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Hi,

Runners on 1st and 3rd. Runner on 1st steals, and catcher makes no attempt to throw him out, more concerned about the runner on 3rd. Is this defensive indifference or a stolen base? Thanks.

I have always scored it as a stolen base. (I've scored over 300 games - so I hope I'm correct.)

Agree, stolen base.

This is not indifference. The defense isn't indifferent. They would rather the runner was on first. However, it's a strategic decision to not throw thru.

This is quoted directly from the MLB rulebook. The short version is that it is a stolen base in MLB...

"For example, with runners on first and third bases, the official scorer should ordinarily credit a stolen base when the runner on first advances to second, if, in the scorer’s judgment, the defensive team had a legitimate strategic motive—namely, preventing the runner on third base from scoring on the throw to second base—not to contest the runner’s advance to second base."

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2014/ ... _rules.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I score it as DI, nearly every time. However, I use the data I collect because of it's usefulness, and not to conform to an MLB rule that may or may not scale to the age and field size. I collect the data to grade my players. Stolen bases, while they generally involve other positions, make for good data points to grade catchers. To me, if I'm going to tell my catcher to never throw directly to 2nd with a runner on 3rd, why would I ding his numbers when the runner advances. Telling him not to throw to second, for the purpose of saving the run on 3rd, to me is the definition of indifference.

Mind you, I deal mostly with U12AA baseball players. They occasionally run some 1st & 3rd defensive options (throw to SS or P to engage runner on 3), which I generally score as a stolen base because an attempt may or may not be made on the play. As the boys get older, and the base distances are longer, then perhaps the MLB description of the rule makes sense.

Josh

It Defensive Indifference. It happens all the time in late innings runners on third. Smart coaches with a lead don't fiddle with the runner going to second with a runner on third. Smart coaches in last inning with a big lead don't fiddle with a lone runner going from 1st to second. At the 10u level for baseball it does not matter what inning it is, when there is a runner at 3rd they give up second uncontested 99% of the time. The stolen base statistic at this age level does not mean much with the bases so close (Mustang division) even my grandmother can steal.

It is actually explicitly pointed out as a Steal in MLB rules as StealCityB and mprusak pointed out. If you want to use DI, that is up to you, but it is not the rule, and we would hate to have false information passed on to other users.

If there is a runner on third and the defense is not trying to throw a runner out going from first to second, it is not because of "indifference", it is because they do not want the runner on third scoring. This is strategic on the part of the defense, and not indifference, and the runner should be credited with a stolen base. The fact that it was uncontested does not take away what the runner did in this case.

The "big lead" scenario is different. When a team has a big lead and they are truly just focusing on getting the batter and don't care if the runner(s) trot around the bases because the runs are meaningless, then it can be considered Defensive Indifference.