How do you play 163 games in a season?

Question

Hideki Matsui played 163 games in 2003.
How does a player play 163 games if there's only 162 games in a season?

Answer 1

Three possible ways:

1. Playoff berth tiebreaker game, which counts in regular season stats and standings. (In 1962, LA and SF finished tied for the NL pennant. Back then, the NL played a 2-of-3 tiebreaker (not enough time for that since divisional play began), which this time went the full three, resulting in Wills playing in a record 165 games.)

2. Makeup game(s) for official-game ties earlier in the season (rare, but they do happen; usually a rainout forcing calling the game with the score tied sometime after the fifth inning).

3. Midseason trade, wherein the player gains extra game opportunities -- say, has played 82 of 82 for his first team, gets traded, and his new team has 81 games remaining and he plays in all of those. 82 + 81 == 163.

In Matsui-san's case, it's #2; the 2003 Yankees played a tie game on 18-Sept in Baltimore.
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Answer 2

You know by now that the answer is 165 by Willis in 1962. (Interesting that while Maris had to endure worlds of crap for hitting more HR than Ruth did in a slightly longer season -- the AL went to the 162 game sked in 1961 due to the two-team expansion -- Willis didn't have to put up with a microload of similar crap when, in 1962, the NL expanded and stretched its sked, he stole more bases (104) than olde-tyme record holder Cobb (96). It's all about chicks digging the long ball, isn't it?) Ways a player can exceed 162 games: 1. A postseason playoff -- and here Willis scored by getting to play a full three. The NL abandoned the 2-of-3 format in 1969 when the leagues realigned into divisions. 2. Get traded to a team that has more games remaining. McGwire could have done this (but did not) in 1997. He was traded after Oakland's 109th game, and the Cardinals had 55 games remaining; had he played every game, he would have totaled 164. Plus he missed one day while traveling (both teams played, but he had to go from Oakland to Philadelphia). (Mac played a total of 156, 105 of 109 for Oakland, 51 of 55 for St. Louis.) 3. Play in a tie game during the season. Under most circumstances, the game will be replayed in its entirety, but the tie game and all stats count, it is just ignored in the team and league standings. (Tie games are very rare following a recent rule change.)

Answer 3

In 2003, the Yankees played a 163rd game that didn't count in the official standings, but counted towards player statistics. On September 18th, they played a game against the Orioles that got called after five innings with the score tied 1-1. It went into the books as an official game, but there was obviously no winner:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BAL/BAL200309180.shtml

The game was made up later in the season, accounting for the 163rd game.

There are other reasons why players might play more than 162 games, due to trades and/or tiebreakers. Maury Wills has the record with 165 games played thanks to a three-game tiebreaking playoff the Dodgers played that year against the Giants.

Answer 4

In 2003, the Yankees played a 163rd game that didn't count in the official standings, but counted towards player statistics. On September 18th, they played a game against the Orioles that got called after five innings with the score tied 1-1. It went into the books as an official game, but there was obviously no winner:

Answer 5

In a season if at the end of a season you and another team are either tied for the wild card or for your division you have a one game series to see who advances to the playoffs.

Answer 6

they could get traded to another team who hasn't played as many games, and he played 163 games because after 5 innings in a game versus baltimore, it was cancelled and replayed due to hurricane isabel, it was later replayed but players stats counted for both gmaes

Answer 7

that game was called after 5 innings due to hurricane Isabel

Answer 8

tiebreaker if u end the season tied with different team

or

not hideki's case but if u switched teams and they hadnt played the same amount of games

Answer 9

Yes, that's a good point

Answer 10

Only in case of a tie.