MLB: Hardest thing to do in baseball
- Thread starter mj4cy
- Start date
It annoys me when people say this.
4 home run games have happened 16 times, less than perfect games, and with more opportunities because there are 9 batters per team every game. This makes the odds against much higher for this feat.
Even unassisted triple plays happen less than perfect games.
Edit: Even 20 strikeouts in a game is rarer than a perfect game.
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There have been 19 perfect games before and only 16 players to hit 4 homeruns in a game before.
I think those are the top two. To hit 4 HRs means you have to get up at least 4 times, you have to have good pitches to hit each time you're up which would be harder and harder to face after you've hit 3. A perfect game is extremely tough and impressive but you could also get a team on a bad hitting night.
Of course this is debating beween an A+ and an A++
Winner.
How many 20 K games have there been, though?
EDIT: I think 5, with 2 being extra inning games. Is that right?
unassisted triple play isn't really skill related though. It's a mixture of timing, positioning of players, reaction of runners, etc. Everything has to come together at the right time, more of a fluke.
Yeah, I didn't look that up but edited my post. Statistically speaking 4 home runs is the hardest to do.
13 years ago today, a friend and former teammate of mine, while playing for Florida State was 7-7 with 6 Home Runs, 16 RBI, and 25 total bases. I doubt that will ever be duplicated.
I don't think you can straight up look at 19 vs. 16 however.
Every single game played the pitcher has a chance to achieve a perfect game. To hit 4 home runs in the game you have to have at least 4 at bats which might not always happen. I'm assuming most of the 16 4 home run games the hitter had at least 6 at bats, which lessons the pool of number of chances this could be done.
I bet if you look at it by percentages, perfect game is by far the more impressive stat.
well i believe 27 k's would be harder than 20 k's. IMO of course
my dad took me to one of the 20 K games in Busch stadium, I had no idea what a big deal it was until I noticed my dad in the late innings .......never saw him that intense at a sporting event -- we stopped at a bar on the way home to celebrate......he never did that either. Can't remember who we were playing but know who the pitcher was.
Would be interesting to see someone calculate all the actual percentages for each feat. i.e., unassisted triple play is only possible for an AB with at least 2 runners on base, 4 HRs only possible with a minimum of 4 ABs in a game, etc.