Bostock is a name i hadnt heard in awhile. He was murdered a few years later and the guy that killed him was intending to kill the murderer's wife who was in the car along with a few otehrs and only met Bostock earlier that day.

The killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity (his wife's infidelity had made him insane, according to the defense). Seven months later, he was found to have recovered his sanity and was released. He lived out the rest of his life with no further crimes.

As a Mets fan, it didn't bother me much when Reyes did it a few years ago. I'm much more against it when some other player/team does it.

Sitting
 

I'm not too impressed with sitting in order to ensure a batting title.
This year of course, Murphy was also sitting so one of the two champs was going to have to play or the results weren't going to change. I wouldn't feel as much that DJ backed into it if Murphy were playing.

Sorry Jeremy, the Reyes thing wasn't quite the same. It smelled bad to me at the time, but maybe because I am a Phillies fan and we are supposed to hate all things "Met":p

Regarding another earlier comment, I disagree that sitting out the last few games is the same as sitting games out in the middle of the season.

First off, in June you aren't saving those at-bats thinking it will help you win a batting title...that's ridiculous at best.
You rest occasionally during the year to have energy to produce during the long season.
This was a deliberate attempt to preserve the top spot in batting average. It cannot be compared to May or June days off.

Winning the batting title is a great accomplishment, even with today's advanced stats. There are a lot of big leaguers who would be happy to stake that claim every season. Typically only us hardcore fans remember what details it took to win the crown...( a few classic races mentioned above)

all games count, if the guy chasing you has played in 10 less games, what does he have to complain about if you dont play the last game...

Geez
 

The point is intent.

Sitting out to win a title is cowardly. Period. Be a mensch, either win it or lose it by playing. Missing midseason games has nothing to do with it.

Thats mishigas..

The guy did win it, he played more games than the other guy. If going on cowardly there are so many things to look at.

For example

Maybe the guy that won the title and played in more games also played in more games at much less than 100% (which would cause more reasons to make more outs) versus the guy that came in second

If you played 145 or whatever games who cares about missing the last game especially when you have more at bats than the guy chasing you.. (also assuming games are meaningless and team wants to give a prospect a chance to play etc)

DJ 552 at bats. D. Murphy 531 at bat.

DJ. had 19 more at bats....so apparently daniel murphy did more sitting out, or choosing not to play hurt etc.

all games count and at bats. Its too easy to say its cowardly not playing the last game when you dont know how the second guy arrived to his batting average (ie. played in less games, didnt play at all when slightly hurt and im sure many more things can be looked at)

Ted Williams entered the last two games of the 1941 season at .3995. Had he sat out, his average would have rounded up to .400. At least according to legend, Ted scoffed at the idea of sitting out a meaningless doubleheader against the A's to preserve his .400. He played, and Connie Mack instructed his pitchers not to let up on him. He went 6 for 8. That is a mensch.

Batting title already in hand so bad analogy. Plus in 1941, a sacrifice fly, in which Ted had 6, was counted as an at-bat and an out. (so he still would of hit over .400 using the current batting methods even if o-fer whatever.)

I know a guy had 40 homers and last game of year he didnt sit out, he hit and you know what, he still ended up with the magical 40 homers thats kismet

You can't fix stupid.

+1. Or people who know they are right.

+1

Jake I think the next edition of the dictionary should have your picture next to the definition of non-sequitur. :)

yeah i know. Didn't realize we were getting grades.

But still interesting that Williams had 6 more 'outs' that year that in the present day are not considered outs. So not so easy to compare even batting averages from today in the past as the rules of what was counted as an 'out' on your batting average has changed