Baseball Rules Questions

[Gvac]

I'm sure a lot of people have questions about certain rules of baseball, so I figured I'd start a thread for them.

One of the things I've wondered about for quite some time and yet never bothered to research concerns a pitchers ERA.

We all know the formula is earned runs divided by innings pitched and then multiplied by nine. My question is what if a pitcher technically pitches zero innings? That is, he either starts a game or comes in as a reliever, registers no outs, and surrenders earned runs.

For example - I come in as a reliever to start the 7th inning. I immediately surrender solo homers to the first to batters and then I'm yanked. What's my ERA?

[JPMNICK]

I am pretty sure your ERA is either 99.99 or INF, for infinity since it is not able to be calculated.

In a strict math sense, the ERA is undefined since you can never divide by 0.

BTW Mariano Rivera's ERA last night was 108.00

[drjoek]

In that scenario the ERA would be infinity. added to what ever is done next time as a run with no innings pitched

[BoondockSaint]

They also write it as "--.--" on the scoreboard in this case.

[7fttall500+]

I played baseball and have done stats for baseball, both on the college level. It would be infinity however it is posted as 99.99 for whatever reason.

[Furtherman]

I don't know, third base!

[JPMNICK]

I have a question -

on a pop out in foul territory, could you tag up and try to score? say it was hit deep to right field and caught.

if not, when does the ball become live again? I.E. say you can not tag up, but say the right fielder throws it to the second baseman who misses it, can you run then?

[BoondockSaint]

I have a question -

on a pop out in foul territory, could you tag up and try to score? say it was hit deep to right field and caught.

if not, when does the ball become live again? I.E. say you can not tag up, but say the right fielder throws it to the second baseman who misses it, can you run then?


Yup, you can tag up on foul balls.

[JPMNICK]

Yup, you can tag up on foul balls.

but if they make an attempt to catch it, but miss, then it is a dead ball right?

[BoondockSaint]

but if they make an attempt to catch it, but miss, then it is a dead ball right?

Correct.

[Yuppie_Scum]

on a pop out in foul territory, could you tag up and try to score? say it was hit deep to right field and caught.

That ball is in play and the runners can tag.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

Is it an Earned Run if a Pitcher Balks in a Run

:king:

[BoondockSaint]

Is it an Earned Run if a Pitcher Balks in a Run

:king:


Yup, wild pitches. too.

[tdavis3084]

The official scorer shall charge an earned run against a pitcher every time a runner reaches home base by the aid of safe hits, sacrifice bunts, a sacrifice fly, stolen bases, putouts, fielder's choices, bases on balls, hit batters, balks or wild pitches (including a wild pitch on third strike that permits a batter to reach first base) before fielding chances have been offered to put out the offensive team

from mlb.com

[sailor]

ok, i have a question. about a week ago a player was picked off first, but ended up getting to 2nd without being out. he was originally credited with a SB but it was later changed and tha SB was removed by mlb. why was this done? i always thought this was a stolen base. hell, i KNOW for a fact ricky henderson used to get these all the time. wtf?? like if you're picked off and are out going to first, it counts as a pick-off, but if you get picked off and are out going to 2nd it counts as a caught stealing.

i checked and it was polanco for detroit on 5/1.

[BoondockSaint]

ok, i have a question. about a week ago a player was picked off first, but ended up getting to 2nd without being out. he was originally credited with a SB but it was later changed and tha SB was removed by mlb. why was this done? i always thought this was a stolen base. hell, i KNOW for a fact ricky henderson used to get these all the time. wtf?? like if you're picked off and are out going to first, it counts as a pick-off, but if you get picked off and are out going to 2nd it counts as a caught stealing.

i checked and it was polanco for detroit on 5/1.


Maybe there was an error on the play?

[sailor]

Maybe there was an error on the play?

i didn't see, but this was what was relayed to me by another source. i just knew i went to bed and he had a stolen base and in the morning it was gone.

[Marc with a c]

ok, i have a question. about a week ago a player was picked off first, but ended up getting to 2nd without being out. he was originally credited with a SB but it was later changed and tha SB was removed by mlb. why was this done? i always thought this was a stolen base. hell, i KNOW for a fact ricky henderson used to get these all the time. wtf?? like if you're picked off and are out going to first, it counts as a pick-off, but if you get picked off and are out going to 2nd it counts as a caught stealing.

i checked and it was polanco for detroit on 5/1.

it is not a stolen base. it should be ruled as a caught stealing.

(sailor must has polanco on his fantasy team)

[Gvac]

How could it be ruled a caught stealing if he wasn't caught?

They attempted a pick off but he made it to second safely. If there wasn't an error, it should be a SB.

[Gvac]

I just looked up the Official Baseball Rules regarding stolen bases ---

(c) When a runner, attempting to steal, or after being picked off base, evades being put out in a run down play and advances to the next base without the aid of an error, credit the runner with a stolen base. If another runner also advances on the play, credit both runners with stolen bases. If a runner advances while another runner, attempting to steal, evades being put out in a run down play and returns safely, without the aid of an error, to the base he originally occupied, credit a stolen base to the runner who advances.

[sailor]

it is not a stolen base. it should be ruled as a caught stealing.

(sailor must has polanco on his fantasy team)

why would it be a caught stealing if he isn't stealing if he makes it? (duh!)

I just looked up the Official Baseball Rules regarding stolen bases ---

(c) When a runner, attempting to steal, or after being picked off base, evades being put out in a run down play and advances to the next base without the aid of an error, credit the runner with a stolen base. If another runner also advances on the play, credit both runners with stolen bases. If a runner advances while another runner, attempting to steal, evades being put out in a run down play and returns safely, without the aid of an error, to the base he originally occupied, credit a stolen base to the runner who advances.

just as i suspected!

[Marc with a c]

it is ruled as a caught steling. that's what it is.

i see the rule you posted but tell me why the runner wasn't credited with a stolen base.

[sailor]

it is ruled as a caught steling. that's what it is.

i see the rule you posted but tell me why the runner wasn't credited with a stolen base.

my point was, if he's trying to steal (hence caught stealing) why would it not be a stolen base if he winds up safe? and as for "but tell me why the runner wasn't credited with a stolen base." that was my original question.

[Marc with a c]

i just went and checked his stats and he was not credited with a stolen base, or a caught stealing.

did you see the play? was there an error or a mental mistake nobody covering second?

[sailor]

i just went and checked his stats and he was not credited with a stolen base, or a caught stealing.

did you see the play? was there an error or a mental mistake nobody covering second?

ok, we're getting mixed up. he was safe at 2nd, not out. i only threw out there that he'd be out if caught to prove a point (that it WOULD be caught stealing). i did not see the play but was told by my league that it wasn't a stolen base because he was picked off and made it to 2nd off that, which i know is bullshit. i don't know if there was an error.

[Marc with a c]

ok, we're getting mixed up. he was safe at 2nd, not out. i only threw out there that he'd be out if caught to prove a point (that it WOULD be caught stealing). i did not see the play but was told by my league that it wasn't a stolen base because he was picked off and made it to 2nd off that, which i know is bullshit. i don't know if there was an error.

i know he was safe, i know it sounds retarted, but say polanco gets picked off by mark buerhle and beats the throw to secondbase by the firstbaseman then it is considered a caught stealing even if he is safe. i don't know why, but that is how it is scored.

[BoondockSaint]

The box score says Baltimore had no errors. I wondered what happened.

[FUNKMAN]

does anyone know if there is a rule on what determines an error or a hit?

it seems too many what i consider to be 'errors' are recorded as hits...

[sailor]

i know he was safe, i know it sounds retarted, but say polanco gets picked off by mark buerhle and beats the throw to secondbase by the firstbaseman then it is considered a caught stealing even if he is safe. i don't know why, but that is how it is scored.

i don't think that's right. i'm pretty certain ricky henderson and they added to his SB totals. maybe you're thinking it is still a picked off and THEN a SB? odd either way.

[Marc with a c]

does anyone know if there is a rule on what determines an error or a hit?

it seems too many what i consider to be 'errors' are recorded as hits...

an error is a play that doesn't require more then ordinary effort to make.

there are so many 'hits' that should be ruled as errors

[sailor]

does anyone know if there is a rule on what determines an error or a hit?

it seems too many what i consider to be 'errors' are recorded as hits...

it's the scorer's discretion. depends on if he's friends with the hitter, fielder or pitcher.
hitter = hit
fielder = hit
pitcher = error

[FUNKMAN]

if a steam train leaves home plate moving north at 60 mph... which way would the smoke blow?

[RogerPodacter]

if a steam train leaves home plate moving north at 60 mph... which way would the smoke blow?

ummm, up the anus?

[FUNKMAN]

ummm, up the anus?

you get a trip into the prize closet :smile:

[sailor]

you get a trip into the prize closet :smile:

and that's your anus also?

[FUNKMAN]

and that's your anus also?

no your mouth

[sailor]

no your mouth

that was just mean!

[cougarjake13]

that was just mean!

please sailor tell the peoples to stop making fucking penguin movies

[sailor]

please sailor tell the peoples to stop making fucking penguin movies

i tries and tries

[PapaBear]

I have a serious baseball question here...

When I was a kid, there was a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Bugs was the pitcher. He threw a REALLY slow ball pitch. The first batter swung three times and missed. While the ball was still in the air, a second batter did the same thing. Lo and behold... a third batter repeated the actions of the first two.

Is this something that can actually happen in a game?

[Fezticle98]

I have a serious baseball question here...

When I was a kid, there was a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Bugs was the pitcher. He threw a REALLY slow ball pitch. The first batter swung three times and missed. While the ball was still in the air, a second batter did the same thing. Lo and behold... a third batter repeated the actions of the first two.

Is this something that can actually happen in a game?

Yes. I take it you haven't been out to a Nats' game this season?

[cougarjake13]

i tries and tries

and yet they keep coming out

wtf ??? how did this penguin craze start anyway ???