The Immortal Josh Harrison (?)

Published Sep. 11, 2014 11:38 a.m. ET

foxsports

Ginger Beaumont Sherry Magee Heinie Zimmerman Dale Alexander Buddy Myer Debs Garms Snuffy Stirnweiss Billy Goodman Harvey Kuenn Pete Runnells Rico Carty Ralph Garr Carney Lansford Freddy Sanchez (Freddy Sanchez)

All those players (Freddy Sanchez) have proved that you don't have to be a household name to win a batting title. Especially, it seems, if you play a bunch of positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

By the rules of the time (1940), Pirates journeyman and utilityman Debs C. "Tex" Garms played enough for his .355 batting average to win the batting title. Garms was 33, and batted .263 in the rest of his brief, war-aided career.

In 2006, Pirates utilityman Freddy Sanchez batted .344 to win the batting title. He also led the league with 53 doubles. The next year, Sanchez batted .304 and made another All-Star team. Sanchez batted .285 in the rest of his career, which lasted only four seasons.

In 2014, Pirates utilityman Josh Harrison is batting .318 to lead the National League. Harrison entered the season with a .250 career average, and without any promise for regular playing duties. Yet here he is, in position to win a batting title with the lowest average since Tony Gwynn grabbed the crown with a .313 mark.

You don't think Harrison can hold on? At the moment, his only serious competitors are teammate Andrew McCutchen (.311) and Justin Morneau (.317).

Oh, to be sort of young and a Corsair utility man.