---
title: 'Batting Averages Puzzler'
url: 'https://blog.recursiveprocess.com/2012/09/22/batting-averages-puzzler'
markdown: 'https://blog.recursiveprocess.com/2012/09/22/batting-averages-puzzler.md'
date: '2012-09-22'
description: 'From the soon to be retiring Car Talk radio show, a fantastic new baseball puzzler. RAY: As you might guess, I’m a baseball fan. And now that the season is in its waning days, I thought I’d use this baseball Puzzler I’ve been saving. There are two rookie players, Bluto and Popeye…'
taxonomy:
  category:
    - blog
---

# Batting Averages Puzzler

### [Batting Averages Puzzler](https://blog.recursiveprocess.com/2012/09/22/batting-averages-puzzler)

   September 22, 2012, 12:00 am  

From the soon to be retiring [Car Talk radio show](http://www.cartalk.com/content/take-ray-out-ball-game), a fantastic new baseball puzzler.

> RAY: As you might guess, I’m a baseball fan. And now that the season is in its waning days, I thought I’d use this baseball Puzzler I’ve been saving.
> There are two rookie players, Bluto and Popeye, who started the season on opening day and made a wager as to which one would have the best batting average at the end of the season.
> Well, the last day of the season arrives, and not much is going to change–especially considering that neither one of them is in the starting lineup.
> Bluto says, “Hey, Popeye, what did you bat for the first half of the year?”
> 
> Popeye answers, “I batted .250.”
> 
> And Bluto responds, “Well, I got you there. I batted .300. How about after the All-Star break?”
> 
> Proudly, Popeye pipes up, “I batted .375.”
> Bluto says, “Pretty good, but I batted .400. Fork over the 20 bucks that we bet.”
> The bat boy, Dougie, saunters over and says, “Don’t pay the 20 bucks, Popeye. I think you won.”
> TOM: Why is someone who batted .375 not playing in the last game of the season? That’s what I want to know!
> RAY: Good point. But the question is this: How could Popeye have won?

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