Well, it happened once again, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that it didn’t happen, once again. We have now gone 41 years without a Major League hitter in either league capturing the coveted Triple Crown.

The last hitter to lead his league during one season in batting average, runs batted in, and home runs was Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967.

The only semblance of a race for the Triple Crown title took place in the National League this year. Perennial contender Albert Pujols of the Cardinals finished with a batting average of .357. While quite impressive, this lofty number fell a few points short of the .364 average rung up by Atlanta’s Chipper Jones.

Pujols also managed to collect 37 homers and drive in 116 runs. These are good, strong numbers but they were nowhere good enough to claim the league lead in those categories. Not in a year when Ryan Howard of the Phillies was smashing 48 home runs and racking up 146 runs batted in.

So, how did the powerful Mr. Howard make out in the batting average component of the Triple Crown? The Phillies first baseman finished the regular season with a somewhat-less-than-stellar batting average of .251.

The major factor that damaged Ryan Howard’s average was strikeouts. In 610 at bats during the 2008 regular season, Howard struck out 199 times.

In these volatile economic times, many of us can empathize with Ryan Howard’s dilemma. We know that we have the power and skill to perform impressive tasks, but this crazy economy sends us for a loop during some of our best swings.

You know, though, that if you keep your eye on the ball you can accomplish great things.

With the holiday season approaching, I’ve decided to help you accomplish a few of those things with a Triple Crown offering on our most popular winter gifts. Spread a little joy along with their embroidered logo on our Extra Long Fleece Scarf (Style 9012), Knit Toboggan Hat (Style 8010) or Fleece Beanie (Style 8012). They make perfect gifts!

Best Wishes

Fred Meyers