Season Record for Doubles Is Secure for Another Year On July 6, in a loss to the Yankees, Manny Machado, the Baltimore Orioles" phenom, hit a ball to left field in the third inning for his 39th double of the season. At the time, it seemed that Machado, 21, could be a serious challenger to Earl Webb, who has held the record for doubles in a season, with 67, since 1931. There was no way anyone could have known that would be the only double Machado would hit that month. The lesson Machado's season is teaching fans is that the three trickiest words in baseball can often be "on pace for." After that July game, Machado was on pace for about 71 doubles. Now, with 29 games left, Machado has 46 doubles and is on pace for 56, which would be the highest total since Garret Anderson hit 56 in 2002. The strange part is that 56 would feel disappointing after all the hype. Statistics, in general, can enhance the enjoyment of a sport, but they can also take away some of its magic. There was a time - when the various split statistics of a baseball player's year were not readily accessible online - that Machado would simply be having one of the best seasons for a player his age. But a quick search of Baseball-Reference.com shows that Machado struggled mightily in July, hitting .196 with a .314 slugging percentage in 25 games, somewhat dampening the enthusiasm. The reality of the situation is that Machado's doubles pace briefly fell off for two reasons: He has played in every game this season and quite likely wore down temporarily; and doubles have a tendency to come in bunches. The good news for the Orioles is that his hitting recovered in August, even if the doubles pace did not return. A similar split between first- and second-half results happened to two of the best doubles hitters of the previous generation. In 1996, Edgar Martinez, the longtime Seattle Mariners designated hitter, had a record 42 doubles at the All-Star break - three more than Machado's 39 - but went on to hit only 10 more the rest of the season. Craig Biggio, the Houston Astros star, had 38 first-half doubles in 1999 and finished with 56. As splits were not readily available in 1931, few knew at the time that Webb's record-setting season had fluctuations as well. Webb, an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, hit as many as 18 in a month (July) and as few as 5 (April). But one thing he had going for him, that Machado does not, was a home-field advantage. Webb played in Fenway Park, which has dimensions that aid a right-handed doubles hitter. He finished with 39 doubles at home and 28 on the road. Machado, who plays at a relatively neutral park in Baltimore, has been better on the road, with a split of 22/24. In a many ways it is probably better for Machado that his pace fell off. The last thing the Orioles need, in the thick of a wild-card race, would be the pursuit of an individual record as a distraction from the team's overall effort. And Machado, playing exceptional defense at third base, makes plenty of other contributions. But with yet another player falling off Webb's pace, the season will almost assuredly end with one of the least likely record-holders in baseball holding on for one more season: 83 years and counting.