So...I've got a triples-themed league going in the classifieds (come sign up if you're bored...and I hope you're all taking social distancing seriously....)

Doing a little bit of research, I came across a couple of interesting tidbits.

1.) Who was the last player to lead his league in 3B and HR in the same season?
2.) Prior to that season, the last time it happened, it happened in both leagues in the same season. Who were the two players?
3.) So far we've discussed 3 players. Since 1900, it's only happened 2 other times. Can you name either player? One is in the hall of fame (albeit probably without merit), and the other is very obscure.

Honorable mention to the remarkable Stan Musial, who in 1948 missed achieving this feat by 1 HR. That season he led the NL in runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS (duh) and total bases. I don't know if it's the greatest offensive season a player ever had (tough to top Ruth in 1920, 1921, 1923) but it is certainly unparalleled in MLB history.

1) Jim Rice 1978, unfortunately, on the first team I followed and rooted for as a youngster

2) Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle,,,1955

3) Jim Bottomly, sometime in the 20s

4) Harry Lumley

Pretty good company for Jim Ed, who was my favorite player as a kid,,,

Well done cleansox. I starting following the Bosox in 1976 and my favorite was Fred Lynn, but it was hard to go wrong rooting for those 2 guys.

There is some nice poetry in seeing Mays and Mantle on the list, from the same season no less.

Very cool question and the answers are even better.

I see that Lumley, whom I had never heard of till now, struck out 106 times in 1904 when he led the league in homers and triples, in 577 at-bats.

He could fit in great today !

Bottomley had one hell of a season in 1928 ! It has completely escaped my notice.

The thing that strikes you about Mays' amazing 1955 season, aside from hitting triples in a season when he also hit 51 home runs back when that meant something, is that he had the lowest number of doubles in his career until 1969-1970. And in the Polo Grounds, which I always saw as doubles paradise. And only 60 strikeouts all season.

Mickey's numbers are more modest that season, though he did hit 52 homers and win the triple crown the following season. But he hit only 37 homers and 11 triples to lead the league the same season as Mays. Too many doubles.

Posted by contrarian23 on 3/19/2020 6:59:00 AM (view original):
Honorable mention to the remarkable Stan Musial, who in 1948 missed achieving this feat by 1 HR. That season he led the NL in runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS (duh) and total bases. I don't know if it's the greatest offensive season a player ever had (tough to top Ruth in 1920, 1921, 1923) but it is certainly unparalleled in MLB history.

Musial lost a HR due to a rainout. A real diamond of a season.

Mike Shannon tells a story about Stan's bat. Stan would routinely use the same bat all season, rarely broke one. It would have wear about 2-3 inches wide, he always hit the ball on the sweet spot. Barely a nick anywhere else.