February 1, 2001

Weighing In The Tons
by Steve Lombardi

During the 2000 season, Rickey Henderson became only the sixth player in Major League history to physically reach base by either a hit, base on balls, or being hit by a pitch 5,000+ times in his career. The complete list follows:

It’s significant to note that "Ton" above represents TIMES ON BASE (by either a hit, base on balls, or being hit by a pitch). Honorable mention is deserved for the great Tris Speaker - - who only missed the cut BY TWO (having a Ton total of 4,998). And, special mention for Ted Williams (4,712 Ton) who lost nearly five seasons to service in the military during wartime.

Henderson’s achievement is extraordinary. In fact, only eleven players in history have managed a Ton total of 4,700+ (see list below):

Among active players, only Barry Bonds has a fair possibility of joining the "Ton 4700" club. (Through 2000, Bonds has a Ton total of 3,760.) To reach the mark, Bonds would have to "keep doing what he’s doing" until age 40 - and, of course, hope that games are not lost to any possible work stoppages in the 2002 season (or beyond).

There are thirty-three players who have attained a Ton total of 4,000 or more. (The complete list can be found at the close of this feature.) Both Tony Gwynn (3,912 Ton) and Harold Baines (3,923 Ton) look to stretch out the total to thirty-five during the 2001 season.

Among the "Ton 4000" club, one standout item is the total for Rusty Staub (4,050). La Grande Orange was actually on base more times than Rogers Hornsby (4,016). If one is to use Ton, as a tool, you will find many such interesting comparisons as this - for example, Darrell Evans (3,863) is just a shade behind Nap Lajoie (3,892) and is ahead of notables Lou Brock (3,833), Mike Schmidt (3,820) and Eddie Mathews (3,785).

Back to Henderson - how does he rank among the "Big Six" (of Rose, Cobb, Yaz, Musial, Aaron and himself)? Examining the numbers, it is easy to ascertain:

• Henderson has the fewest hits among the group (2,914) but the most base on balls (2,060).
• Henderson’s On Base Average of .404 trails only Cobb and Musial.
• In terms of Ton per Game played, Henderson (1.77 Ton/G) again takes backseat to only Cobb (1.82 Ton/G) - and this margin is small.
• Looking at scoring (runs) - and for the moment suspending the recognition that these results rely (to an extent) on supporting cast - Henderson is 67 behind Cobb. And, this may be transitory - as Henderson hopes to pass Cobb in 2001. Henderson has yet to sign with a team for 2001 (at this date). So, his hopes do rely on some contingencies.

Analyzing the notion of getting on base in terms of quantity, frequency, and production (once on) from a high level, it is safe to say Cobb and Henderson are the top of the list.

Granted, if one were to lower the bar to Ton totals of 4,000+ in lieu of 5,000+ there would be other players who could go toe-to-toe with Cobb and Henderson in terms of frequency and post-On Base production. Among these reside Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, Rogers Hornsby, Tris Speaker, Mickey Mantle (and someday Barry Bonds).

Gehringer and Henderson mirror each other in some interesting ways:

Of course, during Gehringer’s playing career, the "average" On Base Average was about 10 points higher than during Henderson’s time on the field. So, in reality, accounting for a Ton difference of almost one thousand and the relativity of their On Base marks, the Mechanical Man and Rickey were no where near being equal.

Related, Henderson and Bonds are lacking in one department: nicknames. The Georgia Peach (Cobb), Teddy Ballgame (Williams), The Iron Horse (Gehrig), the Beast (Foxx), Rajah (Hornsby), the Grey Eagle (Speaker), the Commerce Comet (Mantle) and the aforementioned Gehringer had great nicknames. Oh, and that Ruth fellow had quite a few to himself as well. Alas, it’s too late in their careers for Bonds and Henderson to establish an impressive sobriquet. (For a while in New York, many called Henderson "Hammy." For sure, that is one moniker he’s probably glad did not stick.)

In closing, what follows are some different sorts (for perspective) of the "Ton 4700" club:

Top Ten in terms of career On Base Average:

Top Ten in terms of career Ton/Game:

Top Ten in terms of career Runs per Ton:

The only players to make all three "Top Tens" are: Ruth, Cobb, Gehrig, and Jimmie Foxx. Mickey Mantle just missed the cut - needing a Ton per Game rate of 1.75 when he had one of 1.73. (And, if Barry Bonds maintains his same level of production over the next four years, he could become the fifth member of this group.)

One observation on the relationship between being on base and scoring runs: Conventional wisdom would dictate that the more often on base, the greater the likelihood to score a run. However, examine Wade Boggs. Among the "Ton 4000" only Williams, Ruth, Gehrig and Cobb had a higher rate of times on base per game. Yet, Boggs Runs per Ton rate was .340 (only good for 31st place out of 33, spared last only by Luke Appling and Rusty Staub). Loosely translated, two-thirds of the time Boggs reached base, he died there.

Could it be that Boggs’ Run per Ton rate was lower than expected as a result of the fact that he was on so often? Doubtful, as being on often did not adversely impact the Run per Ton rates of Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Henderson, or Gehringer in the same fashion. Perhaps Boggs’ relatively low mark was a result of playing so many games in Fenway Park (where it is somewhat more difficult to score from second on a single to left than in other stadiums)?

Ted Williams’ Ton/Game rate was 2.06 and his Run per Ton rate was .382 - for a Ton-Run Factor per Game of .79. Using the same approach for Boggs yields a result of .62. Seems that Fenway did not have the same effect on The Splinter as The Chicken Man.

In any event, congratulations to Rickey Henderson for the achievement of his milestone. Just how hard is a 5000 Ton total? Consider this: Most would agree that a season line of 200 hits and 100 base on balls is an exceptional feat, no? Well, do that for SIXTEEN STRAIGHT seasons - and you would still fall 200 Ton short of 5000.

The "Ton 4000" club - (with Harold Baines, Tony Gwynn, and Barry Bonds knocking on the door):

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