New Orleans Zephyrs infielder Rick Short is currently hitting .400 with only 25 games left in the season. 

Short leads the league in hitting, with Albuquerque’s Joe Dillon in a distant second with a .354 average (Dillon has also played 11 fewer games than has Short).  Short’s hitting would have to fall off dramatically for him not to lock up the league batting title, as well as the Zephyrs all-time single-season record.  Former Zephyrs player Mitch Meluskey currently holds the record with a .353 average in 1998. Rick Short leads the PCL in hitting with a .400 average

Short is also chasing the modern PCL record for hitting in a season, with the record currently held by Chris Smith with a .379 average in 1983.  The all-time record for hitting is .414 set by Ox Eckhardt in 1933.

The last player to hit over .400 in a full season of professional baseball was Aaron Pointer (.402) for Salisbury (NC) in the South Atlantic League in 1961.

Short’s career season has not gone unnoticed by the Z’s big league affiliate Washinton Nationals.  The Nationals called Short up earlier this year – at age 32 his first big league experience.

In addition to hitting .400 (130×325), Short also has nine home runs and 65 RBI, which ties him for second on the Zephyrs this season.

Short is one of four Zephyrs players to rank among the league’s best in hitting this year.  Before being called up last week, outfielder Brandon Watson ranked second in the PCL with a .355 average.  Infielder Kevin Orie currently is tied for second with a .354 average.  And hitting .325, Tyrell Godwin ranks 10th.

Short has been on a particular tear of late, and has a 17-game hitting streak.  During the streak he is hitting .517 (30×58) with 10 runs, a home run and 15 RBI.