Scoring double plays.

[ixamnis]

I still struggle with what should be done on double plays or even what is a double play. I had three to score yesterday. the first was with a runner on second batter hits a line drive to the secondbaseman. She caught the ball and then threw to the shortstop before the runner from second could get back to second.

I scored out, line out 4, (what happened to runner on second?) picked off 4-6.

In the second situation runner on second. Batter hits fly ball to center fielder who catches the ball. The runner on second has started to third, comes back to second and tags and starts to third again and essentially gets caught in a run down. The Center fielder has thrown the ball into the second baseman who runs the ball at the runner and then tosses the ball to the third baseman who runs down the runner and tags her out.

I scored out, fly out 8, (what happened to runner on second?) tagged out 8-4-5.

Third situation was similar to first. runner on first base. Batter hits line drive to second base. she catches the ball and throws to first before runner can get back to first.

I scored out, line out 4, (what happened to runner on first?) picked off 4-3

In the fielding stats I think the second situation records the stats correct as far as assists and put outs, but the second baseman is credited with 2 pick off attempts and two pick offs. I was expecting to see 3 double plays scored for the team and no double plays show up in the fielding stats. And who gets credit for a double play when one occurs involving multiple players the one who initiates it or the one who records the final PO?

[mprusak]

First one should be: Line out. Tap 4, Tap 6. What happened to runner? Out, Double Play.
Second one: Fly Out. Tap 8-4-5. What happened to runner? Out, Double Play.
Third - again, just need to select double play.

[ixamnis]

Thanks,

That gets the DP's recorded in the stats, correctly I assume. Score card is a little harder to interpret and I'm betting the scorecast text and the play by play text is not as explicit either compared to how I scored it.

So the logic I should follow then is when the batter is out, I should still touch all the players who were involved in the total play from beginning to end and the program figures out who got assists and put outs when I hit the double play button... (I'm hoping I never have to figure out how to do a triple play then...)

So using my first example of a runner on second and the second baseman catching a liner and tossing it to the shortstop for the force out of the runner not getting back to the bag. If in the unlikely event the line drive bounced up in the air off of the second baseman and the shortstop caught it before it touched the ground and then stepped on second before the runner got back to the bag, you would appear to record it exactly the same way. Out, 4-6, what happened to the runner on second?, out at second, double play. But in the first instance the second baseman should get a put out and one assist and in this second scenario the second baseman gets an assist and the shortstop gets two put outs....right? How does the program sort that out?''

that's what the notes are for I suppose? Wouldn't it be easier to know there's been a double play when two outs are recorded on the same pitch?

[mprusak]

Double Play scoring has been the source of constant debate on this board (do a search for some additional reading on this subject). It would be nice if it was handled more intuitively and descriptively by the app.

Yes, the play by play is not as descriptive as you might like. The play by play reads something like, "batter flies out to center, Double play!" This could be the result of not tagging and being forced out at original base or tagging and getting thrown out at next base...you cant tell from the play by play description alone.

Score card shows the batter as out 8-4-5, when you might expect to see just F8

I would score your revised scenario 1 as 4-6-6, double play. However, its giving the SS an assist this way when it should not. Everything else is correct. Not sure if there is a better way??

Same with a traditional ground out double play, where the shortstop takes the grounder, touches second base himself and then throws to first. Score it as 6-6-3, double play. This does get the assists and putouts correct.

For all standard double plays, 5-4-3, 6-4-3, 3-4-6, etc, using "quick outs" is the best way to go.