http://www.designatedwriters.com/col…/baseball-scorekeeping/
F5 or F7? That is the question.
If you are a baseball person, you might understand this. If you are not, you won't care.
Those of us old-school baseball purists who -- grimace -- accept that defensive shifts are now part of the game have a suggestion for baseball's rules makers.
If you don't want to outlaw defensive shifts -- and make people play in the positions as they have for 150 years -- at least change the scoring rules. Change how outs are recorded on the official scoresheet.
If you have kept a baseball scorebook since you were about 10 years old, if you learned early on that 1 is pitcher, 2 is catcher, 3 is first base, 4 is second base, 5 is third base, 6 is shortstop, and 7-8-9 are outfielders, left to right, think about what happened last Thursday on Opening Day.
The Houston Astros used a four-man outfield. We've seen it before, we think, over some 60 years of watching the game. But ...
On his first at-bat this season, Texas Rangers first baseman Joey Gallo -- faced an Astros' defense without a third baseman. Sort of.
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| Astros' defense against the Rangers' Joey Gallo |
The Astros' third baseman, former LSU star Alex Bregman, was playing in deep left field. Yes, the "5" was playing in the "7" spot. (So was the regular "7" to Bregman's left.)
And Gallo, a left-handed hitter -- very much a pull hitter -- flied out to the third baseman ... in deep left field.
Score it F5 (Bregman's position) or F7 (where he was playing)? First thought I had when it happened. If you have been a scorekeeper, and been paid for it, these things cross your mind.
Seconds later, we heard the Astros' announcers ask the same question, and debate it.
By current scoring rules, it has to be F5. We're suggesting that it needs changing.
It should be changed to reflect the defensive positioning. So maybe make it 7-B (and in the official statistics, give Bregman an outfield putout).
Just as if the third baseman -- in the current trend of defensive shifts -- is playing in the shortstop spot, and the ball is hit to him, he should be "6-B." And if the shortstop is on the right side of second base, he should be "4-B."
A friend this morning suggested that it could be scored F7 (5) to indicate where the ball was caught and the player who caught it. My view is that it could be F5 (7).
Whatever, it needs changing from the current system.
A couple of times already this season -- and often in the past couple of years -- we have seen the second baseman, playing in shallow-to-medium right field, field a ground ball and throw the batter out at first base. Against a conventional defense, that is an single.
So why not make it a 9B-3 putout, or 4(9)-3?
Simple changes, in our thinking, and more of an indication where the outs were made.
But changing baseball scoring rules -- and we have several we could point out need changing, but save that for another time -- is rarely done.
If baseball's stats keepers want to be more accurate, and reconstruct games on paper to show what really happened, they need a Plan B, or another way to do it. Shift the system.
From Kip Coons: I had that very question while watching the game -- how to score that flyout. I came up with F7(5), to show where the ball was caught and who caught it.
ReplyDeleteFrom Bob Tompkins: I think F5 (7), to show the third baseman is in left field, makes sense.
Delete7B doesn’t tell make that as clear.
From Pat Booras: Good blog. Right on the mark with scorekeeping Plan "B." Common sense.
ReplyDeleteFrom Charlie Booras: Seems to make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteFrom Tommy Canterbury: Very interesting. First blush would say keep position number player in the scorebook with a code (* or ?). But the alternative has a point.
ReplyDeleteFrom Jason Brown: Makes sense to me. Speaking of the radical shift, a friend with an astute baseball mind suggested it calls for re-thinking how to build a lineup. His idea: greatly devalue LH power hitters in favor of LH hitters who are well-rounded and able to use the entire field, and concentrate power in RH hitters. A lineup like that would virtually never see such a shift. The Yankees' lineup seems to fit the bill, at least in my tiny baseball mind.
ReplyDeleteFrom Rusty Hall: If you feel the need to change the old system, I think you have to make it something like F5/7B. ... 7-B doesn’t tell you if it’s the third baseman or the shortstop making an over-the-shoulder catch in shallow left field. I’ve seen shortstops make some catches pretty deep in the outfield on popups, especially down the line.
ReplyDeleteThe proposed change, regardless of how it is recorded, should reflect where the player is positioned when the pitch is made. Another for instance, last night I saw that the Oakland A's had their shortstop playing in the regular second-base hole, and the second baseman positioned directly behind second base (so he would be the shortstop). (If the ball had been hit to where the shortstop was, right now it is a 6-3 putout. That's not accurate, though; it should be 6(4)-3 or 4B-3 or however baseball people want to fix this.
DeleteScooter Hendon: I support this. Scoring should tell a micro-story of what happened in every AB.
ReplyDeleteFrom Ron Bell: Good point. I have an observation about these ridiculous shifts. If power hitters would put some time in on honing their bunting skills, it might make managers think twice about these extreme shifts. For a lefty, any decent bunt toward where the third baseman normally plays would be a sure single.
ReplyDeleteBut these shifts do make for some interesting results, both for the plays that are made and, as you point out, for keeping score.
From Ed English: Speaking of defensive shifts in baseball, aren’t those like the NBA before they outlawed the zone defense.
ReplyDeleteI’m all for opening up the lane in hoops ... and all for more singles in baseball.
From Jim Pruett: I know it won’t be banned, but I truly dislike the shift.
ReplyDeleteFrom Ike Futch: When I was playing in the 1960s the only shift we had was a couple of steps to the left or a couple of steps to the right, depending on the hitter. I still feel like we had as many putouts at our positions as they do now, and for the most part scorekeepers were happy. I do think the shift helps on true pull hitters. I certainly agree position shifts could be a scorekeepers' nightmare. Nice blog.
ReplyDelete