Appendix 4: RBIs given in newspaper box scores for games played between the Tigers and Athletics in Philadelphia during the 1937 season
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This article was published in Spring 2012 Baseball Research Journal
Appendix 4 in Herm Krabbenhoft’s research on Hank Greenberg.
Editor’s note: This is a supplement to Herm Krabbenhoft’s article, “Hank Greenberg’s American League RBI Record”, in the Spring 2012 edition of the “Baseball Research Journal”.
Appendix 4: RBIs given in newspaper box scores for games played between the Tigers and Athletics in Philadelphia during the 1937 season.
Presented here are the players who achieved RBIs in the given games. The players are listed in the exact order given in (a) the relevant newspaper box scores and (b) the exact chronological order in which the players achieved their RBIs according to the batter-by-batter PBP accounts given for each game in the Detroit Times. In order to be most relevant to the newspaper box scores for the games on June 20, 1937, the focus here is the games played between the Tigers and Athletics in Philadelphia in 1937 – May 18, 19, 20; June 19; August 3, 4, 5; and September 18, 18. The orders for the Tigers players achieving RBIs in the two games on June 20, 1937, are given in the main presentation.
May 18, 1937
Tigers players credited with RBIs:
First Inning (3 runs) – Cochrane scored on a 1-RBI single by Greenberg; Gehringer scored on a 1-RBI grounder by Walker (Walker being safe on a fielding error); Greenberg scored on a 1-RBI groundout by Rogell.
Third Inning (2 runs) – Walker scored on a 1-RBI double by Herman; Herman scored on 1-RBI single by Rogell.
Sixth Inning (1 run) – English scored on a 1-RBI homer by English.
Eighth Inning (1 run) – Auker scored on a 1-RBI double by Fox.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Greenberg | Walker | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Greenberg | Walker | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Greenberg | Walker | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Greenberg | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox | |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Greenberg | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox | |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Greenberg | Walker | Rogell (2) | Herman | English | Fox |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Fox | Greenberg | Walker | Herman | Rogell (2) | English |
NOTE: Walker was mistakenly omitted in the box scores in the Detroit News and the Detroit Times.
May 19, 1937
First Inning (3 runs) – Cochrane scored on a 2-RBI single by Greenberg; Gehringer scored on a 2-RBI single by Greenberg; Greenberg scored on a field error (Walker was the batter).
Sixth Inning (2 runs) – Greenberg scored on a 2-RBI single by English; Walker scored on a 2-RBI single by English.
Ninth Inning (4 runs) – Bridges scored on a fielding error (Gehringer was the batter); White scored on a fielding error (Gehringer was the batter); Gehringer scored on a 1-RBI single by Greenberg; Greenberg scored on a 1-RBI sacrifice fly by Fox.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Greenberg (3) | English (2) | Fox |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Greenberg (3) | Fox | English (2) |
NOTE: Gehringer was mistakenly included in DFP, DT, and TSN box scores.
May 20, 1937
First Inning (2 runs) – White scored on a 2-RBI triple by Greenberg; Cochrane scored on a 2-RBI triple by Greenberg.
Sixth Inning (1 run) – Walker scored on a 1-RBI double by Rogell.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Greenberg (2) | Rogell |
June 19, 1937
First Inning (2 runs) – Rogell scored on a 1-RBI double by Gehringer; Gehringer scored on a 1-RBI single by Greenberg.
Second Inning (1 run) – Lawson scored on a 1-RBI single by Gehringer.
Fifth Inning (3 runs) – Greenberg scored on a 3-RBI homer by Laabs; York scored on a 3-RBI homer by Laabs; Laabs scored on a 3-RBI homer by Laabs.
Ninth Inning (2 runs) – Walker scored on a 2-RBI triple by Laabs; York scored on a 2-RBI triple by Laabs.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs (5) |
August 3, 1937
Third Inning (1 run) – Rogell scored on a 1-RBI double by Greenberg.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Greenberg |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Greenberg |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Greenberg |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Greenberg |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Greenberg |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Greenberg |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Greenberg |
August 4, 1937
Second Inning (1 run) – Laabs scored on a 1-RBI double by York.
Third Inning (2 runs) – Walker scored on a 1-RBI single by Gehringer; Fox scored on a 1-RBI double-play groundout by Greenberg.
Fifth Inning (5 runs) – Gehringer scored on a 1-RBI fielder’s choice force-out by Laabs; Laabs scored on a 3-RBI homer by York; Owen scored on a 3-RBI homer by York; York scored on a 3-RBI homer by York; Rogell scored on a 1-RBI homer by Rogell.
Seventh Inning (1 run) – Laabs scored on a 1-RBI double by Owen.
Eighth Inning (2 runs) – Rogell scored on a 1-RBI groundout double play by Fox; Poffenberger scored on a 1-RBI single by Gehringer.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in DN | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Laabs | Greenberg | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in DT | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in TSN | York (4) | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Rogell | Owen | Fox |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Fox | Gehringer (2) | Greenberg | Laabs | Owen | York (4) | Rogell |
August 5, 1937
First Inning (1 run) – Fox scored on a 1-RBI homer by Fox.
Third Inning (1 run) – Walker scored on a 1-RBI sacrifice fly by Gehringer.
Eighth Inning (3 runs) – Fox scored on a 3-RBI homer by Greenberg; Gehringer scored on a 3-RBI homer by Greenberg; Greenberg scored on a 3-RBI homer by Greenberg.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg (3) |
September 18, 1937 (first game)
Sixth Inning (2 runs) – White scored on a 1-RBI triple by Fox; Fox scored on a 1-RBI groundout double play by Greenberg.
Eighth Inning (1 run) – White scored on a 1-RBI double by Gehringer.
Ninth Inning (2 runs) – Owen scored on a 1-RBI groundout by Bridges; Rogell scored on a 1-RBI single by White.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Fox | Greenberg | Gehringer | Bridges | White |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | White | Fox | Gehringer | Greenberg | Bridges |
September 18, 1937 (second game)
First Inning (1 run) – Fox scored on a 1-RBI single by Gehringer.
Second Inning (1 run) – Owen scored on a 1-RBI single by Lawson.
Seventh Inning (1 run) – Owen scored on a 1-RBI double by Fox.
Ninth Inning (1 run) – Owen scored on a 1-RBI single by Rogell.
| RBIs in Chronological Order | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in PINQ Box score | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in DFP Box score | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in DN Box score | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in DT Box score | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in TSN Box score | Gehringer | Lawson | Fox | Rogell |
| RBIs in Batting Lineup Order | Fox | Gehringer | Rogell | Lawson |
Upon examination of the box score RBI information it is seen that there is 100% correspondence between the “RBIs in Chronological Order” and the order for the players listed with RBIs in the various newspaper box scores (except for the box score in the Detroit News for the game on August 1, 1937 – Greenberg and Laabs having been switched).
It is important to point out that while the box scores for these Detroit at Philadelphia games invariably list the players credited with RBIs in the chronological order in which they achieved their first RBI, the newspaper box scores for other games (for example Detroit at New York or New York at Detroit) do not always list the players credited with RBIs in the chronological order in which they achieved their first RBI. Without going into the details for each of these games, an analysis (identical to the one described above for the Detroit at Philadelphia games) of the various newspaper box scores gave the following results: (A) For Detroit at New York games, the New York Times, Detroit Free Press, and Detroit News each listed the players credited with RBIs in chronological order in eight of the nine games the Tigers were not shut out; the Detroit Times (which did not provide box scores for two of the non-shutout games) listed the players credited with RBIs in chronological order in 100% of the box scores. (B) For Detroit vs. New York games, the New York Times and Detroit Free Press listed the players credited with RBIs in chronological order in just four of the eleven games; the Detroit News and Detroit Times listed the players credited with RBIs in chronological order in seven of the eleven games.
So, while one can make use of the order of the players listed with achieving “whatevers,” it is advised that the researcher first do some checking to make sure that listing players in chronological order is the standard procedure for the particular newspaper.
With regard to the RBI information presented in the Philadelphia Inquirer, it appears safe to assume that the players are listed in chronological order.