Renteria’s Five Hit Day

by
April 7, 2010

Edgar Renteria had 115 hits last season. He recorded a little over 4% of that total in today’s game. Yup, Renteria took home the second stage of the improbable shortstop offensive outbursts by recording five hits in five at-bats. Not to be a downer and kill the impromptu parades undoubtedly taking place across streets in the Bay Area, but … have you ever looked at ow many players have recorded five hit games? It’s a nice casserole of names and abilities. Here are the last five years’ worth of April five hit games:

2009
Cristian Guzman
Ian Kinsler
Marlon Byrd
Mark Teahen
Ryan Braun
Russell Branyan

2008
Rafael Furcal

2007
Willy Taveras
Chase Utley
Scott Rolen

2006
Mike Young
Ivan Rodriguez

2005
Mark Kotsay
Mark Loretta
Alex Rodriguez
Aaron Miles

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This list fascinates me because, again, the spread of talent is pretty wide. You have future Hall of Famers, all-stars, and superstars, and then … Miles and Tavares. Here’s a link to Baseball-Reference’s Play Index with a complete listing of every five hit game since the 1920s.

Now, this is not to say Renteria isn’t on his way to an improved season. There’s almost no way he posts a wOBA in the .280s again. It’s just that this game does not signify in any way that he’s back, front, or sideways. I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence and state the obvious, okay I will. Five hit games can happen to pretty much any batter. They are random and sometimes things just go that batter’s way for a night. Luck doesn’t discriminate on batting slot, defensive position, or projection.

How else do you explain Brett Gardner and Billy Butler sharing something in common besides Matt Klaassen’s heart?





 

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Bronnt
15 years ago

It bothers me that you excluded Willie Harris’ 6 hit game in 2007. I guess he’s not random enough to fit in with the 5 hit motif?

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Bronnt
15 years ago
Reply to  Bronnt

Nevermind. I didn’t get that you were looking at April.

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