Having Your Statistical Cake and Eating It Too

Tonight New York Yankee's shortstop Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 23 games. What that means to you non-baseball rubes is he has at least one in each of the last 23 games that got him to first base and beyond.

Or does it? A few nights ago he went to bat three times and walked all three times. He technically never got a hit. But he also technically never had an at-bat. He had three plate appearances, yes, but walks don't count statistically as an at-bat (I don't think errors or sacrifice flies count either). So his hitting streak continues even though he never had a hit in that game because he technically never had an at-bat.

Lame.

And now for lamer than lame. Beloved Twin Michael Cuddeyer "hit" his 100th run batted in (RBI) tonight in the Twins over the Cleveland Indian. Way to go Cuddy! He truly is having the kind of year we Twins fans have been waiting for him to have the last three years. So how did he get this landmark RBI? He drew a bases-loaded walk. In baseball statistics a bases-loaded walk counts as an run BATTED in.

And now for the lamest. Let's say a batter is riding a 30 game hitting streak and has 99 RBIs going into the next game. It is possible for him to draw three walks and not get a hit, but still keep his 30 game hitting streak alive. Lame. And if one of those three walks happens to be a bases-loaded walk, he gets his 100th RBI. And lamest of all: this means he gets credit for batting in a run even though he also gets credit for never being at bat.

Open letter to Emily: Try and explain this logic and you pass the Mike Nawrocki PhD. Prelims.