Can there be wild pitches or passed balls in a perfect game?

[Blackjack200]

I guess thats the underlying question I have, would the scorekeeper charge a WP or PB since they did technically make an error even though the catcher made up for it by getting the guy out in time.

Another analogy: Imagine a fly ball to the first baseman, he drops it, but then picks up the ball and steps on first base. He is not charged with an error, even if the scorekeeper feels he should have caught the fly ball. As long as the batter doesn' reach base it's not an error.

 

[RedRooster]

Another analogy: Imagine a fly ball to the first baseman, he drops it, but then picks up the ball and steps on first base. He is not charged with an error, even if the scorekeeper feels he should have caught the fly ball. As long as the batter doesn' reach base it's not an error.

That does make sense.
So if a guy bunted a ball and started running, the catcher got to the ball and fired it over the first baseman's head into the right field corner. The runner, breaks his ankle and falls to a stop halfway down the line writhing in pain. The right fielder gets the ball, throws it back over the first baseman's head to the backstop. They eventually bumble the ball to first base for the out. Would make all the highlites and show up as a 2-9-2-1-6-3 putout, but no errors given, just a bunch of fools on the field.

 

[MotionMan]

To answer the question in the title: No.

To answer the question in the title: That is not a wild pitch or a pass ball, and would not be scored as such, so it would be a perfect game and the box score would have no indication of a WP or PB.


Think of this: A batted ball is hit on the ground to the first baseman. He bobbles the ball, drops it, kicks it a around a little and generally fumbles around like an idiot. Then gets a handle on the ball and steps on first for the out. There is no error on the play.

MotionMan

 

[SP33Demon]

I wonder if any perfect games have been messed up by catcher interference by the bat hitting the glove. Wouldn't that just suck.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Saw an intersting rule enforced the other night that I didn't know. I believe it was if first base is occupied and there is less than two outs(not sure about that part?) the batter can't advance to first on a missed third strike. I thought the batter could always advance on a missed third strike but thats not the case.

 

[DayLaPaul]

You're over thinking it. Did the pitcher retire 27 out of 27 batters in a row?

 

[Numenorean]

Saw an intersting rule enforced the other night that I didn't know. I believe it was if first base is occupied and there is less than two outs(not sure about that part?) the batter can't advance to first on a missed third strike. I thought the batter could always advance on a missed third strike but thats not the case.

No, not if 1B is occupied.

 

[MotionMan]

You're over thinking it. Did the pitcher retire 27 out of 27 batters in a row?

You're under-thinking it: Google "Ernie Shore Babe Ruth".



MotionMan

 

[RedRooster]

You're over thinking it. Did the pitcher retire 27 out of 27 batters in a row?

My concern was more whether or not the pitcher would be charged with a wild pitch. My friend says its impossible to have a wild pitch or pass ball stat accumulated in a perfect game, and I'm just trying to think of a way in which it possibly could.

 

[MotionMan]

My concern was more whether or not the pitcher would be charged with a wild pitch. My friend says its impossible to have a wild pitch or pass ball stat accumulated in a perfect game, and I'm just trying to think of a way in which it possibly could.

It cannot. In order for it to be a pb or wp, the batter has to get safely on base which, by definition, is not a perfect game.

MotionMan

 

[DayLaPaul]

You're under-thinking it: Google "Ernie Shore Babe Ruth".



MotionMan

No I'm not. You can't retire a batter that's on first base. That's called a baserunner.

 

[MotionMan]

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/about_mlb/rules_regulations.jsp

MLB Miscellany: Rules, regulations and statistics

Perfect games and No-hitters:
An official perfect game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) retires each batter on the opposing team during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings. In a perfect game, no batter reaches any base during the course of the game.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

No I'm not. You can't retire a batter that's on first base. That's called a baserunner.

Fine. So take the Ernie Shore/Babe Ruth situation, but instead of picking the guy off first, he retires the next 27 batters.

Still not a perfect game (See my post above).

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Haddix#Near_perfect_game

MotionMan

 

[DayLaPaul]

Fine. So take the Ernie Shore/Babe Ruth situation, but instead of picking the guy off first, he retires the next 27 batters.

Still not a perfect game (See my post above).

MotionMan

Right, but now you're ignoring my 27 out of 27 criteria. That's 27 out of 28.

My concern was more whether or not the pitcher would be charged with a wild pitch. My friend says its impossible to have a wild pitch or pass ball stat accumulated in a perfect game, and I'm just trying to think of a way in which it possibly could.

As already has been touched upon in previous replies, it all comes down to the definition of a wild pitch. In layman's terms, a wild pitch is just that -- a pitch that is thrown wildly (and not caught by the catcher.)

But in the world of baseball statistics, a wild pitch (or any error) only occurs if it causes a baserunner to advance.

So, yes, a pitcher can be credited with a perfect game if he throws a "wild" pitch but not if he throws a "wild pitch."

 

[MotionMan]

Right, but now you're ignoring my 27 out of 27 criteria. That's 27 out of 28.

Nope. In my scenario, the pitcher would have faced 27 batters and got 27 outs.

As already has been touched upon in previous replies, it all comes down to the definition of a wild pitch. In layman's terms, a wild pitch is just that -- a pitch that is thrown wildly (and not caught by the catcher.)

But in the world of baseball statistics, a wild pitch (or any error) only occurs if it causes a baserunner to advance.

So, yes, a pitcher can be credited with a perfect game if he throws a "wild" pitch but not if he throws a "wild pitch."

LOL. This is starting to sound like a George Carlin bit.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Right, but now you're ignoring my 27 out of 27 criteria. That's 27 out of 28.

Also, you said:

Did the pitcher retire 27 out of 27 batters in a row?

You did NOT say that the pitcher was the first pitcher of the game or that the 27 batters were the only 27 batters of the game - only that they were in a row. Under your scenario, he could relieve in the 4th inning and get 27 straight outs through the 12th inning.

MotionMan

 

[DayLaPaul]

Well I guess you got me.

 

[MotionMan]

Well I guess you got me.

Arguing rules and nitpicking quotes with a lawyer.

You never had a chance.

MotionMan

 

[darkxshade]

If you had a runner on third and the batter hits the single... can the runner at third run to 2nd base instead of home?

 

[MotionMan]

If you had a runner on third and the batter hits the single... can the runner at third run to 2nd base instead of home?

No.

MotionMan

 

[Slew Foot]

What if a guy hits a home run but misses all the bases as he rounds them?

 

[MotionMan]

What if a guy hits a home run but misses all the bases as he rounds them?

If, for example, he misses second base, he is out as soon as he hits third (and only gets credit for a single).

MotionMan

 

[Slew Foot]

If, for example, he misses second base, he is out as soon as he hits third (and only gets credit for a single).

MotionMan

So if he misses first base he doest get credit for jack and the perfect game is intact?

 

[MotionMan]

So if he misses first base he doest get credit for jack and the perfect game is intact?

I would agree with that.

Nice one.

MotionMan