How to score the error?

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Apr 11, 2016
133
28
There was a college team this year (I want to say Mizzou) using F3 to bust over to third to cover 3rd if they didn't field the bunt.

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In DD's other team (B team), F3 was great in covering 3B when she didn't field the bunt. Totally agree F3 can also cover 3B. This is a National team, yet the rest of the fielders were just standing there while no one covered 3B. I reviewed the video and is just shaking my head. I wish her other teammate could play 1B here. She was the best F3 I've ever seen. The F3 here (AC's daughter) would just sit back and generally pretty slow.
 
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Apr 11, 2016
133
28
How that particular play is scored and who gets the error aren't important. I know it's irritating, but nobody else cares. What's important is what the coach of this "national" team tells your DD about that play. Hopefully, he tells her to throw the ball just like that next time, and he'll make sure someone is covering. If she has to look first, the throw is probably late.
Agree. DD told me assistant coach yelled at her after that play, so he basically was teaching her look before throw. As a 14U National team, I didn't think that was the correct teaching moment. Thankfully, DD went to talk to HC afterward to see what she should do next time, and HC told DD that catcher or LF should have been there, and to tell her to do the exact same thing next time.
 
May 16, 2016
946
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What should she have done? Should she get the error or should it be SS's error for covering the wrong base?

SS covered correct base. 3rd could be covered by LF or catcher, but not SS in that situation. Got to look before making that throw, and eat it if nobody covered.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Agree. DD told me assistant coach yelled at her after that play, so he basically was teaching her look before throw. As a 14U National team, I didn't think that was the correct teaching moment. Thankfully, DD went to talk to HC afterward to see what she should do next time, and HC told DD that catcher or LF should have been there, and to tell her to do the exact same thing next time.

Looking before you throw doesn't mean you stop moving. Especially at the level you're talking about, a player should be able to read the situation while in the process of preparing to throw. I agree that there should have been someone there, and that's an issue that should be corrected urgently, but making a throw to no one is also a mistake.
 
Aug 21, 2020
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Well we got an semi-related data point in tonight's WS Gm 2 on Maldonado's grounder to LF. No one covered 3B because F5 and F6 looked like they wanted to cut off the throw to home and F7 threw to an uncovered base. Ended up E7.

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Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
So it probably doesn't apply to this particular play, but it's not true that a throw to a base that's not being covered is always a throwing error.

The scoring rules actually specifically state otherwise. From OBR (someone correct me if there's a reason why OBR isn't a good source for this one), Rule 9.12(a)(8)

(a) The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder:

(8) whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance, so long as there was occasion for the throw. If such throw was made to second base, the official scorer shall determine whether it was the duty of the second baseman or the shortstop to stop the ball and shall charge an error to the negligent fielder.

Rule 9.12(a )(8) Comment: If, in the official scorer’s judgment, there was no occasion for the throw, the official scorer shall charge an error to the fielder who threw the ball.

The most common case of this would be nobody covering (or being late to cover) on a stolen base attempt. If the catcher fires to second and nobody's there, she doesn't get the error if the runner goes to third. One of the middle infielders does. In a more absurd example, if, for example, the first baseman just decides to not cover first on a ground ball, an accurate (to the base) throw from an infielder that isn't caught would be an error on the 1B.

In the case of the OP, I'd lean toward an error on the throw because it's a secondary play, and while maybe there was "occasion for the throw," it's not entirely clear who should have been covering (or if anybody even could have gotten there quickly enough to make that play). I'm not sure you could argue a fielder was "negligent" on that play. (Remember, with scoring, the level/quality of play matters. What is an error in Major League Baseball is not necessarily an error in 10u ball.)
 
Mar 4, 2015
526
93
New England
So it probably doesn't apply to this particular play, but it's not true that a throw to a base that's not being covered is always a throwing error.

The scoring rules actually specifically state otherwise. From OBR (someone correct me if there's a reason why OBR isn't a good source for this one), Rule 9.12(a)(8)

e. An error shall be charged against any fielder whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance, providing there was occasion for the throw. If, in the scorer’s judgment, there was no occasion for the throw, an error shall be charged to the fielder who threw the ball.

I'd like to believe this rule applies to players could've caught a ball but neglected to do so, not to players who neglect to cover a base. Otherwise, scorekeepers are being asked to make subjective judgements. It's one thing for a scorekeeper to judge that a player was positioned to catch a ball but didn't. It's another to ask a scorekeeper to decide which fielder should've been positioned to catch it but wasn't.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
I'd like to believe this rule applies to players could've caught a ball but neglected to do so, not to players who neglect to cover a base. Otherwise, scorekeepers are being asked to make subjective judgements. It's one thing for a scorekeeper to judge that a player was positioned to catch a ball but didn't. It's another to ask a scorekeeper to decide which fielder should've been positioned to catch it but wasn't.

The rule specifically addresses a case where the scorer should make that subjective judgment (they're asked to do so all the time, btw). In the case of a play at second, the scorer decides if it was 2B or SS who didn't do the job. That tells me it's not just a person standing there not catching the ball, but a person not covering when they should have.
 

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