The Authorized Correction of Errors in Runs Scored in the Official Records (1945–2007) for Detroit Tigers Players

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This article was written by Herm Krabbenhoft

This article was published in 2008 Baseball Research Journal

The most important statistic for a baseball team is wins (winning percentage)—the more (higher), the better. And even the most casual fan knows that the essential component for winning is scoring runs—at least one run (more than the opposing team) in a game. Thus, contributing to the scoring of runs can be considered the supreme objective for each of the individual players on the team.

There are two fundamental metrics for evaluating the performance of an individual player with respect to his contributions to the scoring of runs for his team:

• Scoring the runs
• Batting in the runs

This article’s focus is on the former statistic—scoring runs.

How accurate are a player’s runs-scored statistics in the official baseball records and in the various derived baseball encyclopedias, record books, and information guides?

One would hope, based on the importance assigned to runs, that the statistics are 100 percent correct.

Unfortunately, they are not.

Fortunately, however, as runs-scored errors are discovered and corrected, the pertinent changes are entered into the official records.

For example, consider the runs-scored record of Hall of Famer Eddie Collins. According to his official American League scoresheets for the 1920 campaign, he is credited with 115 runs scored. This value was presented in numerous publications, such as The Baseball Encyclopedia (Macmillan), Sports Encyclopedia Baseball (Neft and Cohen), and Total Baseball (Thorn and Palmer).1, 2, 3

However, it was subsequently discovered that, in the 1920 season, Collins actually scored 117 runs, and the resulting corrections were made in the various baseball encyclopedias and record books.4, 5, 6, 7 Likewise, the “Eddie Collins’ Career Batting Statistics” section of the National Baseball Hall of Fame website (with the notation “Official major league statistics verified by Elias Sports Bureau”) now shows 117 runs scored in 1920.8

In this article, I present the results of my comprehensive investigation of the accuracy of the official baseball records for the runs scored by Detroit Tigers players during the period 1945—2007. For each of the runs-scored errors I discovered, I also determined unequivocally the corrections, which I submitted to the Elias Sports Bureau (the official statisticians of MLB), which then sanctioned all of the proposed changes.

A baseball subject of particular interest to me involves ascertaining the longest consecutive-games streaks for various accomplishments—for example, Consecutive Games On Base Safely (CGOBS) streaks.9—11 I also have a longstanding interest in the Detroit Tigers.12, 13, 14 So, combining these two interests, I initiated a research effort to determine the longest Consecutive Games RUN Scored (CGRUNS) streak achieved by each Tigers player in each season from 1901 to the present—that is, for the entire history of the Detroit franchise in the American League.

The most critical aspect of conducting any research is the generation and use of accurate data. Therefore, for my CGRUNS-streak research, it is absolutely mandatory that I have accurate runs-scored information—on a game-by-game basis—for each Tigers player.

RESEARCH PROCEDURES

My research plan consisted of first dividing the hundred-plus years of Tigers history into manageable periods: 1945—present, which I call Phase One; 1920—44, which I call Phase Two; and 1901—19, which I call Phase Three. This article deals with Phase One.

I also decided to use each of the four sources of game-by-game runs-scored information:

  • The official records produced for the American League.15
  • The daily records for players provided on the Retrosheet website. The American League seasons presently included in the Retrosheet database are 1954 through 2007.
  • The box scores presented in various publications, such as the New York Times (NYT) and The Sporting News (TSN).
  • The detailed game descriptions (including box scores) provided in the Detroit newspapers—the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, and the Detroit Times—and in the local newspapers of the teams opposing the Tigers on given dates.

 

Here are the specifics of my modus operandi for obtaining reliable game-by-game runs-scored information:

1945—69. Employing the NYT and/or TSN box scores, I generated day-by-day (DBD) lists of the runs scored for each Tigers player for each season during the 1945—69 period.

I compared my box-score-generated results with the corresponding official DBD results (as well as the Retrosheet daily records for 1954—69) and thereby identified any runs-scored discrepancies.

For each discrepancy, I examined the relevant newspaper accounts to obtain the precise details for each Tigers run—who scored the run and how the run was scored.

With this detailed descriptive information, I resolved every runs- scored discrepancy—sometimes the newspaper box-score information was wrong; sometimes the official DBD information was wrong.

For those runs-scored discrepancies where the official DBD records were wrong, I obtained the comprehensive documentation needed to make the appropriate corrections, which I then submitted to the Elias Sports Bureau for review.

With regard to assembling the documentation required to achieve the appropriate corrections to the official records by the Elias Sports Bureau, I adhered strictly to the guidance specified by Steve Hirdt, the Bureau’s executive vice president: “We employ a standard of proof that lies somewhere between two of the standards common to judicial matters in this country: that is, somewhere between proof that is ‘clear and convincing’ and proof that is ‘beyond reasonable doubt.’ ”16

Furthermore, I followed my Completely Closed Circuit Principle, which is to achieve a completely closed loop for each player affected by the error/correction. In other words, I maintain that, if one wishes to correct a statistic for a player in a given game, one must also correct that statistic for each and every game in each and every season of the player’s major-league career.

1970—2007. I relied completely on the Retrosheet play-by-play data and for runs scored found no discrepancies between the official DBD records and the Retrosheet daily records for Detroit Tigers players during the 1970—2007 period.17

RESULTS

Table 1 presents in chronological order the 26 runs-scored errors and corrections I discovered for the 1945—2007 Detroit Tigers players. Each of the runs-scored errors involves two players—one player who was undercredited and one other player who was overcredited. Nineteen players, including four who were subsequently elected to the Hall of Fame, had runs-scored errors.

Upon careful review of my documentation, the Elias Sports Bureau approved and accepted each of the changes/corrections shown in table 1.18, 19

 

 

The authorized corrections of these runs-scored errors in individual games also precipitate changes in the affected players’ performance records—both single-season and career. These corrections can have great significance, as shown in the next two sections.

CONSEQUENCES—SINGLE SEASON

Table 2 presents the consequences of applying the single-game corrections (table 1) to the players’ final runs-scored statistics for the specific seasons.

 

 

In addition to the changes in the players’ final runs-scored statistics for the specific single season(s), other important ramifications result from correction of the runs-scored errors I discovered.

Charlie Maxwell, with 97 (not 96) runs scored in 1956, was actually the sole leader in that department for the Tigers. Prior to the Elias Sports Bureau’s effecting this correction, Maxwell, Al Kaline, and Harvey Kuenn were considered to be the coleaders. Thus, in the 2006 edition (and previous editions) of the Detroit Tigers Information Guide, in the “Yearly Detroit Tigers Batting Leaders” section (page 267), Kaline, Kuenn, and Maxwell are listed as coleaders in 1956 with 96 runs scored. With the authorization by the Elias Sports Bureau of the errors/corrections (table 1), the appropriate changes were made in the 2007 edition of the Detroit Tigers Information Guide (page 279)—Maxwell alone is listed as the Tigers’ leader in 1956 with 97 runs scored. Similarly, Eddie Lake was the Tigers’ team leader in runs scored in 1946—the 2006 edition of the Detroit Tigers Information Guide listed him with 105 runs scored, while the 2007 edition shows him with the correct total of 108 runs.

Hank Greenberg did not score a run in the game on September 18, 1946, as unequivocally verified by the detailed accounts in the relevant newspapers. Consequently, the longest CGRUNS streak that he assembled in 1946 was a 10-gamer—not a 14-gamer as suggested by his (uncorrected) official DBD records. The pertinent information follows.

Greenberg scored at least one run in each of the Tigers games on September 14, 15, and 17; this gave him a CGRUNS streak of 3. According to his (uncorrected) official DBD records, Greenberg scored one run in the September 18 game, thereby erroneously extending his CGRUNS streak to 4. Because Greenberg managed to score at least one run in each of Detroit’s next 10 games (September 19—28), it appears that—from the uncorrected official DBD records—he compiled a CGRUNS streak of 14.

Actually, however, Greenberg did not score a run in that September 18 game, a 2—1 Tigers victory over St. Louis. Detroit scored its first run in the ninth inning when Greenberg doubled and Pat Mullin was inserted as a pinch-runner for Greenberg; Mullin then scored on a 1-RBI single by Fred Hutchinson. The Tigers scored their second run in the tenth inning (after Greenberg had been removed from the contest), with George Kell plating the marker on a 1-RBI single by Roy Cullenbine. That Greenberg did not, in fact, achieve a CGRUNS streak of 14 is very significant—as presented in the companion article, “The Longest Streaks of Consecutive Games in Which a Detroit Tiger Scored a Run (1945—2008)”, the longest single-season CGRUNS streak by a Detroit Tigers player during the 1945—2007 period was a 13-gamer.20

Finally, note that the single-season consequences included in table 2 are for Detroit Tigers players only. However, two of the players also played for other teams during the indicated seasons. The pertinent full-season runs-scored information for them follows.

Fred Hatfield actually scored 43 (not 42) runs for the 1952 Tigers after joining them following a June 3 trade with the Red Sox. According to his official DBD records, Hatfield also scored 6 runs with the 1952 Red Sox. In order to have the accurate full-1952-season runs-scored total for Hatfield, it was imperative that I carry out a comparison of the newspaper box scores and the official DBD records for his runs scored with Boston. After I did so, I found 100 percent correspondence. Thus, for the entire 1952 season, Hatfield actually scored 49 (not 48) runs.

George Kell actually scored 66 (not 67) runs for the 1946 Tigers after joining them following a May 18 trade with the Athletics. According to his official DBD records, Kell also scored 3 runs with the 1946 A’s. In order to have the accurate full-1946-season runs-scored total for Kell, it was imperative that I carry out a comparison of the newspaper box scores and the official DBD records for his runs scored with Philadelphia. After I did so, I found 100 percent correspondence. Thus, for the entire 1946 season, Kell actually scored 69 (not 70) runs.

CONSEQUENCES—CAREER

To effect the correction of a player’s career runs-scored statistics, one could simply add the single-season correction to the player’s currently published career record. For example, consider George Kell. As shown previously, the Hall of Fame third baseman actually scored 69 (not 70) runs in 1946. So one could conclude that Kell scored 880 (not 881) runs in his major-league career. However, such a conclusion is based on the assumption that no other runs-scored errors are present in Kell’s official record. Because I had (at first) researched Kell’s runs-scored record only during his tenure with the Tigers (1946—52) and the Athletics (1946), I did not know for certain about the accuracy of his runs-scored statistics during his other major-league seasons: 1943—45 (Philadelphia), 1952—54 (Boston), 1954—56 (Chicago), and 1956—57 (Baltimore). This uncertainty is the rationale for following the Completely Closed Circuit Principle.

To address that uncertainty, I conducted a comprehensive comparison of the runs-scored information presented in Kell’s official records with that derived from newspaper box scores for his non- Tigers seasons. I found no other runs-scored errors for Kell. Thus, in his major-league career, Kell actually scored 880 (not 881) runs.

Similarly, I followed my Completely Closed Circuit Principle for each of the other players listed in table 2—that is, I ascertained the accuracy of their runs-scored statistics for their non-Tigers seasons and/or their pre-1945 seasons. In this follow-up Completely Closed Circuit Principle investigation I discovered six more runs-scored errors in the official records; see table 3. Three of the nineteen players included in table 1 were affected: Hank Greenberg (twice), Eddie Mayo, and Joe Hoover.

 

 

After I provided the relevant documentation for the correction of these errors to the Elias Sports Bureau for review, Elias concurred completely with my findings and authorized my proposed corrections.21

With the additional runs-scored errors/corrections (table 3), I was able to derive accurate career runs-scored statistics for each of the players listed in table 1; see table 4.

 

 

In addition to the changes in the player’s major-league career runs- scored statistics, there are two other significant career runs-scored changes.

As shown in table 4, Norm Cash actually scored 1,045 (not 1,046) runs in his 17-year major-league career. He was with Detroit for most of his career (1960—74) and actually scored 1,027 (not 1,028) runs for the Tigers. His 1,027 runs-scored total for the Tigers ranks ninth on their all-time list.18

Similarly, table 4 shows that Hank Greenberg actually scored 1,047 (not 1,051) runs during his major-league career. He was with the Tigers for every season except his final year (1947). In his Tigers career, he actually scored 976 (not 980) runs, which ranks tenth on Detroit’s all-time list.21

Table 4 also shows that the two runs-scored corrections for Al Kaline (plus-one in 1954 and minus-one in 1959) canceled each other. Thus, his career runs-scored total (1,622) remains unchanged (as does his third-place ranking on the Tigers’ all-time list).18

Finally, to return to the query posed at the outset of this article, table 4 also presents the overall accuracy of the career runs-scored statistics for those nineteen Tigers players for whom at least one runs-scored error was discovered for the 1945—2007 period.

The column “Career games” (X) gives the total number of games a player had in his major-league career.

The column “Runs-scored-error games” (Y) gives the total number of games in which there was a runs-scored error for the player.

The column “% correct runs-scored games” (Z) gives the corresponding percentage of games in which the runs-scored information for the player was accurate; see equation 1.

Z = [(X — Y) / X] ́ 100%

As can be seen, for these particular players, the percentage of correct runs-scored games ranged from 99.41 to 99.95—pretty high numbers, but not the 100 percent correctness required for accurately determining the longest CGRUNS streaks. . . .

DISCUSSION

In order to ascertain the longest CGRUNS streaks for Detroit Tigers players during the 1945—2007 period, I first conducted a comprehensive investigation into the accuracy of the requisite official runs-scored records. I discovered—and corrected—a total of 26 runs-scored errors affecting 19 players.

The Elias Sports Bureau, after I provided the relevant documentation, approved each of the 26 runs-scored errors/corrections.18, 19

In order to achieve a completely closed circuit for each of these 19 players, I extended my investigation to include their non-Tigers seasons and their pre-1945 seasons. I discovered—and corrected— 6 more runs-scored errors affecting three of those 19 players.

The relevant documentation for these additional 6 runs-scored errors/corrections was provided to the Elias Sports Bureau for re-view. Elias authorized each of these corrections as well.21

While my comprehensive approach to achieving accurate runs- scored information resulted in the authorized corrections of these 32 runs-scored errors, another important question must be asked:

Were any runs-scored errors not uncovered by the modus operandi I employed?

The answer to this question is “Perhaps.”

If there is a runs-scored error in both the newspaper box score and the corresponding official DBD record, the procedure I followed would not catch the error. For example, consider the Kaline—Maxwell runs- scored mixup in the first game of the Tigers—White Sox doubleheader on May 30, 1959. The box scores in the NYT and TSN agreed with the information in the official records for Kaline and Maxwell—that is, Kaline scored 1 run and Maxwell scored 0 runs, and thus the error was not discernible. Fortunately, I discovered the error by examining the daily records for Kaline and Maxwell in the Retrosheet database—which showed Kaline with 0 runs and Maxwell with 1 run. The Detroit newspapers (the Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, and the Detroit Times) provided the details, which clearly showed that Maxwell had indeed scored 1 run and that Kaline had scored 0 runs—even though each of the Detroit newspaper box scores showed just the opposite! Curiously, the box score in the Chicago Tribune correctly showed Maxwell with 1 run and Kaline with 0 runs. So, while the newspaper-box-score approach is useful for discovering errors, it is not infallible. Perhaps other runs-scored errors analogous to the Kaline—Maxwell mixup will surface as the Retrosheet database is expanded to include seasons prior to 1954.

Along that line, as pointed out in the note to table 4, there can be runs-scored discrepancies between newspaper box scores and the official DBD records that may not be resolvable because the various newspaper text accounts do not provide sufficient information to describe unequivocally each run scored. For example, in the Completely Closed Circuit treatment of Eddie Mayo’s career runs-scored record, I found a discrepancy between my newspaper-box-score-generated DBD record and the official DBD record for the second game of the doubleheader on May 28, 1944 (Detroit at Washington): The newspaper box scores show that Mayo scored 2 runs (and that Charlie Metro scored 2 runs), while the official DBD records credit Mayo with 3 runs (and Metro with 1 run). Because the Tigers scored 15 runs in that second game (after having scored 2 runs in the first game), it’s understandable (especially during the World War II period) that the details of each run were not presented. Thus, the official DBD records must be considered correct.

With the reliable runs-scored information available from the research described in this article, I’ve been able to achieve the principal objective of my research program—to ascertain the longest single-season CGRUNS streak for each Tigers player for each year during the 1945—2007 period. The findings from that research are provided in a companion article (see page 123).20

With regard to future research, I have begun examining the accuracy of the runs-scored records for the Detroit Tigers players from the period 1920—44 (i.e., Phase Two). The results of that investigation— and the derived CGRUNS-streak findings—will be presented in due course.

In addition to my CGRUNS-streak research, I have concurrently been pursuing the determination of the longest Consecutive Games RUN Batted In (CGRUNBI) streak for each Detroit Tigers player for each season. Perhaps not surprisingly, I have discovered (and corrected) numerous RBI errors: 45 RBI errors involving 33 Tigers players (including three Cooperstown enshrinees) from the 1945—2007 period. (And, via my Completely Closed Circuit Principle, I unearthed an additional 54 RBI errors involving a total of 31 players, including five more Hall of Famers.) These RBI errors and the appropriate documentation for the corrections have been provided to the Elias Sports Bureau so that the appropriate changes can be officially sanctioned. The results of my research on the accuracy of the information and corrections of errors in the official RBI statistics (and the results of the derived CGRUNBI-streak research) will be presented in due course.22

CONCLUSION

I reiterate the tenet that I stated previously: The most critical aspect of conducting any research is the generation and use of accurate data. While the use of ballpark numbers may be satisfactory for some general discussions on the comparative performances of players, one will never be caught off base when using accurate numbers. Indeed, for accurate consecutive-game performances (such as my CGRUNS-streak research program), it is absolutely imperative that one have and use accurate performance statistics (such as runs scored)—on a game-by-game basis—for each player being evaluated.

As part of my rigorous and systematic examination of the runs- scored statistics for the Detroit Tigers players for the 1945—2007 period, I discovered (and corrected) 26 runs-scored errors affecting 19 players. While these runs-scored errors represent only a very small percentage of the total runs scored by the players, they can be of paramount significance, as clearly demonstrated by the impact of the runs-scored errors in the official records of Hank Greenberg (in 1946) and Charlie Maxwell (in 1956).

From the results reported here for the Detroit Tigers, it is not unreasonable to imagine that there might be an analogous number of runs-scored errors for the players of the other major-league teams during the 1945—69 period. Accordingly, my hope is that others will pursue similar research efforts focused on their favorite teams. The results will produce a much more accurate record of baseball’s runs- scored statistics.

Finally, in this article I have presented the unassailable supporting documentation that, in conjunction with my Completely Closed Circuit Principle, convinced the Elias Sports Bureau to sanction the changes in the official baseball records for the runs-scored statistics of nineteen players on the Detroit Tigers during the 1945—2007 period.19, 20, 21 Thus, this article serves as the formal public disclosure of the authorized corrections/changes in the official runs-scored records—single season and career—for these 19 players, including four Hall of Fame members: Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser, George Kell, and Al Kaline. Accordingly, the appropriate corrections/changes can now be legitimately made in the various baseball encyclopedias, record books, information guides, and websites.23

HERM KRABBENHOFT, a SABR member since 1981, had as his first baseball glove a MW (Montgomery Ward) Sporting Goods Model 4205 Joe Gordon Personal Model; his first baseball bat was an Adirondack Vic Wertz (two-tone) model. In the field, Krabbenhoft still uses his favorite glove, a JC Higgins model 1624 Professional Model (no player endorsement), which he got in 1957. At the plate, he currently uses an authentic Hillerich & Bradsby Co. model 125 Walt Streuli Louisville Slugger bat, style S2 (Vern Stephens).

 

Acknowledgments

With tremendous gratitude I thank the following individuals for their contributions to my CGRUNS-streak research program: Steve Hirdt, Seymour Siwoff, and John McCarthy of the Elias Sports Bureau for valuable discussions and their outstanding assistance in reviewing the documentation so as to achieve acceptance of the corrections to the runs-scored errors in the official day-by-day records; Dave Smith of Retrosheet for providing preliminary daily records for the 1953— 55 Detroit Tigers players and writing the computer program to extract the longest CGRUNS-streak information from the Retrosheet database; and the following SABR members for providing me photocopies of relevant newspaper accounts: David Ball (Cincinnati), Steve Boren (Chicago), Bob Buege (Milwaukee), Keith Carlson (St. Louis), Chris Eckes (Cincinnati), Bob McConnell (Philadelphia), Austin Macdonald (Cleveland), Rick Riccardi (Cleveland), and Dixie Tourangeau (Boston).

 

Notes

  1. The Baseball Encyclopedia, 7th ed. (1988), shows (page 849) Eddie Collins with 115 runs in 1920.

  2. Sports Encyclopedia Baseball, 9th ed. (1989), shows (page 124) Eddie Collins with 115 runs in 1920.

  3. Total Baseball, 1st ed. (1989), shows (page 1031) Eddie Collins with 115 runs in 1920.

  4. The Baseball Encyclopedia, 9th ed. (1993), shows (page 776) Eddie Collins with 117 runs in 1920; for a brief discussion about how David Stephan and Bill Deane (with assistance from Ron Rakowski) discovered the error, see pages viii and ix and also Baseball Records Update 1993, ed. L. Spatz (Cleveland: Society for American Baseball Research, 1993), 3, 17.

  5. The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th ed. (2007), shows (page 400) Eddie Collins with 117 runs in 1920.

  6. Sports Encyclopedia Baseball, 26th ed. (2006), shows (page 124) Eddie Collins with 117 runs in 1920.

  7. Total Baseball, 7th ed. (2000), shows (page 684) Eddie Collins with 117 runs in 1920.

  8. There is still a lack of complete agreement with regard to the runs scored by Eddie Collins. According to information presented in The Elias Book of Baseball Records by S. Siwoff and published by the Elias Sports Bureau (the official statisticians for Major League Baseball), Eddie Collins has a career total of 1,820 runs; see, for example, page 409 of the 2006 edition. Collins is also shown with 1,820 career runs in reference 4 above and on the website of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (the statistics having been verified by the Elias Sports Bureau). However, several other sources show Collins with a total of 1,821 career runs; see, for example, the 2007 edition of The Sporting News Baseball Record Book (p. 114) and see also references 5, 6 (p. 94), and 7. The one-run difference appears to be due to the number of runs credited to Collins for the 1906 season. Some sources show Collins with 1 run scored—for example, references 2 and 4 show Collins with 1 run in 1906. On the other hand, references 5, 6 (page 33), and 7 show Collins with 2 runs in 1906. According to the box scores published in the New York Times, Collins (using the surname Sulli- van) scored 2 runs in the six games he played in 1906: September 17 (0), September 18 (0), September 19 (0), September 24 (0), September 26 (1), September 28 (1).

  1. H. Krabbenhoft, “Ted Williams’ On-Base Performance in Consecutive Games,” The Baseball Research Journal, no. 32 (2004): 41—46.

  2. H. Krabbenhoft, “Record Holder—Barry Bonds Equals Another National League High Mark,” Baseball Digest 63, no. 2 (February 2004): 34—37.

  3. H. Krabbenhoft and T. McCotter, “Orlando Cabrera Joins Elite Group,” Baseball Digest 65, no. 9 (November 2006): 62—65.

  1. “H. Krabbenhoft, “The Phenomenal Achievement of Frank Lary—Premier Yankee Killer,” Baseball Quarterly Reviews 1, no. 3 (fall 1986): 65—81.
    See also H. Krabbenhoft, “Normalized Winning Percentage (NWP)—Eddie Lopat vs. the Indians, Frank Lary vs. the Yankees,” The Baseball Research Journal, no. 32 (2004): pages 114—16.

  2. H. Krabbenhoft, “Charlie Maxwell—The Sunday Slugger,” Baseball Quarterly Reviews 2, no. 2 (spring 1987): 84—99.

  3. H. Krabbenhoft, “Fascinating Aspects About the Retired Uniform Numbers of the Detroit Tigers,” The National Pastime 26 (2006): 71—84.

  4. The official statisticians for the American League for the 1945—2007 period covered in this article were the Howe News Bureau (1945—72), the Sports Information Center (1973—86), and the Elias Sports Bureau (1987—2007).

  5. R. Chamberlain, “SABR Nine Questions,” The SABR Bulletin, July—August 2006, 6.

  6. Personal communication (14 November 2006) from Dave Smith (Retrosheet)—in an e-mail message, Dave wrote: “At this point, I do not know of any errors on runs or RBI for any Tiger after 1970. If any arise, I will let you know immediately, since this will obviously impact your streak studies.”

  7. Personal communication (9 January 2007) with Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau)—in a telephone conversation with Mr. Hirdt, he informed me that Elias has accepted the corrections to all of the runs-scored errors presented in table 1 except for the one involving Eddie Lake and Johnny Lipon (in the game played September 29, 1946). He asked me to submit additional evidence to further support the documentation I had already provided.

  8. Personal communication (26 January 2007) with Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau)—in a telephone conversation with Mr. Hirdt, he informed me that Elias has accepted the correction to the Lake—Lipon runs-scored error (in the game played September 29, 1946) based on the additional corroborative information I provided.

  9. H. Krabbenhoft, “The Longest Streaks of Consecutive Games in Which a Detroit Tiger Scored a Run (1945—2008),” The Baseball Research Journal 37 (2008).

  1. Personal communication (17 July 2006) from Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau)—in an e-mail message, Mr. Hirdt wrote: “Just confirming the changes to Greenberg’s runs scored totals in the four seasons below [1935, 1939, 1945, 1946]. His career total is 1,047 (976 with Detroit).”

  2. Some of the RBI errors/corrections that I discovered were described in my presentation “Corrections and Consecutive Games Streaks: Detroit (1945—2006),” given at the Society for American Baseball Research convention (SABR 37) in St. Louis on July 26—29, 2007.

  3. Craig Muder (Director of Communications, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) stated in an e-mail message (22 September 2008) to me that the museum will be updating the statistical information on its website to include the runs-scored corrections/changes approved by the Elias Sports Bureau for Hank Greenberg, George Kell, and Al Kaline.

 

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