What is The Hardest Thing to do In Baseball?

It has been an argument said for hundreds of years that the hardest thing to do in baseball is pitch a perfect game, a no-hitter, hit for the cycle and hit for the triple crown. Well clearly I think throwing a perfect game and hitting for the triple crown are probably the two hardest thing to do in baseball because throwing a perfect game has been done 20 times in the history of the game through 1876-2010. No hitters are probably just as hard but that has been done 269 times through 1876-2010. Hitting for the triple crown has only been done 13 times in baseball. The first hit cycle in major league baseball was back in May 25th, 1882. The cycle is going 4 for 4 in a game with a single, double, triple, and a home run. A perfect game is the pitcher being perfect, giving up no hits, no walks, and no earn runs, and no ears in the game in 9 innings of work, something that only 19 pitchers have done. A no-hitter is not really the same thing; a pitcher can allow walks, an unearned run (not a hit) and still have a no-hitter. But in that case the whole point in the matter is not giving up a hit in 9 innings of work. Hitting the triple crown is leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBI's. In the past few years lot more of these these have happened accepted the triple crown hasn't happen since 1967 almost 43 years was the last time a player would hit for the triple crown. Last year in 2009 where history was made for the second time in history eight players hit for cycle in one season since 1933. Only 1 time 7 players hit for the cycle back in 1890 and only 3 times has 6 players hit for the cycle back in 1940, 1976, and 2004. It’s seems’ at one point hitting for the cycle might have been one of the hardest things to do.

In 2009 a lot of history was made with all three changeling things being done in the game. We start with the perfect game that was thrown from White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle on July 23rd, 2009 as he threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays and became the 18th player in history to do so. Before he threw his perfect game the last one thrown by a pitcher was Diamondback BIG UNIT Randy Johnson in 2004 against the Atlanta Braves. Johnson made history two ways by throwing a perfect game and being the oldest player to throw one at the age of 40. Mark Buehrle is also on the list as one of many pitchers to throw a perfect game and a no-hitter in his career. He threw his first no-hitter back in April of 2007 against the Texas Rangers. After Buehrle threw his perfect game we wonder when will this heroic defeat ever happen again? Few weeks before the perfect game was thrown Jonathan Sanchez from the Giants became the 263 pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the San Diego Pardres on July 10th, 2009. Before Sanchez threw his no hitter Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox was the last pitcher to throw a no-hitter on May 17th, 2008 against the Kansas City Royals. So two pitchers, from two different divisions, from two weeks apart did two of the hardest things in baseball, throw a no-hitter and a perfect game.

The cycle on the other hand made worldwide sports news because in 2009 eight players hit the cycle in one season and only once has that happened before. It started with Orlande Hudson from the Los Angeles Dodgers who is now with the Twins hit the first cycle in 2009 on April 13th, 2009. Two days later Ian Kinsler from the Texas Rangers hit for the cycle on April 15th, 2009. Two days later, again Jason Kubel from the Minnesota Twins hit for the cycle on April 17th, 2009. Never has the cycle been hit in a week’s time by three players from three different teams in one month has that happened. Almost two months later the cycle appeared again hit by another Minnesota Twin and not Joe Mauer or Justin Morneau did that feat, it came off the bat of Michael Cuddyer on May 22nd, 2009. Three months later, Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera who is now with the Braves hit for the cycle on August 2nd, 2009. Eight days later Troy Tulowitzki from the Colorado Rockies also hit for the cycle on August 10th, 2009. Four days later the cycle would happen once again off the bat of Felix Pie from the Baltimore Orioles on August 14th, 2009. Once again three different players in one month hit for the cycle, something that has never been seen in baseball where three different players in one month hit for the cycle twice in the same year. At the this point seven players have hit for the cycle and that has only happened once back in 1890 and only once has eight players hit for the cycle in history back in 1933, but B.J. Upton from the Tampa Bay Rays was on the verge to tie history and welcome the baseball Gods to the 21st century as on October 2nd, 2009 B.J. Upton tied major league baseball history being the 8th player in one season to hit for the cycle! Those eight men became the second group in baseball history to hit for the cycle in one year where that feat happened only once back ages ago. Its sure 2009 was indeed a history year also the New York Yankees made history by winning their 27th World Series Title.


In 2010 history was made once again. On April 17th, 2010 Colorado's Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez threw a no-hitter with six walks and became the 264 man to throw a no-hitter against the Atalanta Braves. Something that people have seen more of in baseball but still it’s a fact that throwing a no-hitter doesn't come very easy, but something more was about too happened. One month later on May 9th, 2010 on mother’s day Dallas Braden from the Oakland A's was pitching like he was CY Young on the mound and in the 9 inning fans knew that if he could get just 3 outs without walking batter or giving up a hit he would be the 19th players to throw a perfect game. On 109 pitches Dallas Braden would indeed become the 19th player in history to throw a perfect game and become the 265 man to throw a no-hitter as well. The team that he went perfection against was the Tampa Bay Rays, the same team the Mark Buehrle threw his perfect game against. I don't think history like this has ever been made where in back to back years four pitchers from two different divisions threw no-hitters and perfect games back to back years. Without that being said both pitchers who threw no-hitters are from the National League and the two pitchers who threw perfect games are from the American League. But the crazy thing about this whole article is that is has happened BACK to BACK years never has that ever happened in baseball history. Almost two weeks later on May 29th, 2010 Phillies new ace Roy Halladay pitched perfection against the Florida Marlins and became the 20th pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game and 266 pitcher to throw a no-hitter and it wouldn't be the last time Halladay would make history in 2010. It’s funny how the perfect game wasn't even seen since 2004 and people said I don't know or see any other pitcher besides Randy Johnson doing that. You might have said maybe Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, CC Sabathia, or even Johan Santana would be the next pitchers to throw no-hitters or perfect games and Halladay was next on that list. One month and four days earlier Diamondback's pitcher Edwin Jackson on June 25th, 2010 became the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter and would become the fourth pitcher in 2010 to have a no-hitter. Jackson threw a no-hitter with 159 pitches thrown in the ball game and he threw it against who but the Tampa Bay Rays who were once again no-hit against another team. One month and one day later on July 26th, 2010, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garaza would throw a no-hitter and became the 268 pitcher to do so and the fifth pitcher in 2010 to throw a no-hitter. So for once the Tampa Bay Rays were on the other side of having a no-hitter and not being no-hit against. Now remember how I said Roy Halladay would make history one more time in 2010, well on October 6th, 2010, Game 1 of the NLDS, Halladay threw his second no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds and would become the second pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason since Don Larsen threw his perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Halladay became the 269 man to throw a no-hitter and the fifth pitcher in baseball history and the first since Nolan Ryan to throw multiple no-hitters in the same season. He would also be the sixth man in 2010 to throw a no-hitter, 2010 was the year of the pitchder. As for the cycle in 2010 only one player has hit for the cycle and that was Jody Gerut from the Milwaukee Brewers on May 8th, 2010. It seems as right now that eight players in one season won't hit for the cycle again in the next 40-45 years. That's just something that you will never see again. Hitting the cycle has to be one of the hardest things to do in baseball. I mean hitting a triple and a home run in one game are just two of many hardest things to do in baseball. But to hit a single, double, triple, and a home run is whole different story in its self.


The triple-crown is last on this list because it is known as one of the hardest thing ever to do in baseball. You have to lead the whole league in average, home runs and RBI's. It's something that hasn't been seen in 42 years. Only 13 players have hit for the triple crown and they are Paul Hines in 1878, Hugh Duffy in 1894, Nap Lajoie in 1901, Ty Cobb in 1909, Rogers Hornsby in 1922 and 1925, Chuck Klein in 1933, Jamie Foxx in 1933, Lou Gehrig in 1934, Joe Medwick in 1937, Ted Williams in 1942 and 1947, Mickey Mantle in 1956, Frank Robinson in 1966, and last but not least Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. It's been since then that no other player will ever do that again. In today's game it's so much harder to do all three of those things and if you had point two possible players to do so they are Ryan Howard from the Philadelphia Phillies and Albert Pujols from the St. Louis Cardinals. The problem with both of these players are that Howard has only batted over .300 once in his career but he has lead the league in home runs and RBI's in the past two years. Pujols on the other hand has batted over .300 in his career in the past few years but he has never leaded the league in homes or in RBI's. So it’s said that both these player will probably never hit for the triple-crown and if they do well more power to either Howard or Pujols if they do so. But as for that happening I don't think any player will ever hit for the triple-crown again and that feat will live on and never be broken. You never know though what can happen in this game of baseball, Americas past time.


I'm Seth Lempert,
This is Beyond Baseball.