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All Season Batting Leaders – Through 2014

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles DodgersThree years ago, we took our first look at the offensive stat leaders per season for the all the games I’ve attended since 1984.  While there hasn’t been a whole lot of movement in the 3 seasons since, I figured the time was right to take another look.  So, without further ado, here’s the updated list.  We start, as always, with everyone’s favorite offensive stat:

Home Runs

Year Name Total
2010 Paul Konerko 17
2004 Mosies Alou 15
2004 Corey Patterson 13
2004 Sammy Sosa 13
2003 Moises Alou 12
2008 Carlos Quentin 12

Hits

Year Name Total
2003 Mark Grudzielanek 67
2004 Moises Alou 57
2003 Moises Alou 57
2007 Derrek Lee 57
2006 Orlando Cabrera 56

Runs

Year Name Total
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GF4 – Week 19

Y4Week19A disturbing trend is afoot, as we suffer from our third straight subpar week.  As the temperature outside has plummeted, so has my activity.  The week got off to a pretty good start, but things fell apart on Thursday when I couldn’t even make it to 4000 steps.  Friday bounced back, thanks to a walk over to Willow, but then the weekend fell off a cliff again.

Total steps: 34,420

Daily average: 4917.1

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Top 200 Albums – #139 – 148

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we continue climbing up the list, looking at the 8 albums tied for 141st with 29 listens and the 2 albums tied for 139th with 30 listens.

#139: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 30 plays
The greatest hits compilation for the one-time Philly based duo used 6 songs to comprise this total.

#139: Various Artists – On The Edge
iTunes stats: 30 plays
This compilation, featuring 80s alternative hits from the likes of The Smiths, Love & Rockets, and Michael Penn, had 5 different tunes make up its total.

#141: Katy Perry – One Of The Boys
iTunes stats: 29 plays
Katy Perry’s debut single, I Kissed A Girl, makes up this entire total all by itself.

#141: REM – Automatic For The People
iTunes stats: 29 plays
5 songs, led by the first single Drive, make up this total for the Athens, Georgia based group.

#141: Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
iTunes stats: 29 plays
The smash second album from the Chicago alternative royalty used only 3 songs to make up this total.

#141: The Beatles – Beatles For Sale [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 29 plays
Only 3 tunes make up this abbreviated total for the remastered version of the Beatles fourth studio album.

#141: Various Artists – Reality Bites
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Book 18 (of 52) – Storm Front

Storm Front - Richard Castle

Storm Front – Richard Castle

In the series premiere of Castle, author Richard Castle had just killed off Derrick Storm, the star of his best selling series of novels.  After the success of the first 4 Nikki Heat novels, Castle decided to bring Storm back in Storm Front, the first Derrick Storm novel released here in the real world.

In this tale, Derrick Storm is called in to investigate the deaths of a number of currency traders, each of which features the familiar MO of his old foe Gregor Volkov.  Storm, along with a Chinese agent, try to get to the bottom of the killings and stop Volkov before he brings down the world’s economy.

I must admit, I was a little worried going in to this one.  While I have enjoyed the Nikki Heat novels thus far, those have followed, somewhat, some of the plots of the show.  Derrick Storm was an unknown quantity.  Thankfully, my worry was for naught, as this book had the same charms as the Heat books, even featuring a brief cameo by Heat and Jameson Rook.  There’s already a second book in the series, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

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#194 – Scott Sanderson

Scott_Sanderson_(1994_White_Sox)_3Name: Scott Sanderson

Rank: 194

Position: P

Year With White Sox: 1994

When pitcher Jose DeLeon injured his knee during fielding drills in the early going of spring training in 1994, the White Sox offered free agent Scott Sanderson a minor league deal and a shot at making the team out of spring training.

Not only did he make the team, but he earned a spot in the rotation as the fifth starter.  Despite putting up his worst numbers since an injury plagued 1988 campaign with the Cubs, Sanderson stayed in the rotation until late July, when he was replaced by rookie Scott Ruffcorn.  “I understand,” Sanderson said at the time.  “I had two bad starts against Detroit, and their decision is to bring Scott up.”

Sanderson made 4 appearances over the bullpen in what would be the final 3 weeks of the season, before the players went on strike in mid August.  After the season, and the post-season, was declared lost, Sanderson was granted free agency, bringing his White Sox career to an end.

Sanderson’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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#195 – Dave LaPoint

MP10005566708_P255075_500X500Name: Dave LaPoint

Rank: 195

Position: P

Years With White Sox: 1987-1988

As the trade deadline drew near in July of 1987, the White Sox, 19 games under .500 and battling for last place in the AL West, sent an unknown minor leaguer to the Cardinals in exchange for Dave LaPoint.  3 days later, manager Jim Fregosi gave LaPoint the start against the Brewers, and he responded with 6 hitless innings before faltering in the 7th, getting the win in only his 3rd start of the season.

LaPoint made 11 more starts, alongside 2 relief appearances, down the stretch for the White Sox.  He finished with a 6-3 record and a 2.94 ERA as he headed to free agency.

Mere weeks before spring training began in 1988, LaPoint resigned with the White Sox.  He quickly became the statistical leader of the staff, putting up a 10-11 record with a team-leading 3.40 ERA.  On August 13, little more than a year after he was acquired, LaPoint was traded to the Pirates for reliever Barry Jones.  “I didn’t want to be traded,” LaPoint said at the time.  “This is one place I really wanted to stay.”

LaPoint’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:

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#196 – Aurelio Rodriguez

91-369FrName: Aurelio Rodriguez

Rank: 196

Position: 3B

Years With White Sox: 1982, 1983

Aurelio Rodriguez first joined the White Sox on April 2, 1982, when he was traded from the Blue Jays in exchange for Wayne Nordhagen.

Rodriguez played decently for the 82 Sox, hitting .241 in 118 games while helping to stabilize the defense on the left side of the infield.

Following the season, Rodriguez left the White Sox as a free agent and signed on with the Orioles.  However, he played sporadically and saw his average drop to .119 before being released in mid-August.  On August 31, the last day to be eligible for post-season rosters, he re-signed with the White Sox and appeared in 22 games down the stretch.  His career came to an end with 2 appearances as a defensive replacement in the 1983 ALCS against, ironically, the Orioles.

Rodriguez’s numbers in a White Sox uniform were:

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GF4 – Week 18

Y4Week18Well, this was a disappointing week, with my lowest total since the end of January, when the polar vortex kept me with 3 days under 2000 steps.  This week suffered from busy days that kept me away from my afternoon trip to North plaza for coffee.  Thursday, the only day I did get to go on a coffee trip, was the one day to cross the 5000 step plateau.  Hopefully things pick up this week.

Total steps: 28,060

Daily average: 4008.6

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Top 200 Albums – #149 – 157

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we continue climbing up the list, looking at the 6 albums tied for 152nd with 27 listens and the 3 albums tied for 149th with 28 listens.

#149: Def Leppard – Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 28 plays
This collection of the Sheffield band’s greatest hits used 4 tunes to score this high on the list.

#149: Various Artists – Friends-Music From The T.V. Series
iTunes stats: 28 plays
This soundtrack compilation, released following the smash first season of the television show, has 7 songs, from the likes of Joni Mitchell, The Pretenders, and, of course, The Rembrandts, to make up its total.

#149: Various Artists – Monster Ballads, Vol. 2
iTunes stats: 28 plays
5 songs from this collection of ballads, performed by rock bands like Warrant and Cinderella, place it on the chart.

#152: George Carlin – Life Is Worth Losing
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Another comedy album by George Carlin takes its place on this list.

#152: Cracker – Cracker
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Only 2 songs from Cracker’s debut album make up this total.

#152: Various Artists – Rock N’ Roll Era: 1961
iTunes stats: 27 plays
7 tunes, from artists like Del Shannon, Dion & The Belmonts, and Ben E. King, are part of this Time Life compilation.

#152: Various Artists – Mallrats
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