Ever wondered what connects baseball legends like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Cal Ripken? They all led the major leagues in grounding into double plays (GIDP) at some point in their careers.
While it might seem like a negative stat, it’s a fascinating aspect of the game that even the best players encounter.
A GIDP occurs when a batter hits a ground ball, and the defense successfully turns it into two outs. For this to happen, there must be at least one runner on base and fewer than two outs.
Despite its seemingly negative connotation, grounding into double plays is an inevitable part of baseball, even for Hall of Famers.