Dropped third strike - passed ball? Unearned run?

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smooth13
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Dropped third strike - passed ball? Unearned run?

Post by smooth13 » Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:12 am

In our high school game yesterday, bottom of 7th, tie score. The batter struck out on a pitch in the dirt. The ball bounced up in the air and the catcher never saw it. Winning run scored from 3rd. Does the catcher get charged with a Passed Ball, even though the pitch was in the dirt? Is the run considered unearned?

One other situation, too.... Batter hits grounder to 3B, whose throw to 1B is in time to get the runner, but it's in the dirt. The 1B almost makes the scoop but the ball pops out of his glove. Who gets the error? THe scorekeeper gave it to the 1B but I think it's the 3B.
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FTMSupport
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Re: Dropped third strike - passed ball? Unearned run?

Post by FTMSupport » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:09 am

When you enter that the ball was dropped on the third strike and the batter is Safe at first, there is an option for Dropped 3rd Strike or Wild Pitch 3rd Strike. If you enter Dropped 3rd Strike, the catcher is charged with a Passed Ball and the run is unearned (you would enter runner scoring on Passed Ball). If you enter Wild Pitch 3rd Strike, the catcher is not charged with a Passed Ball, but the pitcher is charged with a Wild Pitch, and the run IS an Earned Run --- you would enter the runner scoring on the Wild Pitch. If the pitch bounces, it was likely a Wild Pitch, not a Passed Ball.

For question #2, this would be scorekeeper judgment. If the scorekeeper thinks the first baseman should have fielded the throw with "ordinary effort", then the error would be on the first baseman. If the third baseman made a bad throw to the point the first baseman would have had to go beyond "ordinary effort" to catch the throw, then it is a throwing error on the third baseman.
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card2570
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Re: Dropped third strike - passed ball? Unearned run?

Post by card2570 » Fri May 09, 2014 11:54 am

Re: The first scenario... I'd really like to see option of "Ball In Dirt" or "Swung At Ball In Dirt" added as a choice optional to the standard "Dropped 3rd Strike" when Out is the choice. It seems like it would clean things up, improve GameCasts and/or Pitch by Pitch replays, as well as helping coaches, etc. know when a throw to first for the out is due to the Catcher correcting his own problem of dropping the ball and when it is just a pitch in the dirt (purposeful or not) that is blocked cleanly, picked up and thrown to get the runner at first.

Re: The second scenario... Just as a rule of thumb, it is **extremely** rare for MLB scorekeepers to give an error to the 1B on balls in the dirt. It is scored as a throwing error on the fielder who made the throw almost 100% of the time (seriously).
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