Expert: Brian Flaspohler - 4/24/2011

Question
Hi I am a scorer for a high school baseball game and I didn't know whether or not to score this play as an error.

A player hit a really hard ground ball down the third base line. The third baseman took a step to his right and made a diving stop. He got up quickly and tried to throw the runner out at first base, but threw it a little bit wide so that the first baseman had to step off the base to catch the ball. The runner would have been out most likely had the throw been accurate.

I could not decide if this was a hit or an error. I ended up scoring it as a hit because it was not a routine play. What do you think the proper ruling should be?

Answer
Eddie,

You probably scored correctly.  The phrasing in the rulebook is 'ordinary effort.'  If the play could have been made with ordinary effort then it should be an error.  Since the fielder dove and had a difficult play to get the batter out, then I think it should be a hit.

You never really know unless you see the play - and even there judgment comes into play but this seems like a hit.

Hope this helps!

Brian