Baseball scoring question

Exactly, Ace. Guess I'm still young and impressionable. And I was keeping score for a story. It was a high school game, so it was a high school shortstop making the throw. That should've factored into the decision. If I had it to do over again, it's a hit all the way and I tell them to shut their yaps.

That was my initial reasoning, too. The SS weighed his options in that split second, didn't think he'd make the play, and made the last-ditch effort at the runner in an attempt to salvage something of the play. If the runner stays at second and the SS eats the ball, it's a hit. If the runner goes to third right away, he's safe by a mile and it's a hit. If the SS stands there and lets the runner go to third because no one is covering, it's a hit.
It seems like you're penalizing the batter for the heads-up play of both the runner (to go to third) and SS (not to risk a wild throw on a difficult play), as well as the hustle of the SS (to try and get the out on his own when he saw the runner breaking).

 

Sounds pretty cut and dry to me. Base hit.

If you really aren't sure about a play, always side with a hit over an error.

 

New Fantasy team name: The Pressbox Wags

 

If you were keeping score for a story, I'd say it doesn't matter what you think. I would find out who is keeping the home book and see how they scored it.

 

If that's the case, should we sacrifice accuracy to our readers because of homerish/idiot stat keeping? I know, I know, the home book is "official." But official and accurate are not always interchangeable.

If I went by the home book in yesterday's prep softball game, the tiebreaking hit in the bottom of the sixth changes from a two-run single to a three-RBI/three-run double. Granted three runs scored on the play, but the final runner scored only after a throw home to get the runner originally at second base AND a throw from home to second to get the batter. And the batter (fairly slow) didn't go to second until she saw the throw from the outfield was headed for home.

 

So... let me get this right.

A ball has to hit the glove of an outfielder to have a chance of being an error, but doesn't have to hit the glove of an infielder?

Wacky.

 

I know I would not want to be writing a story about a key play that could be ruled a hit or an error and decide on my own that it is an error on Podunk. I write the story that way only to have a host of calls from Podunk parents claiming it was a hit and having to explain that to the boss.

 

I like to think part of the reason they keep me around is because I'm skilled and smart enough to tell the difference in most cases. If it's borderline, I'll usually be nice and rule it a hit. If it's extremely questionable I will seek out several opinions (either ask someone else sitting in the press box, or the coach if I'm down on the field).

 

Score the play based on what you think would have happened if there had been no runner on base. If you think the batter would have beaten the throw from short, it's a hit. And you give the batter the benefit of the doubt.

 

... and light up the h on the Rheingold Beer advertisement on the scoreboard

 

I would counter that people don't hire sports writers to keep official score at games. We hire them to write stories.

 

I don't know every nook and cranny of the rulebook, but seeing the way some of our local folks have kept the "official" book over the years, I generally trust myself more than them.

But on the subject of baseball rules, here's another question...when the ball is not caught on a strikeout, is it always considered a passed ball if the batter reaches first or the runner advances?
Had one tonight, with a runner on first. Batter swings at a curveball in the dirt for strike three, catcher blocks it up but the runner advances (the batter is out since first was occupied). I would think it was a wild pitch since it hit the dirt first, right?