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5+ times on base, no runs scored

Posted by Andy on March 24, 2009

In 2008, there were 24 cases of a player getting on base in a game at least 5 times but never scoring a run:

  Cnt Player            Date          Tm   Opp GmReslt PA AB  **R**  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB TOB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BOr Positions
+----+-----------------+-------------+---+----+-------+--+--+------+--+--+--+--+---+--+---+---+--+---+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+---------+
    1 Troy Glaus        2008-09-25    STL  ARI W 12-3   5  1    0    1  0  0  0   0  4   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 5th 3B        
    2 Dustin Pedroia    2008-09-10    BOS  TBR L  2-4   7  4    0    2  2  0  0   1  1   6   0  0   2  0  0   1   0  0  0 2nd 2B        
    3 Akinori Iwamura   2008-09-06    TBR @TOR L  4-7   6  4    0    3  0  0  0   0  2   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 1st 2B        
    4 Joey Votto        2008-08-31    CIN  SFG W  9-3   5  4    0    4  1  0  0   4  1   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  1 3rd 1B        
    5 Carlos Delgado    2008-08-21    NYM  ATL W  5-4   5  5    0    5  1  0  0   3  0   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 5th 1B        
    6 Mike Rivera       2008-08-10    MIL  WSN W  5-4   6  3    0    2  1  0  0   3  3   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  1  0 8th C         
    7 J.D. Drew         2008-08-01    BOS  OAK W  2-1   6  3    0    2  1  0  0   0  3   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 6th RF        
    8 Alex Gordon       2008-07-30    KCR @OAK W  4-3   5  0    0    0  0  0  0   0  5   5   2  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 3B        
    9 Jorge Cantu       2008-07-24    FLA @CHC L  3-6   5  3    0    3  1  0  0   0  1   5   0  0   1  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 3B 1B     
   10 Doug Mientkiewicz 2008-07-23    PIT @HOU W  8-7   5  4    0    4  1  0  0   2  1   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 7th 3B        
   11 Mark Teixeira     2008-07-06    ATL  HOU W  7-6   9  7    0    3  1  0  0   3  2   5   1  1   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 4th 1B        
   12 Derrek Lee        2008-06-28    CHC @CHW L  5-6   5  5    0    5  2  0  0   3  0   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 1B        
   13 Albert Pujols     2008-06-26    STL @DET L  2-3   5  4    0    4  0  0  0   1  1   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd DH        
   14 Aaron Miles       2008-06-22    STL @BOS L  3-5   6  6    0    5  0  0  0   0  0   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 2nd SS 2B     
   15 James Loney       2008-06-10    LAD @SDP W  7-2   5  2    0    2  0  0  0   0  3   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 5th 1B        
   16 Carlos Guillen    2008-06-03    DET @OAK L  4-5   6  2    0    1  0  0  0   1  3   5   1  0   1  0  0   0   0  0  0 6th 3B        
   17 Hunter Pence      2008-05-27    HOU @STL W  8-2   5  5    0    5  1  0  0   2  0   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 6th RF        
   18 Todd Helton       2008-05-20    COL  SFG L  5-6   5  2    0    2  0  0  0   0  3   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 4th 1B        
   19 Matt Kemp         2008-05-19    LAD  CIN W  6-5   5  4    0    4  0  0  0   1  1   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 6th CF        
   20 Albert Pujols     2008-04-24    STL @PIT W  6-2   5  2    0    2  0  0  0   1  2   5   0  0   1  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 1B        
   21 Prince Fielder    2008-04-22    MIL  STL W  9-8   6  3    0    3  0  0  0   1  2   5   0  0   0  0  1   0   0  0  0 4th 1B        
   22 Matt Holliday     2008-04-17    COL @SDP W  2-1   9  6    0    3  0  0  0   0  3   6   0  1   0  0  0   0   1  2  0 4th LF        
   23 Josh Hamilton     2008-04-16    TEX @TOR W  7-5   8  7    0    4  2  0  0   2  1   5   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd CF RF     
   24 Albert Pujols     2008-04-02    STL  COL W  8-3   5  2    0    2  0  0  0   1  3   5   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 1B        

Two guys on there, Pedroia and Holliday, got on base 6 times. Keep in mind this list considers only "official" time on base, and not reaching on a fielder's choice for example.

Here are the players with the most such games in their career:

                   Games Link to Individual Games
+-----------------+-----+-------------------------+
 Barry Bonds          12 Ind. Games                
 Pete Rose             6 Ind. Games                
 Joe Morgan            6 Ind. Games                
 Bernie Williams       5 Ind. Games                
 Brooks Robinson       5 Ind. Games                
 Al Kaline             5 Ind. Games                
 Frank Thomas          4 Ind. Games                
 Mark Teixeira         4 Ind. Games                
 Manny Ramirez         4 Ind. Games                
 Albert Pujols         4 Ind. Games                
 Jorge Posada          4 Ind. Games                
 David Ortiz           4 Ind. Games                
 Paul Molitor          4 Ind. Games                
 Tom Herr              4 Ind. Games                
 Todd Helton           4 Ind. Games                
 Darryl Hamilton       4 Ind. Games                
 Mark Grace            4 Ind. Games                
 Wade Boggs            4 Ind. Games                
 Jeff Bagwell          4 Ind. Games                
 Luis Aparicio         4 Ind. Games                
 Dick Allen            4 Ind. Games                

Any surprise that Barry Bonds is first by such a wide margin? Late in his career, that guy walked more than a latch-key kid.

And now, here are all the games since 1954 (yes, 1954--the PI has been updated!!) where a guy was on base at least 7 times and never scored:

  Cnt Player            Date          Tm   Opp GmReslt PA AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB TOB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS BOr Positions
+----+-----------------+-------------+---+----+-------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+---+---+--+---+--+--+---+---+--+--+---+---------+
    1 Prince Fielder    2007-04-10    MIL @FLA W  3-2   7  4  0  4  1  0  0   1  3   7   2  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 1B        

    2 Eric Young        2000-06-30    CHC @MIL W  7-4   8  2  0  1  0  0  0   2  5   7   1  0   1  0  0   0   0  0  0 1st 2B        

    3 George Brett      1991-06-06    KCR  TEX W  4-3   9  6  0  4  1  0  0   0  3   7   1  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd DH        

    4 Reggie Smith      1974-09-13    STL @PHI W  7-3   9  3  0  1  0  0  0   1  5   7   2  0   1  0  0   0   1  0  0 3rd RF        

    5 Rod Carew         1972-05-12    MIN  MIL L  3-4  10  7  0  5  2  0  0   2  3   8   2  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0 3rd 2B        

Carew was on 8 times!

3 Responses to “5+ times on base, no runs scored”

  1. JDV Says:

    Regarding Pedroia's game, if reaching on a fielder's choice (or presumably on an error) don't count, I only see 5 TOB for him (2 2B, 1 BB, 2 HBP).

  2. JohnnyTwisto Says:

    He also reached on an error.

  3. Andy Says:

    Reaching on error definitely counts as a time on base. Getting to first base by virtue of a fielder's choice does NOT count as a time on base, even though a batter does get credit for scoring a run if he does eventually come around after reaching by FC. That's one major stupidity of how MLB scoring rules work. It seems that the guy erased on the FC deserves at least half a run scored in that case.