Defensive Indifference

[JayW]

Close game. Runners on 1st and 3rd. Runner on 1st steals 2nd with no throwdown. Why do almost all gamechanger scorekeepers call this defensive indifference?

 

[Lance Steckler]

cause there was no play attempted on the runner stealing.

 

[erniekru]

oops, retraction of my post. Just doing some reading on the rules.. See below.

 

[erniekru]

from baseball rules...

Rule 10.07(g) Comment: The scorer shall consider, in judging whether the defensive team has been indifferent to a runners advance, the totality of the circumstances, including the inning and score of the game, whether the defensive team had held the runner on base, whether the pitcher had made any pickoff attempts on that runner before the runners advance, whether the fielder ordinarily expected to cover the base to which the runner advanced made a move to cover such base, whether the defensive team had a legitimate strategic motive to not contest the runners advance or whether the defensive team might be trying impermissibly to deny the runner credit for a stolen base. For example, with runners on first and third bases, the official scorer should ordinarily credit a stolen base when the runner on first advances to second, if, in the scorers judgment, the defensive team had a legitimate strategic motive namely, preventing the runner on third base from scoring on the throw to second base not to contest the runners advance to second base. The official scorer may conclude that the defensive team is impermissibly trying to deny a runner credit for a stolen base if, for example, the defensive team fails to defend the advance of a runner approaching a league or career record or a league statistical title.

 

[JayW]

It seems to me that the defensive team is not indifferent, but is unwilling to accept the risk of the runner at 3B going home. If the catcher is able to throw but chooses not to, i would call it a stolen base. I would also credit a stolen base if the catcher throws short to one of the infielders as part of a trick play.

 

[JayW]

the scoring probably depends on whether the offensive team or defensive team is doing gamechanger.

 

[Rick M]

I’ve always scored that defensive indifference, sorry to see that I’ve been doing it incorrectly.

To me, stolen bases are tracked on the catcher’s fielding stats, it seems unfair to ding them with SBs, thereby lowering their CS percentage, when they’re probably making the smart play by not throwing the ball around.

But as with getting an error on a ball you dove for and just knocked away, scoring isn’t always fair


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[Hawk_]

I mean ....cause that's what it is?

 

[JayW]

Speaking of unfair scoring: runner on 1st base, batter hits hard line drive to center. cf throws to 2b and runner is out on the force. saw several teams this past week calling that a hit with the runner out advancing to 2nd. from what i can determine, this should be scored a fielder’s choice because of the force. no fielder’s choice if runner safe.

 

[JayW]

I mean ....cause that's what it is?

not by the rules.