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You may have heard the phrase, “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.” There’s no doubt that statistics can certainly be used in many ways to bolster an argument, prove a point or even make a case seem stronger than it really is.
According to baseball-almanac.com, more than 20,000 players have played Major League Baseball. If one used positive statistical milestones and found that only 15 individuals reached each of those statistics out of more than 20,000, how could it not be anything but impressive and obviously quite exclusive?
Andrew McCutchen just recently entered such exclusive company. Looking at the list of baseball players that have scored 1,000 runs, had 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, hit 300 home runs, had more than 1,000 RBIs, stole 200 bases and had a lifetime batting average of .270 or better, only 15 players in major league baseball history have reached them all. Fifteen out of more than 20,000 and Andrew McCutchen is the fifteenth player to do so.
Certainly, other ballplayers had the capability and physical tools to accomplish and reach those figures. The fact remains – they did not.
The qualifying stat line of: runs/hits/doubles/home runs/runs batted in/stolen bases/batting average looks like: 1000/2000/400/300/1000/200/.270
Those 15 players that reached those levels and their stat lines are:
Hank Aaron 2174/3771/624/755/2297/240/.305
Jeff Bagwell 1517/2314/488/449/1529/202/.297
Carlos Beltran 1582/2725/565/435/1587/312/.279
Barry Bonds 2227/2935/601/762/1996/514/.298
George Brett 1583/3154/665/317/1596/201/.305
Andre Dawson 1373/2774/503/438/1591/314/.279
Steve Finley 1443/2548/449/304/1167/320/.271
Willie Mays 2068/3293/525/660/1909/339/.301
*Andrew McCutchen 1179/2055/413/300/1049/216/.275
Frank Robinson 1829/2943/528/586/1812/204/.294
Alex Rodriguez 2021/3115/548/696/2086/329/.295
Gary Sheffield 1636/2689/467/509/1676/253/.292
Alfonso Soriano 1152/2095/481/412/1159/289/.270
Larry Walker 1355/2160/471/383/1311/230/.313
Dave Winfield 1669/3110/540/465/1833/223/.283
* – Still active, statistics as of 4/14/2024
McCutchen’s career comes up short for induction into Cooperstown, but by making the Major League Baseball’s 2010s All-Decade team, winning a league MVP, finishing in the top three of MVP balloting three times, being a five-time All-Star and winning a Gold Glove award, he’s certainly worthy of being inducted into the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame and his playing career appreciated a bit more.
Photo credit: Tom Hagerty Photography on Visualhunt
John Baranowski is a sports historian and contributor to newspapers, sports publications, and sports websites. This and other articles written by him can be found on his blog: https://johnbaranowski.wordpress.com/