Any hitting streak is a tricky thing.
One moment you’re fanning a nice breeze or smashing the ball right at somebody’s glove. The next moment the baseball is as big as a harvest moon
Just ask Carlos Lee, who tied a White Sox record Sunday with a hit in his 27th straight game.
“To do it at home in front of the home fans, that was really great,” Lee said. “Any time they give you a standing ovation, it’s a great feeling.”
After going 0-for-4 in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Baltimore on May 12, Lee’s average dropped to a season low .230. But Lee caught fire, hitting .378 during since then for the longest hitting streak of any major-league player this season.
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LEE BY THE NUMBERS
20 Lee, a lifetime .285 hitter, has smashed 20 or more homers in each of the last four seasons, but during these 27 games he has just one. But by relaxing at the plate, he’s not pulling the ball. “Now, he’s using all fields,” Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
1997 Albert Belle was the last White Sox player to hit in 27 straight games. Before him, Luke Appling did it in 1936.
2 Hitting streaks better than this one in Chicago. The Cubs’ Ron Santo had a 29-game hitting streak in 1966, and Jerome Walton made the 30-game club in 1989.
3 With a hit in each of the next three games, Lee ties 12 players in the 30-game club, a plateau most recently reached by St. Louis’ Albert Pujols in 2003. Florida’s Luis Castillo pumped out a 35-game hitting streak in 2002.
56 Let’s presume Lee plays in every game, and let’s hope there are no rainouts. Lee would tie Joe DiMaggio’s all-time record of hitting streak 56 games on July 18 at Oakland and break it the next day at Texas.
16 Of the 27 games, 16 have been one-hit games. Lee also has struck out 16 times over that same 27-game span.
5 Since May 11 when this streak began, Lee has pulled off a hit in his last at-bat five times. May 17 and 18 against the Indians, May 25 against the Rangers, June 4 against the Mariners, and June 11 against the Braves.
500 Dogs that witnessed Game No. 16 of Lee’s current streak during the Sox Dog Days promotion at U.S. Cellular Park on May 29. Lee went 1-for-3 in a 5-2 loss to the Angels.
64 Players with hitting streaks longer than 27 games in the history of baseball. No. 2 all-time is Pete Rose, who went 44 straight games in 1978. And 18 players have streaks of exactly 27, including Joe DiMaggio’s brother Dom in 1951.
Lee watch
Can Lee extend his hitting streak? Here’s what lies ahead:
Next up: At Marlins, Tuesday.
Opposing pitcher: A.J. Burnett (0-2, 10.80) makes his debut after off-season elbow surgery.
Other batters: Teams are hitting .447 against Burnett this season.
Lee vs. Burnett: The two have never faced each other.
Visitor’s stadium tidbit: Opposing teams are batting .254 at Pro Player. That’s 21st in the majors.
Tuesday’s weather forecast: Scattered thunderstorms with a high of 89 degrees.
Field surface: Natural grass.
*Magic 8-Ball’s answer: “Outlook not so good.”
* www.mattelgames.com/magic8/flash(underscore)index.asp
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Edited by Chris Malcolm (ccmalcolm@tribune.com) and Chris Courtney (cdcourtney@tribune.com)
