Fielded choice?

[cnardone]

For example throw to home, batter advances to 2nd because of the throw home, is a single with extra base in fielders choice.

There is no Fielders Choice given in this situation.

 

[Cougars]

There was just a really long thread about this on the Facebook 'Gamechanger Admins' group (I know you are all jealous that I'm in the group)

I was surprised (maybe shouldn't be), by how many of other teams "official scorers" were convinced it should be a hit because the ball made the outfield. Even when presented with the specific rules, there was a lot of "I'm not punishing a kid for a 'hit' to the outfield".

Especially in softball, it's not even that rare of play. A CF charging the little blooper, but not quite getting there, is often as close/closer to 2B when they pick up the ball than the baserunner at first.

 

[nightskiier]

There is no Fielders Choice given in this situation.

In the example given when a runner advances because of a throw to another base is indeed a fielder's choice. The fielder is choosing to throw and attempt a put out on a preceding runner instead of throwing to the next base to hold the B-R. These are FC's under advancing the play. GC, iScore, and other platforms typically word this FC as "On the Throw".

NCAA Rules:
14.4 Extra Base Hit Is Credited:
“14.4.2 A batter is credited only with the base they would have reached had no play on a preceding base runner taken place. If they stop, see another play, and then advance, they do not receive credit for that base.”

14.6 Fielder's Choice Is Credited
"14.6.2.1 When, after reaching base safely, a batter earns extra bases because of a play on a preceding base runner.”

NHFS 9-3 Player's Batting Record
Art. 2c (NOTE) - Scorekeepers use the term (Fielder's Choice) in the following ways (1) to indicate the advance of the batter-runner who takes one or more bases when the fielder who handles the batted ball plays on a preceding runner; (2) to indicate the advance of a runner, other than by stolen base or error, while a fielder is trying to putout another runner....

Art. 3 A base hit for extra bases is credited to the batter when it is the sole reason for safe arrival at second base (double), third base (triple), or home plate (home run)

 

[CoachJD]

The way I understand it, fielders choices are only for infield plays and extra bases on balls hit to the out field. For example throw to home, batter advances to 2nd because of the throw home, is a single with extra base in fielders choice.

Everyone answered the main question, but both of these assumptions are wrong. There is no requirement for the FC to be an infield play, and the second one would be scored a single, advance on the throw (no error unless the runner only advanced because the throw was wild or the other fielder missed the catch). Edited to add: I guess this is, technically, a fielder's choice, but as long as you don't call it a double, you're good. I don't think anybody is writing "FC" in their book every time a runner advances from one base to another because of a play on another runner (think about how often that happens in every game!). That would be a nightmare to decipher.

You didn't ask this, but a fielder's choice can also be scored even if no out is recorded. For example, R1 on first, ground ball to F6, F6 flips to F4 at second, but the runner beats the throw. Unless the scorer is certain this was the fielder's only play and the batter would've been safe, it's scored FC and goes down as an 0-1 in the book even though everyone was safe.

I strongly encourage those who want to understand scoring to just watch a lot of Major League games and watch how all these plays are scored (scoring is pretty much the same, though a scorer does need to take into account the skill level of the players involved). There are literally millions of MLB plays in history, and we have scoring data for everything from the past 100+ years. It's almost a guarantee that whatever weird play you saw last weekend has happened many times in pro ball.

 

[CoachJD]

There was just a really long thread about this on the Facebook 'Gamechanger Admins' group (I know you are all jealous that I'm in the group)

I was surprised (maybe shouldn't be), by how many of other teams "official scorers" were convinced it should be a hit because the ball made the outfield. Even when presented with the specific rules, there was a lot of "I'm not punishing a kid for a 'hit' to the outfield".

Especially in softball, it's not even that rare of play. A CF charging the little blooper, but not quite getting there, is often as close/closer to 2B when they pick up the ball than the baserunner at first.

How would these insane people score a line drive to right field that the RF fields on a hop and throws to first for the out? After all, you don't want to "punish" a kid for that "hit" to the outfield.

I know it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but people who just MSU with scoring really bother me. Follow the scoring rules or let someone else do the job.

 

[Agcy]

There was just a really long thread about this on the Facebook 'Gamechanger Admins' group (I know you are all jealous that I'm in the group)

I was surprised (maybe shouldn't be), by how many of other teams "official scorers" were convinced it should be a hit because the ball made the outfield. Even when presented with the specific rules, there was a lot of "I'm not punishing a kid for a 'hit' to the outfield".

Especially in softball, it's not even that rare of play. A CF charging the little blooper, but not quite getting there, is often as close/closer to 2B when they pick up the ball than the baserunner at first.

That kind of stuff drives me nuts.

Another example: runners at 1st and 3rd and the runner at first steals second. A lot of HS scorers I see will score that as "Defensive Indifference" when it is a stolen base - plain and simple. I score for my daughter's team; I know that I am giving her a lot more stolen bases than other teams, but it is correct.

 

[El Oso]

I know it's not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, but people who just MSU with scoring really bother me. Follow the scoring rules or let someone else do the job.

Usually it's one of the helicopter Mom's doing it whose exposure to baseball/softball is limited to playing in PE class back in 6th grade. And their scoring acumen reflects it. But I caution you against trying to pry the gamechanger duties away from her. In her mind she knows everything and you know nothing except misogyny. Asking to take the scoring duties away from her is akin to asking her to go to the kitchen and bake a pie.

 

[wheresmycar]

BR on first should not be tagging up... they should be more or less half way to 2nd, so they can advance safely if ball is not caught, and get back to 1st if ball is caught.

 

[djcarter1966]

BR on first should not be tagging up... they should be more or less half way to 2nd, so they can advance safely if ball is not caught, and get back to 1st if ball is caught.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER

Go tell the 1st base coach to get off his butt and tell the girls they need to be half way on fly ball not waiting to tag up.

 

[PDM]

Scoring question, this has happened to my DD twice this year, she’s hit a ball to the out field, out fielder fails to make the catch (not scored an error) and the runners at first who have tagged up gets thrown out at second.

Our score keeper scores it as a fielders choice instead of a hit. The way I understand it, fielders choices are only for infield plays and extra bases on balls hit to the out field. For example throw to home, batter advances to 2nd because of the throw home, is a single with extra base in fielders choice.

What’s the correct scoring? Are these hits or are they fielders choice?

Everyone is going to say the same. Fielder's choice.