(670 The Score) Cubs outfielder Nick Castellanos is nearing what would be a historic accomplishment.
With 12 regular-season games left, Castellanos has 55 doubles. That's in range of the milestone 60-double mark, which has only been achieved six times in MLB history. The last time that mark was reached was in 1936, when Joe Medwick (64) of the Cardinals and Charlie Gehringer (60) of the Tigers each accomplished the feat, per MLB.com.
Castellanos' season-long pace leaves him just one double shy of reaching 60, but if he keeps hitting like he has for the Cubs since joining them in a trade-deadline deal on July 31, he would reach the mark. Castellanos has 18 doubles in 43 games with Chicago, which projects to five more doubles if he keeps the same pace and plays every day down the stretch.
"The way he stays inside the baseball, again, that's the tried-and-true method," Cubs manager Joe Madden said in praising Castellanos while on the Laurence Holmes Show on Tuesday. "That's what I've been talking about as opposed to just launching angling everything. He gets the barrel to the ball, because he stays inside it. It's no secret why the ball is on the lines and in the gaps hard — because he gets the barrel to the ball. He exposes the thick part of the bat to the baseball, and he doesn't get long and sweepy with his arms trying to lift everything — although he's able to put the ball in the air well."
Earl Webb of the 1931 Red Sox holds the single-season record of 67 doubles. Castellanos won't reach that mark, but every at-bat he takes brings a smile to Maddon's face.
"All this guy does is hit gaps and lines," Maddon said. "He doesn't roll over very often because he stays inside the ball, which puts his hands in a better position to drive the ball to the entire field.
"What Nicolas has done, he's been binging the whole time he's been here."
