The Rules - "The Official Scorer"

Happy November everyone and welcome to another segment of "The Rules." I figured with the end of the baseball season and the crowning of the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants, I would make this the last post of my “The Rules” to be about baseball. So soak it up baseball fans, this will be the last one for awhile and I will have to find some unusual explanations in the other major sports.

Baseball is an odd sport overall. I feel as if the “official scorer” in each game plays a more prominent role than the ones that take stats down for other sports. It probably has a lot to do with the fact it is a very opinionated position. For example, if a player dunks a basketball, and the ref signals two points, the scorer gives that player two points. Nowadays, the basketball scorer (or perhaps it is just ESPN analysts) will say where the 2 point shot came from to later call up on a grid of hit shots, but that is pretty much it. No grey area around it. Everyone saw it was a 2 point play from where it happened, under the rim. In baseball, if a batter hits the ball and the shortstop bobbles it and the batter makes it to first just ahead of the throw, you’d think it could be just as easy. No such luck. A called error gives the batter credit for the at bat, an increase in his on base percentage, but no hit. If the play by the SS was a bit trying, it is up to the official scorer to say “The degree of difficulty on this play was not one you can make routinely, I will score it a hit for the player.” The runner’s speed, how hard the ball was hit, the conditions of the field, and the distance the fielder had to go (was there a dive/slide?) in the amount of time is all considered. Ten official scorers may score the same play 50/50 hit or error. Baseball has tons of grey area. I found the section about the official scorer (all 33 pages of it, Rule 10.00 – 10.23) in the official MLB rulebook to be fascinating about calls like this, and just some other calls and rules tied in with this responsibility.

The Shutout

Rule 10.18 dictates what a shutout is to be awarded by the official scorer. A shutout is when a pitcher that pitches all the innings of a game and simply doesn’t give up a run. ALSO, a shutout can be recorded if a pitcher enters the game in the first inning with no one out, doesn’t allow a run in that inning or for the rest of the game and finishes it. This makes it possible for a pitcher to get credit for a shutout, but not a complete game. Did you know that was possible? You’re welcome.

Not too WILD but it still PASSES people by… (horrible pun)

Rule 10.13 simply states: A wild pitch is the pitcher’s fault (or as deemed by the official scorer). A passed ball is the catcher’s fault. They’re effectively the same thing – the ball getting by the catcher. It is a matter of who to blame. I was once told in grammar school by someone who thought they knew everything that a passed ball is when it goes all the way to the backstop, and a wild pitch is when it simply gets away from the catcher and doesn’t go as far. I knew it sounded suspect then, and I’m glad I no longer associate myself with this person.

In every game there is a Winner and a Loser

Rule 10.17 is about a page long on who gets named the winning pitcher and who gets named the losing pitcher. I will not give you the entire thing, but just snippets to prevent myself from becoming too long winded. If a game ever becomes tied after starting pitchers have been removed, the last pitchers on record to get the win and loss are wiped out – this I knew. What I find fascinating is that there is a judgment call that can come from the scorer on this matter as well. Even who gets a win and loss isn’t always set in stone! It says that the official scorer should “not credit as the winning pitcher a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when at least one succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain its lead.” And you guys think I’m long winded!? Basically, the scorer can say “No man, you stunk, this guy was better, give him the win.”

Who gets charged the run?

ERA (earned run average) is an important stat when evaluating a pitcher. It tells you how many runs the pitcher gives up per 9 innings pitched. This is why allocating runs that score to the proper pitcher that allowed it is important. Rule 10.16 covers this in great detail. I just thought it was interesting to learn that a pitcher that is removed for relief is commonly assigned from the broadcaster that they are responsible for “so and so on first and second” or “whathisname” on first. This is not entirely the case. A pitcher is responsible for the NUMBER of runners he left on base, not specific runners, unless the runner makes out by a non-batted ball. The rulebook uses names like Peter, Abel, and Baker. I’m going to make this a bit more fun. Schmucko walks Ding-Dong. Schmucko is removed by reliever Assgoblin. The next hitter Dingbat (close cousin of Ding-Dong) hits into a fielder’s choice that got Ding-Dong out at second. Dingbat scores on a triple by the next hitter off of Assgoblin. Dingbat’s run is charged to Schmucko, not Assgoblin. However if Ding-Dong (the one to walk off Schmucko – stay with me people) gets caught stealing after Assgoblin came in to pitch, and Dingbat still scores in the inning – it will be Assgoblin’s charged run. So the next time Joe Buck (a combination of Schmucko, Assgoblin, Ding-Dong, and Dingbat – or just plain incest filled family trees) announces that “the pitcher is responsible for that guy on second,” feel free to write Fox a letter to have him read a rulebook. Or e-mail him the link to this article. Hey Joe – RETIRE (or choke on something).

The official scorer has no impact on the outcome of the game itself, this is true. He can’t tell a team that the other just batted out of order – that is their own job to keep track of. Also, a judgment call on whether a play is an error or not didn’t change the fact a run may have just scored. It can impact a whole bunch of other things though. It is actually fascinating how much this matters to diehard fans. Baseball seems to be wacky in its obsession with its own records and stats. There seems to be a stat for EVERYTHING nowadays. Players are also paid lots of extra bucks in incentives negotiated in their contracts for hitting certain milestones. For example, it is the last day of the regular season. A player who is on a significant hit streak, let’s call it 55 to make it interesting, one away from tying Joe DiMaggio’s all time record of consecutive games with a hit – a record said to be unbreakable. This player also has 99 RBI in the season and 199 hits. In his contract, he gets an incentive bonus of $100 grand for 200 hits on the season, and $100 grand for 100 RBI. Being hitless today, the batter hits a ball on the infield that scores a run and beats the throw to first. The run wins the game in walk off fashion. It is a questionable play all around – the scorer can clearly go either way with it. If he calls the play a hit – this man just tied a seemingly impossible record, and made an extra 300K in performance bonuses on top of it. If he reaches on an error, it costs the player a tie with one of the greatest players ever in the record books and an opportunity to beat it next season on opening day, and the $300K in bonuses. I’m not asking you to feel bad for the guy who just lost the money as he’s probably making more than you and I make collectively anyway. I just wanted to show you how the scorer has the ability to make someone look like a hero in the box score the next day, or just another person to fall short of a milestone. I’m sure I’ll re-visit the official scorer in the future as I have an unhealthy obsession with statistics and how they come up with this stuff. Stay tuned for next season!

The Rules – “The Fourth Out”

Everyone may know the record for number of strikeouts in one inning is actually four. So far, this has been done 54 times in major league history, dating back to when Ed Crane of the New York Gothams did it on October 4th, 1888 (thank God for baseball-almanac.com for that one because I can’t even trace my family back that far without asking Grandma). For those of you who don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, a strikeout can actually occur without an out being recorded. If a catcher does not hold onto a third strike (called looking or swung at and missed entirely) and the ball hits the ground, a runner may attempt to advance to first and the catcher must either tag the runner or throw down to first and beat him there on a force out.

Now you may ask, “What does this have to do with the fourth out of an inning?” Actually… a whole lot of nothing at all. When a runner reaches first by this method a strikeout is still recorded but an out is not ever put in the books. So reader, do you wish to know how a fourth out can actually happen in the same inning? Why, I thought you’d never ask.

First you must understand when runs are allowed to score to understand this rule. I am going to use a lot of examples instead of rulebook mumbo-jumbo (just worked mumbo-jumbo into my article – really going places in life) as it is hard to read some of the language in it. Just ask anyone studying “balks” as to how confusing these rules can get. I hope I can assume that you know with a runner on third and 2 outs, a ground ball force play at first or a fly ball out will not allow the runner to score, even if he crosses the plate before the out is recorded. Just keep in your mind through reading through the rest of this, the one fact that a third out made by force out always trumps a run scoring, no matter how late after the runner crosses home it happens. If the batter up with 2 outs and a runner on third hits a ball off the center field wall with the center fielder stepping in a storm drain and unable to retrieve it, but then the batter falls halfway between home and first, the for some reason 400 pound overweight left fielded backing up the play can run all the way in and tag first, and the run still never scores. Okay, I promise to use more realistic examples in the future of at least this rule explanation. Exception: some of these scenarios include stupid play and unexplained slowness – so picture sumo wrestlers or nitwits running the bases when necessary. In fact, let’s call our main character “Bob” so we can sort of feel sorry for the un-athletic guy who now has an identity. Also, these rules are not probable to ever happen but the possibility that they could is enough for me. Here are the scenerios:

The “Non-appealed fourth out”

This one is kind of easy to grasp but you may never see it unless someone actually does become unable to reach first. While I don’t wish ill on any player for real (except Cliff Lee so the Yanks have a shot), I will not hurt Bob, I will just make him slower than you even first imagined. The scenario is second and third with two outs. Bob hits the ball to the nitwit shortstop (sorry - just Bob gets a name in these examples) who for some reason throws the ball home. The runner is called safe. The catcher saw the runner on second got a late break to third as the SS had the ball and throws down to third to try and get the tag out. The runner from second is called out at third base for the third out. However, Bob has not crossed first yet – so the third basemen who reads this blog and knows what you don’t yet, fires across the diamond and his first baseman (also a fan of us, or just playing self defense from the throw) catches the ball and steps on first JUST in the nick of time. Bob is actually considered out on the play. The runner that crossed home seemingly 15 seconds ago is not counted as a run. An umpire would have signaled a man out four times in the same inning (the two previous outs, the second guy at home and then Bob), so there were in fact four outs made. The fact is however, only three are recorded and one is erased. A pitcher does not pitch 1.1 innings in one inning, nor does a team officially go into the book as making 4 outs in an inning – I am just simply pointing out that four times in an inning, a player can be called out.

The “Faster version of the non-appealed fourth out”

Bob doesn’t need to apply for this instance, but let’s make him the hitter anyway. Runners on first and third this time with two outs and they’re stealing as the pitch is coming home. Bob the hitter grounds to shortstop who has no play at the runner going home. He crosses the plate and then the SS tags the runner who over ran second base after touching it for the third out. Realizing this mistake because he is a huge fan of us here at the Sterling Shakers, he throws the ball to first, beating Bob hustling this time down the line for the fourth out. This seems like it could have happened at least once in history, but I could not find a reference. Same principles apply – the runner rounding second making the third out is trumped by the force out at first and no run is tallied.

The “Appealed fouth out”

Okay try to follow this one as the degree of difficulty to comprehend may go up a little if you’re not that familiar with the game and its little nuances. This doesn’t make you dumb, it makes the people that get stuff like this on the first run through a little too much like me: an obsessed fanatic. I do pat you on the back if you understand this one on the first way through because a lot is going on. The situation is first and third with two outs. A batter laces a ball down the line in fair territory for an apparent hit. The man on third crosses home safely. Bob who was on first for the first time all season, gets gunned down at home trying to go first to home on the play for the apparent third out. The batter hustles and tries to stretch this into a triple. He apparently (hint: foreshadowing) makes it safely around second as Bob is getting tagged out at home. The play’s over right? Well yes, if the team runs off the field here, it is a normal three out inning with a run scored on an RBI double with a force out at home. However the second basemen saw that the batter missed second base on his way to third, and calls for an appeal. The second basemen steps on second with ball-in-hand, and the man who was taking off his helmet and gloves at third is called out for the “fourth out.” This force play in fact nullifies the previously assumed third out AND the run scored, even though the run scored was well before this appeal was made. Ain’t that something?

The only instance I remember this rule ever being an issue struck me when watching Sportscenter on ESPN one spring WAY back in 2009. The season had just started and there was little news to be excited for to put on the tube. In the top of the second inning on April 12th at Chase Field in LA, Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks was pitching. He walked Andre Ethier and struck out Casey Blake to start the inning. Juan Pierre hit a single moving Ethier to third with some hustle, and then a pitch or two later Pierre stole second. So with runners on second and third with one out, and Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf at the dish, he hit a screamer back at Haren. The D-back pitcher snagged the liner out of the air and turned and fired wide left to second to catch Pierre who was off the base. The second basemen Felipe Lopez (or was it Stephen Drew the SS?) caught the ball and started a rundown with third baseman Mark Reynolds. They tagged Pierre out. This entire time, Ethier ran and crossed home without ever touching third to tag up. Arizona ran off the field thinking no run was counted being that Ethier never tagged up, and they tagged the third out already. Our lesson today would prove them wrong as the tag out was NOT the force out needed. In fact, if after getting Pierre out, Drew/Reynolds/Lopez could have run over and stepped on third for the “fourth out” and negated the run. Instead, manager Joe Torre came out as soon as the Arizona were all in the dugout and made sure the run was counted using this very rule. Joe Torre may, or may not follow us here at the Sterling Shakers, but I would like to give him the nod for knowing more than your average baseball guy. And now you do too.

The Rules - “A ‘Grounds’ Rule Double”

The things I love talking about most are the technicalities of a sport – especially baseball. Why? Well for one, it is interesting to me. Call me what you will, it will not change me. I was at a Yankee/Rays game at the beginning of the season with The Starving Waiter and the Grau Geist, and Evan Longoria hit the ball straight up off the roof (or what appeared to be, I never saw the replays from the game but heard about 30 different versions of it). Now while our seats didn’t allow us to actually see if the ball hit the roof or not because Tropicana Field sucks ass, I began discussing the park’s ground rules with Waiter. I know what you’re saying now – BOLOGNA! Well it goes to show you’d be wrong and I have a dated Facebook post to prove that I had knowledge of these rules prior to the game assuming I read things I post on others pages. During the offseason, an article was published on Yahoo! Sports (comment on the post and I’ll send you the link as I don’t want to exactly link to my rivals, they have much more interesting to say than I do) that highlighted the strange catwalk/roof rules of the stadium, many of which were just recently changed for the 2010 postseason. I posted this very story a few weeks before making the trip to Tampa and had a few laughs about it – like how we used to play stickball and have “cheaps” and “do overs” and “automatics.” Then poof, it came running out of our mouths as soon as Eva hit that ball, and native Tampans (hah I guess that’s what you call someone from Tampa?) were probably like “How do these people in the Yankee clothes know this about our home park!? We had no friggin’ clue!” (or: “SHUT UP! I’M TRYING TO IGNORE A PERFECTALLY GOOD GAME BETWEEN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE’S ELITE! THERE IS NO FUN ALLOWED IN TAMPA!”)

This finally brings me full circle to why I like the little technicalities of the game as well – you can talk about them and odds are the casual fan (read as: non-douchebag, non-sociopath, generally friendly) that is really there to catch a ball game actually will look impressed. After that, you can tell him you’re the CEO of GOOGLE and he’ll believe you because you’re so knowledgeable. Average fans are dumb while you, reader, are not because you care enough to read what some other die hard has to say (let me welcome you to our blog again, feel right at home).

So here is a nuance of the game that I have learned recently that I would like to pass along to you. Ok, raise your hand if you know what they call it when (and I’m trying to be as specific as possible) a batted ball bounces on the field, in fair territory, and goes straight into the stands, also in fair territory? I’ll give you a hint – it isn’t the title of this article. Oh man you feel stupid. That’s okay, I’m sure at least one of the other two current writers of this blog didn’t even know this one. Let me console you. It is not a “Ground Rule Double” (or as John Sterling calls it I believe, a Grounds Rule Double, hence the title). The fact is that it is neither. It is simply referred to in the rule book as a two base award. A ground rule double is exactly that of what the individual park’s set of rules designates as a rule that applies to their park. It doesn’t have to be specific to their park (other fields can have the same rule based on a similar layout, roof, etc.), but it can’t be in the general rules of baseball to be considered a “ground rule.” For example, a ball caught up in Wrigley’s beautiful ivy wall is considered a ground rule double.

Other examples would be the “ground rule home run” you could hit in Minnesota last year at the Metrodome. If a ball hit the right field wall (known as the “baggy”) and went out of play in foul territory (since the foul fence down the line was much lower than the wall out there) it was a “ground rule double.” However, to have that rule, they had to say the opposite in their park’s rules that if a ball hits the wall and goes over in fair territory (I assume the top of it and sneaks over) it was in fact a home run – by definition of their ground rules. I conclude that this is a ground rule home run because of the distinction made in the rulebook that it must go over, not to the side.

How about a ground rule triple? Does it exist? Well if a player throws his hat or glove at a ball and it makes contact in fair play, the batter is awarded third. However, this is called a three base award since it is universal at any stadium. There are no official ground rule triples yet in the game, even though one was rumored to once be at Fenway Park when something crazy happened with a big ladder out by the monster. But this is all just internet folklore. The two balls that ever hit said ladder turned into inside the park homers. Idiots from Boston… figures.