Base hit or FC

[tigersws06]

Runner on first, batter attempts to sacrifice him to second. The 3B fields the ball and turns to throw out the lead runner at 2B. There is nobody covering second base, and by the time he goes to throw out the batter it is too late. Hit or Fielder's Choice?

[FTMSupport]

Actually sounds like Sac Bunt, Safe (which is an option). Would not be Fielders Choice if the intent was sacrifice to begin with. He did his job of getting the runner to second. If you think he would have been out with a standard play to first base, then it is Sacrifice Bunt, Safe. If you think he would have been safe even with a no delay throw to first, then it is a bunt single.

[tigersws06]

Thanks for the response. I agree with the SAC part, but "safe" on what? Doesn't there have be some kind of accounting for that? SAC and safe at first by FC?

Also, let's change the scenario and say it was just a groundball to third and not a bunt. How would that be scored?

Thanks again!

[Jaskegreen]

tigersws06,

The ambiguity of scorekeeping kills me sometimes. I have to agree with FTM on this. The focus is the intent. The first scenario is a sac bunt where the batter is intentionally trying to get out. The second scenario the batter is not. Therefore, I would score the latter as a base hit. There is no fault to 3B if second base is not covered, only a mental miscue in not throwing it to first.

That brings up a question from me. Do we assign errors for mental errors or just physical ones? I never have and don't believe we do, so either scenario could not be scored as an error.

Cheers,
Jason

[team mom]

Mental errors are not scored as an error. I believe baseball is the same as softball.

"An error is charged
1. For each miscue/physical mistake, including fielding, wild throws, and missed
catches of good throws, which prolongs the life of a batter, the life of a runner or
which permits a runner to advance, including a dropped foul fly unless it was
dropped intentionally to prevent a runner from advancing.

...

h - A mental error is not recorded as an error."

NFCA Homeplate: ATEC: Beyond The Basics of Scoring Fastpitch Softball

[PetroGuy]

For the second scenario, I would not score it as a base hit if the 3B could have retired the batter. I would score it as an FC. It is not an error since there was no physical misplay, but without the intent to sacrifice it can't be a hit if the batter would have been retired with a throw to first.

[TurboAg]

I actually saw a similar play last week watching NCAA baseball. There was a runner on third and the batter laid down a bunt. The 3rd baseman, instead of trying to get the runner at 1st, which he almost certainly could, tried to get the runner going home. Runner was called safe and batter credited with a hit. There is an interesting comment in the MLB rules (NCAA has a similar comment), regarding scoring base hits, that may apply in this scenario.

Rule 10.05(a) Comment: In applying Rule 10.05(a), the official scorer shall always give the batter the benefit of the doubt. A safe course for the official scorer to follow is to score a hit when exceptionally good fielding of a ball fails to result in a putout.

So, from my standpoint, I would tend to agree with scoring a hit if no errors were committed and no runners were put out unless it was just a blatant mental mistake where the fielder should not have even attempted to throw out a preceding runner.