Wednesday afternoon, the Rangers absolutely rocked Athletics starter Gio Gonzalez, who gave up seven runs in the fourth inning, the worst inning of his (admittedly short) major-league career. Gonzalez's ERA for the season skyrocketed from 2.68 to 3.88, thanks in part to Mitch Moreland's grand slam, the first of his (admittedly short) major-league career.
Should the Stats Count?
But of course none of it counted, because heavy rains arrived in the fourth inning and ultimately washed out the game ... and, officially speaking, every single thing that happened before the rains came. Gonzalez's bloated ERA, Moreland's grand salami, Matt Harrison's four shutout innings ... All gone, as if they never actually happened. Which, according to the record books, they didn't.
Which reminds me of a trivia question ...
Who hit the first home run in a night game at Wrigley Field?
If you were watching the game on TV (as I was), you might easily recall (as I do) an answer ...
But you (and I) would be wrong. Phil Bradley did lead off the game with a home run on August 8, 1988 at Wrigley Field.
He’s not the answer, though. It didn’t count. Bradley’s home run exists only in our memories, because thunderstorms halted the proceedings in the fourth inning, and after a long delay the umpires finally called the game.
Today, we do remember Bradley’s home run and we’ve forgotten Dykstra’s. But it will not always be thus, unless someday the rules are changed. And applied retroactively.
So what say you? Should all the stats count, even when the game doesn’t? Please vote, and (as always) bonus points for showing your work in the comments ...
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