142+ Games - - A Big Deal

[Xanadu Dragon]

One would think that playing in 142+ games in a season shouldn't be a big deal. Yet, only 84 players have done it 10 seasons or more - - in the history of the game:

1 Pete Rose 19
T2 Carl Yastrzemski 17
T2 Brooks Robinson 17
T4 Cal Ripken 16
T4 Hank Aaron 16
T4 Eddie Murray 16
T7 Dave Winfield 14
T7 Billy Williams 14
T7 Willie Mays 14
T7 Luis Aparicio 14
T11 Fred McGriff 13
T11 Rusty Staub 13
T11 Mike Schmidt 13
T11 Rabbit Maranville 13
T11 Orlando Cepeda 13
T11 Robin Yount 13
T11 Lou Gehrig 13
T11 Stan Musial 13
T11 Rafael Palmeiro 13
T20 Paul Waner 12
T20 Reggie Jackson 12
T20 Lou Brock 12
T20 Mark Grace 12
T20 Frank Robinson 12
T20 Goose Goslin 12
T20 Sam Crawford 12
T20 Ernie Banks 12
T20 Eddie Collins 12
T20 Ron Santo 12
T20 Nellie Fox 12
T20 Sam Rice 12
T20 Barry Bonds 12
T20 Ron Cey 12
T20 Darrell Evans 12
T20 Mel Ott 12
T20 Mickey Mantle 12
T20 Willie Davis 12
T20 Dale Murphy 12
T39 Buddy Bell 11
T39 Ken Singleton 11
T39 Don Kessinger 11
T39 Ken Boyer 11
T39 Joe Cronin 11
T39 Jim Gilliam 11
T39 Vada Pinson 11
T39 Ryne Sandberg 11
T39 Sal Bando 11
T39 Larry Bowa 11
T39 Lee May 11
T39 Wade Boggs 11
T39 Dwight Evans 11
T39 Richie Ashburn 11
T39 Steve Garvey 11
T39 Joe Carter 11
T39 Dave Parker 11
T39 Roberto Alomar 11
T39 Ozzie Smith 11
T39 Eddie Mathews 11
T59 Tony Perez 10
T59 Graig Nettles 10
T59 Tim Wallach 10
T59 Charlie Gehringer 10
T59 Bobby Bonds 10
T59 Ted Simmons 10
T59 Bobby Murcer 10
T59 Luke Appling 10
T59 Keith Hernandez 10
T59 Pee Wee Reese 10
T59 George Scott 10
T59 Dick Groat 10
T59 Steve Sax 10
T59 Brett Butler 10
T59 Al Kaline 10
T59 Bill Mazeroski 10
T59 Maury Wills 10
T59 Minnie Minoso 10
T59 Frank White 10
T59 Mickey Vernon 10
T59 Jimmie Foxx 10
T59 Charlie Grimm 10
T59 Harmon Killebrew 10
T59 Andre Dawson 10
T59 Honus Wagner 10
T59 Dave Concepcion 10

Less than 1% of those who played the game managed to make the 142/10 list.

Biggio and Vizquel should make it 86 next year - - - but, that's about in terms of active players.

Anyone surprise you - either being on or missing the list?

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon
Anyone surprise you - either being on or missing the list?

Just quickly notice these players failed to make the cut:

Baines
Hornsby
Stargell
Gwynn

Would have thought they had managed the 142/10. Guess not.

[KCBOOMER]

I also am somwhat surprised that George Brett didn't make the list since he played 20 years but he did have a history of injury.

I think the hard part of this question is playing ten years in the bigs.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by KCBOOMER
I also am somewhat surprised that George Brett didn't make the list since he played 20 years but he did have a history of injury.

Know what that means? It means that more than 1/2 of the time, he didn't make it to 142 games in a season. That's a lot missed time. I blame the turf he had to play on - - couldn't have helped.

[Duque]

Wouldn't this tend to favor more modern players, who have more games to play?

Maybe looking at a % of games played would balance it out for some of the pre-1960s guys.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by Duque
Wouldn't this tend to favor more modern players, who have more games to play? Maybe looking at a % of games played would balance it out for some of the pre-1960s guys.

Not sure. Didn't hurt these golden oldies from making the list:

T11 Rabbit Maranville 13
T11 Lou Gehrig 13
T20 Paul Waner 12
T20 Goose Goslin 12
T20 Sam Crawford 12
T20 Eddie Collins 12
T20 Sam Rice 12
T20 Mel Ott 12
T39 Joe Cronin 11
T59 Charlie Gehringer 10
T59 Luke Appling 10
T59 Mickey Vernon 10
T59 Jimmie Foxx 10
T59 Charlie Grimm 10
T59 Honus Wagner 10

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by Duque
Wouldn't this tend to favor more modern players, who have more games to play?

Maybe looking at a % of games played would balance it out for some of the pre-1960s guys.

Back then there were no such things as rotator cuffs or tendonitis or hip flexors. They played unless there were bone showing through skin.

Mainly because some owners didn't pay players when they were hurt (at least that was the case way back...)

[KCBOOMER]

I still would have thought with 20 years longevity Brett would have had 10 142 game season, but you are right he was injured a lot. I know he missed something like 400 games in his career.

I guess i can't complain. Ty Cobb who played even longer than Brett must have missed even more games.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
Back then there were no such things as rotator cuffs or tendonitis or hip flexors. They played unless there were bone showing through skin.

Mainly because some owners didn't pay players when they were hurt (at least that was the case way back...)

Or my new favorite injury that caused missed games, the tweak.

It's called protecting the investment. Could it be, Smed and I agree on something? Look out. It is the dawn of a new day.

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by BuzzBuzzard
Or my new favorite injury that caused missed games, the tweak.

It's called protecting the investment. Could it be, Smed and I agree on something? Look out. It is the dawn of a new day.

Come to the light, Buzz, the light.....

[mandamin]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon
Anyone surprise you - either being on or missing the list?

I was really hoping to see Paul Molitor on that list--he got a bad rap for having so many injuries early in his career, but he was pretty durable over the second half of it. Turns out he missed by four games--he has two seasons, in the first half of his career, where he played exactly 140 games. Too bad.
Another thing I thought was interesting--Joe D only had four seasons where he played as many as 142 games. Four! I mean, he had another season where he played 141, and a couple others in the high-30s, but I was really surprised by that...

[Xanadu Dragon]

The really weird part to all that it how much Molitor and DiMaggio swung alike - - no stride, quick swing - - wonder if there's any tie into health there?

[mandamin]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon
The really weird part to all that it how much Molitor and DiMaggio swung alike - - no stride, quick swing - - wonder if there's any tie into health there?

That's an interesting idea. The great thing about "The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball" is that it has notation for seasons in which a player had a significant injury. I flipped through my 1999 version and found that they only listed two for DiMaggio--a leg injury, and a foot injury. I know he had more than two, but I guess they weren't all that significant. Molitor's were all over the board--leg, elbow, shoulder, ribs. You'd think if it was a problem with their swing, they'd repeatedly hurt the same part, but that didn't seem to be the case. But I don't know...

[Xanadu Dragon]

I knew it was a thin reach..................good follow-up. Thanks.

[SmedIndy]

I think Molly got hurt playing the field most of the time.

Perhaps Joe D. had some nagging stuff that they held him out of a few games?