Thursday (May 4, 2023), the Minnesota Twins tied a franchise record by issuing five intentional walks (IBB) in a single game. – a 12-inning 7-3 win over the White Sox in Chicago. Each of those free passes came in the eighth inning or later. Ultimately, those intentional walks proved an effective strategic weapon. In the case of three of those IBB innings (8,9 and 11), the very next batter made an out to end the inning. The other two free passes came in the tenth and all three of the batters the Twins actually pitched to struck out.
Well as usual, when Baseball Roundtable looks at a baseball occurrence, one thing leads to another (and to the record books). So, this post will take a look at a few intentional walk records. Note: Intentional walks have only been an officially tracked MLB statistic since 1955. However, some earlier totals have been garnered from box scores.
Most Intentional Walks by a Team in a Game
Intentionally walked back-to-back twice in extra innings.
The Twins’ issuing of five IBB yesterday fell three short of the MLB record for a single game. On August 25, 2021 the Dodgers issued a record eight intentional walks in a 16-inning, 5-3 win over the Padres. The Dodgers/Padres game provides a solid indication of the impact of the new rule placing a runner at second base at the start of each extra inning. All the free passes occurred in extra innings: It went like this:
- Bottom of tenth (1-1 score) – Alex Vesla intentionally walked pinch-hitter Tommy Pham with one out and a runner on third (the extra-inning placed runner). Vesla retired the next two batters (2B Adam Frazier and PH Victor Caratini).
- Bottom of the 11th – With two out and the placed runner at second, Phil Bickford intentionally walked the number-three and number-four hitters – 3B Manny Machado and SS Jake Cronenworth (loading the bases) – then got PH Joe Musgrove on a strikeout looking. (Yes, the Padres used pitcher Musgrove as a pinch hitter.)
- Bottom of the twelfth – With one out and the placed runner at second, Justin Bruihl intentionally walked Pham (who had stayed he game in LF) and then retired the next two batters (Frazier and Caratini).
- Bottom of 13th – With two out and the placed runner having advanced to third, Brusdar Graterol intentionally walked Machado and Cronenworth, then got pinch hitter Ryan Weathers on a ground out. Yes, another pitcher used as a pinch hitter.
- Bottom of the 15th – with two runs in (scored tied 3-3), two out and no runners on, Corey Knebel intentionally walked Cronenworth and got the next batter, P Daniel Camarena, on a strikeout.
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Distraction Number One – 22 Innings Without a Walk
While looking into the topic of Intentional Walks, I was distracted by an August 23, 1989 game in which the Expos set an MLB record by going 22 innings without issuing a single walk (intentional or non-intentional). The Dodgers, who had 20 hits in the game (the Expos had 13) won the contest on a Rick Dempsey home run (off Dennis Martinez) in the top of the 22nd frame. In the game, Montreal starter Pascual Perez went the first eight innings and only went to a three-ball count on one batter (3-2 before fanning Dodgers’ LF Lenny Harris in the first frame). In fact, over the first 18 innings, Expos’ hurlers – they used six in the game – reached three balls on only three batters. (Unfortunately, the Baseball-Reference.com pitch-by-pitch only goes through the first 18 innings, so I’m planning a bit more research on this one.) For those who like to know such things, the sextet of Expos broke the record of 21 walk-free innings in a single game which was held by Babe Adams of the Pirates. On July 17, 1914. Adams went the distance in a 21-inning 3-1 loss to the New York Giants (in Pittsburgh.) In 1914, Adams walked just 1.2 batters per nine innings – just about on his career average (19 seasons) of 1.3. Overall, Adams led his league in fewest walks per nine innings four times and was among the top-three another five times. His 1.29 BB/nine innings career average is 19th all-time, He finished his carer 194-90, 2.76.
Distraction within a distraction: In this game, Youppi – the Expos’ mascot – was ejected in the 11th inning.
Now back to our originally scheduled posting.
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Most Intentional Walks by a Team in a Nine-Inning Game
Three intentional walks.
The record for intentional walks by a team in a nine-inning game is six, set by the Cardinals, in a July 19, 1975 5-2 win over the Giants. In that game:
- Giants’ C Dave Radar (batting in the eight-hole – with the pitcher up next) was intentionally walked by Cardinals’ starter Lynn McGlothen with one out and a runner on second in the bottom of the second (Giants up 2-0); was given a free pass again with two outs and runners on second and third in the third (game tied at 2-2); and was put on for a third time with two outs and a runner on second (Giants up 4-2) in the fifth. In his only other plate appearance, Radar drew an unintentional walk in the seventh.
- Giants’ RF Bobby Murcer was intentionally walked by McGlothen in the sixth – with one out, a runner on second and the Giants up 4-2.
- 1B Willie Montanez was intentionally passed by McGlothen with two out and a runner on third in the sixth. He was again given a free pass with two out and a runner on third in the eighth; this time with the Giants sill up 4-2 and Mike Garman on the mound for the Cardinals.
A few other Intentional Walk records:
- The most IBB received by an MLB team in a season is 153 by the 2004 Giants. (Of course, 120 of those belonged to Barry Bonds.)
- The most intentional walks issued by any team in a single season is 116 by the 1974 Padres.
- The most intentional passes received by a player in a game is five, by the Cubs’ Andre Dawson in a 16-inning contest on May 22, 1990 (Cubs beat the Reds 2-1).
Andre Dawson’s Day at the Plate … A Gifted Experience
Photo: derivative work: Amineshaker (talk)Andre_dawson.jpg: User Sacoo on en.wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
On May 22, 1990, RF and cleanup hitter Andre Dawson of the Cubs came to the plate eight times in a 16-inning, 2-1 Cubs win over the Reds. His day went like this:
Bottom of the first – runner on second and one out – intentional walk.
Bottom of the fourth – leading off – ground out to SS.
Bottom of the sixth – two outs and a runner on first – fly out to left.
Bottom of the eighth – score still 0-0, runner on third, two out – intentional walk.
Bottom of the 11th – runner on first, no outs – single.
Bottom of 12th – still 0-0, runners on first and second, two outs – intentional walk.
Bottom of 14th – score now 1-1, runner on second, two out – intentional walk.
Bottom of 16th – runners on first and third, one out – intentional walk, loading the bases. LF Dave Clark followed with a walk-off single to win the game.
Dawson, who hit .310-27-100, drew a career-high 21 intentional free passes in 1990.
- The record for intentional walks received in a nine-inning game is four, shared by Barry Bonds (Giants – May 1 & September 22, 2004), Bill Baker (Pirates – September 28, 1943), and Jeff Heath (Indians- July 14, 1941).
The B&B Boys – Baker and Bonds
Bill Baker is the only MLB player with four or more intentional walks in a game to be intentionally passed in every plate appearance in that contest. It happened the second game of a doubleheader on September 28, 1943. Baker’s Pirates were facing the Dodgers in Pittsburgh. Baker was catching and batting eighth. He was intentionally walked in the first with runners on second and third and two out (game tied 0-0); in the fourth with runners on second and third, one out and the Pirates up 1-0; in the sixth with one out, a runner on second and the Pirates up 2-0; and in the eighth with one out and a runner on second (Pirates up 3-2). The Pirates won the game 4-2. Baker came into the game hitting .273-1-24 in 62 games on the season. In seven MLB seasons (263 games, Baker hit .247-2-68) – but you’ll find him in the record books sharing the mark for intentional walks in a nine-inning game with Barry Bonds.
- The most intentional passes surrendered by a pitcher in a single game (per Baseball-Reference.com) is seven, by the Yankees’ Herb Pennock on August 21, 1933 – in an 18-inning 3-3 tie with the White Sox. Pennock pitched the final 10 innings. Those free passes were, of course, awarded at the direction of Yankee Manager Joe McCarthy.
- The record for IBB by a single pitcher in a nine-inning game is five: shared by Nate Andrews (Braves– April 18, 1945); Sam McDowell (Indians – September 2, 1970); Lynn McGlothen (Cardinals- July 19, 1975); and Warren Spahn.(Braves – June 9, 1954). Keep in mind, this record really belongs to the managers who ordered those free passes – Bob Coleman, Al Dark, Red Schoendienst. Charlie Grimm, respectively.
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Distraction Two – No “True Outcomes”
As I was working on this post, I was again distracted (Let’s face it, how compelling are intentional walks?). This time by the somewhat recently coined “Three True Outcomes” – Walks, Strikeouts and Home Runs – and how they have become an increasingly frequent part of the national pastime.
I decide to go on a search (Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org) for games in which there were no “True Outcomes.” Focusing on the Modern Era – post 1900 – I was only able to confirm two games of at least nine innings in which neither team recorded a walk, a strikeout or a home run.
On August 28, 1924 – as the Indians topped the White Sox 7-0 in the first game of a double header – the two teams combined for 21 hits, seven runs and four errors – but not a single walk, whiff or long ball. The White Sox had eight hits (seven singles and a double), while the Indians knocked 13 hits, including two doubles and a triple. The winning pitcher was Sherry Smith (nine innings pitched, eight hits and, of course, no walks or strikeouts), while the losing hurler was Hollis Thurston (eight innings pitched, 13 hits, seven runs/five earned). The second game of that twin bill, by the way, also saw no round trippers, but did include a combined total of 16 walks and ten strikeouts. That season, American League teams averaged a combined 0.6 home runs, 6.8 walks and 5.4 strikeouts per game.
On June 20, 1922, as the Braves topped the Robins (Dodgers)in Boston 3-2, the two squads put up a combined 16 hits and three errors, but no walks, strikeouts or home runs. All five runs in the contest were unearned. The winning pitcher in this one was Dana Fillingim, who gave up seven hits and two unearned runs in nine innings. The loser was Leon Cadore (eight innings, nine hits, three unearned runs.) Each team had just one extra base hint – a double. In 1922, National League teams recorded a combined per game average of 0.8 home runs, 5.6 walks and 5.4 strikeouts. The day after their no true outcome contest, the two teams combined for just one run (Robins 1 – Braves 0) on 14 hits, no home runs, four Walks and six whiffs.
Distraction within a distraction: Leon Cadore is most noted for a May 1, 1920 game in which he (pitching for the Brooklyn Robins) and the Braves’ Joe Oeschger each went the distance in a 26-inning . 1-1 tie (MLB’s longest-ever game by innings).
Now, once again, back to our regular scheduled posting.
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- The most times walked intentionally in a season is 120, by Barry Bonds of the Giants in 2004. The next highest total that season was 26 (Jim Thome, Philllies).
- The record for most intentional walks received in a career belongs to Barry Bonds (688 in 22 seasons). Second place: Albert Pujols with 316.
- Barry Bonds led his league in IBB a record 12 times – including his age 41 and age 42 season.
Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; Retrosheet.org; Baseball-Almanac.com.
Primary Resources: Baseball-References.com; Baseball-Almanac.com; MLB.com.
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