Baseball Statistics

As with many sports, and perhaps even more so, statistics are very important to baseball. A seemingly intrinsic part of the game is the keeping of statistics on the achievements of the players.

Henry Chadwick
The practice was started by Henry Chadwick in the 19th century who devised the concepts of batting average and earned run average based on his experience of cricket. Statistics have been kept for the Major Leagues since their creation.

• 1B - Single - hits on which batters only reached first base safely
• 2B - Double - hits on which batters only reached second base safely
• 3B - Triple - hits on which batters only reached third base safely
• AB - At bat - Batting appearances, not including bases on balls, hit by pitch, sacrifices, interference, or obstruction
• BA - Batting average (also abbreviated AVG) - hits divided by at bats
• BB - Base on balls (also called a "walk") - times receiving four balls and advancing to first base
• BB/SO - Walk-to-strikeout ratio - number of base on balls divided by number of strikeouts
• EBH - Extra base hit (Sometimes EB or XBH) - doubles plus triples plus home runs
• FC - Fielder's choice - times reaching base when a fielder chose to try for an out on another runner
• G/F - Ground ball fly ball ratio - number of ground balls divided by number of fly balls
• GIDP - Ground into Double play - number of ground balls hit that became double plays
• H - Hit - times reached base because of a batted, fair ball without error by the defense
• HBP - Hit by pitch - times touched by a pitch and awarded first base as a result
• HR - Home run - hits on which the batter successfully touched all four bases, scoring a run and batting in between one and four runs (a home run with four runs batted in – i.e. bases loaded – is a Grand Slam).
• OBP - On base percentage - times reached base divided by plate appearances
• OPS - On-base plus slugging - on-base percentage plus slugging percentage, a very good measure of a hitter's ability
• PA - Plate appearance - number of completed batting appearances resulting in at-bats, bases on balls, hit-by-pitches, or sacrifice flies
• RBI - Run batted in - number of runners who scored due to a batters's action, except when batter grounded into double play or reached on an error
• SF - Sacrifice fly - number of fly ball outs which allow another runner to score
• SH - Sacrifice hit - number of bunt outs which allow another runner to advance
• SLG - Slugging percentage - total bases divided by at-bats
• SO - Strike out (also abbreviated K) - number of times that strike three is taken or swung at and missed, or bunted foul
• TB - Total bases - one for each single, two for each double, three for each triple, and four for each home run
• TOB - Times on base - times reaching base as a result of hits, walks and hit by pitches

• CS - Caught stealing - times tagged out when attempting to steal a base or when picked off
• SB - Stolen base - number of bases advanced other than on batted balls, walks, or hits by pitch.
• R - Run - times reached home base legally and safely

• AVG - Opponents batting average - hits allowed divided by at-bats faced
• BB - Base on balls (also called a "walk") - times pitching four balls, allowing runner to advance to first base
• BS - Blown save - number of times entering the game in a save situation, and being charged the run which ties the game.
• CG - Complete game - number of games where player was the only pitcher for his team
• DIPS - Defense independent pitching statistics - a measure of a pitcher's effectiveness that doesn't include balls in play
• ER - Earned run - number of runs that did not occur as a result of errors or passed balls
• ERA - Earned run average - earned runs times innings in a game (usually nine) divided by innings pitched
• GIR - Games in relief - number of games pitched where player was not the starting pitcher for his team
• GF - Games finished - number of games pitched where player was the final pitcher for his team
• GP - Games pitched - number of games in which the player pitched
• G/F - Ground ball fly ball ratio - ground balls allowed divided by fly balls allowed
• GS - Games started - number of games pitched where player was the first pitcher for his team
• H/9 - Hits per nine innings - hits allowed times nine divided by innings pitched
• HA - Hits Allowed - total hits allowed
• HB - Hit batsman - times hit a batter with pitch, allowing runner to advance to first base
• HLD - Hold - number of games entered in a save situation, left in save situation, recorded at least one out, and not having surrendered the lead
• IBB - Intentional base on balls
• IRA - Inherited runs allowed - number of runners allowed to score who were on base when pitcher enters the game
• IP - Innings pitched - number of outs recorded while pitching divided by three
• R/9 - Runs per nine innings - number of runs allowed times nine divided by innings pitched
• SHO - Shutout - number of complete games having allowed zero runs
• SO - Strikeout (also abbreviated K) - number of batters who received strike three
• SO/9 - Strikeouts per nine innings - strikeouts times nine divided by innings pitched
• SO/BB - Strikeout-to-walk ratio - number of strikeouts divided by number of base on balls
• SV - Save - number of close games finished where the pitcher's team won
• TBF - Total batters faced - opponent's total plate appearances
• W - Win - number of games where pitcher was pitching while his team took the lead and went on to win (also related: winning percentage)
• L - Loss - number of games where pitcher was pitching while the opposing team took the lead and went on to win
• W+S - Relief wins plus saves - wins plus saves
• WHIP - Walks plus hits per inning pitched - bases on balls plus hits divided by innings pitched
• W/9 - Walks per nine innings - bases on balls times nine divided by innings pitched

• A - Assists - number of outs recorded on a play where a fielder touched the ball, except if such touching is the putout
• DP - Double plays - one for each double play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist.
• E - Errors - number of times a fielder fails to make a play he should have made with common effort, and the offense benefits as a result
• FP - Fielding percentage - errors divided by total chances
• PB - Passed ball - number of times the catcher allows a runner to advance but should have been able to prevent it with ordinary effort
• PO - Putout - number of times the fielder tags, forces, or appeals a runner and he is called out as a result
• TC - Total chances - assists plus putouts plus errors
• TP - Triple play - one for each triple play during which the fielder recorded a putout or an assist.
• WP - Wild pitch - number of times a runner advances due to a pitcher's poorly thrown pitch.

• G - Games played - number of games where the player played, in whole or in part
• WW - "Wasn't Watching" - used by non-official scorekeepers when their attention is distracted from the game - said to have been invented by Phil Rizzuto

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