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Adventures in walking in runners

Posted by Sean Forman on July 22, 2007

Yesterday, the White Sox walked in three straight which led a user to ask if this had happened before. I was surprised to see it was as common as it was. Since 1957, three runners (not necessarily consecutively) had been walked in in a game 191 times. Three consecutively is a surprisingly high percentage of these. The following are all of the instances where it was consecutive. The numbers are the event numbers of the play where it happened. I think the first game is the canonical example of "losing the strike zone." You can't do this in the Play Index at the moment.

Here is the top of the 7th for the first game listed with 8 total runs walked in. I like how they walked or hbp'ed in 5 straight batters.

Top of the 7th, White Sox Batting, Ahead 8-6, Tom Gorman facing 5-6-7
                  Tom Gorman replaces Preston Ward pitching and batting 9th
          ---     R Boone         Reached on E6 (throw) (Ground Ball); Boone to 1B
          1--     A Smith         Reached on E5/Sacrifice Bunt; Boone to 2B
   RR     12-     J Callison      Single to RF (Line Drive); Boone Scores/unER; Smith Scores/Adv on E9/unER; Callison to 3B
          --3     L Aparicio      Walk
          1-3     B Shaw          Aparicio Steals 2B
          -23     " "             Walk
                  Mark Freeman replaces Tom Gorman pitching and batting 9th; Earl Torgeson pinch hits for Sammy Esposito batting 1st
   R      123     E Torgeson      Walk; Callison Scores; Aparicio to 3B; Shaw to 2B
   R      123     N Fox           Walk; Aparicio Scores; Shaw to 3B; Torgeson to 2B
   O      123     J Landis        Groundout: P-C/Forceout at Hm; Torgeson to 3B; Fox to 2B
   R      123     S Lollar        Walk; Torgeson Scores/unER; Fox to 3B; Landis to 2B
                  George Brunet replaces Mark Freeman pitching and batting 9th
   R      123     R Boone         Walk; Fox Scores/unER; Landis to 3B; Lollar to 2B
   R      123     A Smith         Walk; Landis Scores/unER; Lollar to 3B; Boone to 2B
   R      123     J Callison      Hit By Pitch; Lollar Scores/unER; Boone to 3B; Smith to 2B
                  Lou Skizas pinch runs for Johnny Callison batting 7th
   R      123     L Aparicio      Walk; Boone Scores/unER; Smith to 3B; Skizas to 2B
   O      123     B Shaw          Strikeout
                  Bubba Phillips pinch hits for Earl Torgeson batting 1st
   R      123     B Phillips      Walk; Smith Scores/unER; Skizas to 3B; Aparicio to 2B
   R      123     N Fox           Walk; Skizas Scores/unER; Aparicio to 3B; Phillips to 2B
   O      123     J Landis        Groundout: P-1B
                  11 runs, 1 hit, 3 errors, 3 LOB. White Sox 19, Athletics 6.

Here is the full list.

| date_game  | bteam | pteam | walkedIn |
+------------+-------+-------+----------+--------------------------------------------+
| 1959-04-22 | CHW   | KCA   |        8 | 68,69,71,72,73,75,77,78
| 1992-05-07 | BOS   | CHW   |        6 | 6,7,8,9,19,20
| 1996-04-19 | TEX   | BAL   |        5 | 32,88,89,90,91
| 1994-04-27 | NYY   | SEA   |        5 | 21,22,24,25,43
| 1980-06-25 | DET   | CLE   |        5 | 6,7,8,56,57
| 2006-04-07 | BOS   | BAL   |        4 | 4,6,7,80
| 2004-05-14 | NYY   | SEA   |        4 | 11,12,13,42
| 2004-05-09 | PIT   | LAD   |        4 | 68,69,70,71
| 2000-06-30 | NYM   | ATL   |        4 | 6,81,82,83
| 1999-06-19 | CHC   | SFG   |        4 | 52,53,54,67
| 1996-08-22 | TEX   | MIN   |        4 | 6,29,30,31
| 1995-09-19 | NYY   | TOR   |        4 | 19,20,21,23
| 1993-04-07 | OAK   | DET   |        4 | 75,76,77,91
| 1991-06-15 | SEA   | DET   |        4 | 10,60,61,62
| 1983-05-25 | ATL   | PIT   |        4 | 31,32,33,34
| 1981-08-28 | BOS   | OAK   |        4 | 28,29,30,31
| 1981-05-10 | LAD   | NYM   |        4 | 15,34,35,36
| 1973-06-18 | MIL   | BOS   |        4 | 10,51,52,53
| 1973-05-04 | HOU   | NYM   |        4 | 61,63,64,114
| 1969-06-25 | CLE   | BOS   |        4 | 24,25,26,27
| 1965-07-15 | MIN   | KCA   |        4 | 36,37,38,39
| 1962-06-29 | NYM   | LAD   |        4 | 5,6,7,9
| 1957-09-22 | NYY   | BOS   |        4 | 51,52,53,54
| 2007-07-21 | BOS   | CHW   |        3 | 56,57,58
| 2007-05-05 | CHC   | WSN   |        3 | 33,34,36
| 2006-06-04 | BOS   | DET   |        3 | 70,71,72
| 2004-06-27 | MIL   | MIN   |        3 | 60,62,63
| 2003-07-21 | OAK   | KCR   |        3 | 65,66,67
| 2003-07-03 | PHI   | CHC   |        3 | 75,76,77
| 2003-05-26 | PIT   | CHC   |        3 | 59,61,62
| 2003-04-13 | PHI   | CIN   |        3 | 30,31,34
| 2000-09-19 | OAK   | BAL   |        3 | 67,68,69
| 2000-07-21 | SEA   | TEX   |        3 | 11,12,14
| 1999-09-22 | MIN   | OAK   |        3 | 57,59,60
| 1999-06-26 | SDP   | COL   |        3 | 22,23,27
| 1999-05-30 | TBD   | SEA   |        3 | 45,48,49
| 1999-05-24 | TOR   | DET   |        3 | 57,58,59
| 1998-08-11 | LAD   | FLA   |        3 | 85,86,87
| 1998-04-18 | CHC   | LAD   |        3 | 9,10,11
| 1997-07-10 | NYY   | DET   |        3 | 60,62,63
| 1997-05-20 | CHW   | BOS   |        3 | 40,41,43
| 1997-05-18 | NYM   | COL   |        3 | 71,72,73
| 1996-09-22 | CIN   | STL   |        3 | 8,9,11
| 1993-09-21 | LAD   | CIN   |        3 | 13,14,15
| 1992-08-03 | BOS   | TOR   |        3 | 40,41,43
| 1990-09-12 | TEX   | NYY   |        3 | 16,17,18
| 1990-07-02 | KCR   | NYY   |        3 | 21,25,26
| 1989-09-05 | OAK   | BOS   |        3 | 70,71,72
| 1987-06-19 | TOR   | MIL   |        3 | 67,68,69
| 1986-06-02 | OAK   | DET   |        3 | 11,12,13
| 1986-04-29 | NYY   | MIN   |        3 | 68,69,70
| 1985-09-01 | CHC   | ATL   |        3 | 25,28,29
| 1985-05-08 | BAL   | KCR   |        3 | 32,33,34
| 1984-08-31 | CLE   | BOS   |        3 | 37,38,39
| 1984-07-07 | DET   | TEX   |        3 | 35,36,37
| 1984-05-05 | PHI   | CIN   |        3 | 9,10,12
| 1984-04-25 | CLE   | CHW   |        3 | 53,56,57
| 1984-04-05 | SDP   | PIT   |        3 | 46,47,48
| 1981-08-29 | STL   | SDP   |        3 | 15,17,18
| 1981-05-02 | BAL   | TOR   |        3 | 54,55,56
| 1979-09-09 | CLE   | TOR   |        3 | 45,46,49
| 1979-07-04 | CAL   | OAK   |        3 | 87,88,89
| 1979-04-21 | CLE   | CHW   |        3 | 66,67,68
| 1976-09-18 | STL   | MON   |        3 | 9,10,11
| 1976-04-23 | ATL   | PHI   |        3 | 83,87,89
| 1975-09-14 | PHI   | CHC   |        3 | 63,64,65
| 1974-05-21 | BOS   | NYY   |        3 | 38,39,40
| 1972-08-27 | CHC   | SFG   |        3 | 72,73,74
| 1971-04-23 | KCR   | CLE   |        3 | 33,34,35
| 1970-08-09 | CAL   | CHW   |        3 | 11,12,13
| 1970-08-09 | NYY   | BAL   |        3 | 51,52,53
| 1963-07-18 | BOS   | KCA   |        3 | 37,39,40
| 1962-08-16 | CHW   | CLE   |        3 | 4,5,7
| 1961-07-16 | PIT   | LAD   |        3 | 41,44,54
| 1961-05-19 | BAL   | WSA   |        3 | 64,65,67
| 1960-07-17 | SFG   | LAD   |        3 | 17,18,20
| 1960-06-05 | NYY   | BOS   |        3 | 8,9,10
| 1959-05-24 | PHI   | MLN   |        3 | 8,11,12
| 1959-05-14 | STL   | MLN   |        3 | 92,93,94
| 1958-09-05 | WSH   | NYY   |        3 | 73,74,75
| 1957-04-28 | PHI   | NYG   |        3 | 70,71,72

One Response to “Adventures in walking in runners”

  1. Andy Says:

    Man, and I thought I was leaving some long posts...