Consecutive Game Hitting Streaks

Courtesy of Mark Bloom/Icon Sportwire

I wrote a post on Jackie Bradley Jr over at my Red Sox focused blog. Among other things, I noted a quirk in the consecutive game hitting streak scoring rule.  This was a temporary hot topic on twitter when he was walked in his first couple of plate appearances while trying to keep his hit streak alive. A few tweeps quickly pointed out that the streak does not end if all plate appearances are walks, hit by pitch, CI or sacrifice bunts.  But it does end, if a batter gets a sacrifice fly.   Here is the exact wording of the rule (9.23(b) previously 10.23(b)):

A consecutive-game hitting streak shall not be terminated if all of a batter’s plate appearances (one or more) in a game result in a base on balls, hit batsman, defensive interference or obstruction or a sacrifice bunt. The streak shall terminate if the player has a sacrifice fly and no hit.

Curious that a sacrifice fly ends it.  An at bat is not charged for a SF, so a hit streak could end with a player going 0-0.  Imagine after hitting in 55 consecutive games, a manager intentionally walks you in every plate appearance. Until you come up with the bases loaded with one out in a tie game in the bottom of the 9th. You hit a long sacrifice fly to get a walkoff win.  According to this rule, Joe DiMaggio can rest easy knowing that his record will not be broken.

If anybody has any idea why the rule is written this way, I’d love to hear it.

 

Why is THIS a home run?

In Thursday’s Spring Training game between Houston and the New York Mets, the Astros’ AJ Reed got credit for a home run on a ball that hit the warning track and rolled towards the fence. Yoenis Cespedes thought the ball was lodged under the fence and put up his hands indicating to the umpires that it should be a ground rule double.  And he just watched the ball as Reed circled the bases and got a home run. The umpire ran towards the ball, confirmed that it was in fact in play and the home run stood.  Click below to see this

Did AJ Reed deserve credit for a home run on that? Shouldn’t the scorer call it maybe a double and an error on Cespedes, you might be thinking?

Well, let’s look at the scoring rules for what an error (original Rule 10.12, new Rule 9.12) is and see what conditions could apply to this situation .(Full rule in red below… my comments in black)

An error is a statistic charged against a fielder whose action has assisted the team on offense [sure, Cespedes assisted the Astros here], as set forth in this Rule 10.12.[but it has to meet one of the specific conditions below]
(a) The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder:
(1) whose misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) [there was no fumble, muff or wild throw, so (1) does not apply] prolongs the time at bat of a batter, prolongs the presence on the bases of a runner or permits a runner to advance one or more bases, unless, in the judgment of the official scorer, such fielder deliberately permits a foul fly to fall safe with a runner on third base before two are out in order that the runner on third shall not score after the catch;
Rule 10.12(a)(1) Comment: Slow handling of the ball that does not involve mechanical misplay shall not be construed as an error [I suspect looking at a ball and not handling it at all is a subset of slow handling of the ball]. For example, the official scorer shall not charge a fielder with an error if such fielder fields a ground ball cleanly but does not throw to first base in time to retire the batter. It is not necessary that the fielder touch the ball to be charged with an error. If a ground ball goes through a fielder’s legs or a fly ball falls untouched and, in the scorer’s judgment, the fielder could have handled the ball with ordinary effort, the official scorer shall charge such fielder with an error. For example, the official scorer shall charge an infielder with an error when a ground ball passes to either side of such infielder if, in the official scorer’s judgment, a fielder at that position making ordinary effort would have fielded such ground ball and retired a runner. The official scorer shall charge an outfielder with an error if such outfielder allows a fly ball to drop to the ground if, in the official scorer’s judgment, an outfielder at that position making ordinary effort would have caught such fly ball. If a throw is low, wide or high, or strikes the ground, and a runner reaches base who otherwise would have been put out by such throw, the official scorer shall charge the player making the throw with an error.
The official scorer shall not score mental mistakes or misjudgments as errors [I think mental mistake could apply to Cespedes here] unless a specific rule prescribes otherwise. A fielder’s mental mistake that leads to a physical misplay—such as throwing the ball into the stands or rolling the ball to the pitcher’s mound, mistakenly believing there to be three outs, and thereby allowing a runner or runners to advance—shall not be considered a mental mistake for purposes of this rule and the official scorer shall charge a fielder committing such a mistake with an error. The official scorer shall not charge an error if the pitcher fails to cover first base on a play, thereby allowing a batter-runner to reach first base safely. The official scorer shall not charge an error to a fielder who incorrectly throws to the wrong base on a play.
The official scorer shall charge an error to a fielder who causes another fielder to misplay a ball—for example, by knocking the ball out of the other fielder’s glove. On such a play, when the official scorer charges an error to the interfering fielder, the official scorer shall not charge an error to the fielder with whom the other fielder interfered.
(2) when such fielder muffs a foul fly [that didn’t happen] to prolong the time at bat of a batter, whether the batter subsequently reaches first base or is put out;
(3) when such fielder catches a thrown ball or a ground ball in time to put out the batter-runner and fails to tag first base or the batter-runner; [neither did this]
(4) when such fielder catches a thrown ball or a ground ball in time to put out any runner on a force play and fails to tag the base or the runner; [nope]
(5) whose wild throw permits a runner to reach a base safely, when in the scorer’s judgment a good throw would have put out the runner, unless such wild throw is made attempting to prevent a stolen base; [no throw was made]
(6) whose wild throw in attempting to prevent a runner’s advance permits that runner or any other runner to advance one or more bases beyond the base such runner would have reached had the throw not been wild;[another condition related to a throw]
(7) whose throw [again, no throw] takes an unnatural bounce, touches a base or the pitcher’s plate, or touches a runner, a fielder or an umpire, thereby permitting any runner to advance; or
Rule 10.12(a)(7) Comment: The official scorer shall apply this rule even when it appears to be an injustice to a fielder whose throw was accurate. For example, the official scorer shall charge an error to an outfielder whose accurate throw to second base hits the base and caroms back into the outfield, thereby permitting a runner or runners to advance, because every base advanced by a runner must be accounted for.
(8) whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball [so many error conditions apply to throws… none of them are relevant to the home run situation] 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 10.12(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.

That’s the end of rule (a) “official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder” Nothing in it that can be used to give Cespedes an error.  Let’s look at the rest of the error rule:

(b) The official scorer shall charge only one error on any wild throw, regardless of the number of bases advanced by one or more runners.

(c) When an umpire awards the batter or any runner or runners one or more bases because of interference or obstruction, the official scorer shall charge the fielder who committed the interference or obstruction with one error, no matter how many bases the batter, or runner or runners, may advance.
Rule 10.12(c) Comment: The official scorer shall not charge an error if obstruction does not change the play, in the opinion of the scorer.

(d) The official scorer shall not charge an error against:
(1) the catcher when the catcher, after receiving the pitch, makes a wild throw attempting to prevent a stolen base, unless the wild throw permits the stealing runner to advance one or more extra bases or permits any other runner to advance one or more bases;
(2) any fielder who makes a wild throw if in the scorer’s judgment the runner would not have been put out with ordinary effort by a good throw, unless such wild throw permits any runner to advance beyond the base he would have reached had the throw not been wild;
(3) any fielder who makes a wild throw in attempting to complete a double play or triple play, unless such wild throw enables any runner to advance beyond the base such runner would have reached had the throw not been wild;
Rule 10.12(d) Comment: When a fielder muffs a thrown ball that, if held, would have completed a double play or triple play, the official scorer shall charge an error to the fielder who drops the ball and credit an assist to the fielder who made the throw.
(4) any fielder when, after fumbling a ground ball or dropping a batted ball that is in flight or a thrown ball, the fielder recovers the ball in time to force out a runner at any base; or
(5) any fielder when a wild pitch or passed ball is scored.
(e) The official scorer shall not charge an error when the batter is awarded first base on four called balls, when the batter is awarded first base when touched by a pitched ball, or when the batter reaches first base as the result of a wild pitch or passed ball.
Rule 10.12(e) Comment: See Rule 10.13 for additional scoring rules relating to wild pitches and passed balls.
(f) The official scorer shall not charge an error when a runner or runners advance as the result of a passed ball, a wild pitch or a balk.
(1) When the fourth called ball is a wild pitch or a passed ball and as a result
(i) the batter-runner advances to a base beyond first base;
(ii) any runner forced to advance by the base on balls advances more than one base; or
(iii) any runner, not forced to advance, advances one or more bases, the official scorer shall score the base on balls and also the wild pitch or passed ball, as the case may be.
(2) When the catcher recovers the ball after a wild pitch or passed ball on the third strike, and throws out the batter-runner at first base, or tags out the batter-runner, but another runner or runners advance, the official scorer shall score the strikeout, the putout and assists, if any, and credit the advance of the other runner or runners on the play as a fielder’s choice.
Rule 10.12(f) Comment: See Rule 10.13 for additional scoring rules relating to wild pitches and passed balls

So, as you can see, even though you  may think Yoenes Cespedes deserves an error, and the pitcher should not be charged with an earned run, there is nothing in the official scoring rules that allows that to be done.  Cespedes made a “mistake”, but that cannot be scored as a baseball “error”.

For fun, here is a video compilation of other odd home runs that were mostly aided by fielder mistakes. Includes the infamous ball off of Jose Canseco’s head into the bleachers.  I believe in all of them the boxscore shows nothing more than a HR for the batter. Enjoy!

Error, Hit or Fielder’s Choice?

In Tuesday’s game between Oakland and Detroit, with runners on the corners, Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler fielded a ground ball and threw a strike to home plate…. while the runner on third didn’t stray off the base.   Here’s the video of the play:

(the look on Kinsler’s face says it all)

What should the A’s batter Eric Sogard be credited with?

The fielder did make a mistake (i.e., a mental error), can he get charged with an error on this?  No, the comment in rule 10.12 (1) clearly says “The official scorer shall not score mental mistakes or misjudgments as errors…” If that’s not unambigous enough, it goes on to clarify “The official scorer shall not charge an error to a fielder who incorrectly throws to the wrong base on a play.” That is exactly what this was, so charging an error on the play is ruled out.

Should Sogard get credit for a hit, even though it was just a routine infield grounder? No, rule 10.05 (a) says “The official scorer shall credit a batter with a base hit when:” and it goes on to list six conditions. I’m not going to list them all here, but none of them applied. (If you don’t believe me, you can read them yourself here. Just scroll down 10.05).

So, is this a fielder’s choice even though no runner was put out, and in fact no play was made on a runner? YES. Rule 10.05 (b) (4) says “The official scorer shall not credit a base hit when…..fielder fails in an attempt to put out a preceding runner and, in the scorer’s judgment, the batter-runner could have been put out at first base”.

Even though no play was made on a runner, it was still an “attempt”, and the batter would have easily been put out, so it meets the definition.

Anyhow, this loaded up the bases for the A’s. Two batters later Ben Zobrist hit a grand slam which was the difference in the 5-3 Oakland victory.  Since no error was charged, all runs were earned.  Another reason why pitcher ERAs and fielding percentage are fairly meaningless ways to judge the performance of a baseball player.

TWO games end with runner hit by batted ball! How do you score that???

On Saturday there were a couple of rare instances of a runner being hit by a batted ball. More coincidentally, they both happened with two outs in the 9th inning, ending the game, as the batting teams were mounting comebacks. What are the odds of that? I don’t know, this isn’t a stats blog (maybe I’ll create one someday?), but runners hit by batted balls is infrequent enough, happening twice in one day is exponentally rarer, and having it possibly cost your team a game in the 9th….

Anyhow here are the detais of the first occurrence. The Giants were leading the Angels 5-2 heading into the 9th. Anaheim LA  rallied to make it 5-3 and had runners on 1st and 2nd when David Freese singled to make it 5-4 with runners on the corners.  Since Freese was the potential winning run, he was pinchran for by rookie utility infielder Taylor Featherston as Matt Joyce came to the plate. And then this happened:

Wow! What a way to kill a rally. The pinch runner gets hit with the batted ball. By rule he is out, and the batter is awarded first base, and no other runners can advance unless forced. So how do we score that? Well, it’s a hit for Matt Joyce, but who gets the putout?

According to rule 10.09 (c) (2) “The official scorer shall credit automatic putouts….when a runner is called out for being touched by a fair ball …credit the putout to the fielder nearest the ball.”

So in this case, the official scorer credited second baseman Joe Panik with the putout.

Meanwhile the other LA team was the beneficiary of a simiar play.  They had come back in the 7th and 8th innings to take a 6-4 lead over the Diamondbacks. In the 9th Arizona had a runner on first which brought the tying run to the plate. And it was David Peralta who could easily tie the game with a swing of the bat. Tension was mouning at Chavez Ravine. Peralta hit the ball solidly up the middle and…

This one wasn’t quite as obvious as the Angels runner, but the ball does deflect slightly off of Jordan Pacheco and you can see 2nd base umpire Jeff Kellogg clearly point to the runner and indicate he is out for interference, ending the game.  And as in the Giants game, the second baseman (Howie Kendrick) also got credit for the putout.

That’s two putouts for second basemen who didn’t touch the ball to save a game for their teams, on the same day!