Friday, June 8, 2007

9 Ways to Reach First Base

My brother in law was chatting with me today and said he was told there were 9 ways to reach first base in MLB. So we started brainstorming and researching. We found people stating anywhere from 7 to 23 different ways. After the research, I do believe there are 9 different ways to score a batter to first base. Obviously there are tons of variations of each, but these are the ways it can be scored:
1. Single
2. Base on Balls (Walk)
3. Fielder's Choice
4. Hit By Pitch
5. Fielding Error
6. Dropped 3rd Strike (Passed Ball or Wild Pitch)
7. Catcher's Interference
8. Fielder Interference/Obstruction
9. Batted Ball hits another runner before a fielder touches it

Any others?

This led me to poke around MLB's official rules and I found some wild stuff. How about these Catcher Interference Comments?

Rule 6.08(c) Catcher Interference
Rule 6.08(c) Comment: If catcher’s interference is called with a play in progress the umpire will allow the play to continue because the manager may elect to take the play. If the batter-runner missed first base, or a runner misses his next base, he shall be considered as having reached the base, as stated in Note of Rule 7.04(d). Examples of plays the manager might elect to take:
1. Runner on third, one out, batter hits fly ball to the outfield on which the runner scores but catcher’s interference was called. The offensive manager may elect to take the run and have batter called out or have runner remain at third and batter awarded first base.
2. Runner on second base. Catcher interferes with batter as he bunts ball fairly sending runner to third base. The manager may rather have runner on third base with an out on the play than have runners on second and first.


I guess I had no clue that a manager gets to wait for the outcome of the play before deciding what scenario he would prefer, but it makes sense. I bet 90% of the time, the manager would take the run in the event of scenario #1 unless the team is down several runs later in the game. This has great resemblance to an offsides penalty in the NFL...based on the result of the play, you can decide to take or not take the penalty.

I look forward to finding some more obscure rules in the near future and posting them here.

19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. LMAO they surely didn't specify but if you need a shot to get to first base you have big issues

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  2. Well, actually, you never said it had to be the batter reaching first, so you can reach first by simply walking to first as a pinch runner.

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  3. In the case of fan interference (for example, a fan reaches into the field of play to grab a fair ball), the umpire can send the batter to whatever base the umpire believes the runner would have attained had the fan not interfered.

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  4. But getting a clean hit and being awarded a hit are different ways of reaching first base.

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  5. If I hits an ump, then normally the batter shall be awarded first base.

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  6. If the ball hits a runner, the batter is awarded 1st base and it is scored as it would’ve been scored if the ball had not hit the runner. A hit or fielders choice in the scorekeepers discretion. . It is not a separate way.

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  7. Safe on a failed DP attempt or is that a FC?

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  8. Runner hit by the ball would be scored as a hit

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  9. It wouldn't matter who made the balk, a catcher or pitcher, it does not affect the batter but only the Runners who are already on base. There's no actual rule stating a "catchers balk" because when it happens the pitcher is charged with a balk even though the catcher was the one that screwed up. Kind of like when a wild pitch error goes against the pitcher not the catcher when the catcher doesn't stop it.

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  10. What about being a pinch runner?

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  11. So, if there are no runners on base and a pitcher balks, is the batter not awarded a ball?
    If so, and it’s ball four, didn’t you reach on a balk and not a walk?

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  12. You can steal first base on any pitch not caught in the air.

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