Jose Vs. One Dog

[G-Fafif]

Lance Johnson holds the Mets record for base hits in a season, with 227 in 1996. Let's track Jose Reyes's challenge.

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 78 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 113
Johnson 1996: 105

[batmagadanleadoff]

Lance Johnson holds the Mets record for base hits in a season, with 227 in 1996. Let's track Jose Reyes's challenge. METS HITS IN A SEASON Through 78 NYM Games REYES 2011: 113 Johnson 1996: 105

That's not the only One Dog Mets record Reyes is threatening.

BASEBALL;Johnson Just Hits Like No One Else By JASON DIAMOS Published: June 25, 1996 He is bidding to become the first player in major league history to lead both the National League and American League in hits. He will almost certainly become the third player to lead both leagues in triples. Yet Lance Johnson, the 32-year-old Mets center fielder, has never been selected to an All-Star Game. Nor does the man dubbed the "one-dog" because of his resemblance, while running the bases, to a greyhound nearest the rail, figure to be selected to this year's gala in Philadelphia, despite some hefty credentials. Which is shameful. After last night's 2-1 victory by the Mets over Colorado, Johnson was second in the National League in hits with 102, three behind Montreal shortstop Mark Grudzielanek. He was looking more and more like Wee Willie Keeler, the turn-of-the-century slap hitter whose ability to hit 'em where they ain't made him the National League leader in hits in 1900 and made him runner-up in the American League four years later, perhaps the closest any player has come to being the hits leader in each league. And Johnson has other things going for him this season. He is second in the league in stolen bases with 23 and he has already broken the Mets record with 11 triples, six more than anybody else in the league. Johnson is also on pace to break Mets records in four more categories: at-bats, runs, hits and total bases. That would usually be more than enough to gain a certain amount of recognition, especially when you consider that Johnson led the American League in hits last year and in triples the four years before that, all with the Chicago White Sox. He even achieved the rare feat of having more triples than doubles, while having double figures in both (14 to 11 in 1994), something he has a chance to do again this season. But Johnson now plays for the Mets, who are struggling as usual. Bernard Gilkey, Todd Hundley, even the rookie shortstop Rey Ordonez, get much more publicity. And Johnson, as the saying goes, speaks a lot more with his actions than with his words. "I'm not shy," said Johnson, who is indeed a very confident person. "I like to be what you call silently dangerous." Not to mention silently productive. "He scores runs, he steals bases, he gets his base hits, he plays an above-average outfield," said Tom McCraw, the Mets hitting coach. "The guy does it all. It's been amazing to me that the media has really dwelt on the fact that he doesn't walk. He's got a chance to lead both leagues in base hits. Not walks." But that is precisely the biggest knock on Johnson the leadoff hitter: He does not walk very much. His on-base percentage (.342) is not much higher than his batting average (.317). He rarely takes many pitches. "The only knock on him is that he doesn't get enough walks as a leadoff hitter," Mets General Manager Joe McIlvaine said. "It's not a knock, it's just a fact. But if you're leading the league in hits, you're getting on a lot. From an offensive standpoint, that's really the only thing he could do better in. But we knew that when we got him." A No. 7 or a No. 2 hitter most of his career, Johnson never needed to look for walks as much. But now he is being paid to be a leadoff hitter. And that, he said, pointing to semantics, is exactly what he is doing. "I can walk," Johnson said. "You know anybody in this game getting paid to walk? I'm not getting paid to walk. I'm getting paid to hit. They want a leadoff hitter. They got a leadoff hitter. They didn't get a leadoff walker. "When we really need to get a walk, I somehow manage -- if you're paying attention to my game -- sometimes I get the walk. I don't go up looking for a walk. I'm not going to, for anybody. But I can walk." Manager Dallas Green said it has taken Johnson, who signed a two-year, $5.7 million free-agent deal last December, a little time to learn the National League after spending the last eight seasons with the White Sox. Johnson is 25 for 73 leading off a game (.342). And, after a slow start, his stolen-base total is rising (15 in little over a month). "I know one thing," Green said. "He's been very valuable to us. He's a name I write down every night without even thinking about it. That's a pretty nice thing to have. We haven't had very many guys like that." Not bad for a player whose size -- listed at 5 feet 11 inches and 160 pounds -- has always been held against him. "Nobody likes a short outfielder," said Johnson, who grew up in Cincinnati as a fan of Joe Morgan and Pete Rose, neither of whose size diminished his desire or ability. "I guess I took my genes from my mom." Johnson said he gets his speed from his father, a retired policeman whom Johnson said he was afraid to challenge to a race until a couple of years ago. Johnson is hoping that kind of athletic longevity can give him at least seven more seasons, until he hits 40. As for the recognition, Johnson is still waiting. "I'll probably get it after I get my 10 years in," he said. "People will realize some of the things I've done. I figured it would be 8 to 10 years before they started taking notice. And that's exactly what has happened." A lot of people will take notice if he leads the National League in hits. When Johnson was told earlier this year that he could join Sam Crawford and Brett Butler as the only batters ever to lead both leagues in triples, he asked if anybody had accomplished the feat in hits. "Baseball's been around, what, a hundred years or so," he said. "Being the only person in the whole game to do something like that would be pretty special."

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/25/sports/baseball-johnson-just-hits-like-no-one-else.html?scp=1&sq=lance+johnson+triples&st=nyt

[Ceetar]

Lance Johnson holds the Mets record for base hits in a season, with 227 in 1996. Let's track Jose Reyes's challenge. METS HITS IN A SEASON Through 78 NYM Games REYES 2011: 113 Johnson 1996: 105

And Reyes had those two days off due to his grandmother. He's one behind Adrian Gonzalez for the major league lead in hits.

like 20 points off his AVG lead though, but Gonzo has 40 more points of BABIP too.

[G-Fafif]

Lance Johnson holds the Mets record for base hits in a season, with 227 in 1996. Let's track Jose Reyes's challenge. METS HITS IN A SEASON Through 78 NYM Games REYES 2011: 113 Johnson 1996: 105 And Reyes had those two days off due to his grandmother. He's one behind Adrian Gonzalez for the major league lead in hits. like 20 points off his AVG lead though, but Gonzo has 40 more points of BABIP too.

Reyes missed three games, actually. At this stage of 1996, Johnson had played all 78 team games, or three more than Jose.

[MFS62]

I never would have guessed that Mark Grudzielanek would have been leading the league in hits after opening day in any season. And a Rey Ordonez mention in an article about hitters?
Amazing.

Later

[ashie62]

I like to call him Mark Gregluzinski.

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 79 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 117
Johnson 1996: 105

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 80 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 119
Johnson 1996: 107

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Note to Sandy Alderson and the Mets ownership:

Don't trade Reyes! Oh, and while you're at it please just make the man a legitimate offer and sign him for the next 5 years.

Thank you....Rockin' Doc

[Guest Edgy DC]

I think they're going to be looking for more than five years.

We have to accept that every game Reyes plays, his price goes up. They're going to have to yell some spectacular numbers through the door during the All Star break just to get Reyes' agents to ope it.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Hits in a Metly Season

Jos� Reyes Projected to End of Season: 240.975
1) Lance Johnson: 227 (1996)
2) Jos� Reyes: 204 (2008)
3) John Olerud: 197 (1998)
4) David Wright: 196 (2007)
5) Jos� Reyes: 194 (2006)
6) Felix Millan: 191 (1975)
T7) Edgardo Alfonzo: 191 (1999)
T7) Jos� Reyes: 191 (2007)
9) Jos� Reyes: 190 (2005)
10) David Wright: 189 (2008)
11) Felix Millan: 185 (1973)
12) Keith Hernandez: 183 (1985)
13) Tommie Agee: 182 (1970)
T14) Bernard Gilkey: 181 (1996)
T14) David Wright: 181 (2006)
T14) Lee Mazzilli: 181 (1979)
17) Mookie Wilson: 178 (1982)
18) Robin Ventura: 177 (1999)
T19) Edgardo Alfonzo: 176 (2000)
T19) Mookie Wilson: 176 (1983)
21) David Wright: 176 (2005)
...
T168) John Milner: 120 (1976)
T168) Jason Phillips: 120 (2003)
T170) Richie Ashburn: 119 (1962)
T170) Jos� Reyes: 119 (2011)
T170) George Foster: 119 (1985)
T173) Ed Kranepool: 118 (1971)
T173) Art Shamsky: 118 (1970)
T173) Ed Kranepool: 118 (1966)

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 81 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 121
Johnson 1996: 109

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 82 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 123
Johnson 1996: 112

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 83 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 124
Johnson 1996: 114

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 84 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 124
Johnson 1996: 114

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 85 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 124
Johnson 1996: 116

[Centerfield]

I find myself rooting for Lance Johnson to turn an ankle or something.

[G-Fafif]

Matthew Artus on Lance Johnson's 1996 night in the sun (so to speak).

Johnson's performance gave baseball fans an opportunity to tip their cap at a Mets player rather than point their finger in derision.

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 86 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 124
Johnson 1996: 119

[TransMonk]

Happy Birthday Lance Johnson - 48!

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 87 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 124
Johnson 1996: 121

One Dog covering lots of ground for a 48-year-old.

[G-Fafif]

Jose vs. One Dog suspended until Jose's hammy quits barking.

[Ceetar]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 96 NYM Games
REYES 2011: 126
Johnson 1996: 131


Izzy took the loss in '96 game 96 to fall to 4-11 btw. Saves tonight's game.

Reyes projects to 212 now, 216 if he keeps up his 1.5 hits a game rate in games he plays, and plays 60/66 remaining games. 225 if he plays them all.

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 97 NYM Games
Johnson 1996: 133
REYES 2011: 126

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 98 NYM Games
Johnson 1996: 135
REYES 2011: 127

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 99 NYM Games
Johnson 1996: 136
REYES 2011: 129

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 100 NYM Games
Johnson 1996: 136
REYES 2011: 132

[soupcan]

Awesome. Jose misses 10 games and he's STILL gonna catch him!

[Ceetar]

soupcan wrote: Awesome. Jose misses 10 games and he's STILL gonna catch him!

think he's missed 15 so far this year. and the entire National League couldn't make up the difference.

[G-Fafif]

METS HITS IN A SEASON
Through 101 NYM Games
Johnson 1996: 136
REYES 2011: 134