Error?

[greymule]

It's been almost a decade, but I have returned to ask a question generated by the recent game-ending uncaught third strike in the Dodgers-Angels game.

No outs. Called strike 3 on the batter gets away from F2 and rolls a few feet into foul territory. The batter runs toward 1B, while F2 chases the ball down. F2 has plenty of time to get the BR but throws wide to 1B, drawing F3 off the bag, and the BR makes it to 1B safely.

I know that an error is not charged on a passed ball (or wild pitch), but would you charge F2 with a throwing error in this case?

[robbie]

I would think:
Passed ball allows BR to 1 and R2 to 3
Error allows R2 to score

[greymule]

Thanks for responding, robbie. You interpreted the actual Dodgers-Angels situation, and that might well be the call. I don't know how they scored it. But take a look in the abstract at the situation I described. Would you charge an error on F2, or would you go by the letter of the book, which says that no error shall be charged on a wild pitch or passed ball? Or is it a passed ball at all if F2 had time to make a play? I'm now thinking it has to be an error.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by greymule

Thanks for responding, robbie. You interpreted the actual Dodgers-Angels situation, and that might well be the call. I don't know how they scored it. But take a look in the abstract at the situation I described. Would you charge an error on F2, or would you go by the letter of the book, which says that no error shall be charged on a wild pitch or passed ball? Or is it a passed ball at all if F2 had time to make a play? I'm now thinking it has to be an error.

I would say its just the way the words read with punctuation etc.

If there is a WP or PB, that "play" (or advancement) will not be scored as an error. It will be a WP or PB. However, it does not state that an error cannot occur on a continuance of action.

Perhaps a good analogy:
R1 steal attempt. Throw goes into center field. Regardless of how close it may have been at second, it is a steal (not an error) that accounts for R1 going to 2.
Now, if the throw also enables R1 to go to 3, it is scored a steal and an error.

[robbie]

The official scoring according to Baseball Reference:

"Strikeout Swinging, Passed Ball;Revere Scores / Adv on E2 (throw) / unER /No RBI; Maybin to 1B"

[greymule]

That makes sense. Strike 3 got away from F2, but the batter (for some reason) stayed in the box. R2 took 3B on the passed ball. However, F2 recovered the ball with time enough to throw to 1B to get the BR, but the throw was wild and went over F3. That error allowed R2 to score and the BR to advance meaninglessly to 1B. So F2 gets a PB and an E. Thanks.