Baseball Instruction/Scoring in Baseball

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Expert: - 9/3/2008


Question
I was watching a Major League game, the batter hit into a double play 6-4-3, the runner on third scored and they said that the batter would not get an RBI out of the at bat. Can you tell me why?

Answer
Melody,

The short answer is because that's what's written in the rules.  I think that it was decided at some point that the people in charge of the baseball rules didn't want to reward a batter who hit into a double play.

The rule not awarding an RBI to a batter who hits into a double play was added in 1939.  Before that, a batter did get an RBI in that situation.

Hope this helps!

Brian

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Brian Flaspohler

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Questions about baseball rules, general information about the game, statistical analysis, questions about players, questions about Baseball records. I am a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and a lifelong baseball fanatic. Don't ask me questions about training - this is not my area of expertise.

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