A common trivia question among baseball fans is: How many ways are there for a batter to reach first base? The answer is seven: hit, walk, error, fielders’ choice, hit by pitch, dropped third strike, and defensive interference. A natural question is: Has this ever happened in a major league game?A common trivia question among baseball fans is, “How many ways are there for a batter to reach first base?” According to Question 5 in the individual primary round of the trivia contest at the 2009 SABR 39 National Convention in Washington DC, there are eight different ways. The Wiki Answers web site lists 23. There is even a book called 23 Ways to get to First Base: The ESPN Uncyclopedia. In my family, the answer is seven, and my children are required to know them all: hit, walk, error, fielders’ choice, hit by pitch, dropped third strike, and defensive interference.[fn]http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_ways_can_a_batter_reach_ first_base.[/fn], [fn]Gary Belsky and Neil Fine, 23 Ways to get...
