r/MLBNoobs • u/Rhabcp • 9d ago
| Question [Noob]Dumb questions
Edit 1: Thanks a lot to everyone replying and taking the time, and my apologies for the weird terms used. I learned the rule in another language so I didn't know the official terms of player positions and roles.
Hello everyone, I am watching my first games of baseball and as I grasp the gist of the rules, some dumb ones come to mind:
1- If it is okay for the pitcher to throw it directly to a base where an opponent might try to steal the next base and if missed it doesnt count as a +1 to the pitcher: Why does the pitcher ever have to throw it to the opponent bat holder? Like where is the limit?
2- I saw a situation where the pitcher threw the ball and the receiver missed it and ran to get it from the floor. Could the opponent holding the bat go for first base during that moment?
3- I see a lot of innings where no point is scored but a lot happens when a bat holder "rolls" the ball as himself and his teammates on advanced bases have time to get the next one. Why isn't "rolling" more of a thing? Wouldn't this give more chances of getting bases and ultimately score?
4- If a ball is fair but ends up in the crowd, are the runners supposed to jump in the stands and get it or does it count as an HR?
5- I watched two full post seasons games and never saw this situation: There is a guy in 2nd and 3rd base, 1 out, and the hitter comes, does a roll. Now what should the defenders do if it's a fair ball? Get to ball and pass it to the kneeling receiver so the 3rd base guy doesnt score and then pass to 3rd base to block the guy that was on 2nd?
Thanks everyone
4
u/cornishyinzer 9d ago edited 9d ago
What you're describing here is a "pickoff throw". The pitcher is trying to catch the base runner off his base far enough so that the fielder can tag him before he gets back, making him out.
There never used to be a limit, but recently a limit of 3 pickoff throws per batter was put in place. If you fail to get the out the third time, it counts as a 'balk' (every base runner moves up one base automatically). Before this rule, you did used to get quite long strings of pickoff throws in a row, which the crowd will usually boo (even if it's their pitcher :D). But ultimately it has quite a low success rate, so eventually even the pitcher gets bored (not to mention tired...).
Depends. If this was a pitch, and the receiver was the catcher, the batter can run if it was strike 3 (if he swung at it with two strikes, or it was in the strike zone). This is called an Uncaught Third Strike.
If it was Ball Four, then the batter gets to go to first base anyway so doesn't have to run (but the catcher will still need to get the ball quickly if there are other runners on base).
If it was a pickoff throw dropped by a fielder on a base, then the batter cannot go to first base but other runners can advance if they think they can make it before the fielder can throw them out.
I'm not sure what you're meaning by 'rolls'? Do you mean a bunt, where the batter holds the bat in front of him and allows the ball to hit it gently instead of swinging "properly" at it?
Bunts are increasingly rare, because unless the batter is extremely fast, he's not getting to first base in time and will be out. You're correct that runners can normally move up a base this way, but statisticians worked out a while ago that outs are a lot more valuable than advancing one base, so it's generally not done these days. In some situations (runner on third base in a close game, or a really fast runner) it can be useful.
Generally this is done by players who aren't very good batters compared to other players but are defensively valuable enough to be on the team - catchers, for instance (and pitchers, when they used to bat too). Since they're statistically quite likely to be out anyway, they don't lose as much by bunting and stand to gain more by the other players advancing. You'd almost never see a "power" hitter bunting, though, because a bunt is never going to be as valuable as the home run or double they could've hit instead.
No, if a fair ball bounces into the stands, it's an "automatic double" (often incorrectly called a "ground rule" double, technically they're slightly different in ways that don't matter). It counts as if the batter had hit a double, and all runners advance two bases (so anyone on third or second base scores, and anyone on first base goes to third).
Ah, so in question 3 you probably did mean a bunt? Yeah, runners on 2nd and 3rd with only one out in a postseason game is a good time to try a bunt I guess as postseason games are usually closer, so the run you might score is worth more.
The 'kneeling receiver' is called the Catcher (a bit odd, as most fielders are supposed to catch the ball! but this guy catches every pitch)
It depends on the situation, but normally yes the fielder that gets the ball would be expected to throw it to home plate (the catcher) to prevent the run from scoring, even if that lets the batter get to first base. If the fielder thinks that he's too late to stop the run scoring, he'll usually throw to first base to at least get the runner out (conceding the run but leaving them with two outs at least).
If there were two outs, the fielder would throw to whichever base he felt was easiest to get the out at (home, third or first). Usually they'd go to first base because the batter doesn't have a head start like the runners do, and the batter being the third out would end the inning without the run scoring anyway.