielders for the Rays. They utilize their speed stupendously in both the outfield and on the basepaths. They are great at getting on base so they can use their speed. They also had some sensational seasons. They both have played baseball since they were kids. While they have a plethora of similarities there are slight differences in versatility for these two players in not only fielding, but also batting.

Mike trout has a better than .300 batting average. This is a main key to becoming a great baseball player. One thing good baseball players have is constancy; you need consistency to keep a better than .300 batting average. Mike Trout has a very similar batting average to the great Barry Bonds, Barry Bonds batted just under .300 and Mike Trout bats .306, Barry bonds is considered to be one of the greatest hitters of all time. This shows that Mike Trout can be compared to many players in the hall of fame, such as Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Pete Rose and many more. Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb had better batting averages then him but not by much, though he has a better batting average than Pete Rose. Jackie Robinson batted .311, Babe Ruth batted around the mid .300’s, and Ty cobb batted way up in the .300,

Derek Jeter 's Stats may not be the best in home runs or RBIs, but he has a lot more than just that he has 3000 hits. He ranks sixth all time in career hits with Pete rose being first(Twenty,VERDUCCI 7). He also ranks fourth all time on most wins in a career only three players in the past 100 years played in more wins than Jeter with Pete rose being first again Jeter won a total of one thousand seven hundred and twenty two games(Twenty,VERDUCCI 5). Derek Jeter also isn 't afraid of the spotlight his playoff stats are insane and can be argued one of the best all time ¨Napoleon once said that the genius in leadership is the man who can do the average thing when everybody else is going crazy¨. That 's Jeter in the postseason. His genius is that, when the pressure is greatest, he doesn 't elevate his game; he is able to play the same game. He is a .310 career hitter who hit .308 in the postseason.Jeter played one hundred fifty eight career postseason games, the equivalent of one full season. In that virtual season, Jeter had two hundred hits, twenty home runs, eighteen stolen bases and one hundred eleven runs scored. Since 1901, only five other shortstops put up those numbers in any regular season and one of them was Jeter in 1999(Hall,VERDUCCI 4). Jeter has a hit in 42

great deal of skill and patience and he deserves credit for that. Ken Mattingly might not