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Baseball scoring question

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Batman, Apr 21, 2008.

  1. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    I know. He works as hard as the fielder.
     
  2. Bubbler

    Bubbler Well-Known Member

  3. offwing28

    offwing28 Member

    Not so. Rule 10.12(a)(1) Comment: "... It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder's legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer's judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error."

    The original case is 10.05(a)(6): " (credit a base hit when) a fielder unsuccessfully attempts to put out a preceding runner and, in the official scorer's judgment, the batter-runner would not have been put out at first base by ordinary effort." So, yeah, trust your judgment.

    I once covered a minor league game where the official scorer had never kept score at a game in her life. Not only did she poll the press box on every play, but she missed batters, missed pitching changes, missed pinch hitters. That was a fun night.
     
  4. mike311gd

    mike311gd Active Member

    What level?
     
  5. WalterBurns

    WalterBurns Guest

    I usually go with my scoring because too often, the scorekeepers simply don't know the scoring rules. For example, if a batter was up four times with a runner on third with two outs and each time hit's a routine grounder that the fielder makes an error on, allowing the batter to reach base and the runner to score, the batter is 0-for-4 with no RBIs and that's what I'm writing. I don't care if the official book says the batter is 4-for-4 with four RBIs or 0-for-4 with four RBIs.

    The example is a little extreme but I've covered games where the official book is just plain wrong when it comes to scoring rules when there is nothing subjective involved. I'm going to have it right in my story, and if I have to explain it to a caller, so be it.

    I will double-check with the coaches if that one hit/error that is questionable is the difference between a no-hitter and a one-hitter.
     
  6. offwing28

    offwing28 Member

    Independent. The team was new; it was a make-up game. But still.
     
  7. BertoltBrecht

    BertoltBrecht Member

    If it's a high school softball game, any questionable play is always a hit. If it wasn't, Deborah Douchebag wouldn't be batting .750 and making all-state.
     
  8. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Oh, I don't know. If a good team's in a bad league, I can easily see some of the good girls going 3-for-4 over and over.
     
  9. the_lorax

    the_lorax Member

    You're absolutely allowed to (and supposed to) factor in runner's abilities, as well as fielder's throwing arm, weather circumstances (don't really apply in this case, I know) and anything else that could have an effect on what ordinary or extraordinary effort is.
     
  10. BertoltBrecht

    BertoltBrecht Member

    What if the kid has one arm?
     
  11. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    Playing third base in slo-pitch game about 1,200 Sundays ago, a grounder rolled up my arm. I tried to pick it out of the air, slapped it into the ground. Then I kicked it. Cursing and walking after the ball, I heard my bench say, "HURRY UP! THROW IT!"

    The hitter was halfway down the first-base line. He had a wooden leg.

    5-3, baby.
     
  12. BertoltBrecht

    BertoltBrecht Member

    "You know kids, your old grandpa threw out a pirate in a game once."
     
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