Today’s Sports Stat: Bruce just misses MLB record
By JERRY TAPP
On the last day of the 2017 season, Cleveland’s Jay Bruce drove in a pair of runs in the first inning versus the Chicago White Sox. Because of that hit that drove in a pair of runs, Bruce did not set a Major League record … yes, you read it correctly, he did not set an MLB record.
Here’s the story: Bruce entered the last game of the ’17 season with 99 RBIs. In 2012 and in 2016, Bruce ended those seasons with exactly 99 RBIs, falling one RBI short of the 100-RBI milestone. If Bruce would not have driven in those two runs on the final day this season, he would have ended the season, again, with 99 ribbies, the third time in his career. No player has ever ended three seasons with exactly 99 RBIs.
This season only Cincinnati’s Adam Duvall ended the season with 99 RBIs. It was the 91st time in MLB history that a player ended a season with exactly 99 RBIs. It has been done by 85 players, meaning six players have twice in their careers ended a season with 99 RBIs. In addition to Jay Bruce, the other five players who have two seasons with 99 RBI in a season are: Sean Casey, Ty Cobb, Bibb Falk, Lee May and Kirby Puckett.
