Wild pitch vs passed ball

[cuzmail]

Been watching major league baseball for 40 plus years and I have never, EVER, seen a pitch in the dirt scored as a passed ball. Did I mention EVER??? Anyone who takes on the responsibility of keeping book or entering stats in gamechanger should be mandated to study the NCAA scoring guidelines. And if you are keeping book right now or entering stats in GC and you have never studied, I mean REALLY studied the NCAA scoring guidelines, then shame on you.

This is contrary to the NFHS guidelines. So no shame at all.

 

[riseball]

Different skill sets. Also, ask your infielders how many of them are willing to intentionally use their body to stop a bouncing ball.

That is pretty much a given if they have any designs on playing college ball. Better also learn to take a hit at the plate. Bailing out is no longer acceptable.

 

[SoftballMom2]

Pitchers parent here....IMO..if it hits the dirt it's a wild pitch..you hope the catcher can help the Pitcher out especially at higher levels but it's a wild pitch.If it is a high, low, or river pitch it should be a passed ball..this is what my DD deals with in HS.Her catcher tells her she throws too hard and has too much spin.So any pitch not belt high down Broadway has the potential to be considered wild . Ump got hit in the lower back after our catcher didn't catch a "wild" called high (chest high) outside fastball...it's high school

 

[YOCOACH]

FWIW, this is what I have always used.

Hits the dirt before or on the plate = wild.
Hits the dirt behind the plate outside of the catcher (either side) = wild
Hits the dirt behind the plate in front of the catcher = passed ball.
If a ball hits the dirt behind the plate and in front of the catcher, then they better be able to either catch or block the ball.

This shouldn't be automatic. What happens if it hits a rock and bounces wildly to the side of the C? She drops and blocks in the correct spot but the ball still goes by. Or what about the pitcher with wild spin? There are many examples you could use. These are not, and should not be scored a PB because it would take extraordinary effort to stop them in these particular circumstances.

 

[cuzmail]

This shouldn't be automatic. What happens if it hits a rock and bounces wildly to the side of the C? She drops and blocks in the correct spot but the ball still goes by. Or what about the pitcher with wild spin? There are many examples you could use. These are not, and should not be scored a PB because it would take extraordinary effort to stop them in these particular circumstances.

Hmmmm. While I see the idea you are trying to get out there I don't see the scenarios as plausible.
A rock? We haven't played on any fields where this was an issue.
Wild spin? The catcher knows what pitch is being called and not sure what would be classified as wild spin?

However, if you are trying to say that if the planets line up and some freaky stuff happens to a pitch where is goes crazy like the Kennedy assassination magic bullet, then I personally wouldn't score that as a passed ball. It also shouldn't count as a wild pitch using the same logic.

 

[29dad]

FWIW, this is what I have always used.

Hits the dirt before or on the plate = wild.
Hits the dirt behind the plate outside of the catcher (either side) = wild
Hits the dirt behind the plate in front of the catcher = passed ball.


If a ball hits the dirt behind the plate and in front of the catcher, then they better be able to either catch or block the ball.

I can definitely live with this. I'm sure you are comforted knowing that your scoring system meets my approval. )

 

[29dad]

Interesting. NFHS stipulates only balls that hit the ground in front of the plate are automatically "wild". I always thought any ball in the dirt was wild whether ahead or behind the plate.

Good find and very surprising to me. I guess high school catchers are supposed to be better than Division 1 college catchers.

 

[JAD]

Balls in the dirt are wild pitches in my book, but I think catchers should be able to block balls in the "5-hole"!

 

[newsoftballdad]

When I am scoring a game, WP vs. PB depends on whether I am sitting next to a catchers dad or a pitchers dad. Either way $20.00 swings the call the other way!

 

[CoogansBluff]

I wouldn't score high school games any differently. The HS rules don't say balls behind the plate and in front of the catcher are PB's. They just say that they are not automatically PB's. The NCAA rules also use the word ''generally'' to say that balls in the dirt ''generally'' are WP's. (Although someone quoted a different set of NCAA rules that called said they are automatic WP's.)

But in any event, I can't imagine that the NFHS is taking a stand here and drastically changing the definition of WP/PB. IMO, if you're habitually scoring balls behind home and in front of the catch as PB's, you're reading something into the HS rules that isn't there.