Defend the Indefensible : the GAME-WINNING RBI

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I believe this is still the only official stat that has ever been abolished, and with good reason. What were they thinking?

I'm asking this partly because I believe the GW-RBI is making a comeback in the guise of the oft-cited "come-from-behind win". Teams are praised for being battlers who never give up and keep pecking away, resulting in a large number of "come-from-behind wins" for these reputedly special, gritty teams. If you fall behind 1-0 in the 1st and go on to win 12-1, is that a "come-from-behind win"? WTF?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 22 May 2005 17:44 (twenty-one years ago)

No it's not, you are correct.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 22 May 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Like teams that "rally" in the fifth inning and win 9-2.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 23 May 2005 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

We need STANDARDS AND PRACTICES people!

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 23 May 2005 11:41 (twenty-one years ago)

NOBODY IS DEFENDING THE GW-RBI! IT CAN'T BE DONE!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 23 May 2005 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it was replaced by the Jeter stat.

― gygax! (gygax!), Monday, 23 May 2005 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think gwrbi has a nice ring to it. Slides off the tongue.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 23 May 2005 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I think people got really obsessed with the "walk-off" hit for awhile there.

I still remember when everyone was enthusing about MIKE GREENWELL because he had 22 GWRBI in '88 or something. It was some sort of big deal, even to my-then 13-year old ears. It just sounded impressive, at least. But then I unlearned, like John Singleton told me to.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Monday, 23 May 2005 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Keith Hernandez led the league in GWRBI a couple of times -- a testament to his ability as a big-game player, or so they said.

Is the "come-from-behind win" = the 21st century GWRBI? Am I right about this?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 23 May 2005 16:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Game-Winning RBI = the hitter's save.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 23 May 2005 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

This is one of those situations where people tried to make something into a stat for no reason at all. ANY time someone knocks somebody home to put their team up it feels like the fulcrum of the game is turning on it, but it's hard to see what use there is in boiling that down into a number.

I haven't really noticed "come from behind wins" being tossed around the same way, but people will always stretch a point if they can't think of anything else to write/talk about.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 23 May 2005 22:40 (twenty-one years ago)

There should totally be a "garbage-time" stat, though, like the reverse of the GWRBI. I can't imagine anyone topping A-Rod there.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 23 May 2005 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

sosa in his prime dude

― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 23 May 2005 22:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"Keith Hernandez led the league in GWRBI a couple of times"

I heard one of his fellow slumming broadcasters ask "Mex" if he considered this a meaningful feat. "No."

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually thought of a mild defense for the GWRBI:

The batter is often credited with a single even if the game winning RBI hit is obviously hit for extra bases... Maybe that's the old scorer's way of saying "Shoulda been a triple on that drawn-in outfield".

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 22:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Sure, if a GWRBI was only credited for a win in a team's last at-bat, then it would have made some sense.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 23:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes! I meant to mention that... ugh.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember seeing Ventura's grand slam that wasn't, on TV. That was an amazing game.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 06:48 (twenty-one years ago)

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