Ballpark Figures

What really happens over the course of a season? These panoramas—from the defense's viewpoint below and the offense's on the succeeding two pages—tell the story by using statistics derived from analyzing every major league pitch thrown in 1988

Research by Albert Kim

FAN TEASER?

Total Attendance in '88 Added Up to the Population of Which Country?

A. COLOMBIA 30,600,000
B. TURKEY 52,900,000
C. UGANDA 16,400,000
D. VIETNAM 65,200,000
E. MEXICO 83,500,000

ANSWER

B. TURKEY
ATTENDANCE WAS 52,998,904

SEPTEMBER 25

BALL 0
STRIKE 0
OUT 0

BEST DAY OF THE SEASON FOR STRIKEOUTS
207 K's

PITCHER'S BEST DAY OF THE WEEK
WEDNESDAY 3.44 ERA

WHO'S THE HEAVY
Average weights in American League

MANAGERS 189lb.
UMPIRES 205lb.

WHO MUFFS MOST?
Errors per 100 chances

CATCHER 1.19
PITCHER 4.23
FIRST BASE 0.83
SECOND BASE 1.91
SHORTSTOP 3.07
THIRD BASE 4.90
RIGHTFIELD 2.38
CENTERFIELD 1.51
LEFTFIELD 2.19

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PITCHER PITCHES

SWINGING 9%
CALLED STRIKE 16%
FOUL 17%
PUT IN PLAY 20%
BALL 38%

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TWO ILLUSTRATIONS

JOHN GRIMWADE