Originally posted by Mini D
That's for the season funkypants. His OBP is much better than that since the allstar break. Hell... he's batting like .470 since the break. He had a horrible opening month going only .250 or so. It seems he figured something out halfway through. When's the last time you remember someone climbing towards .400 this late in the season vs sliding away from it?
Year Player, Team AB H BA of .400
1927 Harry Heilmann, Det. 505 201 .398 1
1929 Lefty O'Doul, Phils 638 254 .398 1
1921 Rogers Hornsby, Cards 592 235 .397 2
1912 Joe Jackson, Cle. 572 226 .395 3
1994 Tony Gwynn, S.D. 419 165 .394 3
1921 Harry Heilmann, Det. 602 237 .394 4
1925 Harry Heilmann, Det. 573 225 .393 4
1923 Babe Ruth, N.Y. 522 205 .393 4
1927 Al Simmons, A's 406 159 .392 4
1930 Babe Herman, Bkn. 614 241 .393 5
1931 Al Simmons, A's 513 200 .390 5
1980 George Brett, K.C. 449 175 .390 5
1925 Tris Speaker, Cle. 429 167 .389 5
1957 Ted Williams, Bos. 420 163 .388 5
The record books would look much different if the best black and white players before 1946 had played in two integrated leagues. Several white stars would have been dropped from the list of .400 hitters, to be replaced by blacks.
Here, for example, are the top single-season batting averages in the Negro Leagues:
1928 1928 *Pop Lloyd .563
1924 1924 Mule Suttles .498
1943 1943 Tetelo Vargas .484
1929 1929 Chino Smith .464
1937 *Josh Gibson .449
1946 Frank Austin .454
1939 *Turkey Stearnes .453
1943 *Josh Gibson .449
1929 John Beckwith .443
1923 Biz Mackey .441
* Hall of Famers
Jud Wilson, who batted .366 lifetime to lead all black hitters, batted over .400 four times.