Scenario: A fly-ball is hit between the centre fielder and the right fielder. The centre fielder calls the other player off and moves in on the ball, but just as the ball hits leather, the right fielder, who had ignored the call, smashes into the outstretched glove, knocking the ball to the ground. The umpire adjudges that no catch has been made.

How do you score the play?

A – Error by the centre fielder.
B – Error by the right fielder.
C – Error by neither player (i.e. a base hit).
D – Error by both players.

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Answer: B – Error by the right fielder.

Rule 10.12(a)(1) Comment states:
The official scorer shall charge an error to a fielder who causes another fielder to misplay a ball—for example, by knocking the ball out of the other fielder’s glove. On such a play, when the official scorer charges an error to the interfering fielder, the official scorer shall not charge an error to the fielder with whom the other fielder interfered.

Scenario: It’s the end of the season and therefore time to determine the winners of different statistical categories. One particular batter was a clear leader of the on-base average category but did not quite amass the plate appearances needed for qualification.

Is it possible for the batter in question to still win the title?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: A – Yes.

Rule 10.22(a) states:
Notwithstanding the foregoing requirement of minimum appearances at the plate, any player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances whose average would be the highest, if he were charged with the required number of plate appearances shall be awarded the batting, slugging or on-base percentage championship, as the case may be.

Scenario: With a runner on second base and one out, the batter hits a ground-ball to the shortstop, and the runner appears to deliberately try to interfere with the shortstop during this fielder’s attempt to throw the ball to first. Because of this, both the runner and the batter are called out by the umpire. To whom do you assign put-outs and assists (if any)?

As the official scorer… ?

A – 1 put-out to shorstop, 1 put-out to first baseman, no assists.
B – 1 put-out and 1 assist to shorstop, 1 put-out to first baseman.
C – 1 assist to shorstop, 2 put-outs to first baseman.
D – 2 assists to shorstop, 2 put-outs to first baseman.
E – 2 put-outs to first baseman, no assists.
F – 1 put-out to catcher, 1 put-out to first baseman, no assists.

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Answer: C – 1 assist to shorstop, 2 put-outs to first baseman.

Rule 10.09(c)(6) states:
When a runner is called out for having interfered with a fielder, the official scorer shall credit the putout to the fielder with whom the runner interfered, unless the fielder was in the act of throwing the ball when the interference occurred, in which case the official scorer shall credit the putout to the fielder for whom the throw was intended and shall credit an assist to the fielder whose throw was interfered with.

Rule 10.09(c)(7) states:
When the batter-runner is called out because of interference by a preceding runner, as provided in Rule 6.05(m), the official scorer shall credit the putout to the first baseman. If the fielder interfered with was in the act of throwing the ball, the official scorer shall credit such fielder with an assist but shall credit only one assist on any one play under the provisions of Rule 10.09(c)(6) and 10.09(c)(7).

So scored alone, each play should go down as 6-3, but the last sentence of Rule 10.09(c)(7) instructs us to not give two assists on the same play in this scenario.

Scenario: It is the bottom half of the last regulation inning of a tied game. Runners are on first and third and there are two outs. The manager brings in a pinch-runner to first with the instruction to steal second in order to draw a throw from the catcher that should allow the runner on third to come home with the winning run. The substitute follows the instructions on the first pitch of the at-bat but the catcher holds on to the ball. Frustrated by this, the pinch-runner (who is not an authority on baseball’s more obscure rules) decides to unsteal second on the next pitch to create another chance for the planned play. The umpire calls the runner out for running the bases in reverse.

As the official scorer, to whom do you award the put-out?

A – The catcher.
B – The first baseman.
C – The fielder covering second base.

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Answer: C – The fielder covering second base.

Rule 10.09(c)(5) states:
When a runner is called out for running the bases in reverse order, the official scorer shall credit the putout to the fielder covering the base the runner left in starting his reverse run.

Scenario: The runner on first base is standing a couple of feet off the bag and is lost in conversation with the first baseman, who is an old team-mate. The fielder is just setting the baserunner up for a pick-off, though, and by the time the victim twigs, the ball is already in the mitt of the first baseman. As the fielder moves to apply the tag, the runner instinctively sets off for second but is well aware that the fielder can beat him in a foot race. The tag is applied about a third of the way towards second.

As the official scorer, do you charge the runner with a caught stealing?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: A – Yes

Rule 10.07(h)(2) states:
[The official scorer shall charge a runner as “caught stealing” if such runner is put out, or would have been put out by errorless play, when such runner] is picked off a base and tries to advance (any move toward the next base shall be considered an attempt to advance).

In contrast, if the picked-off runner is tagged trying to return to the bag, then the rules state that this would not be a caught stealing.

Scenario: With the bases loaded and two outs, the batter hits a soft grounder back to the pitcher, who throws to the catcher for a force-out. How many players did the team leave on base?

A – 2.
B – 3.
C – 4.

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Answer: B – 3.

Rule 10.02(g) states:
Number of runners left on base by each team […] The official scorer shall include in this total a batter-runner whose batted ball results in another runner being retired for the third out.

So the batter-runner counts as being left on base, even though the player may not have even bothered to run all the way to first. The runner advancing from third was retired so the batter-runner is added to the two other players already on base to give a total of three.

Scenario: The batter hits a fizzing liner straight back at the pitcher, who instinctively tries to turn away from the pitch. The ball loops up off the pitcher’s back and bounces in front of the shortstop, who scoops the ball up and fires it over to first to retire the batter-runner.

How would you put the play down in your scorebook?

A – 1-6-3.
B – 6-3.

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Answer: A – 1-6-3.

Rule 10.10(a)(1) Comment states:
Mere ineffective contact with the ball shall not be considered an assist. “Deflect” shall mean to slow down or change the direction of the ball and thereby effectively assist in putting out a batter or runner.

While unintentional, the pitcher’s involvement is clearly assisting the putting out of the batter-runner, as without it the ball would probably have got through to the outfield.

Scenario: The batter hits a slow grounder straight towards the shortstop. The third baseman dives and knocks the ball with an outstretched glove. This diverts the ball off the path that was taking it straight to the shortstop, but this fielder is still able to grab the ball and nail the batter-runner at first.

How would you put the play down in your scorebook?

A – 5-6-3.
B – 6-3.

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Answer: B – 6-3.

Rule 10.10(a)(1) Comment states:
Mere ineffective contact with the ball shall not be considered an assist. “Deflect” shall mean to slow down or change the direction of the ball and thereby effectively assist in putting out a batter or runner.

The third baseman’s involvement is hindering rather than effectively assisting the putting out of the batter-runner.

Scenario: In the ninth inning of a tied ballgame, the visitors have a runner on first with no outs. The batter lays down a bunt that is picked up cleanly by the pitcher. The pitcher struggles to decide whether to go for the risky out at second or the easy out at first, and in the end throws the ball wide of the first baseman. This enables the batter-runner to reach first base. The lead runner is comfortably safe at second.

Should the batter be charged with an at-bat?

A – Yes.
B – No.

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Answer: B – No.

Rule 10.08(a) states:
Score a sacrifice bunt when, before two are out, the batter advances one or more runners with a bunt and is put out at first base, or would have been put out except for a fielding error.

So the batter’s advance to first goes down as a sacrifice hit with a reach on error, and a sacrifice hit does not constitute an at-bat.