Baseball is known as "America's Pastime" for the rich history and tradition of the game and players. To help us remember the miraculous plays, games and seasons in the history of baseball, many statistics are recorded during every game. One of the statistics recorded is the RBI -- or runs batted in.
Rules
According to Rule 10.04 in the Major League Baseball rulebook, an RBI is awarded to the batter when one or more runs score as a result of his at-bat. The official scorer may award an RBI for every run that scores. For example, a three-run home run results in three RBI. However, some restrictions apply, such as that all runs must be "unaided" by an error. If a player scores as a result of an error, no RBI is awarded.
Season, Career Records
Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees and Hack Wilson of the Chicago Cubs have the single-season RBI records, as of 2011. Gehrig has the American League record with 184 RBI during the 1931 season. Wilson set the National League record with 191 RBI in 1930, the highest single-season total ever. Hank Aaron is the all-time RBI king with 2,297 while playing for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers.
Single Game
Two players from the St. Louis Cardinals are tied for the National League single-game RBI record. Jim Bottomley had 12 RBI on September 16, 1924, and Mark Whiten matched that performance on September 7, 1993. Tony Lazzeri of the New York Yankees has the American League single-game RBI record with 11, set on May 24, 1936. The record for the most RBI that supplied all of the team runs occurred on September 2, 1996, when Boston's Mike Greenwell knocked in all nine runs for the Red Sox.
World Series
Throughout Major League Baseball's World Series history, Yankees outfielder Mickey Mantle owns the record for most career home runs and RBI in the World Series. Mantle hit 18 home runs and had 40 RBI while playing in the annual fall championship series.
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