Error or hit?

Scenario: Runner at 1st. Ball is hit to 2nd baseman, but runner runs in front of the 2B and the 2B stops instead of fielding the ball. Is this a fielding error or a hit?

 

Interference? If fielder should have made the play with ' reasonable' effort, error. If fielder caught the ball but didn't make throw, then it comes down to would the batter have beat it out, even if she had thrown it, because fielder stopped and waited for ball, hit. If she missed the ball because the fielder distracted her by running past or thru the ball but was not called for interference, error.

 

One more thing. The 2nd batter was a slapper who hit it to the 2nd baseman. Does that make a difference on the call of error vs hit?

 

My judgement is no contact no interference. Good baserunner distracting the fielder. Also judgement call on hit if fielder did not touch the ball I believe you give a hit. Does not matter if slapper or straight swinger.

 

This play in my opinion was an error. There was no contact and the second baseman was right in front of the ball and should have made a play to 1st or 2nd base.

 

I think it's a hit.
Kinda like a pop up in the infield where two or more defensive players end up staring at each other as the ball plops down between them. Errors are physical misplays, not mental or effort mistakes. A scorer cannot assume a play would, or wouldn't, be made if the defensive player doesn't make an attempt.

 

One thing is to teach infielder to continue on and field the ball and if contact occurs then it's obstruction, runner is out I believe. But it's tricky and it's up to the umpire. obstruction vs. interference the debate continues with or without contact?

 

An error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance should have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder. Even though the baserunner does not reach additional bases, an error may be charged against a fielder for misplaying a foul ball.

Doesn't differentiate between mental and physical, just a misplay. If two fielders watch a ball drop between them, but should have been caught with ordinary effort, it was an error.

 

Link to scoring definitions

There are so many questions all the time about what is an error and what is a hit. The rule applys the same to each batter whether they are a slapper or a power hitter.

If you want clarification on what an error is or can be, here is a link to the Major League Baseball Rules about scoring and what is an error, hit, interference, etc. Softball will not be much different from baseball when it comes to scoring.


http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp

 

Agree