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Most different pitchers throwing a wild pitch in the same game

Posted by Andy on December 7, 2009

One of the new PI features is to group Game Finder results by the most players achieving the criteria in the same game for 1 team or for both teams. That lets us find crazy things like this.

Most different pitchers throwing a wild pitch in the same game for one team:

Rk Tm Opp Date #Matching
1 LAA COL 2009-06-22 4
2 KCR ARI 2009-06-18 4
3 KCR BAL 2002-04-28 4
4 TBD CLE 2000-09-04 4
5 CHC MIL 1999-06-29 4
6 BOS CHW 1998-07-05 4
7 COL ATL 1994-08-09 4
8 LAD HOU 1994-06-24 4
9 SDP HOU 1991-09-10 4
10 PHI CHC 1989-04-14 4
11 PIT CHC 1988-09-25 4
12 TOR DET 1988-06-17 4
13 STL ATL 1971-06-07 4
14 WSA MIN 1966-05-13 4
15 LAD CIN 1965-07-27 4
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/5/2009.

Since 1954 the record is 4 different pitchers, done 15 times. In that most recent game from 2009, the Angels actually tossed 6 wild pitches total.

And how about most pitchers throwing a wild pitch for either team in the same game (also post-1954):

Rk Tm Opp Date #Matching
1 BOS CHW 1998-07-05 6
2 KCR CHW 2007-04-24 5
3 KCR BAL 2002-04-28 5
4 CLE TBD 2000-09-04 5
5 CHW CLE 1997-06-05 5
6 CLE MIN 1996-07-13 5
7 CIN STL 1994-04-04 5
8 TOR TEX 1992-09-11 (1) 5
9 DET TOR 1988-06-17 5
10 SFG CIN 1986-08-05 5
11 SFG SDP 1973-09-23 5
12 ATL STL 1972-07-22 5
13 HOU SDP 1969-07-05 5
14 DET BOS 1966-08-12 5
15 CIN LAD 1965-07-27 5
16 BOS WSA 1963-04-14 5
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/5/2009.

The record here is 6 pitchers, done in the 1998 Red Sox-White Sox game. That was one of the wilder games in recent years, with the Red Sox winning 15-14 despite Chicago putting up an 8-run sixth inning. In addition to all the wild pitches, both teams homered and hit at least one batter.

Just for laughs, here are the leaders in game with the most different pitchers issuing a balk. First for just one team:

Rk Tm Opp Date #Matching
1 MIN TOR 1988-04-08 3
2 MIL TEX 1988-07-23 3
3 MIL NYY 1988-04-10 3
4 LAD FLA 1996-07-30 3
5 KCR NYY 1988-07-09 3
6 HOU ATL 1989-04-05 3
7 HOU CIN 1988-04-16 3
8 CHC PHI 1987-04-12 3
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/5/2009.

Is it any surprise that so many of these games are from 1988? If you recall, that's the year that MLB issued instructions to the umpires to be more diligent about calling balks and also modified the rule a little bit.

The record for both teams in 4, also occurring mainly in games from 1988:

Rk Tm Opp Date #Matching
1 CAL CHW 1988-04-12 4
2 ATL HOU 1989-04-05 4
3 MIL NYY 1988-04-10 4
4 HOU CIN 1988-04-16 4
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 12/5/2009.

So there you go.

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