# Baseball: seven batters step up to the plate, inning ends, 0 runs score -- redux **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 13, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072 "2005-06-13T13:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/1 "2005-06-13T13:33:41Z")
An oldie but goodie: [Seven batters step up to the plate, the inning ends, no runs score. How?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_115.html) One of Cecil’s correspondents gives a solution: > [@](#): > > Bases are loaded (three batters). Two outs (two more batters). The sixth batter hits a grand slam home run, but fails to touch first base. The umpire throws a new ball to the pitcher, and the seventh batter steps up to the plate. The pitcher successfully appeals that the home run hitter failed to touch first base. The umpire signals the third out, and no runs count. (Had the batter failed to touch second, third, or home, one or more runs would have counted.) > > Note: The defensive team cannot appeal the missed first base until the ball is put into play, which is done by the pitcher stepping up on the pitching rubber while holding the ball (when the seventh batter steps up to the plate). So they couldn’t appeal until the seventh batter got up; hence, the number of batters in the conundrum (seven instead of six). **Question:** is this the one and only solution? Another possible way: if Batter #6 is batting out of turn, and hits the grand salami, can’t the opposing team appeal the play and nullify the runs? And wouldn’t the seventh batter still be standing at the plate when the appeal is made? ISTM that before 1984, a “pine-tar” appeal would also do the trick. I know the rule was changed subsequently to George Brett’s famous incident so that the opposing team had to have the bat checked before or during the at-bat – not after – or the results of the at-bat stood. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/2 "2005-06-13T13:41:54Z")
It’s almost happened. A couple of weeks ago, the Red Sox \*ended \* a scoreless inning with 5 consecutive singles. The last 2 outs were at the plate. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/3 "2005-06-13T15:26:13Z")
Wouldn’t another way be if a batter in the middle of his at-bat fouled a ball off his foot in such a way he injured himself and couldn’t continue the at-bat, so someone else is brought in? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/4 "2005-06-13T15:28:10Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > Wouldn’t another way be if a batter in the middle of his at-bat fouled a ball off his foot in such a way he injured himself and couldn’t continue the at-bat, so someone else is brought in? I didn’t make it clear in the OP … but in Cecil’s column, no substitutions of any kind were allowed. Not due to injury, not due to ejection, etc. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/5 "2005-06-13T15:55:34Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > It’s almost happened. A couple of weeks ago, the Red Sox \*ended \* a scoreless inning with 5 consecutive singles. The last 2 outs were at the plate. Not sure I understand this. Wouldn’t a force out at home mean it wasn’t a single? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/6 "2005-06-13T16:15:41Z")
> [@RM Mentock](#): > > Not sure I understand this. Wouldn’t a force out at home mean it wasn’t a single? He didn’t say the last two outs were singles AND plays at the plate. Three consecutive singles loads the bases. Fourth guy grounds into a force at home but still reaches. Fifth guy does the same. That’s five hits and two outs. The last batter also grounds out and a play at home ends the inning (probably a bunt attempt with the pitcher fielding). That is just one way it could happen. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/7 "2005-06-13T16:17:30Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > He didn’t say the last two outs were singles AND plays at the plate. In retrospect, he kinda did say that the inning was ended with a single. Waiting for further review… ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/8 "2005-06-13T16:21:43Z")
Easy !!! Four batters from the _visiting_ team step up to the plate at the _top_ of the inning. First batter hits a single and the next three strike out. Then at the _bottom_ of the inning, 3 batters from the _home team_ strike out. Total of 7 batters stepping up to the plate for the _inning_ and no runs scored. I imagine there can be many variations of this, so to answer the OP - sure there is _definitely_ more than one answer to this question. Granted this is a smart-aleck answer, but I believe it satisfies the exact conditions as stated by the OP. This reminds me of that really old question that still fools some people - How many outs in an inning ? SIX ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/9 "2005-06-13T16:22:41Z")
What about other grounds for appeal by the defensive team such as: a claim the ball hit a runner, broken bat reveals it was corked, or ? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/10 "2005-06-13T16:27:22Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Easy !!! > Four batters from the _visiting_ team step up to the plate at the _top_ of the inning. First batter hits a single and the next three strike out. > Then at the _bottom_ of the inning, 3 batters from the _home team_ strike out. > > Total of 7 batters stepping up to the plate for the _inning_ and no runs scored. > I imagine there can be many variations of this, so to answer the OP - sure there is _definitely_ more than one answer to this question. Cecil’s column also stipulates that the seven batters are from the same team. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/11 "2005-06-13T16:31:14Z")
> [@citybadger](#): > > What about other grounds for appeal by the defensive team such as: a claim the ball hit a runner, broken bat reveals it was corked, or ? This is more to the heart of my question – could any kind of appeal play lead to the seven-batter-zero-runs scenario, or specifically only the failure to touch first on a grand slam? ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/12 "2005-06-13T16:33:33Z")
**bordelond** Oh I clicked on the link and it is only in Cecil’s _answer_ does it state they are from the same team. _Your_ question _and_ the question at the top of Cecil’s column do not make that rather restrictive stipulation. So, in terms of answering the OP, I think I have succeeded (in a smart-aleck kind of way). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/13 "2005-06-13T16:45:15Z")
Not quite as I remembered it, but close:[May 27, 2005, Boston at New York](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/baseball/mlb/05/27/redsox.yankees.ap/) > [@](#): > > Jay Payton then doubled over Womack with one out in the sixth, took third on Mark Bellhorn’s single and scored on Johnny Damon’s single, which ended an 0-for-15 slide and put the Red Sox ahead 3-1. > > Edgar Renteria singled sharply to left, and Womack made a strong one-hop throw to catcher Jorge Posada, who let Bellhorn slide into his glove for the tag. David Ortiz followed with a grounder toward the right side of second base, and it rolled off Cano’s glove into the outfield. The rookie quickly picked it up and made a one-hop throw to Posada, who tagged Damon in a mirror image play at the plate. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/14 "2005-06-13T16:45:40Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > He didn’t say the last two outs were singles AND plays at the plate. > > Three consecutive singles loads the bases. Fourth guy grounds into a force at home but still reaches. Fifth guy does the same. That’s five hits and two outs. Isn’t that just three hits, not five? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/15 "2005-06-13T17:58:09Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > This is more to the heart of my question – could any kind of appeal play lead to the seven-batter-zero-runs scenario, or specifically only the failure to touch first on a grand slam? Any type of appeal play will work, provided that it results in no runs scoring. Examples would be batting out of order, failure of the batter to touch first base, or failure of any base runner to touch the next base. The illegal bat scenarios get a little more nuanced. You can be called out after the ball becomes dead for using a bat which breaks and reveals cork, and there _might_ be enough time for the next batter to walk up to the plate while the umpires were examining the bat. But that isn’t a true appeal play where the defense waits for play to be resumed before acting. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/16 "2005-06-13T19:40:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Three consecutive singles loads the bases. Fourth guy grounds into a force at home but still reaches. Fifth guy does the same. That’s five hits and two outs. As RM already pointed out, as described, the fourth and fifth guys reached on a fielder’s choice, which is NOT a hit. I suppose it’s possible that on a very strange play, the runner from third could be out on a legitimate base hit. Hmm, how about the runner misreads a ball and thinks it will be caught, so stays at third, then trips and falls, breaking his leg so that he’s unable to crawl home before the outfielder gets the ball to the catcher? Does baseball even have a scoring category for that? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/17 "2005-06-13T20:30:12Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I suppose it’s possible that on a very strange play, the runner from third could be out on a legitimate base hit. Hmm, how about the runner misreads a ball and thinks it will be caught, so stays at third, then trips and falls, breaking his leg so that he’s unable to crawl home before the outfielder gets the ball to the catcher? Does baseball even have a scoring category for that? That’s also a fielder’s choice. The more common way to get a hit in that situation without a run scoring is to have a batted ball hit a runner. The runner is out, and nobody can score, but the batter gets a hit. This is how you can have no runs on 6 hits in an inning. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-seven-batters-step-up-to-the-plate-inning-ends-0-runs-score-redux/308072/18 "2005-06-13T20:31:47Z")
I assume the question by Quercus refers to a ball that went over the fence and the batter is entitled to a home run. If the batter injures himself on his tour of the bases, his team can substitute a pinch runner for him to finish the circuit. As long as someone touches all four bases, it’s a home run. The only exception is that if people run on the field to make it unsafe to run the bases. Then the umpire can just award the home run and everybody can run for cover. This rule was put in after Chris Chambliss’s harrowing trip around the bases after his series-ending home run in the 1976 ALCS. For the record, Chambliss eventually went back out and touched all the bases.