Fractions are a huge part of baseball stats, but something doesn't make sense.
If a batter gets two hits in five at bats he is 2/5 = .400 batting average.
If he goes one for four in the next game he is now 3/9 = .333 batting average.
This is because when you add up his total hits (2+1) and divide by total at bats (5+4) you get 3/9. But when I try to add 2/5 + 1/4 (grade school style), I actually get 8/20 + 5/20 = 13/20 which would be a batting average of .650.
What the fuck am I doing wrong? Is this is a major math fail on my part or have I possibly discovered the secrets of time travel, division by zero and the answer to life the universe and everything in it? INB4 42.
If a batter gets two hits in five at bats he is 2/5 = .400 batting average.
If he goes one for four in the next game he is now 3/9 = .333 batting average.
This is because when you add up his total hits (2+1) and divide by total at bats (5+4) you get 3/9. But when I try to add 2/5 + 1/4 (grade school style), I actually get 8/20 + 5/20 = 13/20 which would be a batting average of .650.

What the fuck am I doing wrong? Is this is a major math fail on my part or have I possibly discovered the secrets of time travel, division by zero and the answer to life the universe and everything in it? INB4 42.