Expert: Brian Flaspohler - 1/4/2008

Question
It's very easy to calculate and the internet is full of people who are able to describe slugging percentage (or, more accurately, average) as TB/(PA-BB). But who the heck created the statistic and when? Does it predate Branch Rickey's famous LIFE magazine article?

Answer
Paul,

Interesting question!

Major league baseball officially incorporated slugging percentage into the scoring rules in 1950.  Before this, there was no such 'official' statistic.

However, given the time it takes for baseball, which is a very conservative organization, to adopt a new statistic, I expect that it was in use by some people before that.  However, even into the present day some newspapers don't carry slugging percentage on a regular basis.  The 'St. Louis Post Dispatch' for example.

Hope this helps!

Brian