I realize it isn’t the umpire’s job to worry about which player is credited with what, so I’m gonna post this in both the umpires’ forum and the scorekeeping forum, but of course anyone may comment on either question.
If a courtesy runner is allowed in the rule set, is s/he a substitute? If the player coming in scores a run, who is credited with it, the player substituted for or the player who touched the plate?
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I realize it isn’t the umpire’s job to worry about which player is credited with what, so I’m gonna post this in both the umpires’ forum and the scorekeeping forum, but of course anyone may comment on either question.
If a courtesy runner is allowed in the rule set, is s/he a substitute? If the player coming in scores a run, who is credited with it, the player substituted for or the player who touched the plate?
According to GameChanger, the player who touches the plate.
I have never seen it credited to anyone except the courtesy runner. I am not an expert by any means, just saying they scored, they get credit.
If the rule set allows it, they are in the game. They get credit for what they do.
Originally Posted by baseball17:
I have never seen it credited to anyone except the courtesy runner. I am not an expert by any means, just saying they scored, they get credit.
If the rule set allows it, they are in the game. They get credit for what they do.
That’s what I think too, but there are evidently lots of folks who disagree. Here’s a reply from the umpires’ forum where I also posted the questions.
Originally Posted by TX-Ump74:
Well s/he is not a sub and I am guessing s/he gets the run scored stat...
I’m still trying to figger out how a player not in the original lineup can get into the game without being a substitute, legal or not.
JMoff seemed to have covered it pretty well when he said: “once the umpire writes the PR's name in his little book, he is official and anything that happens after that is his.” To me that means he’s a substitute. 
V
JMoff seemed to have covered it pretty well when he said: “once the umpire writes the PR's name in his little book, he is official and anything that happens after that is his.” To me that means he’s a substitute. V
Usually the umpire DOES make a note when a player runs for the catcher or pitcher. I realize it isn't a sub, but it is a change of some sort. I always gave credit to the kid who touched home plate.
I look at it as though rule sets that add a courtesy runner have created a third and separate classification of player. Otherwise, the rules concerning courtesy runners should be written explicitly as exceptions to the substitution rules.
