Expert: Dennis Girardi - 5/15/2007

Question
IF A BATTER HITS THE BALL TO AN INFIELDER AND THE INFIELDER CHOOSES TO MAKE A PLAY ON A BASERUNNER - THAT IS A FIELDER'S CHOICE....BUT IF THE BASERUNNER IS SAFE AND NO ERROR (THROWING OR FIELDING) IS MADE...THEN IS THAT BATTED BALL RULED A HIT OR IS IT A JUDGEMENT ERROR (IS THERE A SUCH THING)AND AN ERROR CHARGED TO THE FIELDER?

Answer
Hey Dan,

It is still a fielder's choice.

Whether the runner is safe or not, doesn't matter here. No hit is given. And he may or may not get an error charged.  It depends on what happened.
For instance, if there was a bunted ball and the fielder decided to go to third, and the runner on 2nd was stealing third, so he was safe, it would be an error in judgement, but a fielders choice nevertheless. No error would be charged in the box score..

If the throw was in the dirt, and the official scorer thought that the runner would have been out on a clean play, then an error would be charged.
Come to me anytime, Dan.  It was good to hear from you.

Dennis