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27-404: BABIP is computed per the following equation, where H is hits , HR is home runs , AB is at bats , K is strikeouts , and SF is sacrifice flies . B A B I P = H − H R A B − K − H R + S F {\displaystyle BABIP={\frac {H-HR}{AB-K-HR+SF}}} As compared to batting average , which

54-412: A double or triple or home run on the same play, he still gets credit for a hit (according to the last base he reached safely on the play). If a batter reaches first base because of offensive interference by a preceding runner (including if a preceding runner is hit by a batted ball), he is also credited with a hit. A hit for one base is called a single , for two bases a double , and for three bases

81-442: A triple . A home run is also scored as a hit. Doubles, triples, and home runs are also called extra base hits . An " infield hit " is a hit where the ball does not leave the infield. Infield hits are uncommon by nature, and most often earned by speedy runners. A no-hitter is a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting a hit. Throwing a no-hitter is rare and considered an extraordinary accomplishment for

108-442: A pitcher or pitching staff. In most cases in the professional game, no-hitters are accomplished by a single pitcher who throws a complete game. A pitcher who throws a no-hitter could still allow runners to reach base safely, by way of walks , errors , hit batsmen , or batter reaching base due to interference or obstruction. If the pitcher allows no runners to reach base in any manner whatsoever (hit, walk, hit batsman, error, etc.),

135-444: A plate appearance. Therefore, a base on balls does not affect a player's batting average , but it can increase his on-base percentage . A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, though the effect is mostly the same, with the batter receiving a free pass to first base. One exception is that on hit-by-pitch, the ball is dead, and any runners attempting to steal on the play must return to their original base unless forced to

162-419: A run-scoring play (e.g., a home run , sacrifice fly , or RBI base hit ). Teams also commonly use intentional walks to set up a double play or force out situation for the next batter. Jimmie Foxx , Andre Thornton , Jeff Bagwell and Bryce Harper have each been walked six times during a major league regular season game. Among pitchers, Tommy Byrne and Bruno Haas both gave up 16 bases on balls in

189-461: Is commonly used as a red flag in sabermetric analysis, as a consistently high or low BABIP is hard to maintain—much more so for pitchers than hitters. Therefore, BABIP can be used to spot outlying seasons by pitchers. As with other statistical measures, those pitchers whose BABIPs are extremely high (bad) can often be expected to improve in the following season, and those pitchers whose BABIPs are extremely low (good) can often be expected to worsen in

216-476: Is signaled to the home plate umpire by the defensive team's manager holding up four fingers, at which point the batter is awarded first base without any further pitches being thrown. In some leagues and in Major League Baseball prior to 2017, an intentional base on balls is issued when the pitcher deliberately pitches the ball away from the batter four times (or as many times as needed to get to ball four if

243-414: Is simply hits divided by at bats, BABIP excludes home runs and strikeouts from consideration while treating sacrifice flies as hitless at bats. In Major League Baseball (MLB), .300 is considered an average BABIP. Various factors can impact BABIP, such as a player's home ballpark; for batters, being speedy enough to reach base on infield hits ; or, for pitchers, the quality of their team's defense. BABIP

270-479: The base awarded might occur when ball four is a passed ball or a wild pitch. In early baseball, there was no concept of a "ball." It was created by the NABBP in 1863, originally as a sort of unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty: "Should the pitcher repeatedly fail to deliver to the striker fair balls, for the apparent purpose of delaying the game, or for any other cause, the umpire, after warning him, shall call one ball, and if

297-434: The bat touching the ball. An important difference is that for a hit batter or catcher's interference, the ball is dead and no one may advance unless forced; the ball is live after a walk (see below for details). A batter who draws a base on balls is commonly said to have been "walked" by the pitcher. When the batter is walked, runners advance one base without liability to be put out only if forced to vacate their base to allow

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324-412: The batter the benefit of the doubt. A safe course for the official scorer to follow is to score a hit when exceptionally good fielding of a ball fails to result in a putout. Base on balls A base on balls ( BB ), better known as a walk , occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches during a plate appearance that the umpire calls balls , and is in turn awarded first base without

351-419: The batter to take first base. If a batter draws a walk with the bases loaded , all preceding runners are forced to advance, including the runner on third base who is forced to home plate to score a run; when a run is forced on a walk, the batter is credited with a run batted in per rule 9.04. Receiving a base on balls does not count as a hit or an at bat for a batter but does count as a time on base and

378-527: The batter, or came within one foot of him. In 1880, the National League changed the rules so that eight "unfair balls" instead of nine were required for a walk. In 1884, the National League changed the rules so that six balls were required for a walk. In 1886, the American Association changed the rules so that six balls instead of seven were required for a walk; however, the National League changed

405-401: The benefit of an error nor a fielder's choice . To achieve a hit, the batter must reach first base before any fielder can either tag him with the ball, throw to another player protecting the base before the batter reaches it, or tag first base while carrying the ball. The hit is scored the moment the batter reaches first base safely; if he is put out while attempting to stretch his hit to

432-409: The decision to issue the intentional walk is made with one or more balls already on the count). As with any other walk, an intentional walk entitles the batter to first base without liability to be put out, and entitles any runners to advance if forced. Intentional walks are a strategic defensive maneuver, commonly done to bypass one hitter for one the defensive team believes is less likely to initiate

459-406: The following season. While a pitcher's BABIP may vary from season to season, there are distinct differences between pitchers when looking at career BABIP figures. Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics , a hit (denoted by H ), also called a base hit , is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches or passes first base after hitting the ball into fair territory with neither

486-556: The next base anyway. When a walk occurs, the ball is still live: any runner not forced to advance may nevertheless attempt to advance at his own risk, which might occur on a steal play, passed ball , or wild pitch . Also, because a ball is live when a base on balls occurs, runners on base forced to advance one base may attempt to advance beyond one base, at their own risk. The batter-runner himself may attempt to advance beyond first base, at his own risk. Rule 6.08 addresses this matter as well. An attempt to advance an additional base beyond

513-593: The no-hitter is a perfect game . In 1887 , Major League Baseball counted bases on balls (walks) as hits. The result was skyrocketing batting averages , including some near .500; Tip O'Neill of the St. Louis Browns batted .485 that season, which would still be a major league record if recognized. The experiment was abandoned the following season. There is controversy regarding how the records of 1887 should be interpreted. The number of legitimate walks and at-bats are known for all players that year, so computing averages using

540-488: The number of balls required for a walk to four. In 2017, Major League Baseball approved a rule change allowing for a batter to be walked intentionally by having the defending bench signal to the umpire. The move was met with some controversy. A subset of the base on balls, an intentional base on balls (IBB), or intentional walk, is when the defensive team intentionally issues a walk to the batter. In Major League Baseball and many amateur leagues, an intentional base on balls

567-419: The other manners in which a batter can be awarded first base without liability to be put out (e.g., hit by pitch (HBP), catcher's interference ). Though a base on balls, catcher's interference, or a batter hit by a pitched ball all result in the batter (and possibly runners on base) being awarded a base, the term "walk" usually refers only to a base on balls, and not the other methods of reaching base without

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594-405: The pitcher persists in such action, two and three balls; when three balls shall have been called, the striker shall be entitled to the first base; and should any base be occupied at that time, each player occupying them shall be entitled to one base without being put out." Note that this rule in effect gave the pitcher 9 balls, since each penalty ball could only be called on a third offense. In 1869

621-456: The possibility of being called out . The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08(a). Despite being known as a "walk", it is considered a faux pas for a professional player to actually walk to first base; the batter-runner and any advancing runners normally jog on such a play. The term "base on balls" distinguishes a walk from

648-419: The rule was modified so that only those baserunners forced to advance could advance. From 1871 through 1886, the batter was entitled to call "high" or "low," i.e. above or below the waist; a pitch which failed to conform was "unfair." Certain pitches were defined as automatic balls in 1872: any ball delivered over the batter's head, that hit the ground in front of home plate, was delivered to the opposite side from

675-427: The rules so that seven balls were required for a walk instead of six. In 1887, the National League and American Association agreed to abide by some uniform rule changes, including, for the first time, a strike zone which defined balls and strikes by rule rather than the umpire's discretion, and decreased the number of balls required for a walk to five. In 1889, the National League and the American Association decreased

702-609: The same method as in other years is straightforward. In 1968, Major League Baseball formed a Special Baseball Records Committee to resolve this (and other) issues. The Committee ruled that walks in 1887 should not be counted as hits. In 2000, Major League Baseball reversed its decision, ruling that the statistics which were recognized in each year's official records should stand, even in cases where they were later proven incorrect. Most current sources list O'Neill's 1887 average as .435, as calculated by omitting his walks. He would retain his American Association batting championship. However,

729-467: The variance between methods results in differing recognition for the 1887 National League batting champion. Cap Anson would be recognized, with his .421 average, if walks are included, but Sam Thompson would be the champion at .372 if they are not. The official rulebook of Major League Baseball states in Rule 10.05: Rule 10.05(a) Comment: In applying Rule 10.05(a), the official scorer shall always give

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