Nice Night for a Walk

While not a record, it is still an impressive feat and he's a New York Met, so what do you expect from me?  Outfielder Mike Baxter has quietly put together some nice numbers for a bench player this season.  He has started in just over a dozen games this season, being used mainly as a pinch-hitter, and late-inning defensive replacement.  In his few at-bats this year (71 in total), he has hit .310 while posting an OBP over .400 and a SLG just under .500.  While he lacks power, one career home run (last season), he has made a habit of hitting doubles.  In fact, as of tonight, he has only 9 singles compared to his 11 doubles and 1 triple.  Fairly anomalous if you ask me, but that isn't what this post is about.

Of course a Golden Sombrero is when a play strikes out four times in a game.  I'm not quite sure what the opposite of that is, a Silver Zapato(?), but Baxter likely acquired it.  Tonight, Baxter got a rare start for the Mets, and after five plate appearances, he did not record a single at-bat.  This is because he drew not four, but five walks on the evening.

I don't know how often players have drawn five walks in a game, but I believe it is fair to say that it isn't often.  Only two players have drawn more than five walks in a nine-inning game: Jimmie Foxx of the Boston Red Sox in 1938 and Walt Wilmot in 1891 with the Chicago Colts (now Cubs).  Two others accomplished the feat in 16-inning games.

Anyway, for a player who will not receive a lot of recognition until he finds his way into the lineup regularly, here is to you Senor Baxter.