First of all, it was a judgement call with room for argument.
Deadskins wrote:Just because one of them should have caught it (you are correct the outfielder should have called him off), doesn't make it an error.
I couldn't disagree more. For me (and apparently, for the official scorer at the game) this is precisely why it was an error. Here is the rule he invoked after reviewing the play many times:
Weller cited Rule 10.12, which covers errors in the official scoring rules and includes the comment: "The official scorer shall charge an outfielder with an error if such outfielder allows a fly ball to drop to the ground if, in the official scorer's judgment, at that position making ordinary effort would have caught such fly ball."
Deadskins wrote:No one touched the ball.
... which, conversely, does not make it a hit.
Weller watched numerous replays and conferred with Elias Sports Bureau, the sport's longtime record-keeper. He cited MLB rules that a ball doesn't have to be touched to be an error. If a fly ball drops to the ground, the official scorer can charge an error if, in his judgment, the outfielder ''making ordinary effort would have caught'' it.
Deadskins wrote:Like I said, it would have never been scored an error, had there not been a no-hitter in play.
This may be true but is clearly conjecture.
My take on the play is that both fielders erred in thinking the other would make the catch.
My conjecture is that the official scorer followed the letter of the rule and scored the play correctly because he saw an error committed. A ball which should have easily been caught was not because two guys made mistakes. My next conjecture is that MLB reversed the call (at the request of Ortiz) as a matter of non-binding tradition:
It was the proper call according to the rulebook, but not in adherence with normal scoring practices. Usually, balls that fall untouched are ruled hits.
Naturally, MLB does not give a reason for their overturn but everything I've read points to tradition.
I work with a fella who wrote for the Boston Globe covering baseball for several decades. He has a Hall of Fame vote. He has not yet seen the play and is up on the rule and the tradition. He told me he's seen plenty of balls fall untouched that were ruled as errors over the years.
It's a judgement call and a matter of degree. In the view of the official scorer and me, an ordinary effort results in a catch. I'm wondering if he initially gave BOTH guys errors. I would have ... if the rules allow for it.
#shrug
