More Cycles

by Eric Simon on Sep 2, 2008 12:01 AM EDT

In what is perhaps the cosmic universe's response to my column the other day about the scarcity of cycles, the almighty watchmaker today gave us not one but two cycles. When better than on Labor Day for Stephen Drew and Adrian Beltre to work it, so to speak.

Drew's cycle went single, triple, homerun, double, double. The first double was of the ground-rule variety, and it'd be interesting to know how many cycles were completed by a ground-ruler (this one wasn't, technically, since Drew would've hat a cycle with the second double anyway). Beltre went homerun, single, single, double, triple, saving the toughest for last.

Drew's cycle was the third in D-Backs history and the first since Greg Colbrunn did it in 2002. The other D-Back cycle was Luis Gonzalez in 2000. Beltre's was the fourth in Mariners history, and the first since John Olerud did it in 2001 (Olerud also cycle'd for the Mets). The other Mariner cycles were Alex Rodriguez in 1997 and Jay Buhner in 1993.

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First time two MLB baseball players have hit for the cycle on the same day

since 1920. No joke.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Sep 2, 2008 1:07 AM EDT reply actions

And actually,

Drew would have had a 2nd triple, rather than a 2nd double, except that slow Tony Clark was running in front of him from first base and was stopped at 3rd — anyone else would have been able to score. In fact, Drew almost got caught between 2nd and 3rd.

Interesting to note that earlier in the season, Conor Jackson went home run, triple, single, triple — going 4-4 and running right through a cycle of his own.

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers: Filling the dubious shoes left open by Barry Bonds and the Giants.

by DbacksSkins on Sep 2, 2008 1:12 AM EDT reply actions

Jackson

That’s awesome. It was only the fourth time a player had two triples in a game and missed a cycle by a double. Pretty solid company: Dmitri Young (2003), Eddie Mathews (1962) and Willie Mays (1958).

Incidentally, a player has hit two doubles, a triple and a homerun, missing a cycle by just a single 270 times. Moises Alou has done it twice, as have Gregg Jefferies and Barry Bonds. None of the three have ever hit for the cycle.

by Eric Simon on Sep 2, 2008 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Barry

I would’ve figured pre-giant-head Barry Bonds would’ve hit for the cycle at some point; from 1990 through 1998 or so, he had the best combination of speed and power in the league.

by JoshNY on Sep 2, 2008 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions