INTENTIONAL BASES ON BALLS RECORDS

MLB Records For Intentional Walks |Baseball Almanac

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for intentional bases on balls—including most intentional bases on balls in a career, most intentional bases on balls in a single season, and most intentional bases on balls in a game records.

NOTE: Intentional walks have only been an officially tracked statistic since 1955. Historical data found onBaseball Almanac prior to that year is based on box scores.

"The game has changed. Records are made to be broken, and whatever happens in the future, we should allow it to happen on its own and not question it. We are not machines. We are human beings." -Bonds, Barry.Baseball Digest. January 2002.

The career mark & single season mark set byBarry Bonds are, to say the least, in a class by themselves. Will either of these two marks ever be eclipsed or will these go down in history as more examples of unbeatable records? Share your thoughts onBaseball Fever.

If one event in baseball signifies true respect, it has to bean intentional walk with the bases loaded. Bill Deane and Everett Parker completed research on the five instances and summarized the events of each game (seen below). In 2007, research Trent McCotter added to this remarkable list with hisDalrymple discovery:

• Abner Dalrymple, August 2, 1881 - The Bisons were down 5-0 versus the White Stockings in the eighth inning. The "Chicago Tribune" described the moment with, "In the eighth the bases were filled, and nobody out, on successive hits by (Fred)Goldsmith, (Silver)Flint, and (Joe)Quest, and (Jack)Lynch was so afraid ofDalrymple that he gave him his base on balls and broughtGoldsmith in with the gift." Another Tribune quote which described the moment said, "At one time, when the bases were full,Lynch deliberately sent in seven balls rather than take the chances of a hit byDalrymple, who was at bat, and in this way forced a run upon Chicago."
• Napoleon Lajoie, May 23, 1901 - The Athletics were batting against the White Sox in the top of the ninth inning. They were down, 11-7, but had the bases loaded and none out with Lajoie - on his way to aTriple Crown - up. ManagerClark Griffith inserted himself as relief pitcher and "calmly sent four wide ones across" to deliberately force in a run, bringing future home run champsSocks Seybold andHarry Davis up with the bases still full. Griffith then disposed of Seybold, Davis, andMorgan Murphy on infield grounders, saving the 11-9 win.
• Del Bissonette,May 2, 1928 - The Giants led the Dodgers, 2-0, in the top of the ninth, but Brooklyn loaded the bases with two out. Giants' managerJohn McGraw then ordered pitcherLarry Benton to walk Bissonette, in his 16th major league game, purposely ending the shutout. Benton then struck outHarry Riconda to end the game.
• Bill Nicholson,July 23, 1944 - The Giants led the Cubs, 10-7, in the top of the eighth with the bases loaded, none out, and Nicholson - who had homered four times already that day - at the plate. Giants' managerMel Ott (who was probably sitting next to McGraw when he ordered it done on May 2, 1928) orderedEwald Pyle to walk Nicholson, bringing upDom Dallessandro,Andy Pafko, andDon Johnson. The Cubs tied the game up by the time the inning was over, but New York went on to win, 12-10.
• Barry Bonds,May 28, 1998 - The Diamondbacks led the Giants, 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth, with two out, the bases loaded, andBarry Bonds up. Arizona manager Buck Showalter orderedGregg Olson to issue the IBB, putting the tying run on third and the winning run on second.Brent Mayne then lined out to end the game.
• Josh Hamilton,August 17, 2008 - The Rangers were trailing by five with the bottom third of their batting order due up in the bottom of the ninth inning. Six batters later, Texas had scored one, recorded two outs, but had the bases loaded withJosh Hamilton stepping to the plate. Tampa Bay Rays' manager Joe Maddon toldGrant Balfour to intentionally walkHamilton, not only forcing in a run, but bringing the winning run,Marlon Byrd, to the plate.

Did you know thatRickey Henderson holds the Major League record for most walks in a season (he had one-hundred eighteen with theOakland Athletics in 1998) without a single intentional bases on balls?