League teaches scorers to score incorrectly.

[scorekeeper]

A few months back, our league sent out a mass e-mail to everyone on their list, that they were gonna have some “classes” for scorers for the upcoming season. I thought that was great, until I met someone yesterday who had attended one of the “classes”. What I thought, was that people would be given some basic instruction on keeping score, but once again it turns out that my assumptions were completely wrong.

What it really was, was a “How To” class on what to do about the rule change for 2012 that changes whether or not a batter is out on a 3rd strike that isn’t caught. Scorers were told that if a runner reaches 1st on a 3rd strike that wasn’t caught in the air, they were to mark it as a K and a Passed Ball. When I heard that, I asked the other scorer if that’s what she understood them to say, and she whipped out a handout they were given at those classes. Sure enough, K and a Passed Ball. In fact, there was a *note that said, even if the pitch could not possibly be caught by the catcher, it was to be marked as a Passed Ball.

No wonder scorers are so poor! Now the leagues are telling them to keep score wrong! What’s so sad is, its so easy to keep score. All anyone has to do is memorize a few things, or not be too proud to look something up in a rule book.

[bbrages]

What is the correct score for that situation?

[scorekeeper]

What is the correct score for that situation?

What’s correct is to score it as a PB or WP, never as one thing regardless of what took place. Too many people don’t understand that there’s a difference between the two things. As far as statistics goes, it really makes no difference if no ERA isn’t being kept. But it does give people incorrect “perceptions” of the pitcher and the catcher, and that makes it unfair to both.

You can pretty much bet that at least 80% of all pitches that allow a runner to reach a base are WPs. In the lowest levels where everyone’s skills are weakest, it might be as low as 70%, where in the ML its likely much higher than that.

[johnlanza]

Sure enough, K and a Passed Ball. In fact, there was a *note that said, even if the pitch could not possibly be caught by the catcher, it was to be marked as a Passed Ball.

Rule maker must have been a pitcher in his little league days, or has a son in the current league who is a pitcher