Welcome to the Club, Eddie--Which One? : Baseball: A sport that can’t agree on much of anything these days has differing sets of ‘official’ statistics.

Here’s a baseball pop quiz: How many players preceded Eddie Murray into the 3,000-hit club?

Easy, you say. Call the folks at Elias Sports Bureau, official statistician of major league baseball, and they’ll tell you 19.

Or if you have a copy of “Total Baseball, the Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball,” leaf back to the all-time leaders. There you go. It lists . . . er . . . 18.

Baseball, torn by labor difficulties, still without a permanent commissioner, now is having trouble even keeping some of its most coveted statistics in order.

Problem is, both records are “official.” But is one more official than the other? Which is correct? No one really knows for sure.

In its 1995 edition, Total Baseball amended the totals of six players previously listed with at least 3,000 hits. Cap Anson was dumped from the list, falling from 3,081 hits to 2,995, in part because research indicated that he was incorrectly given 20 hits in 1879 and rules in 1887 credited players with hits when they walked.

Even Ty Cobb’s hit total was reduced, from 4,191 to 4,189.

Elias isn’t rushing to change its totals just yet.

“You look at a box score in 1905 and a guy has two hits, and the next day the official scorer changed it to one hit,” Elias statistician John Labombarda said. “It’s a problem that can be impossible to solve.

“We get letters all the time, and we’re not against making changes when there’s evidence to change. But we’re comfortable where we are. If it’s impossible to tell what’s right and wrong, we like to stay with what has been the official stat for 40, 50, 60 years.”

Baseball, previously unaware of the discrepancy between its two licensed statistical services, says it is sticking with Elias’ more established totals for now.

“When there’s a discrepancy, normally the two get together and agree on one figure,” said baseball spokesman Brian Callahan. “Both sides will have to get together and work that out.”

Major league baseball hasn’t yet initiated that discussion, but Callahan said it will.

And if Elias and Total Baseball can’t agree?

“Well, they both have our name on them,” Callahan said. “We’ll have to choose which one we’ll go with.”

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The 3,000-Hit Clubs

Major league players with at least 3,000 hits, according to baseball’s two official statistical services. Major league baseball is using Elias Sports Bureau figures rather than the “Total Baseball, the Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball.” (Discrepancies in boldface) ELIAS

1. Pete Rose: 4,256

2. Ty Cobb: 4,191

3. Hank Aaron: 3,771

4. Stan Musial: 3,630

5. Tris Speaker: 3,515

6. Honus Wagner: 3,430

7. Carl Yastrzemski: 3,419

8. Eddie Collins: 3,309

9. Willie Mays: 3,283

10. Nap Lajoie: 3,252

11. George Brett: 3,154

12. Paul Waner: 3,152

13. Robin Yount: 3,142

14. x-Dave Winfield: 3,098

15. Cap Anson: 3,081

16. Rod Carew: 3,053

17. Lou Brock: 3,023

18. Al Kaline: 3,007

19. Roberto Clemente: 3,000

20. x-Eddie Murray 3,000

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TOTAL BASEBALL

1. Pete Rose: 4,256

2. Ty Cobb: 4,189

3. Hank Aaron: 3,771

4. Stan Musial: 3,630

5. Tris Speaker: 3,514

6. Carl Yastrzemski: 3,419

7. Honus Wagner: 3,415

8. Eddie Collins: 3,312

9. Willie Mays: 3,283

10. Nap Lajoie: 3,242

11. George Brett: 3,154

12. Paul Waner: 3,152

13. Robin Yount: 3,142

14. x-Dave Winfield: 3,098

15. Rod Carew: 3,053

16. Lou Brock: 3,023

17. Al Kaline: 3,007

18. Roberto Clemente: 3,000

19. x-Eddie Murray: 3,000

20. Cap Anson: 2,995

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