Stat geek alert

Keith Hernandez with the Mets (Associated Press photo)

Less than a decade after Major League Baseball announces that game-winning runs batted in – GWRBI, for those into acronyms – as an official statistic, the powers to be announce 35 years ago today that those GWRBIs no longer will be recognized as an official stat.

This is crushing to some folks, as stats forever are part of the game’s fabric.

Officially, stat geeks track GWRBIs for nine seasons from 1980 through 1988.

Historians note the most career GWRBIs belong to first baseman Keith Hernandez, who accumulates 129 of them while splitting the decade of the 1980s between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets.

Hernandez also holds the record for most GWRBIs in a season with 24, set in 1985 during his second season with the Mets.

Eddie Murray (Jerry Wachter photo)

Baltimore first baseman and future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray has the most in the American League, totaling 117 GWRBIs from 1980-88.

The most in one season by an American League player is 23, set in 1988 by Boston Red Sox left fielder Mike Greenwell.

The most by a rookie in one season is 14 with three sharing that record – Oakland Athletics left fielder Jose Canseco and California Angels first baseman Wally Joyner, both in 1986, and Oakland first baseman Mark McGwire in 1987.

New York Mets right fielder Darryl Strawberry (1983) and Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Juan Samuel (1984) share the National League rookie record of 13.

And, in case you wondering – and, really, there is no reason why you would – the single-season record for GWRBI with pitchers is three, set in 1985 by both Rick Rhoden of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Rick Mahler of the Atlanta Braves.

Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire (Mercury News photo)