Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceinGa
I remember a tv announcer (many year ago) stating that if a batter squares to perform a sacrifice bunt and the result is that both he and the advanced runner are safe (without an error) then he shall still be credited with a sacrifice bunt, not a hit.
Does anyone else remember that?
I believe that same announcer also stated that an uncontested stolen base would not be scored as a stolen base.
Did I not understand these two instances and have I been mistaken for 40 or 50 years?
If I am correct could modern rule changes make up the difference in pre-war averages and modern?
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Both are correct. However...
The first one - giving a guy a sacrifice instead of a hit is extremely rare. Scorekeepers almost always give the hitter a hit even though sacrifice is the correct call.
The second one is relatively common and is usually referred to as "defensive indifference". You'll see it in games where a team is trailing by a bunch of runs and a guy on first steals without the defense holding him on.