4.0 DELI SCRUBS

Back in June, Gino posted the following question regarding SACRIFICE HITS as they appear in our stats:

I was just wondering what this was, because some people get credit for it and some don't. Why does it count if you ground out, but not if a runner scores on a f.c or error.

I posted an answer then, but here between seasons, I've done some research and there seems to be a bit more to it. Of course we all know that a sacrifice FLY is a fly ball that advances or scores runners and results in the hitter being out. That one is clear enough.

A sacrifice HIT, on the other hand, isn't precisely defined in the MLB rule book. Current MLB practice (which has changed several times over the years) is that the ball must be put in play by a BUNT, must advance or score a runner and must result in the batter being out.

But I also found several other definitions which are broader and include any non-fly ball in play that advances or scores a runner and results in the batter being out.

Because a sacrifice fly, bunt or hit does not count as an official at bat, it's an out that doesn't hurt your batting average and incidentally does the team some good. So I'm going to continue using the second definition, any non-fly ball in play, because it's kinder to batting averages (even if it doesn't conform to current MLB practice). And we're all down with that, right?

The rest of the answer is that a fielders choice or an error don't result in the batter being out, so no sacrifice.

-Doug

Shouldn't it be termed sacrifice out? You aren't getting credit for a hit or even an AB.

You'd think so, but remember, this sport is built upside down. The only sport in the world where the defense controls the ball and it's bad if the offense touches it, nearly the only sport where you don't score "points". So calling it a "hit" when you don't get credit for one fits right into the big picture. But that's what it's called.

Come to think of it, everyone calls it a "near miss" when two airliners almost collide. It's not a near miss -- they didn't nearly miss, they nearly hit.

Maybe "sacrifice hit" came from the same brilliant minds.