Editing Intentional base on balls (section)

===With the bases loaded===
With the [[bases loaded]], an intentional base on balls forces in a run. This might be advisable if a team with a lead of two to four runs elects to concede one run of its lead so as not to have to pitch to a batter who might hit a home run to tie the game or take the lead.

The following table shows each batter who has gotten this treatment in the history of [[Major League Baseball]]. Cases before 1955 are researched from newspaper reports, which may be subjective.<ref name="Baseball Almanac">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_wk3.shtml |title=Intentional Bases On Balls Records by Baseball Almanac |publisher=Baseball-almanac.com |access-date=2014-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_5_59/ai_64150752
|title=Free Pass—Players who were intentionally walked with bases loaded
|publisher=[[Baseball Digest]]
|date=May 2000
|access-date=2009-11-08
| first=Jerome
| last=Holtzman}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Date
!Batter
!Score at Time of the Walk
!Final Score
!Score<br>sheet
!Notes
|-
|1881-08-02
|[[Abner Dalrymple]]
|0–5 [[History of the Chicago Cubs#1870: The Chicago White Stockings Base Ball Club|Chicago]]
|2–11 [[History of the Chicago Cubs#1870: The Chicago White Stockings Base Ball Club|Chicago]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1881/08021881.htm]
|Team using the strategy did not go on to win the game; case neglected by historians until 2007.<ref name="Baseball Almanac" />
|-
|1901-05-23
|[[Nap Lajoie]]
|11–7 [[Chicago White Sox|Chicago]]
|11–9 [[Chicago White Sox|Chicago]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1901/05231901.htm]
|There were no outs.
|-
|1928-05-02
|[[Del Bissonette]]
|2–0 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|2–1 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1928/B05020NY11928.htm]
|It is not clear whether he was simply pitched around; the contemporary press only states that "Bissonette was treated with extreme care and finally drew a base on balls."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=Thomas |newspaper=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |date=3 May 1928 |title=Robins Will Have Plenty to Worry Them on Western Trip |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/49517708/details-about-del-bissonettes-alleged/ |language=en-us |location=Brooklyn |page=28 |access-date=25 April 2020 |via=Newspapers.com }}</ref>
|-
|1929-10-05
|[[Mel Ott]]
|3–11 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|3–12 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1929/B10052PHI1929.htm]
|Details below.
|-
|1944-07-23
|[[Bill Nicholson (baseball)|Bill Nicholson]]
|10–7 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|12–10 [[History of the New York Giants (baseball)|New York]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1944/B07232NY11944.htm]
|
|-
|1998-05-28
|[[Barry Bonds]]
|8–6 [[Arizona Diamondbacks|Arizona]]
|8–7 [[Arizona Diamondbacks|Arizona]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1998/B05280SFN1998.htm]
|&nbsp;
|-
|2008-08-17
|[[Josh Hamilton]]
|7–3 [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay]]
|7–4 [[Tampa Bay Rays|Tampa Bay]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2008/B08170TEX2008.htm]
|&nbsp;
|-
|2022-04-15
|[[Corey Seager]]
|2–3 [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas]]
|9–6 [[Los Angeles Angels|Los Angeles]]
|[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2022/B04150TEX2022.htm]{{Citation not found|date=April 2022}}
|First time team using strategy when trailing went on to win game.
|}

The Mel Ott case, which is not included in the ''Baseball Almanac'' list, was not a result of in-game strategy. On October 5, 1929, in the first game of a Giants-Phillies doubleheader, Chuck Klein took the lead for the season home run title [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1929/B10051PHI1929.htm (box score)]. The Phillies' manager told the pitcher to pitch around Ott so he wouldn't challenge Klein for the title. In the top of the ninth inning of the second game, the bases were full and the Giants were already well ahead of the Phillies. "The sign came from the bench to walk Ott." When the count got to 3–0, Ott swung at two wide ones but then accepted ball four and a run was forced in.<ref>Philadelphia ''Inquirer,'' October 6, 1929.</ref>

A disputed anecdote<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-44150.html
|title=Intentionally walked with the bases loaded
|date=27 May 2006
|publisher=Baseball Fever
|access-date=2017-05-30}}</ref> says that, in 1926, the [[Cleveland Indians]] elected to walk Babe Ruth with the bases loaded. This angered Ruth; he swung anyway, and the result of the time at bat was a [[strikeout]]. This may refer to the game on [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1926/B07100NYA1926.htm July 10], in which Cleveland pitcher [[Joe Shaute]] purposely walked Ruth three times. Ruth was also called out once for stepping out of the batter's box. Contemporary newspaper accounts give no indication that Ruth was walked with the bases full in that game.