Update: It's 9:20 a.m. GRST. If we don't have an answer on the last one by noon, I'll post the spoiler. Shannon nailed the last one (details in extended entry)
I know I have some baseball fans in the vast ICIP audience, so here's your chance to strut your stuff vast knowledge.
There are nine ways for a batter to reach first base. Name them.
Operators are standing by.
UPDATE: So as of 9:00 p.m. Pacific ("God's")* Time, we have:
1) Hit
2) Walk (intentional is not counted separately)
3) Error
4) Fielder's choice
5) Hit by pitch
6) Passed ball on third strike
7) Defensive interference ("catcher's" noted specifically)
8) Umpire interference (Bill got it, see comments for a bit more detail)
9) Offensive interference
As I noted in the comments, when I first heard this question it took me ages (and actually poring over the MLB Rules) to get those last two. Good luck, and I'll check back in the morn.
*Since it's currently Pacific Daylight Savings Time, I probably should call it "God's Redheaded Stepchild Time".
NOTE: Just for clarification on the fan interference: I wouldn't argue the point strenuously that it doesn't count, but if it were counted it would be a tenth way.
SPOILER:
Everybody knows that if a batted ball hits a runner, the runner is out for offensive interference. But what most people don't know (at least, I had no idea until I scoured the rules), the batter is awarded first base. If I had ever thought about it before, I would have assumed that the batter could still be thrown out if he hadn't yet reached first, but such is not the case.
Posted by Ken S at August 22, 2006 06:05 PM | TrackBack (0) |Damn. Ok, without googling, I come up with:
Walk
Single
Hit by pitch
Fielder's choice
3rd strike/passed ball
Error
Interference
Intentional walk (is that scored differently?)
and:
"Hey baby, I play for the (blank)".
Not bad, you got some of the easy ones (but hint: there are more than one kind of interference).
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 22, 2006 06:45 PMPaying for dinner and a show?
Posted by: tree hugging sister at August 22, 2006 07:06 PMWalk, single (or technically any hit), error, fielder's choice, hit by pitch, fan interference (though this usually results in a ground rule double), catcher's interference, 3rd strike/pass ball, intentional walk (though this doesn't really count). A player can also be walked due to inaction by the pitcher, the ump has the right to call a ball if the pitcher does not act in a timely manner - though I don't remember ever actually seeing this happen.
And while we're on the subject of baseball, this was kinda cool - http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/483045.html
Posted by: KG at August 22, 2006 07:16 PMFan interference?
Crawl
Walk
Hop
Stroll
Slither
Roll
Bounce
Run
Jump
oops...just read that in KG's comment.
Posted by: Dave E. at August 22, 2006 08:02 PMWell yeah, THS. Duh.
Posted by: Dave E. at August 22, 2006 08:03 PMFan interference is not one of them. IIRC, if there's fan interference (which could really only happen on a potential homerun ball), it's the umpire's disgression to decide how it would have happened without the interference. Fan interference can happen on a foul ball, also, but a batter could never take first in that case.
By my count we so far have:
1) Hit
2) Walk (intentional is not counted separately)
3) Error
4) Fielder's choice
5) Hit by pitch
6) Passed ball on third strike
7) Defensive interference ("catcher's" noted specifically)
I first heard this question several years ago, and the last two are the two that stymied me for the longest time.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 22, 2006 08:36 PMDON'T you 'duh' ME, LITTLE MAN!
Yer O-U-T, OUT!
Posted by: Military Cheesecake Photo Many Cheesecakes Later Central at August 22, 2006 08:44 PMactually, the way a lot of stadiums are built now, the fan interference can happen on a lot of shots down the line - happened in the Dodger game tonight, kid reached out and turned a triple into a double. Looked like it'd be a break for the Bums, but unfortunately, Mike Piazza still knows how to hit the ball really hard.
I'm stumpt on the other two
Posted by: KG at August 22, 2006 09:55 PMof course, the more that I think about it, the more obvious it is that it still just qualifies as a hit.
Posted by: KG at August 22, 2006 09:59 PMWhat about a dropped foul fly?
Posted by: Brian B at August 22, 2006 10:44 PMHow about a balk? And, yeah, I guess infield fly rule.
Posted by: jc at August 22, 2006 10:58 PMHow about a balk?
I thought the runner advanced on a balk, not the hitter.
Posted by: Brian B at August 22, 2006 11:15 PMBatter doesn't advance on a balk, only runners. Infield fly rule is just an out, it counts as a caught fly ball.
Those last two are toughies.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 23, 2006 05:26 AMAnd a dropped foul is only a foul. If I have the rules correctly, runners can advance on a caught foul (batter is out).
KG, yeah, I'd forgotten that some of the lines are that close to stands but I still don't think there's any way it could put a batter on base when it wouldn't otherwise - no stadia have stands close enough to the infield, do they?
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 23, 2006 05:31 AMIf the ball hits the umpire, you get to first.
I think the batter is also awarded a base if the pitcher takes too much time between pitches.
Posted by: Tainted Bill at August 23, 2006 07:04 AMI don't think that's true for too much time between pitches (anybody know different?) but yes on umpire interference, in the infield only. If the ump is in the outfield, he's considered just the same as any stationary object a ball might touch.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 23, 2006 07:25 AMIf the pitcher takes too long, the ump can call a ball, it's a long way to a walk.
Posted by: KG at August 23, 2006 08:11 AMI've found that flowers and bourbon are infinitely helpful in getting to first base.
Posted by: Joel at August 23, 2006 09:01 AMI saw this happen a lot in softball:
Someone would hit a fair ball and it would hit one of your own players running the bases. You're safe, but your teammate is out.
Posted by: Shannon at August 23, 2006 10:42 AMShannon - would that not technically be considered a FC?
For the same reason, my guess - reaching on a double play at the other two bases - is probably already covered.
Posted by: Nightfly at August 23, 2006 10:59 AMNightfly - I don't think it's an FC, because the fielders weren't involved.
It would qualify as offensive player interference.
Wouldn't it?
Posted by: Shannon at August 23, 2006 11:31 AMYES! Shannon got the last one, and just under the wire!
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 23, 2006 11:51 AMSo . . . what do I win?
Posted by: Shannon, Xenu's Scorekeeper at August 23, 2006 11:55 AMRespect. And isn't that what life is all about?
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 23, 2006 12:17 PMThat's the first time being a softball player ever got me respect.
Posted by: Shannon at August 23, 2006 01:13 PMI respect you, Shannon. That was a tough little quiz.
Posted by: Nightfly at August 23, 2006 01:47 PMMost of the work was already done, Nightfly. The last one was process of elimination. I know I couldn't have gotten a couple of those.
Posted by: Shannon at August 23, 2006 05:24 PMIf a batted ball hits a runner between the bases (offensive interference), the runner is out, but the batter gets credited with a hit. So that would fall under the "hit" category, and we're back to only 8.
Posted by: Gerry at August 23, 2006 09:14 PMThe batter is still credited with a hit, but it's separate, just as a pitcher is credited with a strikeout if the catcher drops the third strike and the batter reaches safely.
I believe the batter is also credited with a hit on the other types of interference too.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at August 24, 2006 05:52 AM