How do you score a stolen base?

by don housen
(greenville ca)

Don asked: Do you get a stolen base if catcher drops the ball?

Rick answered: Don, thank you for your question.

The rule which covers this situation is 9-4-Article 1...A stolen base shall be credited in the summary to a runner each time he advances a base without the aid of a base hit, a putout, a fielding (including battery) error or fielder's choice.

* Official scorer determines, in their opinion, if the runner would have stolen the base, even if the ball had not been dropped. ( This is generally a case where the runner had such a big jump, that the catcher would have had no chance to throw him out, even if the ball had been caught.)

Rule 9-5-Article 5...An error is charged against a fielder or a team for each misplay that prolongs the time at bat of the batter or the time a player continues to be a runner, or permits the runner to advance one or more bases.

Exceptions:

2. A catcher is not charged with an error for a wild throw in his attempt to prevent a stolen base unless the runner advances another base because of the throw.

Yours in baseball,

Rick