Second of 2 posts

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In 2023, Cody Bellinger became the 15th different Cub since 1901 to lead the team in batting average, home runs and runs batted in during the same season.

They have done it a total of 27 times, which is 22 percent of all 123 seasons, more than 1 of every 5.

But it hardly happened at 5-year intervals.

After 3 players did it 4 times in 1901-30, 3 did it just in 1931-39, followed by just 1 in 1940-54.

Between 1955 and 1972, Ernie Banks, Ron Santo and Billy Williams combined to turn the trick 11 times.

Over the next 27 seasons, only 2 players earned the Triple Crown, both in strike-shortened seasons.

Then 2 players did it 4 times in 2000-05.

In the 18 seasons since then, only 2 more have done it, Anthony Rizzo in 2015 and Bellinger this year.

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BATTING KINGS

Here are all 27 Triple Crown seasons, in chronological order, with several breaks for easier reading. Each player's average, home runs and RBI is in parentheses after his name.

1905: Frank Chance (.316, 2, 70)

1912: Heinie Zimmerman (.371, 14, 104)

1921: Ray Grimes (.321, 6, 79)

1922: Ray Grimes (.354, 14, 99)

1931: Rogers Hornsby (.331, 16, 90)

1936: Frank Demaree (.350, 16, 96)

1939: Hank Leiber (.310, 24, 88)

1948: Andy Pafko (.312, 26, 101)

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1955: Ernie Banks (.295, 44, 117)

1956: Ernie Banks (.297, 28, 85)

1958: Ernie Banks (.313, 47, 129)

1959: Ernie Banks (.304, 45 143)

1963: Ron Santo (.297, 25, 99)

1965: Billy Williams (.315, 34, 108)

1966: Ron Santo (.312, 30, 94)

1967: Ron Santo (.300, 31, 98)

1970: Billy Williams (.322, 42, 129)

1971: Billy Williams (.342, 28, 93)

1972: Billy Williams (..333, 37, 122)

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1981: Bill Buckner (.311, 10, 75)

1994: Sammy Sosa (.300, 25, 71)

2000: Sammy Sosa (.320, 50, 138)

2001: Sammy Sosa (.328, 64, 160)

2002: Sammy Sosa (.288, 49, 108)

2005: Derrek Lee (.335, 46, 107)

2015: Anthony Rizzo (.278, 31, 101)

2023: Cody Bellinger (.307, 26, 97)

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Hornsby and Charlie Grimm tied for the lead in average in 1931.

5 of the leaders in average and RBI tied for the most homers: Chance, Billy Maloney and Joe Tinker in 1905; Grimes and Max Flack in 1921; Santo and Williams in 1963; Buckner and Leon Durham in 1981; and Bellinger and Christopher Morel in 2023.

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LONGEST REIGNS

Sosa and Williams both did it in 3 straight seasons.

Banks did it in back-to-back seasons twice; Grimes and Santo, once.

1965 (Williams) and 1966 (Santo) are the only consecutive seasons in which different players did it.

Sosa's first and last Triple Crowns came 8 seasons apart, 1994 and 2002.

Williams' were separated by 7 seasons, 1965 and 1972.

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RANGE OF AVERAGES

The highest batting average among the Triple Crown winner was .372, by Zimmerman in 1912. Grimes' .354 in 1922 was second highest, followed by Demaree's .350 in 1936 and Williams' .342 in 1971.

Rizzo's .278 in 2015 was the lowest average, 10 points below Sosa's .288 in 2002.

3 others led without batting .300: Banks, in 1955 (.295) and 1956 (.297), and Santo (.297), in 1963.

Santo, in 1967, and Sosa, in 1994, batted exactly .300.

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RANGE OF HOMERS

The home run totals of the leaders in all categories ran the gamut from 2, by Chance, in 1905, to 64, by Sosa, in 2001.

The low in the Live Ball Era was 10, by Buckner, in strike-shortened 1981. The low in a full season was 16, by Hornsby, in 1931, and by Demaree, in 1936.

Since World War II, the full-season low was 25, by Santo, in 1963. Bellinger had 26 this year.

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RANGE OF RBI

Sosa knocked in the most runs of any Triple Crown winner, 160, in 2001.

12 others reached triple digits, ending with Pafko, in 1948, and Rizzo, in 2015, each with 101.

Grimes, in 1922, and Santo, in 1963, had 99.

The fewest were Chance's 70 in 1905, then Sosa's 71 in 1994 and Buckner's 75 in 1981.

Grimes' 79 in 1921 were the only other leading total of less than 85.

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AVERAGE TRIPLE CROWN YEAR

The combined average of all 27 Triple Crown seasons is a .317 batting average, with 30 homers and 104 RBI.

Since World War II, it is .310, 36 and 109.

In full seasons since World War II, it is .311, 38 and 113.

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2 OUT OF 3? NOT BAD

4 Cubs led in batting average and home runs but not in RBI:

1904: Frank Chance (.310, 6, 49); Jack McCarthy had 51 RBI

1919: Max Flack (.294, 6, 52); Charlie Deal had 62 RBI

1950: Andy Pafko (.304, 36, 92); Hank Sauer had 103 RBI

1982: Leon Durham (.312, 22, 90); Bill Buckner had 103 RBI

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15 led in average and RBI but not homers: Frank Chance (1903), Harry Steinfeldt (1906), Solly Hofman (1910), Heinie Zimmerman (1913-14), Riggs Stephenson (1932), Gabby Hartnett (1935), George Altman (1961), Ron Santo (1964), Bill Madlock (1976), Keith Moreland (1985), Andre Dawson (1990), Mark Grace (1993) and Anthony Rizzo (2016 and 2019).

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52 led in homers and RBI but not in average. The first was Joe Tinker, in 1908; the most recent, Javier Baez, in 2018.

Others this century: Sammy Sosa (2003), Moises Alou (2004), Aramis Ramirez (2006 and 2010), Derrek Lee (2009), Alfonso Soriano (2012) and Anthony Rizzo (2013-14 and 2017).

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3 CATEGORIES, 3 LEADERS

In 25 seasons, slightly more than 1 of every 5, a different player led in average, homers and RBI.

6 of those 25 were in this century, including each of the 3 seasons before 2023:

2007: Derrek Lee, .317; Alfonso Soriano, 33 homers; Aramis Ramirez, 101 RBI

2008: Ryan Theriot, .307; Soriano, 29 HR; Ramirez, 111 RBI

2011: Starlin Castro, .307; Carlos Pena, 28 HR; Ramirez, 93 RBI

2020: Jason Heyward, .265; Kyle Schwarber, 12 HR; David Bote, 29 RBI

2021: Rafael Ortega, .291; Patrick Wisdom, 28 HR; Ian Happ, 66 RBI

2022: Nico Hoerner, .281; Wisdom, 25 HR; Happ, 72 RBI

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TOTAL LEADERS

106 different Cubs have led at least once in 1 of the 3 Triple Crown categories.

67 led in average, topped by Mark Grace, 7 times; Riggs Stephenson, 6; and Billy Williams and Heinie Zimmerman, 5.

27 led at least twice and 40 led once.

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59 led in home runs. Sammy Sosa did it 11 times; Ernie Banks, 9; and Bill Nicholson, 8. No one else did it more than 5.

29 did it multiple times; 30, once.

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56 led in RBI. Sosa had the most 10 times; Banks, 7; Nicholson, Anthony Rizzo, Ron Santo and Williams, 6.

29 did it 2 or more times; 27, once.

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CAREER TRIPLE CROWN

Here, in alphabetical order by last name, are all 21 players who led in each of the categories at least once. The 15 who won a Triple Crown in any season are indicated by an asterisk:

Ernie Banks*, Cody Bellinger*, Bill Buckner*, Frank Chance*, Andre Dawson, Frank Demaree*, Ray Grimes*, Gabby Hartnett, Rogers Hornsby*, Johnny Kling, Derrek Lee*, Hank Leiber*, Bill Nicholson, Andy Pafko*, Aramis Ramirez, Anthony Rizzo*, Ryan Sandberg, Ron Santo*, Sammy Sosa*, Billy Williams* and Heinie Zimmerman*

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CAREER LEADERS IN 2 OF 3

Kris Bryant, Leon Durham and Max Flack led in average and homers at least once, but never in RBI.

9 players led in average and RBI, but never in homers: George Altman, Phil Cavarretta, Mark Grace, Charlie Grimm, Solly Hofman, Bill Madlock, Keith Moreland, Jigger Statz and Harry Steinfeldt.

20 led in homers and RBI but never in average: Moises Alou, Javier Baez, Ron Cey, Charlie Dexter, Larry Doyle, Augie Galan, Ian Happ, Babe Herman, Ralph Kiner, Dave Kingman, Jerry Martin, Bobby Murcer, Dave Robertson, Vic Saier, Hank Sauer, Frank Schulte, Alfonso Soriano, Joe Tinker, Cy Williams and Hack Wilson.