Hitting cleanup behind superstar Albert Pujols, new St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday is clearly loving it. In every one of his eight games in the uniform to date, Holliday has at least one hit, 17 in total.
His long list of safeties include six doubles and a home run, with his most recent carnage consisting of three singles and the game-tying double in four at-bats Friday night as the Cardinals came back to defeat the Houston Astros 4-3.
Holliday is the first player to begin his Cardinals career by hitting safely in his first eight games since the great Roger Maris in 1967. If he keeps on this pace through the weekend, he will tie Charley Smith (1966) and Alvin Dark (1956) for the longest such Cardinals streak in at least the last 55 years, ten games.
In terms of getting on base multiple times per game, Holliday’s eight-game-and-counting run is already the longest by a new Cardinals player since at least 1954. The previous record was just five games, set by quickly-forgotten Chuck Carr in 1992.
Holliday will certainly be remembered longer. Perhaps much longer…
Consecutive Games with a Hit to Start Cardinals Career (1954-2009)
| Streak Start | Streak End | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SO | BB | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG | |
| Charley Smith | 4/13/1966 | 4/24/1966 | 10 | 37 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .486 | .525 | .730 |
| Alvin Dark | 6/15/1956 | 6/24/1956 | 10 | 45 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .467 | .468 | .600 |
| Matt Holliday | 7/24/2009 | 7/31/2009 * | 8 | 29 | 6 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .586 | .649 | .897 |
| Roger Maris | 4/11/1967 | 4/22/1967 | 8 | 33 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .424 | .444 | .606 |
| Bo Hart | 6/19/2003 | 6/26/2003 | 7 | 35 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .514 | .528 | .771 |
| Cesar Cedeno | 8/30/1985 | 9/8/1985 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .529 | .529 | 1.000 |
| Terry Pendleton | 7/18/1984 | 7/24/1984 | 7 | 29 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .414 | .452 | .483 |
| Gino Cimoli | 4/10/1959 | 4/17/1959 | 7 | 27 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .407 | .467 | .481 |
| John Rodriguez | 7/18/2005 | 7/23/2005 | 6 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .381 | .435 | .762 |
| Tony Womack | 4/5/2004 | 4/11/2004 | 6 | 26 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .423 | .483 | .538 |
| Chuck Carr | 9/8/1992 | 9/17/1992 | 6 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | .360 | .448 | .480 |
| Mike Fitzgerald | 6/23/1988 | 6/28/1988 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .280 | .280 | .320 |
| Ken Boyer | 4/12/1955 | 4/18/1955 | 6 | 28 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | .321 | .345 | .571 |
| Wally Moon | 4/13/1954 | 4/20/1954 | 6 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .348 | .429 | .783 |
| Julio Lugo | 7/24/2009 | 7/29/2009 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .400 | .423 | .760 |
| Will Clark | 8/1/2000 | 8/6/2000 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .643 | .737 | 1.571 |
| Royce Clayton | 4/1/1996 | 4/6/1996 | 5 | 25 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | .320 | .357 | .520 |
| Steve Lake | 8/12/1986 | 8/19/1986 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .313 | .313 | .375 |
| Lonnie Smith | 4/6/1982 | 4/11/1982 | 5 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | .400 | .500 | .550 |
| Willie Davis | 6/6/1975 | 6/11/1975 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .364 | .391 | .545 |
| Ken Reitz | 9/5/1972 | 9/8/1972 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .571 | .545 | .619 |
| Jose Cruz | 9/19/1970 | 10/1/1970 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .353 | .476 | .412 |
| Julio Gotay | 8/6/1960 | 6/18/1961 | 5 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .412 | .412 | .471 |
| Don Blasingame | 9/20/1955 | 9/25/1955 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .375 | .545 | .438 |
On-Base Streak – Two or More Times per Game to Start Cardinals Career (1954-2009)
| Streak Start | Streak End | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SO | BB | SB | CS | BA | OBP | SLG | |
| Matt Holliday | 7/24/2009 | 7/31/2009 * | 8 | 29 | 6 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .586 | .649 | .897 |
| Chuck Carr | 9/8/1992 | 9/16/1992 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .381 | .480 | .524 |
| Ron Gant | 4/1/1996 | 4/5/1996 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .385 | .550 | .846 |
| Willie Davis | 6/6/1975 | 6/9/1975 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .389 | .421 | .611 |
| Don Blasingame | 9/20/1955 | 9/24/1955 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | .417 | .611 | .500 |
| Julio Lugo | 7/24/2009 | 7/26/2009 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .571 | .571 | 1.214 |
| Aaron Miles | 4/3/2006 | 4/6/2006 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .636 | .714 | 1.000 |
| Yadier Molina | 6/3/2004 | 6/5/2004 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .300 | .462 | .400 |
| Bo Hart | 6/19/2003 | 6/21/2003 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .583 | .615 | 1.083 |
| Jim Edmonds | 4/3/2000 | 4/6/2000 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | .375 | .615 | .875 |
| Mike Matheny | 4/3/2000 | 4/6/2000 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .545 | .583 | 1.000 |
| Pat Borders | 4/1/1996 | 4/6/1996 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .429 | .429 | .571 |
| Danny Sheaffer | 4/30/1995 | 5/4/1995 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .545 | .583 | .909 |
| Bob Horner | 4/4/1988 | 4/8/1988 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .222 | .500 | .556 |
| Roger Maris | 4/11/1967 | 4/15/1967 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .538 | .571 | .846 |
| Dick Groat | 4/9/1963 | 4/13/1963 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .462 | .533 | 1.077 |
| Bill Virdon | 4/12/1955 | 4/16/1955 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .400 | .471 | .667 |
| Joe Cunningham | 6/30/1954 | 7/2/1954 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .455 | .538 | 1.273 |
* current streak
Have Holliday’s recent games all been played at Coors Field? (Sorry not to know something so elementary, but since Matt’s career owes to Coors, according to some, it makes you wonder.)
Last summer, about this time, the Nats released pending free agent Felipe Lopez. Felipe went on a batting tear for 2 months. Who would his agent be? Boras.
This summer we trade prosects for Holliday. He has started a batting tear. Agent and status? Boras and pending economic freedom, just like with Felipe.
What a co-incidence.
One nice thing about Holliday’s start is he is spraying some singles and doubles. He must not be trying to hit a HR with every swing, just try to contribute constructive at bats and get something positive done.
I wonder what the OPSes have been for the various cleanup hitters this season? Probably some scary numbers.
There’s been little talk about Albert’s recent lack of awesomeness. Obviously something is not right. Even when he hits a double his swing is not right and the ball doesnt jump off his bat. He has a lot of ugly looking strike outs and cant snap is wrists around to drive the inside pitch. Of course, he’s still good, but. . . Is this an emperor with no clothes thing where nobody is supposed to notice. I’ve been wondering if anyone has asked about it at the postgame Q & A
Before Holliday’s arrival, Cardinals cleanup hitters had a pedestrian cumulative OPS of .768. In a very small sample, Holliday has doubled that at 1.546. An amazing start.
On a side point, here’s hoping DD enjoys the Don Blasingame references above…
bb, even if Albert is hurting, no one is probably going to admit it. We expect so much from him, when he slumps a bit*, it causes great concern. It is good that someone else has arrived to help him carry the load, ala the MV3. One man, even Albert, cannot do it all. (When I join the team in NY on Tuesday, I will sniff around to see if I can learn anything…)
* edit: Since Holliday’s arrival, Albert is 8-for-33 (.242) with two doubles and two RBI. He has been walked six times and scored five runs.
Not only did I enjoy the Blazer reference but I noticed several other heroic names from my youth on that list including Wally Moon, Kenny Boyer, Julio Gotay, Joe Cunningham, Alvin Dark and Bill Virdon.
Virdon had already been traded when I came on board as a fan, but can you imagine the outcry from fans if the Internet had been around when he was traded a month into his second year in the bigs after being named Rookie of the year in 1955? Our haul was washed up journyman Dick Littlefield and prospect Bobby Del Greco, neither of whom ever did squat for the Cardinals.
If we still had Virdon playing center field in 1957, Boyer could have remained at third base and the weak link of the offense, Eddie Kasko, could have ridden the pines. Virdon’s 1957 numbers weren’t much better than Kasko’s but he had been solid in both years prior to that. We might have put up a tougher fight against the Braves that year.
I worked with Virdon’s cousin Linda in the seventies. She was a heckuva softball player and a good kisser.
3-for-4 with a pair of home runs on Saturday. The streaks continue in style.
I saw John Rodriguez on one of the lists. He hit around .300 with enough at bats to be a fair sample and was serviceable in the field. How many guys on major league rosters can’t say as much, yet he never made it back to MLB and can’t even stick in the minors. I would think, at the least, some low budget team would play him until he moved up the pay scale. Is there some back-story.
bb, it starts with the man naming himself “J-Rod”. That says a lot right there. He could hit but was a poor baserunner and indifferent on defense. Since leaving StL, he has played in Triple-A with the Mets, Tampa Bay and now back with the Yankees. He has yet to return to the Majors.