Wild pitch versus passed ball

[BrianTx01]

If it bounces it is a wild pitch.... even if it is a routine block by the catcher. Otherwise it is up to the scorekeeper to determine whether the catcher should have stopped it or not.

 

[_MIA_]

I mean if you asking this because you are a scorekeeper or just want to be informed, then kudos. Otherwise who cares...I know when my kid should have made a play or not...

If you are asking because your kid is getting charged with more WP than you think she should..again who cares. Doubt anybody is going to lose a scholarship because they have too many WP in GC..

Edit: Yes I am a cynical SOB..

 

[cnardone]

Its routine for some catchers to field dirt pitches!

No doubt, my DD being a pitcher, I want those catchers for sure. However, even for those stud catchers, I look at it "you saved your pitcher a WP." not, you saved yourself from a passed ball.

 

[radness]

No doubt, my DD being a pitcher, I want those catchers for sure. However, even for those stud catchers, I look at it "you saved your pitcher a WP." not, you saved yourself from a passed ball.

Like how you distinguish
Saving it from being a WP!!

There are times want the pitch in the dirt.
Example
Sharp drop. (not deep into zone)
Change up.

There are times defensive players are purposely bouncing throws.

If the pitch is in the dirt with runners on...
And catcher blocks to have ball hit her...
And runner steals...

How then to determine the play?
Block blocked it but runner advanced.
is it a WP & an error because runner stole on the catcher?!
Or?
Just making a point that
imo
There certainly is an expectation, that while some pitches may go in the dirt,
REGARDLESS of catchers mechanics to the dirt pitch,
runners should NOT be able to steal!
(Sayin' just because pitch goes in dirt not automatic free base)

How and where pitch bounces, similar to short hop or outfielders throw, can be either handled or cause a problem WP.
There can be an expectation to make/finish the play with pitches/ throws in the dirt !

Good Discussion commenting on what is a wild pitch.
Like it makes people think!

 

[Ken Krause]

It depends on wether the book keeper is the pitchers mom or the catchers mom

^^^^^This right here.

 

[whiporee]

I mean if you asking this because you are a scorekeeper or just want to be informed, then kudos. Otherwise who cares...I know when my kid should have made a play or not...

If you are asking because your kid is getting charged with more WP than you think she should..again who cares. Doubt anybody is going to lose a scholarship because they have too many WP in GC..

Edit: Yes I am a cynical SOB..

I usually like to keep score, and as the girls get older I want to be accurate. it doesn't really matter, but like scoring an error versus a hit, I wondered what the distinction was.

 

[eagle6]

But when the ball drops into the dirt three feet in front of the plate, it's hard to block. I've seen that happen plenty of times. Or when the riseball rises to 6 feet above her head.

Catcher can't do anything about a truly horrible pitch. If it hits 3 ft in front of the plate and they try to block it and it gets by, so be it. If it's 3 ft in front of the plate and they try to pick it as it goes by, that's not a good catcher. DD knows she shouldn't be throwing pitches that wild, but if she has confidence in her catcher, she will pitch better with runners on 3rd. Knowing you will be bailed out on a bad pitch allows her to stay loose. Catchers are worth their weight in gold and many parents don't realize how much they help or hurt a team. Especially when keeping the circle princesses head right!

 

[MNDad]

+ 1
about a year ago we had a very similar thread. Someone was arguing that it was ordinary effort for a catcher to cleanly pick a bounced pitch.

That might have been me. I don’t recall, but I did post the rules and “ordinary effort” is part of the standard in some sanctions.

 

[MNDad]

Here’s various definitions of a Wild Pitch. This just applies to scoring.


NFHS (& PGF)
SECTION 6 PITCHER’S RECORD
ART. 1 . . . A wild pitch (F.P.) shall be charged to the pitcher when a ball legally delivered to the
batter is so high, or so low (including any pitch which touches the ground in front of home base), or so far away from home base that the catcher does not stop or control it with ordinary effort and the batter-runner advances to first base or any runner advances a base.

NCAA
SECTION 28—WILD PITCH
A wild pitch is charged to a pitcher when the pitch is so high, wide or low that the catcher cannot handle the
ball with ordinary effort and at least one runner advances. Any pitch in the dirt is wild.

USSSA
WILD PITCH. A wild pitch is a pitch that cannot be handled by the catcher with
ordinary effort.

ASA
WILD PITCH: A legally delivered pitch that the catcher cannot catch or stop and control
with ordinary effort.

 

[CoachJD]

If the pitch is in the dirt with runners on...
And catcher blocks to have ball hit her...
And runner steals...

How then to determine the play?
Block blocked it but runner advanced.
is it a WP & an error because runner stole on the catcher?!
Or?
Just making a point that
imo
There certainly is an expectation, that while some pitches may go in the dirt,
REGARDLESS of catchers mechanics to the dirt pitch,
runners should NOT be able to steal!
(Sayin' just because pitch goes in dirt not automatic free base)

How and where pitch bounces, similar to short hop or outfielders throw, can be either handled or cause a problem WP.
There can be an expectation to make/finish the play with pitches/ throws in the dirt !

Do you actually mean the runner steals or do you mean the runner advances?

If the runner is stealing on the pitch (the only time "steal" is accurate), then it's a stolen base.

If the runner advances once the ball hits the dirt, it's a wild pitch (or a passed ball, depending on what is scored there). It's never an error if the runner advances on a wild pitch/passed ball.

This is all true even if we agree that some dirt pitches should be handled by a catcher, and in many cases, if they do it properly, the runner will not be able to advance.