Random baseball trivia for a Monday

“Figgy has a 35-game hitting streak on the line as he steps to the plate in the bottom of the 8th with the bases loaded, having gone 0-3 to this point in the game. With the Halos in the lead, this will probably be his last chance to extend his streak. The count is 0 balls and 0 strikes.

“The next thing you know, without ever touching the ball with his bat Figgy is on first with an RBI and his hit streak remains intact. Oddly, the official box score the next day refuses to record any notion of an at-bat for Figgy in the 8th. Officially, Figgy got on base and drove in a run without ever appearing at the plate!”

Catcher’s interference would be over-ruled if Figgins got a basehit on the play. He would have to swing the bat and hit the ball to get a basehit. Your question states “without ever touching the ball with his bat.” Was this question thought up by Sarah Palin the basketball player?

Now if you change the question and have Figgy 0-for-0 with three walks (Figgy did walk three times Monday night) leading to his final at bat and catcher’s interference was called the 35 game hitting streak would still be intact but not added to. It would still be an active 35 game hitting streak.

The unfortunate thing about the press going ga-ga over hitting streaks instead of consecutive games reaching base safely on a hit, walk, or hit by pitch is the emphasis on the individual over the team. When Gene Garber struck out Pete Rose on ball four to end Rose’s 44 game hitting streak in that last at bat the press (and Rose) was treating a walk as a failure. More should be done to promote the consecutive games reached base safely record over the consecutive games hitting streak.

(b) CONSECUTIVE-GAME HITTING STREAKS. A consecutive-game hitting streak shall not be terminated if ALL of a batter’s plate appearances (one or more) in a game result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or obstruction or a sacrifice bunt. The streak shall terminate if the player has a sacrifice fly and no hit.

Interpretation: This does not refer to the last at bat of the game for a batter but ALL his at bats in the game. The only way a batter’s hitting streak will continue without a hit in the game is is he goes 0-for-0. An 0-for-1 game will kill the streak even if his last at bat resulted in catcher’s interference. Say the batter was 0-for-1 before his last at bat. The batter then reaches first base on catcher’s interference. The batter is still 0-for-1 and his consecutive game hitting streak has ended.

10.02 OFFICIAL SCORE REPORT
The official score report prepared by the official scorer shall be in a form prescribed by the league and shall include:
(a) The following records for each batter and runner:
(1) Number of times batted, except that no time at bat shall be charged when a player
(i) hits a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly;
(ii) is awarded first base on four called balls;
(iii) is hit by a pitched ball; or
(iv) is awarded first base because of interference or obstruction;