PRESIDENT’S CUP BREAK – HITTING MILESTONE WATCH

by C.C. McCandless

The July break to conclude the President’s Cup Tournament means we are a little bit more than halfway home on a thrilling 2034 season. It’s also a great opportunity to take a look at some notable career milestones within reach.

Detroit Motors SS EDWIN NADAL was the consensus CBA G.O.A.T. during recent conversations amongst league GMs, and he’s also on the cusp of a couple of tantalizing round-number career stats. He just passed 1,500 games played last week, joining CHRIS GREENWELL, JOSH VERBURG, and MATT LAFERTY in that elite club. “Bacano” Nadal is also poised to become the next member of the 300 Homer fraternity, as he currently sits at 299. Greenwell, the Philly veteran DH, should become the first CBAer to crank 350 bombs shortly after the break, as he needs just three more to do so. Nadal has scored more runs than any player in history, and should hit the historic 1,000 run mark early in the second half (11 to go).

JOSE SANCHEZ may not receive all the acclaim he deserves as the CBA’s all-time hits leader (1,808). This mercenary bat-for-hire is plugging along in Houston, making that his fifth different team over the past three seasons. He’s signed through 2035, but beginning to show his age at 35. Could he hang around in 2036 to chase 2,000? Seattle’s Laferty (1,789) and the ageless Cracker Greenwell (1,767) should eclipse 1,800 hits in the second half. They are also the only two hitters to tally 1,000 RBIs (Laferty 1,046, Greenwell 1,032).

At just 30 years old, CHRIS COCHRAN is the runaway leader in CBA steals with 544. But “Uncle” hasn’t had the chance to increase his total as he toils away for Sacramento’s reserves this year. The only other player to swipe even 400 is recent Hall of Fame snub* JOSE “BUZZY” RODRIGUEZ with 405. Half a dozen active players are in the career top ten, with Boston SS CRAIG SHERER perhaps being the man to watch if you’re looking for a potential record-breaker down the road. In his sixth major league season, “Iguana” already has 307 steals.

* “Snub” is a subjective term but I’m throwing it in here because any HoF discussion is a good thing, IMO.