Sacrafice?

Fpgamer5 · #1 (**permalink**) Tue Sep 28, 2004, 08:37pm

Baseball: No outs, a runner on first base. The batter lays down a perfect sacrafice bunt, the infielder elects to throw the ball to first base but makes a bad throw, everyone is safe. Can you score this a sacrafice and an error with no time at bat being charged? Or is it just an error? Thanks.

Atl Blue · #2 (**permalink**) Tue Sep 28, 2004, 09:40pm

Yes, it is a sacrifice AND an error. If the ball were fielded by the pitcher, it would be scored SAC-E1.

The batter would not be charged with an at bat. He did his job, the fact that he reached by an error was not his fault. It was just a benefit.

greymule · #3 (**permalink**) Tue Sep 28, 2004, 10:50pm

Same idea as runner on 3B, 1 out. Batter hits fly ball to the warning track. Runner tags to score easily on the catch, but the outfielder drops the ball. Score a sacrifice fly and an error.

One thing I think they might think about changing is allowing a sacrifice fly when a team is far behind in the 9th inning.

mcrowder · #4 (**permalink**) Thu Sep 30, 2004, 01:07pm

I don't think they'll be changing anything like that - as they'd have to retroactively apply that to all RBI and batting average records

greymule · #5 (**permalink**) Thu Sep 30, 2004, 02:31pm

I don't think they'll be changing anything like that - as they'd have to retroactively apply that to all RBI and batting average records

I agree that they probably won't change it, but wasn't the sac fly rule different at one time? Or was it some other difference from today in charging at-bats?

Along those lines, at some point in the past few decades, a sacrifice stopped being awarded when a batter was bunting for a hit, even if a runner advanced. But was that only in cases where a sacrifice was poor strategy to begin with? For example, tie score, top of the ninth, runner on 3B with 1 out. Batter pushes a beautiful last-instant bunt up the 1B line but is put out on a great play while the runner from 3B scores the lead run. Though it appeared to be an attempt for a hit, the sacrifice was obviously beneficial, so doesn't the batter get credit for the sac?

Did the statisticians go back and recalculate saves every time the rule was changed? In the 1960s, I think a reliever could get a save for coming in and getting the last out in a 19-1 game.