After receiving a comment from a reader expressing some doubt about the accuracy of the numbers in our No-hitters killed by first at bat, we hunkered down and recrunched the numbers.
Turns out Steve is right – our numbers were off. Way off actually. I’m not entirely sure, but the error likely was a result of how the database was defining a leadoff hit.
So here are the new, double-checked, confirmed numbers through this season (they’re fixed on the page, too):
* 1,741 games began with a leadoff hit by the Mets’ opponent
* 1,298 potential no-hitters were broken up by a single
* 282 potential no-hitters were broken up by a double
* 57 potential no-hitters were broken up by a triple
* 104 potential no-hitters were broken up by a home run
* 928 of those games were played on the road
* 813 were played at home (Citi Field, Shea Stadium or the Polo Grounds)
Now the good news. I was able to create a spreadsheet of these first-batter no-no kills with a ton of other information, so I’ll soon be able to break down the most prolific leadoff batters against the Mets and rank the Mets’ pitchers based on who’s hit early and often.
