# Baseball question about hitting for the cycle **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 7, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726 "2017-07-07T22:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726/1 "2017-07-07T22:47:27Z")
Today Kris Bryant of the Cubs came up to bat needing only a double to hit for the cycle against Pittsburgh. (A cycle is when a player gets a single, double, triple, and home run in the same game.) He hit the ball over the wall for his second homer of the game. My question: could he legally have stopped at second base to get the double instead of the home run? Obviously it would be a very stupid thing to do, both strategically and from a sportsmanship point of view, but do the rules allow it? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726/2 "2017-07-07T22:54:43Z")
He could intentionally miss 3rd base and get called out on an appeal by the other team. ---
**Author:** ![from\_a\_to\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5fc32e/32.png) [@from\_a\_to\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/from_a_to_z)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726/3 "2017-07-07T23:31:33Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > …could he legally have stopped at second base… Yes, in the sense that MLB has rules for what to do in such a case. (A related issue would be if Bryant’s contract has a bigger bonus for hitting for the cycle than for scoring or driving in runs. But we can still learn from [Bill Veeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Veeck)’s antics.) 10 years ago our fellow dopers discussed such an issue [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=426913). An easy way to stop at second, or before home, is to fail to touch the next base, or to pass the runner who was ahead. [Google](https://www.google.com/search?q=baseball+can+a+runner+refuse+to+run) for one has other related responses, including the above, which also mentions mockery and its consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726/4 "2017-07-07T23:40:07Z")
> [@from\_a\_to\_z](#): > > …(A related issue would be if Bryant’s contract has a bigger bonus for hitting for the cycle than for scoring or driving in runs. … Pretty sure contracts can’t include bonuses (“incentive clauses”) for things such as doubles, homers, and hitting for the cycle these days–only playing-time stats such as games played, games started, plate appearances, number of days on the roster, etc. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-about-hitting-for-the-cycle/790726/5 "2017-07-08T03:28:35Z")
Stopping at second or intentionally missing third is probably begging for a fastball to the ribs and likely wouldn’t sit well with his teammates. Bryant seems smarter and classier than that.