Today on the blog we add four-time batting champ Bill Madlock to my custom "Classic Baseball" set, which will be a fun higher-end custom release later this year spread out over a few series:
Just a nice portrait shot of the man during his time with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he took home two of his batting titles.
"Mad Dog" was coming off of TWO straight National League batting titles in
1977 when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants in a multi-player
deal, with Chicago landing Bobby Murcer among others.
Madlock didn’t disappoint, as he’d put in two solid seasons of .300+ averages with some pop before he was shipped off to Pittsburgh in the middle of the 1979 season.
He would go on to put together a very nice 15-year career between 1973 and 1987, but apparently not quite Hall material, finishing with a .305 average with 2008 hits, 920 runs scored and 860 runs batted in with 163 homers and 174 stolen bases.
Just one of those historical quirks that has him as a four-time batting champ, but not really one of the all-time greats.
Madlock didn’t disappoint, as he’d put in two solid seasons of .300+ averages with some pop before he was shipped off to Pittsburgh in the middle of the 1979 season.
He would go on to put together a very nice 15-year career between 1973 and 1987, but apparently not quite Hall material, finishing with a .305 average with 2008 hits, 920 runs scored and 860 runs batted in with 163 homers and 174 stolen bases.
Just one of those historical quirks that has him as a four-time batting champ, but not really one of the all-time greats.
As a matter of fact, I believe he is still the only eligible four-time (or more) batting champ NOT in the Hall of Fame.
