Home Keeping scoreGreat Britain Baseball Scorers AssociationYou Are the Scorer You Are the Scorer: Number 34

You Are the Scorer: Number 34

by Joe Gray

YouAreScorer

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.

Highlight the text below to reveal the answer:

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.

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5 comments

CJ June 30, 2009 - 12:56 pm

Another unrelated question and its more a rule question than scoring but I’m sure you know the answer. (also do you have a forum or facebook place I should be putting these instead or is it ok if I hijack the latest thread?)

Here’s the situation – player on 2nd with 0 outs. Runner goes to steal after a good lead off and is clearly going to be safe – Batter is HBP. Does the steal still count or not? I’m guessing its a dead ball and the runner would have to return but what if the runner touched the bag before the ball hit the batter would it then be good-Would this also be the case for a ball that is fouled dead?

Looking forward to the answer hope the question is clear enough, CJ

Reply
Ron June 30, 2009 - 2:54 pm

My ruling would be (by the book) deadball and runner holds at 2nd.

If he had touched 3rd already, it would be a timing playing, meaning he occupied 2nd when the ball was pitched, and that’s his base.

If he had reached 3rd before the pitch, that’s an entirely different argument.

Reply
JJ June 30, 2009 - 3:32 pm

Well if we’re talking about obscure rules…

Joe, you might have been there when this happened at Southampton. One of our hitters got a base hit and I trotted home to score easily from 3rd base.

Southampton claimed a rule that because the dropped bat had interfered with the catcher (with neither intention nor contact bearing any influence) the batter and the runners should all return. Our manager at the time didn’t argue it so everyone returned at the batter struck out endng the inning and leaving me at 3rd.

I did find the rule, but this was a long time ago and can’t remember the paragraph numbers, however I do remember than when I read the rule it had not been applied/interpreted correctly because it doesn’t apply on a base hit.

Reply
Joe Gray July 1, 2009 - 9:00 am

CJ: This is as good a place as any to post these questions, but if you’d prefer there is a special BSUK scorers forum you can get access to if you register (for free) with the Great Britain Baseball Scorers Association. Let me know if you want to do this, and I can sort it out.

The good thing from a scorer’s perspective about the types of question posed here is that we don’t need to worry too much because it is the job of the umpire to adjudicate and for us to just record. At the same time, it doesn’t hurt to have a deep knowledge of the rules (not that I’m saying I do for non-scoring-related rules).

In this case, I’m siding with Ron’s answer.

JJ: Although I recall many strange goings-on in the early years of Pirates III, either this one had slipped from my sieve-like memory or I wasn’t there to see it. Sounds like a classic British baseball scenario.

Joe

Reply
JJ July 3, 2009 - 10:18 am

I really want to find that darn rule again though.

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