Can't Steal First Base (1941)

[Dave Wilton]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Laurence Horn
> Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 7:12 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Can't Steal First Base (1941)

> >Yes, in this case it's scored as a "fielder's choice." It's
> >also known as an "undefended steal." It typically occurs
> >with runners on first and third. The runner at first
> >advances to second, but the catcher holds the ball to
> >prevent the runner on third from stealing home.
>
> Hate to bitch again (although I do love talking about this particular
> lexicon), but I'm not aware of this use of "fielder's choice".
> Catcher's indifference, yes.  Undefended steal, fine, although if
> it's not a steal, it seems odd to call it an undefended one.  But in
> my experience, a fielder's choice  ALWAYS involves a batted ball on
> which the fielder attempts (either successfully or not) to retire a
> baserunner rather than the batter.  The batter usually is charged
> with a time at bat for this, the exception being a sacrifice bunt
> when the fielder unsuccessfully attempts to get a runner out, in
> which case the batter gets credit for the (attempted) sacrifice.  But
> I don't believe "fielder's choice" can be used for the catcher's
> indifference/non-steal steal situation.

That's the usual sense of the term. But it has a wider official definition.
>From "Official Baseball Rules," The Sporting News, 1996 edition, p. 16, Sec
2.00 Definitions:

"FIELDER'S CHOICE is the act of a fielder who handles a fair grounder and,
instead of throwing to first base to put out the batter-runner, throws to
another base in an attempt to put out a preceding runner. This term is also
used by scorers
(a) to account for the advance of the batter-runner who takes one or more
extra bases when the fielder who handles his safe hit attempts to put out a
preceding runner;
(b) to account for the advance of a runner (other than by stolen base or
error) while a fielder is attempting to put out another runner; and
(c) to account for the advance of a runner made solely because of the
defensive team's indifference (undefended steal)."

I don't think I've ever heard a play-by-play announcer use "fielder's
choice" for "catcher's indifference," but scorers and sabermetricians
certainly use it this way.

I've never heard or seen "undefended steal" other than in the rulebook, but
I thought I'd throw it in to see if anyone reacted. Googling doesn't turn up
any hits for it, except for quotes from the rulebook.