Statistics Overview

Here is the first page of a work-in-progress, a compendium of baseball statistics, their history and what they mean. Some of the entries are incomplete, but... that's the nice thing about the web, you can always fill in the blanks later.
        When I first became a baseball fan, statistics were one of the biggest reasons why. I remember getting the first edition of Total Baseball for my 13th birthday, and spending the entire summer pouring through the records from the past 120 years. I also devoured that books of Bill James, and though I'm not a full-blooded sabermetrician, I try to keep up with the latest efforts in that field.
        When I first conceived this site, I didn't include much sabermetrics — I wanted to appeal to mainstream fans. The statistics that I use on the other pages are pretty basic. However, I'm going to try to gradually introduce more sabermetrics into the site — with the publication of Moneyball, the time has come. The first step was adding OPS to the historical pages; we'll see where it goes from there.
        So here goes... an introduction to baseball statistics.

COUNTING STATS (HITTERS)

      At Bat
      Hit
      Home Run
      Double
      Triple
      Base on Balls
      Stolen Base
      Caught Stealing
      Games Played
      Total Bases
      Extra Base Hits
      Grounded Into Double Play
      Hit By Pitch
      Sacrifice
      Sacrifice Fly
      Strikeout (batter)
      Plate Appearance
      Times On Base



      Not the number of times a player goes to bat. It is the number of times a player goes to bat, and either makes an out or gets a hit or reaches on an error.

      A player is not credited with an at bat if he walks, is hit by a pitch, sacrifices, hits a sacrifice fly, reaches on catcher's interference.

      As a general rule, the leaders in at bats are players who
      1) play every day
      2) bat at the top of the order
      3) rarely walk


      Willie Wilson, Ichiro Suzuki and Juan Samuel are the only players to top 700 in a season. Wilson had 705 in 1980, Suzuki had 704 in 2004 and Samuel had 701 in 1984.



      Pete Rose, 14,053
      (active) Rafael Palmeiro, 10,103


      (1871-1901) Tom Brown 1892, 660
      (1902-1960) Woody Jensen 1936, 696
      (1961-2004) Willie Wilson 1980, 705



      A player hits the ball and gets on base. No error is committed; no other baserunner is forced out at another base.

      Hits are divided into four categories:
      Singles - batter reaches first base
      Doubles - batter reaches second base
      Triples - batter reaches third base
      Home Run - batter scores


      Career-wise, 3000 hits is the big one. Every player with 3000 hits is in the Hall Of Fame (except Pete Rose).

      Only two players (Ty Cobb and, ahem, Pete Rose) have more than 4000 hits.

      In a single-season, 200 hits is considered an important milestone.

      Joe DiMaggio holds the record for getting a hit in 56 consecutive games.



      Pete Rose, 4256
      (active) Rafael Palmeiro, 2922


      (1871-1900) Jesse Burkett 1896, 240
      (1902-1960) George Sisler 1920, 257
      (1961-2004) Ichiro Suzuki 2004, 262

      Most of the highest hit totals of all time were recorded between 1920-1940. Lefty O'Doul (1929) and Bill Terry (1930) both had 254 hits in a season, Al Simmons (1925) had 253 hits. Rogers Hornsby (1922) and Chuck Klein (1930) each had 250 hits.
      Cobb (4191 career hits) held the record a long time before Rose broke it in 1985. Before Cobb, the record holder was Cap Anson, who was also the first player to bang out 3000 hits in a career.



      The Tater. The single most dramatic event in baseball. A player hits the ball over the fence; he and all the baserunners score.

      A home run with the bases loaded is called a Grand Slam.

      The ball doesn't have to leave the park. If a player hits the ball in the right spot, and runs fast enough, he can hit an inside-the-park homer (these were much more common in the early days of baseball).


      The most famous record in baseball history was Babe Ruth's 60 home runs, set in 1927. Roger Maris broke the record when he hit 61 in 1961. Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998, and Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001.
      The number "60" doesn't have quite the aura about it that it used to, due to the recent home run explosion. But only five players (Sammy Sosa is the other) have hit 60 homers in a season. Sosa has done it three times.

      Ruth's other famous home run mark was his 714 career home runs. The record was broken by Hank Aaron, who finished with 755. Ruth and Aaron are the only players to hit more than 700 career home runs.
      Willie Mays and Barry Bonds both have more than 600 home runs. Seventeen players have more than 500 home runs, and all are in the Hall Of Fame.

      Mickey Mantle hit 18 home runs in the World Series.

      Numerous players have hit four homers in a game, but no one has ever hit five.



      Hank Aaron, 755
      (active) Barry Bonds, 703


      (1871-1901) Ed Williamson 1884, 27
      (1902-1960) Babe Ruth 1927, 60
      (1961-1997) Roger Maris 1961, 61
      (1998-2004) Barry Bonds 2001, 73

      For the first 50 years of professional baseball, home runs were not an important part of the game. Ed Williamson's record of 27 lasted a long time, until Babe Ruth hit 29 in 1919.
      In 1920, Ruth hit 54, demolishing his own record from the year before. Ruth hit more home runs than any other team in the league. Ruth ushered in the lively ball era; since then, home run hitters have been the most famous and highly paid players in the game.



      The batter hits the ball, and safely reaches second base. Usually it is a ball hit down the lines or in the gaps or off the wall.

      The double is often a compromise. The runner is in no hurry to reach second base, and the fielder is in no hurry to throw him out.
      Sometimes, an aggressive runner or fielder will try to make a play happen at second base. But doubles are usually pretty lazy plays.

      A ground-rule double occurs when a fair ball bounces into the stands or is touched by a fan or hits some sort of object near the playing field (i.e. a catwalk). The play is dead, and the batter is awarded second base. Another compromise.


      Six players in baseball history have had 60+ doubles in a season. The first was George Burns in 1926, the last were Joe Medwick and Charlie Gehringer, both in 1936. Earl Webb is the all-time leader, with 67 in 1931.

      Four players have hit over 700 doubles in their career: Tris Speaker, Pete Rose, Stan Musial and Ty Cobb.



      Tris Speaker, 792
      (since 1945) Pete Rose, 746


      (1871-1920) Ed Delahanty 1899, 55
      (1920-1945) Earl Webb 1931, 67
      (1945-2004) Todd Helton 2000, 59



      Some call it the most exciting play in baseball. A batter hits the ball into the outfield and runs like hell, ending up at third base.


      Only three players have had 30 triples in a season, and none since 1912. In today's game, 20 is rare.

      Almost all of the career leaders in triples played before 1920. Sam Crawford is the only player to hit more than 300 in his career.



      Sam Crawford, 309
      (since 1945) Stan Musial, 177


      (1871-1920) Chief Wilson 1912, 36
      (1921-1960) Dale Mitchell 1949, 23
      (1961-2004) Willie Wilson 1985 and Lance Johnson 1996, 21



      A walk.

      A free pass to first base. A pitcher throws four balls out of the strike zone, and the batter walks to first base (or trots leisurely, or, in the case of Pete Rose, runs full steam).

      An Intentional Walk occurs when the pitcher chooses not to challenge the hitter, and throws four straight balls far out of the strike zone.


      Four players have walked more than 2000 times in their careers: Barry Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.
      Bonds, in 2004, was intentionally walked 120 times, almost doubling his previous record of 68.



      Barry Bonds, 2302


      (1871-1900) Jack Crooks 1892, 136
      (1902-1960) Babe Ruth 1923, 170
      (1961-2004) Barry Bonds 2004, 232



      A baserunner, in a burst of blinding speed, takes an extra base. Usually, a runner on first steals second. Sometimes, a runner on second steals third. On a rare occasion, a runner will steal home.

      A double steal occurs when two baserunners steal a base on the same play.


      Maury Wills stole 104 bases in 1962, becoming the first player to reach the century mark since the 19th century. Wills broke Ty Cobb's "modern" record of 96 steals; more importantly, he brought speed back into the game and opened the doors for Lou Brock, Rickey Henderson and other great base stealers.

      Rickey Henderson is the only player with more than 1000 career stolen bases.

      In 1989, Vince Coleman stole 50 consecutive bases without being caught.



      Rickey Henderson, 1403


      (1871-1901) Hugh Nicol 1887, 138
      (1902-1960) Ty Cobb 1915, 96
      (1961-2004) Rickey Henderson 1982, 130



      The ugly twin of the Stolen Base. A baserunner attempts a theft of a base, but is thrown out. He argues with the umpire, then hangs his head in shame and returns to the dugout.



      Rickey Henderson, 335


      (1902-1960) Ty Cobb 1915, 38
      (1961-2004) Rickey Henderson 1982, 42



      Statistically, any time a player gets into a game as a batter, runner or fielder, he is credited with having played in a game.


      Eight players in baseball history have played in more than 3000 games.

      Cal Ripken Jr. set a record when he played in 2632 consecutive games. He broke Lou Gehrig's famous record of 2130 consecutive games played.

      Moonlight Graham played in one game in his career, but never batted.



      Pete Rose, 3562


      Maury Wills 1962, 165

      The Dodgers played a regular 162-game schedule in 1962, finished in a tie with the Giants, and played a 3-game playoff to determine the pennant winnter. Wills played in every game.



      A player's hits, with extra weight given to extra-base hits.

      

      or, a somewhat easier calculation, if you don't have the number of singles handy:

      


      400 total bases has been established as a fairly significant milestone. It's been done 29 times, but those seasons have come in clusters. Between 1940 and 1995, only three players topped the 400 mark.

      Three players have more than 6000 total bases in their career (Aaron, Musial, Mays).



      Hank Aaron, 6856
      (active) Barry Bonds, 5556


      (1871-1919) Hugh Duffy 1894, 377
      (1920-1960) Babe Ruth 1921, 457
      (1961-2004) Sammy Sosa 2001, 425



      Doubles, triples and homers all added up.


      There have been 15 seasons in which a player recorded 100+ extra-base hits. Four of those seasons came in 2001 (Bonds, Helton, Sosa, Gonzalez).

      Hank Aaron is the only player with more than 1400 career extra-base hits.



      Hank Aaron, 1477
      (active) Barry Bonds, 1343


      (1871-1919) Tip O'Neill 1887 and Hugh Duffy 1894, 85
      (1920-1960) Babe Ruth 1921, 119
      (1960-2004) Barry Bonds 2001, 107



      A silent killer, a stat that often goes unnoticed even though it can dramatically affect the outcome of a game.

      With a runner on first base and less than two out, the batter hits a ground ball. The fielding team is able to convert the play into two outs.

      GIDP are not random. Some players are more prone to grounding into double plays than others. Three times in his career, Jim Rice grounded into over 30 double plays in a season; he is the only player to do it more than once.
      Rice fits the model of a player prone to grounding into double plays; he was right-handed, slow-footed and he hit the ball hard. Left-handed batters are less prone to grounding into double plays, because they get an extra step out of the batter's box.



      Cal Ripken Jr., 350


      Jim Rice 1984, 36



      A painful way to get on base. A pitcher throws a pitch, and plunks the batter somewhere on his body. One of three things can happen:

      1) The batter trots to first base
      2) The batter crumples to the ground in pain. He either hobbles to first base or is replaced by a pinch runner
      3) The batter charges the mound in anger and attacks the pitcher. He is eventually thrown out of the game and replaced by a pinch runner


      In 1971, Ron Hunt was hit by a whopping 50 pitches. The next best total is 35, by Don Baylor in 1986.

      There is an art to getting hit by a pitch. A batter who stands close to the plate and learns not to move out of the way will get hit often.



      Hughie Jennings, 287
      (since 1901) Don Baylor, 267


      (1871-1901) Hughie Jennings 1896, 51
      (1902-1960) Steve Evans 1910, 31
      (1961-2004) Ron Hunt 1971, 50



      A very selfless act on the part of the batter. With runners on base, the batter drops down a bunt on the infield. The runners move up, and the batter is thrown out.

      A sacrifice normally is used to move a runner from first to second, or from second to third, with nobody out.

      Occasionally, a manager will ask the batter to bunt with a runner on third base, in hopes of scoring the runner. This is called a "suicide squeeze".

      A batter who lays down a successful sacrifice bunt is not charged with an at bat.



      Eddie Collins, 511


      (1895-1945) Ray Chapman 1917, 67
      (1945-2004) Bert Campaneris 1977, 40



      With a runner on third base and less than two out, the batter hits a fly ball. After the ball is caught, the runner on third tags up and scores.

      A Sacrifice Fly is only credited when a runner scores, not when a runner moves from first to second or second to third.

      A batter who hits a sacrifice fly is not charged with an at bat.


      I'm not a big fan of the Sacrifice Fly, which to me is just a failed home run. It is okay to keep track of the stat, but the batter really should be charged with an at bat. You would have a hard time convincing me that any batter who hits a Sacrifice Fly is purposefully trying to make an out.
      And while we're on the topic, why is there no such thing as a Sacrifice Groundout? Don't worry, it's coming — maybe not as an official stat, but with all the emphasis on "productive outs" in recent years, sacrifice grounders are sure to become a regular item.



      Eddie Murray, 128


      (1901-1960) Gil Hodges 1954, 19
      (1961-2004) Andre Dawson 1983, 18



      Three strikes, and the batter is out.


      Bobby Bonds struck out 189 times in 1970, a record — and still managed to hit .302.

      Reggie Jackson is the only player who has struck out more than 2000 times in his career.



      Reggie Jackson, 2597


      (1871-1901) Sam Wise 1884, 104
      (1902-1960) Jim Lemon 1956, 138
      (1961-2004) Adam Dunn 2004, 195



      The number of times a player goes to bat.

      To qualify for the batting championship, a player must average 3.1 PA per game.



      Pete Rose, 15,861
      (active) Rafael Palmeiro, 11,624


      (1871-1960) Frankie Crosetti 1938, 757
      (1961-2004) Lenny Dykstra 1993, 773



      Reaching base without making an out. Includes hits, walks, hit by pitch and acts of God.

      Does not include errors or reaching on a fielder's choice. However, the batter is credited with reaching base even if a runner is thrown out in a non-force situation.


      Six players have reached base more than 5000 times in their career (Rose, Cobb, Henderson, Yastrzemski, Musial, Aaron).



      Pete Rose, 5929


      (1871-1919) Billy Hamilton 1894, 355
      (1920-1960) Babe Ruth 1923, 379
      (1961-2004) Barry Bonds 2004, 376