Hit or Error?

[SCflashes]

How do you score a hit ball that is a slow roller or routine ground ball that goes on either side of an infielder and is not touched by the infielder? I understand if a ball goes through the legs it's an error. Would you score this a hit or error? Thanks.

 

[quincy]

Up to the offical scrorer.

It sounds like you are leaning torwards an error which is fine.

 

[SoAZDad]

How do you score a hit ball that is a slow roller or routine ground ball that goes on either side of an infielder and is not touched by the infielder? I understand if a ball goes through the legs it's an error. Would you score this a hit or error? Thanks.

Not quite enough info. Possibly one of those "had to be there" calls. For example, if the infielder was out of position, scorekeeper (SK) may rule it a hit. If the infielder was zoning out and it was a mental error, it's rued a hit because mental errors are not scored as errors. Also consider slow rolling bunts where a fielder gets to the ball fast and makes a good throw to 1B, but the batter-runner beats it out...that's a hit.

So with limited info I'm inclined to rule it a hit.

 

[quincy]

You have to be careful too with the player’s abilities. Just because it is a routine play for Ozzie Smith does not mean it is for another player. I do think you do lean heavily on it’s a hit side of it.

 

[smddad]

I have learned to err on the side of a hit. Especially after watching how the MLB scores.

 

[CoogansBluff]

How do you score a hit ball that is a slow roller or routine ground ball that goes on either side of an infielder and is not touched by the infielder?

If it was a routine ground ball, how did it go untouched? Are you using ''routine'' to describe the velocity of the ground ball? For scoring, the word ''routine'' is typically used to describe the difficulty in making the play, so that confused me.

If a ground ball gets through past the infielders and the batter reaches first, then that's almost always going to be a hit.

 

[djcarter1966]

Obviously had to be there but, what effort is the fielder making? A hit ground ball that gets by an infielder untouched is most likely going to be scored a hit. I suppose there are exceptions but again that would be the exception not the norm. What else out of the ordinary is happening other than ground ball hit past the infielder?

 

[Sweet Lou]

There is not enough information but if the fielder had to move and was unable to reach the ball, I'd rule it a hit.

 

[quincy]

OK, I will go for the easy line.

If my DD is pitching it is an error, if my DD is in the field it is a hit.

It is pretty arbitrary, for your own (or team) scorebook you just need to be as consistent as possible or neither mean much.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

I agree with others there isn't enough info to definitively say hit or error. In order to score it an error, SK needs to determine an average player at that level could have made the play with ordinary effort and there weren't any mitigating factors such as:

- Fielder slipped or fell.
- Ball took an unnatural bounce (e.g. high, low or laterally) and required more than ordinary effort to field it.
- Fielder had moved a considerable distance and/or was running at high speed.

You can charge an error if the fielder used less than ordinary effort which resulted in them not being in a good fielding position (e.g. reached for the ball instead of moving feet).