fielders choice?

by Ben
(Berkeley Heights,NJ)

Ben asked: Man on third with one out. A hard hit ball to third. Normally an easy out at first.

However the third baseman looks at home for a possible play at the plate. He hesitates and decides not to throw home. By the time he decides to throw to first, he no longer has a play at first.

I believe it is a fielder's choice with an rbi for the hitter and the batter should not be given a hit because he would had been out if the third baseman had thrown to first initially.

What is your opinion?


Rick answered: Ben, thank you for your question.

Rule 2-14, Fielder's Choice Art 1...A fielder's choice is the act of a fielder with a live ball, who elects to throw for an attempted put out or to retire unassisted any runner or batter-runner, thus permitting the advance of another runner(s).
The scorer decides whether the batter is credited with a safe hit or an extra base hit.

9-3-2 A base hit is credited to a batter when he advances to first base safely:
c. because of a fielder's choice (2-14-1) when a fielder attempts to put out another runner but is unsuccessful and the scorer believes the batter-runner would have reached first base, even with perfect fielding.

Art 5...An rbi is credited to the batter when a runner scores because of a base hit...
a) it is not a run batted in if there is a double play from a force or one in which the batter is put out or should have been put out on a batted ground ball.

Play should be recorded as a fielder's choice, even though the 3b didn't make a throw, his look at home and hesitation would be considered an attempt to make that play at home; no rbi.

If the official scorer determined in his/her mind that the batter-runner would have been safe regardless, then a base hit could be awarded, which would then provide an rbi also.

How did the scoring go at the time?

Yours in baseball,

Rick