Tiebreaker game question

creightonclone

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STL and Atlanta may play tomorrow in a one-game tiebreaker to decided the NL wild card.

Do stats in tiebreaker games count towards regular season totals? I'm leaning towards yes since a tiebreaker isn't technically a postseason game.
 

dtclones

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Sep 15, 2009
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Yeah stats count toward regular season totals. I remember in 98 when Sosa hit 66 homers and the Cubs played in a tiebreaker game against the Giants they talked about how he would have another game to add to his total for the season.

In fact, I think Roger Maris' 61st home run came in a one game playoff.
 

Incyte

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Are you worried about the Cardinals single season double-play record?

I doubt it matters - Braves have packed it in for the season.
 

VeloClone

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Yeah stats count toward regular season totals. I remember in 98 when Sosa hit 66 homers and the Cubs played in a tiebreaker game against the Giants they talked about how he would have another game to add to his total for the season.

In fact, I think Roger Maris' 61st home run came in a one game playoff.

I did not know that. At first I thought you were correct. This source says Maris' #61 came in game #163.

Roger Maris 1961 Home Run Season by Baseball Almanac

However all of the other sources I have found make no mention of a one game playoff for the Yankees. In fact I find information that they won the AL pennant by a margin of 8 games that year. Why would they need a one game play-off?

HowStuffWorks "1961 Baseball Season"

This source does not list any 1961 one game playoffs.

List of Major League Baseball tie-breakers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't know what to believe. Anyone have another source?

EDIT: Keep in mind that the threatened asterisk was because Maris was going to have 162 games to do what the Babe did in 154.
 
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dtclones

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I did not know that. At first I thought you were correct. This source says Maris' #61 came in game #163.

Roger Maris 1961 Home Run Season by Baseball Almanac

However all of the other sources I have found make no mention of a one game playoff for the Yankees. In fact I find information that they won the AL pennant by a margin of 8 games that year. Why would they need a one game play-off?

HowStuffWorks "1961 Baseball Season"

This source does not list any 1961 one game playoffs.

List of Major League Baseball tie-breakers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't know what to believe. Anyone have another source?

EDIT: Keep in mind that the threatened asterisk was because Maris was going to have 162 games to do what the Babe did in 154.

I think you're right actually. It's weird because I thought I remembered the media talking about it in 1998 but maybe they just saw that the Yankees played 163 games that year and assumed there was a one game playoff. It looks like for whatever reason, the 1961 Yankees played 163 games. I've found a few other places that say stuff like, "Maris played in 161 of the Yankees' 163 games."

Either way, I know stats do count for one game playoffs.
 

theshadow

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I think you're right actually. It's weird because I thought I remembered the media talking about it in 1998 but maybe they just saw that the Yankees played 163 games that year and assumed there was a one game playoff. It looks like for whatever reason, the 1961 Yankees played 163 games. I've found a few other places that say stuff like, "Maris played in 161 of the Yankees' 163 games."

New York's official record was 109-53 (162 games) in 1961, but they DID have to play 163 games to count 162.

The back end of a doubleheader on April 22 against Baltimore ended in a 5-5 tie after 7 innings.

April 22, 1961 New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

From the Reading (Pa.) Eagle:
"The second game...goes into the books as a tie game and will have to be replayed in its entirety."
 
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VeloClone

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New York's official record was 109-53 (162 games) in 1961, but they DID have to play 163 games to count 162.

The back end of a doubleheader on April 22 against Baltimore ended in a 5-5 tie after 7 innings.

April 22, 1961 New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

From the Reading (Pa.) Eagle:
"The second game...goes into the books as a tie game and will have to be replayed in its entirety."

So did stats from that tie game count?

Good job finding that by the way. +1
 

dtclones

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New York's official record was 109-53 (162 games) in 1961, but they DID have to play 163 games to count 162.

The back end of a doubleheader on April 22 against Baltimore ended in a 5-5 tie after 7 innings.

April 22, 1961 New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com

From the Reading (Pa.) Eagle:
"The second game...goes into the books as a tie game and will have to be replayed in its entirety."

That's crazy. Good find. Never would have thought of that. I love geekin out on baseball stats.