2047-5 Karyabwite Nears 3000
Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:50 pm
Karyabwite Nears 3000
Calgary outfielder Juan Karyabwite finished the year with 2976 hits, just 24 short of the magic 3000. This year was a comeback year for him as he batted .309 after two sub .300 seasons and he reclaimed his starting role. Last season Karyabwite platooned which cost him his shot at 3000 this year.
Karyabwite ranks among the active league leaders in several categories. Along with being the active hits leader he also is the active leader in doubles, 2nd in stolen bases, 4th in runs scored and 5th in runs batted in. He has won 6 Zimmer awards, been named to 4 All Star teams and was the Gillstrom winner his rookie year. Every player with more hits than Karyabwite is in the BBA Hall of Fame. He will be 36 next season, will he come back for one more year? If he doesn’t will those 24 missing hits keep him out of the Hall?
“Right now, I am planning on coming back next Spring, but at this point of my career I take it one year at a time,” he said. “I have never been a number counter, I do like the trophies I have collected, but I would like to add a championship ring before I leave the game.”
Calgary has a history of players falling just short of the numbers that mark a player as a lock for the Hall of Fame. Terry Cochran finished his career with 2613 hits and 491 home runs. Would the HOF have called if he had hit 500? Dan Leonard finished with 2817 hits and Tony Franco had 2621, neither is in the hall. Only 3 players have more hits than Leonard without being named to the hall and two of them are active.
Calgary outfielder Juan Karyabwite finished the year with 2976 hits, just 24 short of the magic 3000. This year was a comeback year for him as he batted .309 after two sub .300 seasons and he reclaimed his starting role. Last season Karyabwite platooned which cost him his shot at 3000 this year.
Karyabwite ranks among the active league leaders in several categories. Along with being the active hits leader he also is the active leader in doubles, 2nd in stolen bases, 4th in runs scored and 5th in runs batted in. He has won 6 Zimmer awards, been named to 4 All Star teams and was the Gillstrom winner his rookie year. Every player with more hits than Karyabwite is in the BBA Hall of Fame. He will be 36 next season, will he come back for one more year? If he doesn’t will those 24 missing hits keep him out of the Hall?
“Right now, I am planning on coming back next Spring, but at this point of my career I take it one year at a time,” he said. “I have never been a number counter, I do like the trophies I have collected, but I would like to add a championship ring before I leave the game.”
Calgary has a history of players falling just short of the numbers that mark a player as a lock for the Hall of Fame. Terry Cochran finished his career with 2613 hits and 491 home runs. Would the HOF have called if he had hit 500? Dan Leonard finished with 2817 hits and Tony Franco had 2621, neither is in the hall. Only 3 players have more hits than Leonard without being named to the hall and two of them are active.