Guys who drive Fords

[Benjamin Grimm]

Okay, Trivia Time!

Inspired by the Jason Tyner thread, I generated a list of the single-iest Mets of all time.

I took only the players with 500 or more at bats as a Met. (Through Sunday's game, that would be 135 players.) I then calculated their "singles percentage." In other words, what percentage of their hits were singles.

The "winner" had a singles percentage of 88.39. There are twenty Mets with an all-time singles percentage over 80. Three of them are pitchers. (The three pitchers rank number 4, 13, and 14.)

The all-time lowest singles percentage belongs to a player whose 50.51 is almost four points better than the runner-up, who has a 54.24.

Question: Who's the guy with the highest, who's the guy with the lowest?

Please make only two guesses each (one for high and one for low) until your guess is acknowledged. If you make any additional guesses I'll probably ignore them, just for sanity's sake.

When I respond to your guess, I'll give the actual rank of the player. When this little quiz runs its course, I'll post the full list of 135 players.

GO!

[Gwreck]

Edit (can't read directions)

High: Mookie Wilson

Low: Kingman

Edited May 12, 2008 by Guest

[Frayed Knot]

Low = Millan
High = Strawberry

[Guest AG/DC]

Highest percentage of hits for singles would be Tim Foli.

Highest percentage of hits for singles would be David Arthur Kingman.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Gwreck wrote: Edit (can't read directions) High: Mookie Wilson Low: Kingman

Mookie, middle of the pack, 53rd place, 73.74%

Kong, almost! 132 out of 135, 54.81%

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frayed Knot wrote: Low = Millan High = Strawberry

Millan: 10th place, 82.37%
Strawberry: 134th place! 54.24%

[Benjamin Grimm]

AG/DC wrote: Highest percentage of hits for singles would be Tim Foli. Highest percentage of hits for singles would be David Arthur Kingman.

Kingman: see above.

Foli: 23rd place, 78.86%

And yes, the three pitchers are Koosman (4th place), Gooden (13th) and Seaver (14th)

[Guest AG/DC]

May I guess again?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Yep. Once your guess is acknowledged, you can go again. (I'm just trying to avoid having somebody tossing out dozens of guesses at a time.)

[Guest AG/DC]

Jose http://www.geocities.com/daieihawks2002/oh.jpg http://www.manbehindthedoll.com/images/sunsetmalibuhs.jpg http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/wma/images/matador_sisk_pen_white_tailed_doe_smaller.jpg

[Benjamin Grimm]

DING DING DING!

Jose Oquendo had a singles percentage of 88.39, the highest in Mets history for players with over 500 at bats. (He had 517 at bats and 112 hits, 99 of which were singles.)

[Frayed Knot]

Good Lord!, 9 Mets had a higher pct of singles than Felix Millan?!?!?

Bud Harrelson

[Benjamin Grimm]

Frayed Knot wrote: Bud Harrelson

If my arbitrary cutoff was 1,000 at bats instead of 500, Bud Harrelson would be our winner. As it is, he comes in in sixth place with an 83.09%. (And Darryl Strawberry, instead of being second best, would be the all-time champ, but by a narrow margin.)

[Fman99]

Guessing. NOT CHEATING.

Highest: Bud Harrelson
Lowest: HoJo

[Benjamin Grimm]

Harrelson, see above.

HoJo: 130th out of 135, 57.47%

[Benjamin Grimm]

What we've learned so far:

1 Oquendo, Jos� 88.39
4 Koosman, Jerry 84.69
6 Harrelson, Bud 83.09
10 Millan, Felix 82.37
13 Gooden, Dwight 81.25
14 Seaver, Tom 80.82
23 Foli, Tim 78.86
53 Wilson, Mookie 73.74
130 Johnson, Howard 57.47
132 Kingman, Dave 54.81
134 Strawberry, Darryl 54.24
135 ??? 50.51

[Guest AG/DC]

Mke Cameron.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Mike Cameron it is!

[Benjamin Grimm]

		AB	H	XBH	1B Pct.
1	Oquendo, Jos�	517	112	13	88.39
2	Bailor, Bob	797	212	28	86.79
3	Trevi�o, Alex	733	192	28	85.42
4	Koosman, Jerry	807	98	15	84.69
5	Kanehl, Rod	796	192	32	83.33
6	Harrelson, Bud	4390	1029	174	83.09
7	McMillan, Roy	1127	255	44	82.75
8	Backman, Wally	2369	670	116	82.69
9	Cannizzaro, Chris	581	137	24	82.48
10	Millan, Felix	2677	743	131	82.37
11	Flynn, Doug	2137	500	89	82.20
12	Vizcaino, Jos�	1282	361	67	81.44
13	Gooden, Dwight	730	144	27	81.25
14	Seaver, Tom	975	146	28	80.82
15	Ord��ez, Rey	2937	720	140	80.56
16	Phillips, Mike	731	183	36	80.33
17	Santana, Rafael	1514	376	74	80.32
18	Giles, Brian	545	127	25	80.31
19	Grote, Jerry	3881	994	196	80.28
20	Taveras, Frank	1480	389	77	80.21
21	Hahn, Don	800	189	38	79.89
22	Gardenhire, Ron	710	165	34	79.39
23	Foli, Tim	719	175	37	78.86
24	Coleman, Vince	880	238	51	78.57
25	Maddox, Elliott	1024	261	57	78.16
26	Orsulak, Joe	991	274	60	78.10
27	Martinez, Ted	1068	251	55	78.09
28	Gonder, Jesse	572	155	34	78.06
29	Hiller, Chuck	594	144	32	77.78
30	Hodges, Ron	1426	342	77	77.49
31	Boswell, Ken	2116	528	120	77.27
32	Unser, Del	807	219	50	77.17
33	Weis, Al	653	125	29	76.80
34	Randle, Lenny	950	258	60	76.74
35	Magadan, Dave	2088	610	142	76.72
36	Hunt, Ron	1683	474	111	76.58
37	Franco, Matt	621	158	37	76.58
38	Cede�o, Roger	1448	404	95	76.49
39	Brooks, Hubie	2400	640	152	76.25
40	Buchek, Jerry	603	132	32	75.76
41	Torre, Joe	722	193	47	75.65
42	Miller, Keith	772	204	51	75.00
43	Garrett, Wayne	2817	667	168	74.81
44	Dyer, Duffy	1050	230	58	74.78
45	Johnson, Lance	947	309	78	74.76
46	Vail, Mike	584	153	39	74.51
47	Lo Duca, Paul	957	284	73	74.30
48	Jones, Cleon	4223	1188	308	74.07
49	Kranepool, Ed	5436	1418	368	74.05
50	Knight, Ray	850	230	60	73.91
51	Alomar, Roberto	853	226	59	73.89
52	Boisclair, Bruce	917	241	63	73.86
53	Wilson, Mookie	4027	1112	292	73.74
54	Neal, Charlie	761	189	50	73.54
55	Payton, Jay	1154	321	85	73.52
56	Baerga, Carlos	1061	283	75	73.50
57	Hernandez, Keith	3164	939	249	73.48
58	Chavez, Endy	546	158	42	73.42
59	Charles, Ed	861	214	57	73.36
60	Lyons, Barry	545	131	35	73.28
61	Lopez, Luis	548	137	37	72.99
62	Henderson, Rickey	534	159	43	72.96
63	Christopher, Joe	1400	371	101	72.78
64	Davis, Tommy	577	174	48	72.41
65	Valentine, Ellis	506	132	37	71.97
66	Henderson, Steve	1800	516	145	71.90
67	Marshall, Dave	559	136	39	71.32
68	Montanez, Willie	1019	252	73	71.03
69	Carreon, Mark	596	162	47	70.99
70	McEwing, Joe	1048	255	74	70.98
71	Wilson, Vance	649	165	48	70.91
72	Sasser, Mackey	944	267	78	70.79
73	Matsui, Kaz	857	219	64	70.78
74	Perez, Timo	1078	297	87	70.71
75	Jorgensen, Mike	800	187	55	70.59
76	Shinjo, Tsuyoshi	514	129	38	70.54
77	Heep, Danny	918	241	71	70.54
78	Ochoa, Alex	557	152	45	70.39
79	Staub, Rusty	2571	709	212	70.10
80	Mazzilli, Lee	3013	796	238	70.10
81	Stearns, John	2679	695	208	70.07
82	Lewis, Johnny	677	153	46	69.93
83	Swoboda, Ron	2212	536	162	69.78
84	Phillips, Jason	791	207	63	69.57
85	Alfonzo, Edgardo	3897	1136	346	69.54
86	Thomas, Frank	1188	311	95	69.45
87	Reyes, Jos�	2657	751	230	69.37
88	Smith, Charley	942	228	71	68.86
89	Jefferies, Gregg	1713	472	147	68.86
90	Carter, Gary	2176	542	169	68.82
91	Youngblood, Joel	1897	519	164	68.40
92	Shamsky, Art	1186	316	101	68.04
93	Darling, Ron	519	75	24	68.00
94	Agee, Tommie	2416	632	203	67.88
95	Dykstra, Lenny	1686	469	151	67.80
96	Elster, Kevin	1584	355	115	67.61
97	O'Brien, Charlie	580	123	40	67.48
98	Pratt, Todd	555	147	48	67.35
99	Boyer, Ken	662	171	56	67.25
100	Huskey, Butch	1385	366	121	66.94
101	Zeile, Todd	1423	368	122	66.85
102	Foster, George	2389	602	200	66.78
103	Hickman, Jim	1824	439	147	66.51
104	Olerud, John	1662	524	177	66.22
105	Green, Shawn	559	159	54	66.04
106	Kent, Jeff	1831	510	175	65.69
107	Bell, Derek	546	145	50	65.52
108	Vaughn, Mo	566	141	49	65.25
109	Agbayani, Benny	937	264	92	65.15
110	Murray, Eddie	1161	318	111	65.09
111	Everett, Carl	924	231	81	64.94
112	Milner, John	2389	586	206	64.85
113	Clendenon, Donn	861	230	81	64.78
114	Boston, Daryl	910	242	86	64.46
115	McReynolds, Kevin	2910	791	289	63.46
116	Brogna, Rico	814	237	89	62.45
117	Teufel, Tim	1279	328	125	61.89
118	McRae, Brian	995	248	95	61.69
119	Wigginton, Ty	1001	270	104	61.48
120	Gilkey, Bernard	1353	370	146	60.54
121	Wright, David	2157	666	265	60.21
122	Burnitz, Jeromy	1119	265	106	60.00
123	Thompson, Ryan	997	238	96	59.66
124	Ventura, Robin	1513	394	159	59.64
125	Piazza, Mike	3478	1028	415	59.63
126	Floyd, Cliff	1643	440	178	59.55
127	Hundley, Todd	2549	612	249	59.31
128	Valentin, Jos�	550	144	60	58.33
129	Bonilla, Bobby	1779	481	201	58.21
130	Johnson, Howard	3968	997	424	57.47
131	Delgado, Carlos	1189	308	135	56.17
132	Kingman, Dave	2323	509	230	54.81
133	Beltran, Carlos	1767	477	218	54.30
134	Strawberry, Darryl	3903	1025	469	54.24
135	Cameron, Mike	801	198	98	50.51

[Fman99]

I feel vindicated by my own ability to place both of my guesses in the top/bottom 10.