Ball In the Dirt Before Home Plate, What Is The Call?

[RobD]

Ok, at work today, we were talking about a couple things, and discussing what we thought the calls would be.

First was, If a pitcher walks a batter and eventually she scores, does the batter get charged with a earned run? I said I think she does get charged with a earned run, UNLESS the runner scored because of an error.


Second thing concerns the dropped 3rd strike. If the pitch hits the dirt in front of the plate and bounces over the plate and the batter swings for strike 3, but the catcher drops it, does she still get to attempt to run to first? Or is it a ball as soon as it hits the dirt?

What if the batter swings and hit a pitch that hits the dirt before home plate and bounces over the plate?

Thanks

Rob

 

[coachtucc]

1) any ball that hits the dirt and the batter swings and misses is a strike..if it hits the dirt and bounces over the plate and the batter swings it is a a strike. Yes she can run to 1st if she swings and misses and any ball in the dirt and it is strike three.
2) if the batter swings and hits a ball in the dirt and it bounces over the plate it is a foul ball.

 

[MTR]

1) any ball that hits the dirt and the batter swings and misses is a strike..if it hits the dirt and bounces over the plate and the batter swings it is a ball. Yes she can run to 1st if she swings and misses and any ball in the dirt and it is strike three.
2) if the batter swings and hits a ball in the dirt and it bounces over the plate it is a foul ball.

Say what?

If a U3K situation is in effect, the catcher must catch the pitch in flight. If the ball hits the ground at anytime, it is not a ball in flight. So, the answer to the question is, yes, this is a "dropped third strike".

 

[coachtucc]

Say what?

If a U3K situation is in effect, the catcher must catch the pitch in flight. If the ball hits the ground at anytime, it is not a ball in flight. So, the answer to the question is, yes, this is a "dropped third strike".

whoops..stupid mistake on my part..meant strike of course and corrected it!!

 

[Greenmonsters]

RobD, sounds like an intersting place to work. For purposes of earned runs, consider a walk the same as a base hit because the pitcher is directly responsible for both outcomes. MTR's post addresses your question re a dropped third strike (aka D3K) or uncaught third strike (U3K) as MTR likes to call it. And to clarify Coach Tucc's response, a pitch that bounces in the dirt is still a live ball and can be swung at and hit by the batter with the same ramifications as a pitch that doesn't bounce.

 

[joemcq51]

Ok, at work today, we were talking about a couple things, and discussing what we thought the calls would be.

First was, If a pitcher walks a batter and eventually she scores, does the batter get charged with a earned run? I said I think she does get charged with a earned run, UNLESS the runner scored because of an error.

I have never seen a batter charged with an earned run. However, if she scores, it would be no different than getting on base with a hit. The pitcher would be charged with an earned run, unless the run was a result of an error.

 

[MTR]

whoops..stupid mistake on my part..meant strike of course and corrected it!!

I was convinced I wasn't reading it right until about the fifth time through. And that just confused me more.

Thanks

 

[CoogansBluff]

First was, If a pitcher walks a batter and eventually she scores, does the batter get charged with a earned run? I said I think she does get charged with a earned run, UNLESS the runner scored because of an error.

As someone noted, pitchers are charged with earned runs, not batters.

But another point of clarification: Runs can score because of errors and still be earned. It's not one play that determines whether a run is earned. It's the context of the entire inning. For example - Batter triples to lead off. Catcher attempts pickoff, sends ball into LF. Runner scores on the error. Next batter hits a HR. Although the first batter scored on an error, both runs are earned because the error becomes irrelevant once the HR is hit. Both would have scored with perfect fielding. That's the key - What runs would've scored without any errors in the inning.

 

[RobD]

That was my mistake, I meant pitcher, not batter.

Another scenario - Runners on 1st and 2nd, both got on with base hits. Next batter hits a grounder to the 2nd baseman. 2nd baseman tags the runner coming from 1st for the out, then throws to 3rd trying to get that runner out but throws high and it goes to the sideline fence. The runner rounds 3rd and heads for home as the 3rd baseman tracks down the ball and throws it to the catcher. The throw was also way over the catchers head and the run scores. Is that run charged as an earned run, or not because the runner scored on an error? Yes, these chats at work are interesting as they make the day go by quicker.

 

[honus14]

First of all, you can't assume a double play, so you have to assume the runner would have been safe at third anyway.

Then, see Coogan'sBluff's post above; you need to know what happens after the error. Reconstruct the inning without the error; would the run have scored anyway? If so (say the next batter hit a home run), then it's earned. If not (the next three batters struck out), it isn't.