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This probably goes under the category of 'you had to be there' but I'll try and paint a picture.

Bases loaded nobody out (my kid pitching so I'm biased). Line drive to shallow center, CF charges hard, dives and just comes up short. Ball bounces 6" in front of his glove and then past him. Lots of top spin and 420' CF and it rolls all the way to the fence. All four runs score.

I score HR, all runs earned. Big game in state tournament, so we're at a big park with official scorer. They put up a H and an E.

I disagree with that scoring. I think the CF made a bone headed play (up 3 at the time) and he could've pulled up and held everyone to one base, but in my opinion, he didn't make and error as there was no ordinary effort to make that play. If he had got any part of a glove on it, he probably could've prevented some of the runners from scoring, but he didn't. I've seen similar inside the park HR's scored in similar ways in MLB. Thoughts?

We ended up winning 15-14 in 9 innings and he was let off the hook. The game took 4:15 to play. We finished at 8:45. There was a 7pm game after ours. They'll be taking their mother's out for brunch by the time they get done...
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quote:
Originally posted by JMoff:
This probably goes under the category of 'you had to be there' but I'll try and paint a picture.

Bases loaded nobody out (my kid pitching so I'm biased). Line drive to shallow center, CF charges hard, dives and just comes up short. Ball bounces 6" in front of his glove and then past him. Lots of top spin and 420' CF and it rolls all the way to the fence. All four runs score.

I score HR, all runs earned. Big game in state tournament, so we're at a big park with official scorer. They put up a H and an E.

I disagree with that scoring. I think the CF made a bone headed play (up 3 at the time) and he could've pulled up and held everyone to one base, but in my opinion, he didn't make and error as there was no ordinary effort to make that play. If he had got any part of a glove on it, he probably could've prevented some of the runners from scoring, but he didn't. I've seen similar inside the park HR's scored in similar ways in MLB. Thoughts?

We ended up winning 15-14 in 9 innings and he was let off the hook. The game took 4:15 to play. We finished at 8:45. There was a 7pm game after ours. They'll be taking their mother's out for brunch by the time they get done...


From what you describe (center fielder had no chance of making the play - what did happen falls into the category of beyond resonable effort), I would say you are correct.

If any actions after the dive could be considered as errors then it may be a different story. However, going with what you have described, you are indeed correct.
Interesting in the newspaper, they called it a grand slam. I wonder how many score books they had going or if they changed their mind after the game???

All the parents I asked were saying single and error. I always ask for opinions when I'm not sure. I was only unsure because it was my son pitching and I didn't want the grand slam. After the emotion went away, I went with the grand slam.

CF appologized to my son saying he hestitated briefly and would've had it if he charged it all the way. Runner at second broke on the hit, so if he catches the ball, its a double play, 1 run scored and we get out of the inning on the next hitter.

The CF and RF have made many of these diving catches all season, we were probably due for one that didn't go our way.
JM - was the shallow LD the first pitch of the AB or were there other pitches, like a dropped foul ball prior to the hit, in that AB? Were there opportunities, on a correct throw to record an out, or at least hold the 3 or 4 runner at another base?

Just curious, if those things did not happen, and the CF had to make more than normal or routine effort, I'm curious why it would score an "E" too.
GED10DaD
GED10: There was nothing unusual during the AB. Son made a couple of good pitches with two strikes that were fouled out of play before the LD to center.

The only reason I thought they could've given H and E was that it was a single and the E was for letting it get by him. It was right at the CF, not to the side, so pulling up would've probably resulted in two runs scoring (runner from second was running all the way) and first & second. It was hit hard enough that it could've even been bases loaded and one run in. When he dove, it just hopped right over him and rolled, and rolled, and rolled...
Left fielder was moving over, but this was a top spin missile. It got past them fast on a very big field, short grass, very dry AZ clay base (like playing on a soft parking lot).

I can't blame anyone for this other than the CF who made the wrong choice in this particular situation.

The RF and CF made some very great plays all season that saved lots of runs, this was just the baseball gods getting even.

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