Baseball trivia

[god_of_belac]

What is the maximum number of errors a team can commit in a game, while shutting out the other team?

What about hits given up? Walks?

Interestingly enough, the correct answer for each is different.

EDIT: Assume a 9-inning game. I.E, the team in question scores and wins.

Comments

[wayman]

Well, if you're the home team and you can't score either (while giving up maximal errors, walks, or hits), isn't the answer infinity for each case? But the infinities are different :-)

Errors in an inning: first batter to first base, then to second base, then to third base, then picked off; second batter likewise, third batter likewise. Thus nine errors per inning possible.

Walks in an inning: first batter walks, second batter walks, third batter walks; pick-off at third; fourth batter walks; pick-off at third; fifth batter walks; pick-off. Thus five walks per inning possible.

Hits in an inning: with the general rule that all batters can only advance one base, first batter singles, second batter singles, third batter singles, fourth batter singles and runner is thrown out at home; fifth batter singles and runner is thrown out at home; sixth batter singles and runner is thrown out at home. Thus six hits per inning possible.

[wayman]

So, by the above a nine-inning game, the home team can yield 81 errors, or 45 walks, or 54 hits, and still win 1-0 by scoring one run in the bottom of the ninth.

[reldnahkram]

I only agree with you on your walks number.

Errors: like your scenario, but instead of merely picking off the third batter at 3rd, instead have the fourth batter reach on error, advance to second on error, and have the fifth batter reach on error, before getting the third out. That's 12 per inning, not 9, for a total of 108.

In terms of hits, I think it depends on your interpretations of 10.05 and Fielder's Choice. My interpretation of the rules is that, even if the batter reaches 1st safely, if a runner is thrown out at the plate on the play, it's a fielder's choice and not a hit. This reduces hits to five, treating them just like walks.

[tirerim]

Errors are actually unlimited-a fielder can also be charged with an error for prolonging a batter's at-bat, by dropping a foul fly ball that he should have caught, for example.