Over the last few weeks Chisenhall has put himself on the radar with his unexpectedly good offense, and now leads the American League with his .385 batting average. While the 25-year old’s “once in a lifetime” day on Monday ranks among the best in Major League history, it doesn’t quite crack the top ten. (We’d put him right at 11.) Those incredible games are listed below, with stats expressed box score style (ABs/Runs/Hits/RBIs.)

10. Willie Mays Giants 5/4/4/8, 4 HRs, April 30 1961 vs. Braves
The Hall of Famer had the best game of his career in the Giants 14-4 win over the Braves. His rival for sixties offensive supremacy Hank Aaron also had himself a day, slugging two homers and driving in all four of the Braves runs.

9. Mike Schmidt Phillies 6/4/5/8, 4 HRs, April 17,1976 vs. Cubs
With Steve Carlton and Rick Reuschel on the mound, this one looked to be a pitchers duel. But the Wrigley wind can humble even the sharpest ace, and played a role in Schmidt’s historic game. After a fly out and a single, Schmidt slammed four straight home runs, including a two run shot in the top of the tenth which clinched a 18-16 victory and one of the wildest game’s in MLB history.

8. Fred Lynn Red Sox 6/4/5/10, 3 HRs, 1 3B June 18, 1975 vs. Detroit
In 1975 Fred Lynn would become the first player to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same year. Along the way he had one of the finest games in MLB history, smashing three dingers and driving in ten in the Red Sox 15-1 romp of the Tigers. His one out on his incredible day was a hard line drive to the second baseman.

7. Jim Bottomley Cardinals 6/3/6/12, 2 HRs, 1 2b September 16, 1924 vs. Brooklyn
Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley had himself a pretty good month in day, driving in 12 of the 17 runs St. Louis scored in their 17-3 stomping of the Brooklyn Robins.

6. Joe Adcock Braves 5/5/5/7, 4 HRs, 1 2b vs. Brooklyn
The Braves first baseman posted a second-best-ever 18 total bases in Milwaukee’s 15-7 win over the Dodgers. Hall of famer Eddie Matthews also hit two homers in the game.

5. Tony Lazzeri Yankees, 5/5/4/11, 3 HRs, 1 3B, 1BB May 24, 1936 vs. As
Lazzeri was batting eighth when he set the American League record for RBIs in a game during the Bronx Bombers 25-2 destruction of the As. Lazzeri had actually given his manager a pretty good reason to move him up in the lineup the day before, slugging three homers and driving in five in a double header. He would only have 14 homers for the year.

4. Josh Hamilton Rangers 5/4/5/8, 4 HRs, 1 2B May 8, 2012 vs. Orioles
When Hamilton is hot, he’s hot. And the Rangers slugger was smoldering in the Rangers 10-3 victory over Baltimore. Each of his four home runs was two run shot — Elvis Andrus was on on first base each time. His double was a drive to the right field gap in his third at-bat. Hamilton initially thought he had put that one out too, but it turned to out there was a bit too much top spin for it to leave the yard.

3. Gil Hodges Dodgers 6/5/5/9, 4 HRs vs. Braves Autust 31, 1950
The Dodgers were in the midst of a pennant race when Hodges went off, slamming his first homer against Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and then adding three more. The slugger had been in a 13 game homer-less drought, but ended it in a big way.

2. Mark Whiten Cardinals, 5/4/4/12, 4 HRs, September 7, 1993 vs. Reds
“Hard Hittin'” Mark Whiten lived up to his name in St. Louis 15-2 win over Cincinnati. The center fielder blasted four dingers and tied a major league record with 12 RBIs. It was the second game of a doubleheader, and Whiten had already had an RBI in the first, making him all-time leader in runs driven in for a calender day.

1. Shawn Green Dodgers 6/6/6/7, 4 HRs, 1 2B, May 23, 2002 vs. Brewers
Green, who had got off to a slow start in 2002, went nuts in LA’s 16-3 win over Milwaukee, setting a major league record with 19 total bases. He got his chance to tie the Major League record for homers in a game thanks to Adrian Beltre, who smashed a dinger with two outs in the top of the ninth, bringing Green to the plate.

American League MVP
Jose Abreu: The big-money Cuban import has so far proved a bargain for the White Sox, and is the main cog in lineup that is unexpectedly ripping the cover off all baseballs. Abreu, whose 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in April were both rookie records, does strikeout a lot. So we doubt he will be able to keep up this pace when pitchers adjust to his free swinging ways. However, his production could fall off quite a bit from his early pace and he’d still be the real deal.
Runners up: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols.

American League Cy Young
Sonny Gray: There must be something in the water in Oakland (or maybe it’s all that foul territory), as just about any pitcher who puts on the green and gold puts up numbers — from has-been Scott Kazmir to never-has-been Jesse Chavez. 24-year-old Sonny Gray comes to the As with plenty of pedigree; he was a number 1 pick and a top minor league prospect. The little right-hander was dominant in his rookie half-season of 2013 and has been even better so far in 2014. Gray’s 4-1 record and 1.76 ERA are a big part of Oakland’s American League leading ways.
Runners up: Max Scherzer, Yordano Ventura.

American League Rookie of the Year
Jose Abreu: Neither Abreu or Masahiro Tanaka are traditional rookies. And both have well exceeded their lofty expectations during their first month. Tanaka still hasn’t lost a game on any continent since 2012, and boasts a strikeout rate of 11.6 per nine innings. In any typical year he’d be the easy rookie of the month winner, but finished runner-up thanks to Abreu’s record breaking ways.

National League MVP
Troy Tulowitzki: The thin air of Denver has made previously obscure center-fielder Charlie Blackmon into the the National League’s version of Mike Trout and has resurrected the concussion-plagued career of former MVP Justin Morneau. Tulowitzki can hit anywhere. The Rockies early season offensive explosion just highlights how amazing the shortstop — who’s hitting .364 with seven homers and terrific defense — is when he’s healthy.
Runners up: Blackmon, Justin Upton

National League Cy Young
Jose Fernandez: Adam Wainwright and Zack Greinke — two of the biggest name pitchers in the National League — are both off to their best starts ever. Still, the choice of Fernandez is an easy one. The Cuban sensation was probably the best pitcher in baseball during his rookie year in 2013. In 2014 he’s even better and has become appointment television: Will the Marlin strikeout 20? Make an amazing play in the field? Hit a home run? Get traded to the Yankees in a preemptive cost-cutting move?
Runners up: Wainwright, Greinke

National League Rookie of the Year
David Hale: The National League rookie class is a bit weak, with Billy Hamilton struggling to get on base, George Springer struggling at everything, and Gregory Polanco still in the minors. Hale is among the trio of young starters who are keeping the Braves in first place despite the arm-apocalypse that decimated Atlanta‘s staff right before the season began.

Stats are the lifeblood of baseball.  However sometimes all those statistical terms and abbreviations can get a little confusing. But, have no fear, we’ve put together a pretty comprehensive glossary of baseball statistics.

Below you will find traditional batting statistics, pitching statistics and fielding statistics.

Traditional Batting Statistics

Number of games played (G) A hitter is credited for a game as long as he takes the field, bats, or as announced as a batter.

Plate appearances (PA) Number of times in the batters box, total.

At-bats (AB)  Number in the batters box, excluding walks, hit by pitch, sacrifices and catcher interference.

Runs Scored (R) The number of times the batter scored a run.

Runs Batted In (RBI). A batter earns an RBI when a runner scores due to his hit, walk, being hit by pitch and any infield out that doesn’t result in a double play.

Hit (H)  A safely hit ball that that allows a batter to reach base safely. If a fielder error allows the player to get to first base it doesn’t count as a hit

Double (2B) Any hit that allows the batter to reach second base without aid of an error.

Triple (3B) Any hit that allows the batter to reach third base without aid of an error.

Home Run (HR). Any hit that allows the batter to circle the bases without error.

Grand Slam (GS) Any hit that allows the batter to circle all the bases without error when there was a baserunner on each base.

Base on Balls, also called a “walk.” (BB) Awarded to baserunner upon being pitched a fourth ball in an about.

Intentional Base on Balls also called an “intentional walk (IBB)  IBB is a BB in which the pitcher has no intention of pitching the ball over the plate, essentially awarding the batter a free base.

Stolen Bases (SB) Occurs when a base runner advances to the next base as the pitcher delivers the ball.

Caught Stealing (CS) When a base runner is thrown out stealing a base.

Stolen Base percentage (SB%) Stolen bases divided by stolen base attempts

Strikeouts (SO) Number of times the batter reaches three strikes during a plate appearance.

Sacrifice Hits (SH)  A batted ball hit that advances the baserunner at the cost of being put out. Note: not all bunts are SH. To be credited with a SH the original intent of the bunter must by to advance a runner, not bunt for a base hit.

Sacrifice Fly (SF)  A fly ball with less than two outs that allows baserunners to tag up and score.

Hit by Pitch (HBP) When a batter is stuck by a pitch he is awarded first base.

Ground Into Double Play (GIDP) A batted ball that isn’t caught on a fly and results in two outs on the basepath

Batting Average (AVG)  A player’s hits divided by at-bats

Total Bases (TB) To calculate total bases add singles plus (2x) doubles plus (3x) triples plus (4x) home runs.

On Base Percentage (OBP) The percentage of a player’s plate appearances resulted in him reaching base safely. OPB is calculated  by adding hits, base on balls and HBP and dividing that by a player’s plate appearances.

Slugging Percentage (SLG) Slugging Percentage is calculated by dividing total bases by total at-bats.

On Base Plus Slugging Percentage (OPS) Calculated by adding OPB to SLG.

Traditional pitching statistics

Games (G) Games in which a pitcher throw at least one pitch

Games Started (GS) Games in which a pitcher throws the first pitch.

Games Finished (GF) Games in which a pitcher throws his team’s last pitch

Innings Pitched (IP) Total innings pitched.

Batters Face (BF) Total batters faced.

Wins (W) The winner pitcher is the player who pitched the half-inning before his team took the lead. To qualify as a winning pitcher the pitcher who started the game must pitch at least five innings. There is no such restriction for the pitchers who follow the starter, although the official scorer does have some discretion in awarding the win in games in which the starter doesn’t go five inning.

Losses (L) Goes to the pitcher responsible for the run that puts the opposing team ahead for good.

Winning Percentage (W%) The number of wins divided by total decisions.

Earned Run Average (ERA) Calculated by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitching and multiplying it by nine.

Complete Games (CG) When a player throws the first and last pitch for his team.

Shutouts (SHO) A complete game in which the opposing team didn’t score any runs.

Saves (S) According to Rule 10.19 of the Official Rules of Major League baseball a pitcher gets a save if he finishes a game won by his team, he is not the winning pitcher and he is credited with at ⅓ of an inning pitched. Furthermore, he must satisfy one of the following conditions: (1) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitchers for at least one inning (2) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, at or no deck. (3) He pitches for at least three innings.

Blown save (BS) When a relief pitcher relinquishes the lead in a save situation.

Hits Allowed (H) Total number of hits allowed while pitcher is on the mound

Earned Runs (ER) The number of runs scored without the aid of an error, catcher’s interference or a passed ball allowed by the pitcher.

Runs Allowed (R) Total number of runs allowed when the pitcher was on the mound.

Home Runs Allowed (HR) Total number of homeruns allowed when the pitcher was on the mound.

Base on Balls (BB) Total number of walks issued by the pitcher.

Intentional Base on Balls (IBB) Total number of times a pitcher walks about without intent of allowing him to hit

Strikeouts (SO) total number of times a pitcher struck out a hitter.

Wild Pitches (WP) A pitched ball that alouds the catcher and allows a baserunning to advance which the official scorer pins on pitcher, rather than catcher, error.

Hit by Pitcher (HBP) Total number of times a pitcher strikes a batter with a pitched ball

Balks (BK) An illegal motion the pitcher uses to deceive a baserunner, resulting in the baserunner being awarded a base

Holds (H) Awarded to a relief pitcher who doesn’t finish the game but otherwise meets all the criteria of the save rule.

Strikeouts to Walk Ratio (K/BB) Strikeouts divided by balls.

Strikeouts per 9-innings (K/9) Calculated by multiply total number of strikeouts by nine and then dividing by innings pitched.

Walks per 9-innings (BB/9) Calculated by multiplying total number of strikeouts by nine and then dividing by total innings pitched.

Fielding stats

Putouts (PO) The number of putouts a fielder makes.

Assists (A) When a player assists on a recorded out

Errors (E) When the official scorer rules a players fielding blunder results in a hitting not making an out or a baserunner taking an extra base.

Chances (C) Calculated by adding putouts and assists.

Total Chances (TC) Chances plus errors committed by the fielder

Total Chances Per Game (TC/G) Total chances divided by games played.

Fielding Percentage (FLD%)  A fielders assists plus putouts divided by assists plus putouts plus errors.

Double plays (DP) Total number of double plays which a fielder was a part of.

Passed Balls (PB) When the official scorer rules the catcher was responsible for a pitch that he didn’t catch cleanly and resulted in a baserunner taking an extra base

Catcher’s Stolen Bases (CSB) Total number of stolen bases with specific catcher behind the plat

Catcher’s Caught Stealing (CACS) total number of base runners thrown out stealing by catcher.

Sabermetrics are taking over baseball. This new mathematical based way of looking at how the game is played now influences how teams evaluate players and construct their rosters. The term Sabermetrics comes from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society of American Baseball Research. Bill James coined the term and is considered by many to be the father of modern Sabermetrics.

James has defined sabermetrics as “the search for objective knowledge about baseball.” The first example of this type of thinking — before James invented the word — was probably the 1964 book Percentage Baseball by Earnshaw Cook. The baseball establishment rejected Cook’s findings and perhaps for good reason. Many of his presumably statistical backed conclusions — such as there is no such thing a platoon split — were actually incorrect and based on bad data interpretation. However he was right about other things, such as the inefficient of the sacrifice bunt.

But even if Cook’s batting average, so to speak, wasn’t so great his book generated interest in statistical analysis and objective research. Now, years later, proof of the righteousness of a Sabermetrics approach is evident of the success of small market sabermetrically inclined teams such as the Oakland As and Tampa Bay Rays.

For those who still don’t know their xFIP from the BABIP here is a glossary of sabermetric terms.

Batting Average Balls In Play (BABIP) Measuring what percentage of batter’s ball in play go for hits, excluding homerun. (Can also be collected for a pitcher.)

Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) A formula which converts a pitchers three true outcomes (Home runs, walks and strikeouts) into an ERA-like number.

Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP) Same as FIP, but replaces pitcher actual home run which his league average expected home run total based on the number of fly balls he gave up.

Wins Over Replacement (WAR) Non-standardized statistic derived from hitting, fielding and baserunning  that evaluates a player’s total contribution to the team and aims to show who much more that player is worth in wins the a “replacement player,” which would be a minor league or bench player who could be acquired at minimal cost

Wins Probability Added (WPA) A statistic that measures how much a player contributed to his team win by calculating the effect each play he made had on the outcome of the game.

Base Runs (BsR) The number of runs a team “should” score given their component statistics.

Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) A plus/minus accounting on the number of runs a defensive player saved his team compared to the position average.

Weighted On Base Average (wOBA) A statistic that combines all the aspects of hitting into one metric and weights each of them in proportion to their actual run value

Weights Runs Created Plus wRC+ A park and league adjusted statistic that quantifies a players total offensive value and compares to the league average (which would be expressed by 100)

Isolated Slugging (ISO) Calculated by subtracting batting average from slugging percentage.

Range Factor (RF) A measure of a player’s range in the field calculated by adding assists to putouts and  dividing it by the number of Inning Outs.

Zone Rating (ZR) Stats Inc.  measure a player’s skill in his designated fielding zone.

A baseball score sheet or scorecard is the form which baseball fans, journalists and announcers use to keep score. The baseball scoresheet was invented by sportswriter Henry Chadwick in the 1870s, but the methods of keeping score have evolved significantly since then.

The most typical way of getting a baseball score sheet is to purchase a program at a baseball game. You can also download sample score sheets from the Internet and print them out for use while watching games on TV.

Baseball score sheets may vary somewhat in appearance, but they all have spaces for certain uniform functions, including recording general game information, listing the batting lineups, listing the pitchers used, listing each player’s statistics accumulated and recording the gameplay — which is going to take up the bulk of any baseball score sheet.

The most basic pillar of baseball scorekeeping is the numbers that correspond with each position. The pitcher is 1, the catcher 2, the first baseman 3, the second baseman 4, the third baseman 5, the shortstop 6, left field 7, center field 8 and right field 9.

The trickiest of these numeric symbols is the shortstop being 6 while the third baseman is 5 because that is out of order if you read the infield from left to right.

So, when keeping score if a batter grounds out to the third baseman you would write 5-3 in the corresponding at-bat box. Meaning the third baseman threw it to the first baseman to record the out. If a batter flies out, you would just put the number of the fielder who made the catch. Double plays would include all the fielders in involved, in order if their invovlement, as well as a “DP” symbol. Also when a player tips the ball and another player picks it up and records an out the player he first touched it gets first credit on the score sheet. (So if the ball hit the pitcher on the way to the shortstop it would be 1-6-3.)

If the batter strikes out that is recorded with a K on the score sheet. If he strikes out looking it is either a backwards K or a K with a small c, for “called.”

Each at-bat box on a scoresheet has a small baseball diamond on it, and when a player reaches base the scorekeeper indicates that by filling in the line to the base that he reaches. If the reaches by a single, for example, the scorekeeper would write 1B and then fill out the line to first base. A double would get a 2B with both the lines to first and second darkened.

If a player reaches base by walk the symbol is BB. IBB for an international walk and HBP for a hit by pitch. A reach base by error is indicated by an E followed by the player who made the error. (An error by the second baseman would be “E4.)

When a runner is moved forward while on base the path he is advanced is darkened and either the uniform number or batting position of the player who advanced him is written in above the filled in line. For stolen bases there should be a “SB” and then the number or batting position of the player who was up when the runner swiped the bag.

Keeping score is a fun way of engaging yourself in a baseball game. And don’t be afraid to add your own personal little touches to a baseball scoresheet. As long as you maintain consistency, you don’t need to follow the traditional rules to a tee.

Bo Jackson played Major League Baseball between 1986 and 1994, although the latter half of his career was severely limited by injuries. For his career he hit .250 in 2393 at-bats with 141 home runs and 82 stolen bases in 114 attempts. He had 341 runs, 415 RBIs, 86 doubles and 16 triples. His career OPS was .784. Known for his strong arm, Jackson finished his career with 44 outfield assists.

Jackson put up his best statistics in 1989. Playing for the Kansas City Royals he hit 32 home runs and drove in 105, both good for fourth in the American League. He led the league with 11 outfield assists and also stole 26 bases. On the downside he also led the league with 172 strikeouts. 1989 was the only year Jackson made the All-Star game.  He made the most of it, making a terrific play in the top of the first and then homering to lead off the bottom of the first. He later stole a base, joining Willie Mays as the only man to hit a home run and swipe a bag in an All-Star game.

In many ways, Jackson 1990 season was even better. He slugged 28 home runs and finished with a .272 average and a career high .866 OPS, which would have been sixth in the league if he had enough at-bats. But Jackson missed 51 games in 1990, which reined in most of his counting statistics. Going forward, he would never play in more than 85 games for a season.

In 1991, Jackson injured himself playing football and required hip replacement surgery. The Royals released him, fearing he wouldn’t fully recover from the procedure, and Jackson caught on with the White Sox. He was ineffective in 23 games during the 91 season and then sat out the entire 1992 year. He continued to struggle in 1993, hitting just .232 in 85 games.

He signed with the California Angels in 1994 and although he only got into 78 games that year he hit a career high .279 and managed 13 homers. He was awarded the American League’s Comeback Player of the Year. Jackson retired during the the 1994 players strike.

Jackson had always been a big baseball prospect and was drafted in the second round by the New York Yankees out of high school. But Jackson decided to instead attend Auburn University where he played baseball and football. Bo excelled on the gridiron and won Heisman Trophy in the 1985.

Jackson was selected first overall in the 1986 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Worried he would chose baseball over football they flew him on a private plane they said was cleared by the NCAA but wasn’t. This violation of NCAA rules made him ineligible to continue to play baseball for Auburn. Jackson was angered by the Bucs deception, and he refused to sign with the team. Instead he signed with the the Kansas City Royals and entered their minor league system

Because of Tampa Bay’s failure to sign Jackson his name went back into the 1987 draft. The Raiders took him in the seventh round, and team owner Al Davis made it clear they would be fine with Jackson as a part time player who would join the team only when the baseball season was over.

Jackson did just that and electrified the league in 1987 with 554 yards on just 81 carries for an absurd 6.8 yards per carry average. For his four year career he would average 5.4 yards a carry, with his best year coming in 1989 when he rushed for 950 yards in just 11 games.

Thanks to his status as a two-sport star Nike rolled out the “Bo knows” ad campaign in 1989. The humorous spots featured Jackson promoting the the brand’s cross trainers by playing just about every sport under the sun. The commercials made Jackson into one of the most visible sports stars in the world.

During a playoff game in January of 1991 Jackson seriously injured his hip while being tackled. When they went in to fix it they discovered Jackson had a degenerative condition and needed a hip replacement. That immediately ended his football career, put a damper on the progress he was making as a Major Leaguer, and eventually led to his baseball retirement at age 31.

The story of Bo Jackson is very much a tale of what if. His NFL statistics suggest he could have been one of the best ever if he had just stuck to football. However, since he had the degenerative condition a football-only career would have been a ticking time bomb.

He never had quite that impact on the diamond, but Bo’s 1989 and 1990 seasons did suggest he could have been an all-star level player if he never got hurt.

Of course we will never know. But, even with the injury, Jackson has quite a legacy. The man was one of the most exciting players of his era in two sports. And he also sold a whole lot of shoes.

In 1994 Michael Jordan played one year of minor league baseball for the Double-A Birmingham Barons, a Chicago White Sox affiliate.

The stats he put up were less than impressive.

In 497 plate appearances the the NBA legend hit .202 with a .289 OBP and a .266 slugging percentage for a paltry .556 OPS. He had 17 doubles, 1 triple and three homers. Jordan struck out 114 times and walked 51 times. He had 50 RBIs and 46 runs for the year. Jordan stole 30 bases and was caught stealing 18 times.

He wasn’t much better in the field making 11 errors in 230 chances as an outfielder, mostly in right, for a fielding percentage of .952.

If one were to look to the positive among Michael Jordan’s mostly dismal baseball stats it’s that he actually had an OK walk rate. And while his strikeout rate was fairly lousy, it wasn’t quite as bad as the rest of his statistics. In fact, based on his walk and strike out rate, a more saber-metrically inclined analyst would argue the 31-year old may have improved some if he stuck with baseball. However given his age and his apparent lack of power there was no chance Jordan would have ever made the major league.

Jordan’s decision to play baseball in the first place was a surprising. It came after his first of his three retirements from the NBA, this one while he still in the prime of his career. (There have long been rumors he was forced to step away from basketball by NBA commissioner David Stern as part of “secret” suspension for gambling.)

It also came the summer after Jordan’s father was murdered in a bizarre roadside incident. James Jordan had always wanted his son to be a baseball player and that clearly influenced Jordan to give the game a shot even though he hadn’t played it since he was a senior in high school. “You tell me I can’t do something,” Jordan explained, “and I’m going to do it.”

The hype surrounding the Birmingham Barons at the beginning of the 1994 season was like none other in minor league history. Jordan, who’s always had a great sense of the moment, hit well over .300 during his first couple weeks.

The wheels started to fall off soon after that. But it wasn’t for a lack of effort. “Nobody has outworked him,” said Baron’s manager Terry Francona, who later went on to great things with the Boston Red Sox.

And even if Jordan couldn’t hit a lick, the Barons certainly benefited from having him around. His airness rented a $350,000 luxury bus for the season so he and the rest of the team could do the Southern League circuit in style.

After the minor league season was over Jordan reported to the Arizona Fall League. His .252 batting average in the desert was big improvement over his Double-A numbers, but he still wasn’t hitting with any power and declared himself the “worst player on the team.”

In March of 1995 Jordan gave up his baseball dream and returned to the Chicago Bulls. But the statistical record of his hardball mediocrity will last forever.