Post a Comment On: The Game Designer

Looking for some feedback on official scoring. Imagine the following:

Play #1:
No outs. Lorenzo Cain on 1B. Eric Hosmer batting.
Jed Lowrie fields a ground ball in the hole and appears to have enough time to get Hosmer out at 1B.
Instead, Lowrie throws to 2B to successfully force out the lead runner.

The above is a "fielder's choice". Section 10.00 of the MLB rules is pretty clear about how the above situation is scored.

Play #2:
No outs. Lorenzo Cain on 1B. Eric Hosmer batting.
Jed Lowrie fields a ground ball in the hole and appears to have enough time to get Hosmer out at 1B.
Instead, Lowrie throws to 2B in an attempt to keep the runner out of scoring position. But the throw is late and everybody is safe.

I often refer to this as a "failed fielder's choice" to avoid confusion with the result of Play #1.

Play #2 is also a fielder's choice because Section 2.00 states: "FIELDER'S CHOICE is the act of a fielder who handles a fair grounder and, instead of throwing to first base to put out the batter-runner, throws to another base in an attempt to put out a preceding runner."

It also can't be recorded as a hit. Rule 10.05(b)(4): "The official scorer shall not credit a base hit when a ... fielder fails in an attempt to put out a preceding runner and, in the scorer's judgment, the batter-runner could have been put out at first base"

Therefore, I believe the following to be true:

1) The shortstop is NOT charged with an error.
2) The batter is credited with an at-bat.
3) The batter is NOT credited with a hit.
4) The pitcher is credited with a batter faced (and an "opponent at bat", such as for calculating "opponent batting average").
5) The pitcher is not credited with a "hit allowed".
6) The pitcher IS credited with a "ground ball out" (as used in the calculation of "GO/AO").

(I realize some of these aren't official stats, but I'm hoping to find some agreement about non-official stats.)

However, imagine the following:

Play #3:
No outs. Bases empty. Jeff Samardzija walks Lorenzo Cain.
Fernando Abad relieves Samardzija.
Eric Hosmer batting.
Jed Lowrie fields a ground ball in the hole and appears to have enough time to get Hosmer out at 1B.
Lowrie throws to 2B in an attempt to keep the runner out of scoring position. But the throw is late and everybody is safe.
Billy Butler hits a 3-run homer.

My interpretation:
Cain is charged to Samardzija as an earned run.
Hosmer and Butler are charged to Abad as earned runs.
(If Cain had been successfully forced out, Hosmer would be charged to Samardzija.)

So ... Abad gets credit for a ground out, and then gets tagged with an earned run for the guy who "grounded out".

Is this correct?

Thanks!

Clay