Base on Balls & Earned/Unearned Runs

Runners on base due to base on balls will count as earned runs if they score


Same for a batter who with bases loaded draws a walk and the runner on third is forced in--he gets an RBI

They are earned runs.

UNLESS there was an error that prolonged the inning, all runs scored after the inning should have been over (no matter how they reached base, walk, HR, etc...) are unearned.

Okay, thanks for your responses. That's great to know that I have people that think like I do. That is my opinion as well, Earned Runs.

But, I'm wanting to know based on the OBR and any written interpretations, how you base your opinion. What evidence are you basing your opinion on?

Any others that want to weigh in? Are their some official scorekeepers out there that would like to clarify based on the OBR why these are earned runs?

My friends are not going to back off the arguement just because I tell them a couple of others agree with me that they are earned runs.

Thanks a bunch.

I don't care what rules you use. A walked player is an ER unless as mention he scores after an error that would end the inning.

UTBaseball,

Let's turn this around. Is there any part of 10.16 that seems ambiguous to you? Can you point us to any part of the rule that would suggest a base on balls isn't a candidate for an earned run?

From the rulebook 10.16:

(a) The official scorer shall charge an earned run against a pitcher every time a runner reaches home base by the aid of safe hits, sacrifice bunts, a sacrifice fly, stolen bases, putouts, fielder's choices, bases on balls, hit batters, balks or wild pitches (including a wild pitch on third strike that permits a batter to reach first base) before fielding chances have been offered to put out the offensive team. For the purpose of this rule, a defensive interference penalty shall be construed as a fielding chance. A wild pitch is solely the pitcher's fault and shall contribute to an earned run just as a base on balls or a balk.

Ask your friends to show you the rule that says it's not an earned run.

FrankF,

I understand this pefectly and have read this portion of 10.16; unfortunately this reference to "base on Balls" is not indicating that a runner that has reached on base on balls is an earned run. sub-section (a) states that "The official scorer shall charge an earned run against a pitcher every time a runner reaches home base by the aid of safe hits, sacrifice bunts, a sacrifice fly, stolen bases, putouts, fielder's choices, bases on balls, hit batters, balks or wild pitches, etc. etc.

The "by the aid of" indicates that this portion of the rule says the runner scoring when a person at the plate does the following; "by the aid of". Obviously if someone reached by a hit and then later on the bases are loaded and the runner advances to home plate because the batter walked, R3 is an earned run.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that runners that are on base due to base on balls are counted as earned runs.

You must not have friends like mine that will argue until their blue in the face unless you can specifically show them where it says it equals an earned run.

As for asking my friends to show me where it says that it is unearned and not earned, they would point out that the section is in regard to "Earned Runs" and there is no specific mention that runners who are on base via Base on Balls are included.

3FingeredGlove,

None of it is ambiuous to me, because I believe as you do, that they are earned runs. I even pointed them to the area in 10.16(g) where examples are given for runs being charged to pitchers during mid-inning relief where a person reaching on a base-on-balls is charged to a pitcher. Their response was that even though it is charged to one pitcher or another doesn't mean it is earned, that it could be an unearned run charged to a pitcher. To me, that doesn't make sense; you wouldn't charge an unearned run to anyone.

Uer are not charged to a pitcher.
ERs are created by a runner getting on base through no ones fault but the pitcher. A BB is the fault of the pitcher. How that runner scores may determine if it stays ER or UER.

If there are folks keeping stats out there who believe walks don't result in earned runs, that would explain some of the ridiculous claims of ERA's that you see.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
If there are folks keeping stats out there who believe walks don't result in earned runs, that would explain some of the ridiculous claims of ERA's that you see.

AMEN! Too bad none of them kept my son's stats.

Who else but the pitcher could "aid" in a base on balls? Looks like you need to argue about something else if what's written in black and white doesn't work.

Maybe you could score a bad call as "E-Umpire".