Run batted in

Run batted in or RBI is a statistic used in baseball, softball and dartball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.

Common nicknames for RBI include "Ribby", and "Rib". The term may be pluralized as either "RBI" or "RBIs".

Major League Baseball Rules

The official rulebook of Major League Baseball states in Rule 10.04:quote|(a) The official scorer shall credit the batter with a run batted in for every run that scores:
(1) unaided by an error and as part of a play begun by the batter's safe hit (including the batter's home run), sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, infield out or fielder's choice, or a passed ball, unless Rule 10.04(b) applies;
(2) by reason of the batter becoming a runner with the bases full (because of a base on balls, an award of first base for being touched by a pitched ball or for interference or obstruction); or
(3) when, before two are out, an error is made on a play on which a runner from third base ordinarily would score.
(b) The official scorer shall not credit a run batted in
(1) when the batter grounds into a force double play or a reverse-force double play; or
(2) when a fielder is charged with an error because the fielder muffs a throw at first base that would have completed a force double play.
(c) The official scorer's judgment must determine whether a run batted in shall be credited for a run that scores when a fielder holds the ball or throws to a wrong base. Ordinarily, if the runner keeps going, the official scorer should credit a run batted in; if the runner stops and takes off again when the runner notices the misplay, the official scorer should credit the run as scored on a fielder's choice.

Criticism

The perceived significance of the RBI is displayed by the fact that it is one of the three categories that compose the triple crown. In addition, Career RBIs are often cited in debates over who should be elected to the Hall of Fame. However, critics, particularly within the field of sabermetrics, argue that RBIs do a better job of measuring the quality of the lineup than it does the player himself since an RBI can only be credited to a player if one or more batters preceding him in the batting order reached base (the exception to this being a solo home run, in which the batter is credited with driving himself in). This implies that better offensive teams -- and therefore, the teams in which the most players get on base -- tend to produce hitters with higher RBI totals than equivalent hitters on lesser-hitting team.

RBI leaders in Major League Baseball

Career

Totals are current through games of 9/5/07. Active players in bold.
#Hank Aaron - 2,297
#Babe Ruth - 2,217
#Cap Anson - 2,076
#Barry Bonds - 1,996
#Lou Gehrig - 1,995
#Stan Musial - 1,951
#Ty Cobb - 1,937
#Jimmie Foxx - 1,922
#Eddie Murray - 1,917
#Willie Mays - 1,903

eason

#Hack Wilson (1930) -191
#Lou Gehrig (1931) - 184
#Hank Greenberg (1937) - 183
#Jimmie Foxx (1938) - 175
#Lou Gehrig (1927) - 175

Game

12 - Jim Bottomley (September 24,1924), Mark Whiten (September 7,1993)
11 - Wilbert Robinson (June 10,1892), Tony Lazzeri (May 24,1936), Phil Weintraub (April 30,1944)
10 - by 12 major league players, most recently Garret Anderson ( August 21, 2007)

Inning

#Fernando Tatis (April 23, 1999) - 8
#Ed Cartwright (September 23, 1890) - 7

Game-winning RBI

Major league baseball kept record of game-winning RBIs in the years 1980-1988 [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/rb_gwrbi2.shtml] . The game-winning RBI was credited to the batter whose at-bat was responsible for bringing his team ahead for the final time in the game. For example, if a batter on the winning team brought his team ahead 3-2 from a 2-2 tie at some point during the game, his team later led 5-2 as a result of other batters, and then the opposing team scored two more runs before the final score was 5-4, the batter on the winning team who batted in the third run would be credited with the game-winning RBI, even though the losing team scored four runs. The debate over whether the RBI should be credited to the "Run 3 batter" or the "Run 5 batter" in these situations led to the statistic being abolished.

Game-winning RBI records

*Keith Hernandez had 129 game-winning RBIs while these records were kept, more than any other player. Eddie Murray had the most in the American League.
*Hernandez also had the most in a single season (24 in 1985). Mike Greenwell had the most in the American League (23 in 1988).
*Wally Joyner, Jose Canseco, and Mark McGwire each had 14 in their rookie years, the most for a rookie.
*Kirk Gibson had the game-winning RBIs in five consecutive games in 1986

ee also

*List of Major League Baseball RBI Records
*List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

References