Help me Score

tenandten said:

I do not see a fielders choice as an option at 3rd when the only base runner was on second. Let me pose the question a different way.

No runners on any base with 1 out the batter hits ball to 3rd basemen who runs to third and steps on the bag no throw to first. Clearly this would be a mental error brain fart. When coach asked she says I thought there was a force play at 3rd.

How would you score this?

Click to expand...

FC Fielder chose to run to third. A routine play would have had the batter out at 1st.

tenandten said:

I do not see a fielders choice as an option at 3rd when the only base runner was on second. Let me pose the question a different way.

No runners on any base with 1 out the batter hits ball to 3rd basemen who runs to third and steps on the bag no throw to first. Clearly this would be a mental error brain fart. When coach asked she says I thought there was a force play at 3rd.

How would you score this?

Click to expand...

Maybe this will help. The fielder was “attempting” to put out a preceding runner, even though there wasn’t one. This is a mental error and no error is charged to the fielder. Mental error does NOT always equal a base hit. Once the fielder attempted a play, even though there was none, it became a FC.

FIELDER’S CHOICE SECTION 7. A fielder’s choice is credited in the following situations:
a. To a batter:
1. When a ball is put in play and any preceding runner is forced out on the hit or would have been out had no error occurred.
2. When a ball is put in play and the lead runner is safe but the batter would have been out had the initial play gone to first base.
3. When a ball is put in play and any preceding runner, who is forced to advance, is called out on an appeal for missing the first base to which she was advancing.
4. When a runner is checked and no throw or a late throw is made, but the runner would have been out had the initial play gone to first base.

BASE HIT NOT CREDITED SECTION 4. A hit is not credited to the batter in the following situations:
a. When a batter advances one or more bases while a fielder who handles a fair hit attempts to put out a preceding runner.
b. When a batter misses first base and is then called out on an appeal.
c. When a batter hits safely and a preceding runner misses the first base to which she was advancing. This is an appealed force out, and the batter is safe on a fielder’s choice.
d. When a runner is called out for being touched by an infield fly ball.
e. When a runner is forced out on a batted ball or would have been forced out except for a fielding error.
f. When a fielder fails in an attempt to retire a preceding runner and, in the scorer’s judgment, the batter-runner could have been retired at first base.

This is a fielder's choice (assuming the batter-runner isn't remarkably fast and clearly was going to beat out the throw), and logically so.

The fielder literally chose to try to get the runner on second out. Her choice was to make a play on that runner and not the runner on first. Just because she did a really terrible job of it doesn't change the fact it goes down as a fielder's choice.