The 2 millionth run in Major League Baseball history soon will be scored — twice
At some point in the coming days, a player will score the 2 millionth run in Major League Baseball history. Then a day or so later, someone else will do it.
How’s that?
Elias Sports Bureau, the “Official Statistician” for Major League Baseball shows that 1,999,804 runs have been scored in the league’s 145-year history. But Baseball Reference, whose catalog of baseball statistics is an indispensable tool for fans (and journalists) shows that number to be 1,999,901.
A Twitter user has been counting down the runs based on Baseball Reference’s numbers and likely will be one of the first to record the big moment. Well, the first time it happens.
The New York Times’ David Waldstein noted: “That the Elias and Baseball Reference figures are separated by fewer than 100 runs after more than 221,000 games is remarkable, particularly because record keeping before 1900 was a little murky. At least these massive numbers are, if you’ll forgive the expression, in the same ballpark.”
Whoever scores the magic 2 millionth run by Elias or Baseball Reference’s count won’t be able to boast about it for long. Major League Baseball will add Negro Leagues stats to the official numbers in the near future, so the 2 millionth run actually already has been scored.
John Thorn, MLB’s official historian, thinks the Elias-Baseball Reference discrepancy is part of baseball’s charm.
“The whole brier patch of baseball statistics is more interesting for being messed up,” Thorn told the Times. “It’s like, how many stars are there in the sky? There are so many anomalies in our record keeping that, who really knows? But it’s still a great milestone.”
There are 16 games on the MLB schedule Thursday, including a pair of doubleheaders and the completion of a suspended game.
It’s likely the Baseball Reference total will reach 2 million on Thursday and the Elias number should get there Friday. It’s possible it could be a Royals player who gets to 2 million, but it likely would be the Elias number because Kansas City plays on Thursday afternoon.
No matter who gets to No. 2,000,000, Royals manager Mike Matheny is awed by the number and thankful to have played and managed in Major League Baseball.
“I love the history of our game and things like that. It’s hard to get your head around 2 million,” said Matheny,who scored 353 runs in a 13-year career. “But it’s one of those things that is interesting, talking to some of the players who were just out here yesterday, the days when you really slow down and just appreciate how special it is to be a part of the game at this level.
“That’s a lot of runs, but there’s only so many people who have been able to do what we’ve been able to do. And, you know, Just realizing that you’re part of that history that keeps on going and hope to be part of it for a long time.”
