As an Official Scorekeeper, I am bound by rules. I decide between hit-error, wild pitch-passed ball, and other actions that take place on the field. After those actions are defined and put in the book, my hands are bound and tied by rules that have been in place since before World War I.
I like tradition as much in baseball as any other fella.
At the same time, I look at what technology has done on the field.
I see foul balls turn to fair balls.
Doubles turn to home runs.
Singles turned to outs.
Video review has changed things.
We've eliminated the human factor. Now, the goal is to get things right.
Imagine that!
Can't we do the same for holiest grail of any sport?
The baseball statistic.
There are many things wrong with a pitcher's E.R.A.
Most are not correct. Not by real standards.
We see the numbers and take it as truth.
It's not.
They're tainted.
Tainted because baseball will not allow scorekeepers more freedom.
There have been calls for 'team errors'.
These are supposedly to help out both the scorekeeper and the pitcher's E.R.A.
If a ball falls between two fielders that was easily catchable...team error.
If a ball is lost in the sun that should have been caught....team error.
Any mental mistake....a team error.
At first, I backed the concept. Heck, anything to make these statistics more true, right?
But now, I realize that it'll never be applied. It is too much of a change for the traditional game.
The columns of team errors may be embarrassing for some teams who make a lot of mental errors.
I can hear the parents of little leaguers already.
So, I ask for more latitude for scorekeepers.
We know the game. We know how it is supposed to work.
We know when a ball should have been caught. Especially between two fielders or in the sun.
We know that in a 10-1 game in the ninth inning that a single, defensive indifference, and two ground outs should not constitute an earned run.
But, it does.
We can call defensive indifference on a ball lost in the sun, a ball dropping between two fielders, each thinking the other would catch the ball.
We know that if a catcher throws to second on an attempted sacrifice bunt, and the throw is late that the pitcher is penalized by his decision. Both runners becoming earned run possibilities.
A scorekeeper can rule defensive indifference to the runner on first base.
The batter still gets his sacrifice.
The batter still gets a hit for a ball lost in the sun or dropping between two fielders.
BUT, the official scorekeeper can rule defensive indifference which in our case,would make those runs unearned.
Baseball has it backwards.
They penalize pitchers for players bad decisions, faulty judgment, and outright indifference by the folks they rely on most.
Their defense!
If a ball is thrown to a wrong base, the fielder is not penalized.
He goes on his merry way.
No stats effected.
The pitcher takes the statistical brunt of this fielders idiocy.
A little like a sister breaking Dad's phone, only to see the cost coming out of YOUR allowance!
That's not fair!
Give me a little leeway here.
I promise I won't abuse the newfound power.
I only what to make a wrong a right.
We're doing it through replay.
Why can't we do the same?