Letters to the editor

Baseball Digest, May, 2004 by Bob Reigh, Rick Ross, Tim Chonin, Keith Winters, Jim Provencher, William Rudd, Patrick Kielty, Shelby Freymiller, Neal Hacker, Ron Thomas, Butt Prelutsky, Maynard Tiemann, Christopher M. Strom, Edwin Hernandez, Robert McComb, Rob Cirillo, John Engallena, Guillermo Alzuru

Don Mueller was a good-hitting outfielder for the New York Giants years ago. He played regularly from 1950-1957.

Basically, his last year was 1958 when he was only 31. What happened to him?

Bob Reigh

Lebanon, Pa.

Although a solid contact hitter, Mueller had little power as a left-handed batter and was weak defensively in right field. These deficiencies worked against him as he finished his final two major league seasons with the White Sox in 1958 and 1959.

A lifetime .296 hitter, he had already slumped on offense with the Giants in 1956 and 1957 when he averaged .269 and .258 at the plate. He was sold to the White Sox for cash in March 1958.

Mueller left baseball in 1959 and became a building inspector for an insurance company. He retired from the insurance business in 1983.

Let's say there is a runner on second base with one out. The batter hits a fly ball to the center fielder who thinks his catch would make it three nuts.

As the center fielder runs hack to the infield the runner scores. My questions are these:

Is the center fielder charged with an error? Does the batter get credit for an RBI? Is the batter charged with an at-bat or is he credited with a sacrifice fly?

Rick Ross

River Vale, NJ.

According to Section 10.13 of the Official Baseball Rules, "Mental mistakes or misjudgments are not to be scored as errors unless specifically covered in the rules."

However, the official scorer has the discretion to charge an error on the type of play you describe.

In 1994, right fielder Larry Walker of the Expos was charged with an error on a mental mistake he made in a game against the Dodgers on April 24 at Dodger Stadium.

After making a running catch for what he thought was the final out in the third inning, Walker handed the ball to a nine-year-old fan in the stands. Jose Offerman of the Dodgers tagged up and scored on the mental misplay.

In your case, if the official scorer charges the center fielder with an error, Rule 10.04 (d) should apply. It reads: "Scorers judgment must determine whether a run batted in shall be credited for a run which scores when a fielder holds the ball."

In 2003, Jason Giambi of the Yankees led the American League in both walks and strikeouts.

Has anyone ever led his league in both categories in the same year?

Also, was Giambi's .250 batting average the lowest ever for a leader in walks?

Tim Chonin

Issaquah, Wash.

In 1976, Jimmy Wynn of the Atlanta Braves led the N.L. in walks with 127 while hitting only .207, lowest batting average of any player who ever topped a league in walks.

There have been eight players, besides Giambi, who led their league in both walks and strikeouts in the same season.

See the accompanying charts.

Last season, Braves shortstop Rafael Furcal turned in an unassisted triple play against the Cardinals in a game on August 10.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with runners on first and second, a St. Louis batter hit a line drive to Furcal who dove and Caught the ball for one out.

Then, Furcal tagged second base for the second out, and chased down the runner from first base for the third out.

This was only the 11th unassisted triple play in the history of the regular season.

Could you tell me the name of the Cardinals batter who hit into the triple play, and what was the final score?

Keith Winters

Newton, N.C.

With Mike Matheny on second base and Orlando Palmeiro on first, Cardinals pitcher Woody Williams hit a liner to Furcal who made a leaping catch of the ball, stepped on second to double up Matheny and then tagged Palmeiro trying to get back to first.

The Cardinals won that game, 3-2, when Albert Pujols hit a tie-breaking homer off John Smoltz in the eighth inning.

In 2003, Barry Bonds hit 45 homers in only 390 official at-bats, averaging one home run every 8.67 at-bats.

This ratio seems quite a feat, but in 2001, when Bonds parked 73 homers in 476 at-bats, his average Was one home run for every 6.5 at-bats.

What have been the best performances in this category in a season and over a lifetime career?

Jim Provencher

Harbord, NSW, Australia

For players with a minimum of 30 home runs in one season. Bonds" record in 2001 far exceeds the mark of any other homer hitter for one year. See the accompanying charts.

In regards to Hall of Fame voting results, I am continually disappointed with the little-to-no support received by former Detroit Tigers.

My favorite player, Lou Whitaker, for example, was dropped from the ballot after his first year. I think the lack of respect given to the Tigers can be demonstrated with a comparison of the career numbers of Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter and those of former Detroit catchers Bill Freehan and Lance Parish.

Freehan was known for his leadership, and was regarded as the best catcher in the American League between Yogi Berra and Thurman Munson/Carlton Fisk.

Looking at the stats of the three catchers, they don't seem that far apart, particularly in the case of Freehan.

William Rudd

Livonia, Mich.

The baseball writers evidently don't appreciate Steve Garvey's credentials for election to the Hall of Fame.