On base percentage

Information about On base percentage

In baseball statistics, on base percentage (OBP) (sometimes referred to as on base average [OBA], as the statistic is rarely presented as a true percentage) is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference (the latter two are ignored as either times-on-base (TOB) or plate appearances in calculating OBP). OBP is added to slugging average to determine on-base plus slugging (OPS). It first became an official MLB statistic in 1984.

Overview

Traditionally, the best leadoff hitters in the game have high on-base percentages. The league average for on base percentage has varied considerably over time; in the modern era it is around .340, whereas it was typically only .300 in the dead-ball era. On base percentage can also vary quite considerably from player to player. The record for the highest career OBP by a hitter, based on over 3000 plate appearances, is .481 by Ted Williams. The lowest is by Bill Bergen, who had an OBP of .194.

Though extremely unlikely, it is possible for a player's on base percentage to be lower than his batting average (H/AB). However very few players in major league history fall into this category, with the majority of them having under 100 ABs, as it requires having almost no walks or times hit by pitch, with a relatively higher number of sacrifice flies (e.g. if a player has 2 hits in 6 at bats with a sacrifice fly, his batting average would be .333, but his on base percentage would be .286).

On base percentage is calculated using this formula:



where NOTE: Sacrifice flies were not counted as an official statistic until 1954. Before that time, all sacrifices were counted as sacrifice hits (SH), which included both sacrifice flies and bunts. Bunts (sacrifice hits since 1954), which would lower a batter's on base percentage, are not included in the calculation for on base percentage, as bunting is an offensive strategy – often dictated by the manager – the use of which does not necessarily reflect on the batter's ability and should not be used to penalize him. For calculations of OBP before 1954, or where sacrifice flies are not explicitly listed, the number of sacrifice flies should be assumed to be zero.

All-time leaders

#PlayerOBP[1]Team(s)Year(s)
1Ted Williams.4817Boston Red Sox1939–1960
2Babe Ruth.4740Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves1914–1935
3John McGraw.4657Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants1891–1906
4Billy Hamilton.4552Kansas City Cowboys, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Beaneaters1888–1901
5Lou Gehrig.4474New York Yankees1923–1939
6Barry Bonds.4446Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants1986–2007
7Bill Joyce.4349Brooklyn Ward's Wonders, Boston Reds, Brooklyn Grooms, Washington Senators, New York Giants1890–1898
8Rogers Hornsby.4337St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns1915–1937
9Ty Cobb.4330Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics1905–1928
10Todd Helton.4291Colorado Rockies1997–2007

See also

Notes

1. ^ Career Leaders for On Base Percentage. Sports Reference, Inc. Retrieved on 2007-08-14.
Statistics are very important to baseball, perhaps as much as they are for cricket, and more than almost any other sport. Since the flow of baseball has natural breaks to it, the game lends itself to easy record keeping and statistics.
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In mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a fraction of 100 (per cent meaning "per hundred"). It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%". For example, 45 % (read as "forty-five percent") is equal to 45 / 100, or 0.45.
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batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The goals of batters are to produce runs, but the techniques and strategies they use to do so vary.
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In baseball, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance should have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.
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In baseball, a fielder's choice (abbreviated FC) is most often the act of a fielder, upon fielding a batted ball, choosing to try to put out one runner while in so doing allowing the batter-runner to advance to first base.
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In baseball statistics, the term times on base, also abbreviated as TOB, is the cumulative total number of times a batter has been awarded for reaching base as a result of hits, walks and hit by pitches.
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In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting.
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slugging percentage record (.863).]]

In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is the most popular measure of the power of a hitter.
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On-base plus slugging, or OPS, is a baseball statistic which is calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.[1] The abilities of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented, making it
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Sport Baseball
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dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 (though some date it to the beginning of baseball) and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1920.
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In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting.
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As Player
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William Aloysius "Bill" Bergen (1878-1943) was a Major League Baseball catcher in the early days of the 20th century. Bill Bergen was born in North Brookfield, Massachusetts on June 13, 1878.
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Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.
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base on balls (BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.
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hit by a pitch refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the pitcher. Per baseball official rule 6.08(b), a batter becomes a baserunner and is awarded first base when he or his equipment (except for his bat) is touched by a pitched ball outside of the
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In baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly (denoted by SF) if the following four criteria are met:
  • There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.
  • The ball is hit to the outfield.

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hit (denoted by H), sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.
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base on balls (BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.
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hit by a pitch refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the pitcher. Per baseball official rule 6.08(b), a batter becomes a baserunner and is awarded first base when he or his equipment (except for his bat) is touched by a pitched ball outside of the
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at bat (AB) is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance. Plate Appearances= At-Bats + Bases on Balls(Walks) + Hit By Pitch + Sacrifice Hits + Sacrifice Flies + Times Reached on Defensive
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In baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly (denoted by SF) if the following four criteria are met:
  • There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.
  • The ball is hit to the outfield.

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The following are the baseball events of the year 1954 throughout the world.   This year in baseball
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sacrifice bunt to move the baserunner to third base.]]

In baseball, a sacrifice hit (also called a sacrifice bunt) is the act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base.
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bunt is a special type of offensive technique in baseball or fastpitch softball. In a bunt play, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of the plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.
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As Player
  • Boston Red Sox (1939-1942), (1946-1952), (1953-1960)
As Manager
  • Washington Senators (1969-1971)
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Career Highlights and Awards
Career Records:

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Boston Red Sox Established 1901

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The following are the baseball events of the year 1939 throughout the world.   This year in baseball
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