official scorer game baseball official scorer person appointed league record events field send official scoring record game league offices addition recording events field outcome plate appearance circumstances advance bases official scorer charged making judgment calls affect progress outcome game judgment calls primarily errors runs fielder choice value hits certain situations wild pitches included record compiled record statistics player team box score summary official scorer game record newspaper writers initially performed function early days major_league_baseball mlb importance baseball player statistics increased teams began pressure writer favorable scoring decisions players games played home home team scoring bias perceived coaches players writers controversies related perceived bias errors scoring led questions important baseball records including hitters game hitting streak major newspapers decided ban writers scoring baseball games conflict interest concerns mlb began hire independent official reforms suggested improve performance official mlb formed scoring committee review performance committee given authority scoring decisions authority scoring committee times season academic study confirm historical existence home team bias scoring decisions bias decreased history generally credited invention baseball inventor modern box score writer rule book game baseball baseball statistics initially subject interest role official scorer major_league_baseball mlb early days sport performed newspaper writers judgment required official scorer alter outcome game impact statistical records game scoring decisions baseball statistics began determine relative value baseball players mlb began require approval league writer scorer assigned produce scoring report game 1970s writers willing score games mlb required attended games year prior years chosen local chapter chairman qualified candidates scoring submitted leagues approval early controversies baseball writer usually worked games played home stadium team covered newspaper writer tasked making objective decisions impact statistics team writing affiliation official scorer presumed baseball players managers favor home team making required judgment calls course game criticism scoring decisions date earliest days game historians claim record game hitting streak possible generous yankee stadium narrowly missed recognized achieving rare triple crown hitting questioned error caused finish season hit short winning american_league batting title scoring decisions widely believed favor hitter defense players believed bias shifts favor pitcher carries hitter pitcher throws complete game giving hit late innings said involved hit games suspected helped hometown scoring controversies writer scorer era seen game game pitcher pitching hitter 8th inning philadelphia hard ground ball hit hole shortstop narrowly missed baseman official scorer writer local newspaper judged play error hit went pitch hitter season newspaper reaction player baseball statistics increase reduce leverage future contract negotiations players monetary incentives written contracts based statistical measurements official option reverse scoring decision hours conclusion game baseball writer subject pressure players covering newspaper game asked meeting local writer learning scorer game angry error received game jerry cursed thoroughly told talk reportedly speak years early days baseball disagreement scoring decision occasionally led physical player writer incidents decreased following warning mlb pressure perceived conflict interest faced baseball writers scored games mlb eventually led major newspapers end practice employees washington_post prohibited writers scoring baseball games decades major newspapers joined writer scorer ban including new_york_times los_angeles_times boston_globe major daily newspapers published atlanta detroit milwaukee minneapolis philadelphia mlb resolved conflict directly hiring official stadium today mlb commissioner office directly employs official responsible producing score reports hired recommendation public relations directors baseball teams official typically retired writers coaches unlike teams mlb official typically travel official scorer assigned stadium season stadium having access replay video different angles review making decision mlb official earned game official required meet old requirements longer required pass written test administered national_league phased mid-1990s potential generally required briefly apprentice existing scorer allowed work official occasionally terminated cases scorer replaced making decisions displeased home team players signed petition official scorer replaced management boston_red_sox ordered rookie scorer allowed score game pitcher lost hitter close play right field ruled hit error mlb formed scoring committee evaluate performance official scoring committee given authority enforce portion rule allows league change scoring decision clearly erroneous committee authority occasions having overturned scoring decisions season scoring committee came scrutiny game august milwaukee pitcher threw disputed hit shutout pittsburgh milwaukee manager argued hit recorded pittsburgh recorded error pitcher pittsburgh official scorer disagreed commented joke wasn close absolutely denied major league baseball nice hitter right official scorer argued batter close base clean play milwaukee appealed ruling scoring committee september committee reviewed footage supported ruling saying ruling clearly erroneous required rule outside mlb official minor leagues generally hired teams score games stadium minor league history connection team including players coaches local writers official international baseball competitions generally selected organizer competition analysis proposed changes baseball players managers writers speculated bias official scorer decades subject studied recently rate errors recorded mlb official scorer investigated situations rate errors called higher quality fielding suspect lower playing conditions better factors fully explain variations error rate known factors accounted evidence found official biased home team bias reduced end writer scorer era errors significantly likely called national_league american_league changes proposed years reduce possible inconsistencies possible mistakes official scorer especially end writer scorer era began likely late 1970s professional baseball suggested creation fifth umpire man umpire crews rotate responsibilities game travel year new fifth umpire travel crew score games turn bases mlb reluctant increased cost recently suggestions official scorer press box closer field plate best view game mlb conceded good idea currently feasible design league responsibilities rules govern official scorer spelled rule official rules baseball fundamental responsibilities official scorer explained rule rule rules baseball require official scorer view game press box basic reasons ensures scorer nearly perspective game intentions rule improve consistency decisions different official working different games stadium different second press box neutral position stadium seated press box official scorer surrounded writers broadcasters ostensibly neutral scorer likely influenced players coaches crowd rule states scorer allowed decisions conflict official rules governing official scorer permitted view available opinions official scorer given sole authority judgment calls required score report judgment official scorer immediately communicate decision media press box broadcasters usually microphone official scorer hours reconsider reverse judgment game rare circumstances mlb scoring committee reverse scoring decision clearly erroneous finally hours game conclusion including conclusion suspended game official scorer required create summary game form established league task performed game scored including called games completely later date games end information score report includes date location game names teams names game final score data required rule judgment calls plays game resolved way scorer given choice recording outcome play types plays open interpretation official scorer difficult judgment official scorer required decide credit hit batter scorer guided rule rule directs official scorer benefit doubt hitter scorer believes decision credit batter hit equally valid alternative scoring decision similarly difficult judgment official scorer believes earned run run equally valid scoring decisions rule directs official scorer benefit doubt pitcher errors decision charge error defense known responsibility official scorer situations automatically error charged defense rule charged errors result play requires judgment broadly speaking error charged defense ordinary effort defense recorded prevented runner advancing defense fails error charged official scorer charge error involved play errors primarily discussed rule exception rule occurs defense makes attempts complete double play triple play error charged situation wild throw allows runner reach safely wild throw allows runner advance additional base error charged additional advance accurate throw time complete double play triple play fielder base fails catch error charged rule states error charged mental mistake defense errors charged defense attempts logical play offense fails record prevent advance mechanical rare exception rule charging error mental mistake fielder fails tag runner batter base force situation time record fielder charged error common judgment involving error occurs defense fails batter runner puts ball play recorded official scorer believes ordinary effort defense resulted defense charged error batter credited hit common situations requiring judgment include unintentionally dropped foul balls allow batter continue bat poor throws base runner attempts advance controversial poorly understood situations related charging error occurs outfielder flight ball allows ball drop reach usually considered mental mistake outfielder batter usually credited hit topic official scorer new_york_yankees said base hit like practical matter don charge errors plays says baseball entirely fair generally charged error fly ball arrive ball destination sufficient time catch ordinary effort simply miss catch drop ball runs earned runs runs directly pitcher efforts lapse defense run adversely impact pitcher earned run average era possible error including catcher interference passed ball occurs earlier inning runs primarily discussed rule require judgment official scorer conclusion inning runs scored error passed ball official scorer attempts recreate events inning errors passed balls official scorer opinion run scored defensive run scorer believes run scored run earned charged pitcher basic example batter reaches error second batter hits home run batters strike runs scored rules restrictions govern general inning errors passed balls potential outs recorded error presumed inning reconstructed official scorer intentional walks issued presumed walks runs scored automatically considered batter given base interference official scorer recorded batter runner given base official scorer recorded runner runner later scores run run scored runner advances error passed ball difference reconstruction inning rules straightforward judgment required official scorer advances defensive lapse later scores situation official scorer decide happened runner advanced easy decision occasionally difficult difficult example runner outs batter hits single defensive error allows advance lead runner second soft run scoring single hit followed situation offense runners second outs run scoring single hit batter official scorer decide based hit speed positioning defense runner able score second reconstruction inning error fielder choice rules baseball aside rare case interference batter puts ball play safely reaches base ruled reached possible ways hit error fielder choice fielder choice primarily discussed rules generally occurs judged batter runner defense chosen judgment calls official scorer rule occur situations pitcher catcher attempts preceding runner attempting advance base fielder attempts fails forced preceding runner fielder attempts fails preceding runner returns original base situations official scorer required determine batter runner safely reached base defense ordinary effort defense reasonably expected play batter credited hit ruled reached fielder choice error attempt preceding runner impact decision instead noted occurred addition hit fielder choice cases official scorer given discretion decide awarding hit batter ruling safely reached base fielder choice preceding runner forced preceding runner attempting return original base hit automatically credited batter rule judged reached fielder choice situations rule appear unfair batter example batter fast runner ball slowly hit baseman runner second realizes late safely advance batter runner lose potential hit fielder choice baseman occurs regardless batter runner reached base ordinary effort value hits cases batter gets hit able safely advance past base play value hit adjusted official scorer error fielder choice defense attempts preceding runner play official scorer determine batter reached second base safely defense attempted limit batter advance example runner second attempts score soft hit center field center fielder chooses throw home batter advances second official scorer decide value hit situation scorer choose credit batter double scorer rule batter hit single advance second fielder choice referred advance throw error occurs play batter records hit official scorer determine batter advanced far error occurred example batter hits ball outfield gap ball badly outfielder attempting retrieve throw ball infield batter able reach bases score official scorer decide error charged outfielder error charged batter credited inside park home run error charged outfielder batter likely credited double triple wild pitch able advance pitch caught controlled catcher official scorer determine advance wild pitch passed ball pitch considered error pitch thrown high wide low relation strike zone catcher able catch control ball ordinary effort runner advance advance ruled occurred wild pitch pitch strikes ground reaches home plate automatically considered wild pitch pitch wild pitch merely target official scorer determines catcher able control pitch prevent advance ordinary effort catcher charged passed ball advance exception rule occurs attempts steal base runner starts base pitcher delivers pitch runner credited stolen base wild pitch passed ball charged wild pitch passed ball allows runner advance base stolen scorer rule advance occurred wild pitch passed ball judgment calls relatively uncommon situations require judgment official scorer defensive player ball end play preventing advance fails mental mistake error runner subsequently scores official scorer decide credit batter run batted rbi runner recognized mistake slowing advance rbi credited runner oblivious mistake runs home slowing batter credited rbi runner advances defense try stop advance scorer rule advance defensive indifference stolen base credited throw required stolen base fielder begins visibly attempt prevent advance throw advance defensive indifference batter attempts sacrifice resulting placed safely reaches base official scorer elect credit batter hit instead sacrifice error play ordinary effort defense recorded finally starting pitcher winning team qualify win rule relief pitcher qualify win pitches brief appearance official scorer choose credit succeeding relief pitcher win
Official scorer