Scoring for slapper hit or error?

[Itsabouttime]

There seems to be such a fine line when a slapper gets on base due to an arguable error as to whether the runner would have been safe even if the play had been made cleanly. I would think it would need to be fairly clear that she would have been out to score an error on such situations. Or is this basically irrelevant since the key stat should be OBP and even if a slapper gets on via an error that should be viewed as a hit for purposes of OBP? Thoughts?

 

[starsnuffer]

The scorekeeper has final say on what is and what is not an error. An error is a mishandling of the ball. If the ball is fielded cleanly and thrown to 1B but the runner beats the throw, it's a hit. Being slow is not an error. If the fielder bobbles the ball or makes a bad throw, then it is an error.

Most coaches won't look at stats because stats lie, but it makes parents happy.

-W

 

[tghorley]

Most coaches won't look at stats because stats lie, but it makes parents happy.

-W

Hopefully that would be true for all coaches. The lady that does our score keeping keeps it simple. If the ball hits a fielder glove but he batter still makes it to 1st base, its an error. If a girl hits the ball to 3rd base and knocks her glove off of her hand, error. If a shot is hit toward the 1st baseman and she dives for the ball and it touches the girl's glove before it goes into rf, error. It makes it simple for her. But it is good for OBP, or not. I noticed this young lady had a very good weekend hitting and actually raised her batting avg 30 points, but OBP went down 400. Don't ask me?

 

[CoogansBluff]

Most coaches won't look at stats because stats lie, but it makes parents happy.

What?

Are you saying that most coaches don't look at stats? I'd be afraid of a coach who DIDN'T look at statistics and trusts his or her own eyes all the time. I keep my team's statistics. I don't show them to anyone unless an assistant coach asks to see it. I can't tell you how many times that an assistant coach or parent THINKS a player is hitting well when she is not. Or THINKS that one pitcher is more effective than another when she is not.

I don't look at statistics to justify decisions. I use them to make sure I'm not making assumptions that are not based on reality.

And I understand that stats can ''lie.'' But a good coach can read through that and glean some insights that he/she wouldn't ordinarily get.

 

[chinamigarden]

Getting on due to an error does not help your OBP. Its one of a few ways you can get on that does not benefit the OBP.

Errors vs hits are very subjective and open to interpretation. Its also based on who is doing the book, is it the pitchers mom, or the ss mom?

 

[JAD]

Scoring a game can be very subjective, which is why the person scoring the game is important. As a coach, I would look at a slappers OBP vs. batting average. I don't care how she gets on base - hit, error, walk, HBP, as long as she gets on base. Stats do not tell the whole story.

 

[Lozza]

The lady that does our score keeping keeps it simple. If the ball hits a fielder glove but he batter still makes it to 1st base, its an error. If a girl hits the ball to 3rd base and knocks her glove off of her hand, error. If a shot is hit toward the 1st baseman and she dives for the ball and it touches the girl's glove before it goes into rf, error.

So if the ball is hit clean to shortstop, who fields it cleanly but the runner is so fast she makes it to first before the throw, that's an error? Poor batter.

I've had it explained to me as whether the fielder makes an ordinary effort to get the ball and makes an error. So a ball is hit straight to second and second fumbles the ball and the runner makes it as a result, that's an error. However if the ball is hir just out of second's reach, and second makes a massive dive to try and stop the ball, but it deflects off her glove, that's a safe hit for the runner and not an error for the second baseman. Alternativley if third take a dive at a ball out of her reach and deflects it away from shortstop, who would have made it an easy out, I'll error third.

 

[Scl1991]

Touching a ball and not making a play does not equal error. Likewise, those that like to say " she didn't touch the ball so it's not an error" are incorrect. The standard question should be " with ordinary effort should the pay have been made?" Touch or no touch.
Don't penalize fielders who lay out for a ball but can't make the play. Otherwise you'll end up with lazy fielders.
Don't confuse incompetence with errors. If the ball is fielded cleanly, even if it was done excruciatingly slow, it's a hit. Not an error.
A rule of thumb I use when deciding if it's an error- if they play had been made old we all have thought "Wow! Great play!". If we do, it probably required more than ordinary effort and probably wasn't an error.
The fact is there are probably way less errors than we want to believe, and also way less base hits (with errors, FC, etc, but that's a loaded topic for another time!) than we want to believe. It probably depends on who's keeping the book and if it's their kid up to bat or not !

 

[leechristensen]

slappers are tough if she hits a slow roller to short and they field it cleanly and she still beats it out it has to be a hit. slow roller to 3rd tries to bare hand it to get but misses you have to decide if she would make it safely with a clean play..always tough call in scoring i always judge on the side of the kids and give a hit if not sure. the ones i hate are the routine grounders that go through the 5 hole without being touched technically a hit but usually give an error

 

[ConorMacleod]

"Routine" play, or "ordinary effort" as already seen here. At 8U and 10U for instance, nothing is routine, so I don't think there should be any such thing as errors or fielders choice. But what Coach would be critical of a 9 year old who hit the ball between 3rd baseman's legs for a "double"? But, the "anything that hits the fielders glove" rationale is absolutely brutal. I would get a new scorekeeper. The coach can't possibly make any judgments with that. There must be a ton of "errors" for that team. Again, "routine" play. Or, would most other girls in that situation have been able to make that play? Between the legs? Error. Bad hop in front of the girl that hits off her shoulder? Base hit. Routine fly ball into foul territory that hits off the glove? Error, even though the batter is still up. Many plays are absolutely subjective to the scorekeeper. No hitter going with 1 out in last inning? ERROR!