MLB: Comparing Granderson & Teixeira’s 2011 to Mantle & Maris’ 1961 Is Insane
August 12, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Comparing 2011’s New York Yankees duo of switch-hitting Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson to the 1961 duo of switch-hitting Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris borders on the insane.
Which, as many probably agree, puts me into that group.
Mantle and Maris are the only teammates to hit at least 50 home runs in the same season. That will not change this year.
Granderson and Teixeira each has hit 32 home runs this season. Granderson has played in 114 games while Teixeira has appeared in 115 games.
On Aug. 12, 1961, Maris pulled within one home run of Mantle when he hit his 43rd home run of the season in a losing effort to the Washington Senators.
If Granderson and Teixeira continue at their present rate, each should finish with about 45 home runs, which will fall well short of Maris’ 61 and Mantle’s 54.
Most fans still consider Maris’ 61 home runs the single season home run record.
Teixeira realized that he and Granderson are the victims of hyperbole. Speaking to Daniel Bararisi of the Wall Street Journal, Teixeira said, “I noticed it. It’s two Yankees. It’s two famous Yankees. It’s 50 years. But it’s tough enough for me to hit 30 a year. That’s the farthest thing from my mind, but it is kind of neat to commemorate their chase with a mini-chase of our own.”
Surprisingly, Granderson has done as well against left-handers as he has against right-handers this season. Overall, he is hitting .275/.367/.583 and is on a pace to drive in about 132 runs.
Maris batted .269/.372/.620 with 141 RBIs, which tops Granderson in every category except batting average.
This season’s Teixeira doesn’t even approach the 1961 Mantle.
Teixeira is batting .247/.341/.509 and is on a pace for about 120 RBIs.
Mantle out-hit Teixeira by a whopping 70 points (.317 to .247). Mantle had an on-base average of .448, which is an amazing 107 points higher than Teixeira’s. Mantle out-slugged (.687) Teixeira by 178 points.
In 1961, strikeouts were anathema. Players were embarrassed when they returned to the dugout after a strikeout. Today, a strikeout is considered just another out until a team loses by one run because with a runner on third and one out, their slugger struck out.
Granderson has struck out 123 times, which puts him on a pace for about 175 this year. Shades of Bobby Bonds.
Teixera, a more disciplined batter, is on a pace to whiff about 107 times.
Maris struck out 67 times. Mantle struck out 112 times.
It took Granderson, who is the fifth Yankees center fielder to hit at least 30 home runs (Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bobby Murcer, and Bernie Williams) until the Yankees 115th game to reach the 30 home run mark.
Maris and Mantle needed 84 games.
There is a tendency to overrate many of today’s players. There is a conscious effort to show that players can hit home runs without using performance-enhancing substances.
Granderson and Teixeira are proving that they are far from being overrated.
More importantly, there is as much chance that either is cheating as there is that their 2011 seasons are even close to Mantle and Maris’ 1961.
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