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me, either, but I get these well-meaning parents who think the throw should have been caught, especially the ones that bounce JUST in front of the first baseman's mitt.

 

But my response is that it's a throw in the dirt, which means it's a bad throw.  If it results in someone getting on base, it can't be the first baseman's error.  He didn't make the bad throw.

 

So, thanks!

I'm feeling better already!

 

Here's a tricky one, though, but may be the same answer actually:

Throw in from Left field for a potential play at home.  Catcher moves out about ten feet from home plate toward the throw, conceding the run.  Baserunner on second is attempting to advance to third on the throw home. Ball takes a good hop right to the catcher's waist.  If he fields it cleanly and makes a good throw to third, the runner will be out easily.  However, it bounces away from the catcher and the runner is safe at third.  Is this an error?  If so, who is charged with the error?  Thanks!

Originally Posted by smokeminside:

I'm feeling better already!

 

Here's a tricky one, though, but may be the same answer actually:

Throw in from Left field for a potential play at home.  Catcher moves out about ten feet from home plate toward the throw, conceding the run.  Baserunner on second is attempting to advance to third on the throw home. Ball takes a good hop right to the catcher's waist.  If he fields it cleanly and makes a good throw to third, the runner will be out easily.  However, it bounces away from the catcher and the runner is safe at third.  Is this an error?  If so, who is charged with the error?  Thanks!

Smoke & Florida Fan, As a dad of an IF (sometimes) OF, the IF usually gets the error (I share your pain). I would always think that the 1B shouldn't expect the throws to be perfect all the time.  (Every now and then during warm-ups in between innings he would throw a hopper to 1B to give him practice with pick.)Also sometimes a throw from deep in the hole would result in an error as 1B would let ball get by allowing runner to 2B when would have been scored a hit.(probably should have "eaten ball".

 

As for your other scenario I don't think you can give an error on the play. You can't assume throw to catcher is caught and relay thrown to third for an out. You said that runner was heading to third on play(committed) and not running as a result of ball getting past catcher. If the throw from OF is directly to third and runner is likely to be out, then E on OF.

Originally Posted by smokeminside:

I'm feeling better already!

 

Here's a tricky one, though, but may be the same answer actually:

Throw in from Left field for a potential play at home.  Catcher moves out about ten feet from home plate toward the throw, conceding the run.  Baserunner on second is attempting to advance to third on the throw home. Ball takes a good hop right to the catcher's waist.  If he fields it cleanly and makes a good throw to third, the runner will be out easily.  However, it bounces away from the catcher and the runner is safe at third.  Is this an error?  If so, who is charged with the error?  Thanks!

I'm wondering why the catcher is fielding this ball at all.

 

And I agree with Consultant...1B's main job is to be especially gifted at "picking" bad throws.

Last edited by CaCO3Girl

As father of a 1B and OF, as well as an iternant scorekeeper, I have been on all sides of this.  

 

Practicing short hops is a necessity for anyone wishing to play 1B well.  However, from my scorekeepers perch, no throw from an infielder is expected to be in the dirt normally.  Especially without turf.  I remember the good old days where MLB infielders would intentionally throw one hoppers on turf, because the bounce would be true and maybe even be faster.  That is certainly not the case in youth, high school and most college fields.  On infield plays, the 1B can save the infielders errors, but he cannot take responsiblity for them.  One youth season, a parent of the boys playing 3B and SS on the team thanked son for the dozens of errors he saved his sons.  They were good athletes, and a lot of the cases, it was simply a matter of keeping the B/R from advancing to second, as opposed to muffing a short hop which would have gotten an out.  Regardless, the player throwing is the one in control. 

 

Which leads to the OF question, again if the throw from an OF bounces going to a play at a base and allows an additional base, it will be an error on the OF.  I have never seen it score any other way, except for when the IF drops it after catch while making a tag.  In the situaiton presented, I would tend to agree that if the throw was going home, and runner to third had never stopped, it would be HTBT, but could see no error.  However, if he then scored afterwards, someone would have to get an error.  HTBT.

 

Son's senior year in college, he was all conference first basement, but didn't get the gold glove award, because he had 4 errors for the year.  His own coach forgot that three of them occurred in one game early in the season when they were shorthanded, and he got put in RF, on a cold wet windy day.  One was on a throw, one he slipped but got his glove on it and couldn't hold it and got an error, and the other was just one that got through him for an extra base.  Sometimes it happens.  Because of the field conditions, two of them maybe could have been scored hits, but away game as well.  In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter.  Those plays were not made, but from a scorekeeper standpoint, what is considered ordinary effort at the level of play can change day to day based on field and weather conditions.

 

 

Originally Posted by floridafan:

On a short hop I have never seen it scored as anything other then a throwing error! Pretty frustrating some times as the dad of an infielder.

I'm a Dad of 1B (college) and it is frustrating to see any bad throws.

If it has to be a bad throw, then make it a 1 hopper.  At least it gives 1B a chance to glove it or at least keep it in front of him.  If the throw is high, it's going to go sailing (probably into the dugout).........

 

Like Bob said - error or not, just make the play. 

BOF;

1B is an opportunity to be creative, because it allow you to catch the ball one handed and the mitt has a large web.

 

Communication to the catchers [for pick off] is important to the 2b as to his range to his left and to the pitcher to make it definite that the pitcher moves toward 1b on all ground ball hit to the right side. Fielding the OF throws to his glove side for a quicker throw home, 3b, 2b. Remember if you do not make a the 1st out, look around there is a second opportunity.

 

How many 1b learn the "splits".

 

Bob

Originally Posted by smokeminside:

Is it ALWAYS the infielder making the throw that gets the error, or is the first baseman expected to dig at least some of them?


This is actually not debatable.  It is defined in the rules.  It is always an error on an infielder just the same way any pitch that bounces is a wild pitch.  There is zero expectation that a fielder should catch thrown ball that bounces.  They are defined as wild throws in the rules.

 

In OBR the Error definition is in 10.13(d)1 - A error shall be charged against any fielder whose wild throw permits a runner to reach base safely when in the scorers judgement that a good throw would have put out the runner.  Exception: Stolen bases...

 

10.13(e) - addresses errors for accurate throws.

 

The wild Pitch Definition is in 10.15 (a)1.

 

 

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