In baseball statistics, on base percentage (OBP) (sometimes referred to as on base average (OBA)) is a measure of how often a batter gets to first base for any reason other than a fielding error or a fielder's choice. As with many sports, and perhaps even more so, statistics are very important to baseball. ... Barry Bonds batting Photo:Agência Brasil In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. ... In baseball, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or runner to reach one or more additional bases, on a play that would normally be completed successfully with ordinary effort. ... In baseball, a fielders choice is the act of a fielder, upon fielding a batted ball, choosing to try put out one runner while in so doing allowing the batter to advance to first base. ...
Though extremely unlikely, it is possible for a player's on base percentage to be lower than his batting average (H/AB). If a player had 2 hits and 5 at bats with a sacrifice fly, his batting average would be .400, but his on base percentage would be .333. Batting average is a statistic in both baseball and cricket measuring the performance of baseball hitters and cricket batsmen, respectively. ...