When I was growing up newspapers didn’t run box scores with batting averages. I assume this was because of night games and deadlines. But my dad had scrapbooks from his childhood, when there were no night games, in which the box scores had updated batting averages for the New York Giants and whatever team they happened to be playing.
Batting averages in box scores don’t mean much, of course, but a look at the Rangers’ lineup tonight is impressive. Only one hitter below .300 as I write this (Kevin Mench, .267) and six above .333. And those six are the regulars in the lineup. One of the regulars not in the lineup, Mark Teixeira, went on the DL today and phenom Adrian Gonzalez was called up from Triple-A.
At one point Gonzalez was considered as strong a prospect as Miguel Cabrera. Wrist problems that have robbed his bat speed and dubious strkezone judgment have dimmed his star, but he’s still a prospect to become a big league regular. He just not likely to join those Rangers with big batting averages this time.