another baseball scoring question

I think the rule was written because if the previous pitcher had retired his batter in the first place, then the fielder's choice would have resulted in the reliever's batter being out.

The reliever shouldn't be punished for a runner that he didn't put on base.

 

That is precisely the explanation given in the official scoring rules on MLB.com

 

How do I know so much about inherited runners?

Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

Not saying it's right ... but it's the rule.

 

Well, I always wanted to be an official scorer...

 

Explain to me how a walked batter equates to a fielder's choice.
Batter A walks and starting pitcher is pulled.
Batter B (first batter faced by relief pitcher) walks.
Batter C reaches on fielder's choice that retires batter A.
Batter D gets RBI that scores Batter B.

Batter B was walked by relief pitcher. Since a walk isn't a fielder's choice, it looks to me like the run is charged to the reliever.
Unless the rule implies that the runners who reached base due to a walk and a fielder's choice by the relief pitcher are the responsibility of the starter.

 

Using this rule, a starting pitcher could walk the leadoff batter and get pulled. The relief pitcher could walk the bases loaded, and then get a fielder's choice putout at the plate (leaving the bases loaded, but retiring the inherited runner). So if the reliever gives up a grand slam to the next batter he only gets charged with one earned run because the other three runners are the responsibility of the starter due to the fielder's choice. Would that be a correct reading of this rule?

 

No. Only the runner at third would be charged to the starter. Because the forceout at home made the lead runner at third the starter's run.

 

Joe,

If Batter A wasn't on base, then it's likely that either B or C would have been retired on the fielder's choice.

All a fielder's choice does is substitute one runner for another. If the original runner wasn't on base in the first place, the batting team would not have scored.

 

Well I'll be damned.

Learn something new every day on this site!

 

Nice of them to look out for the starter there... yet, a reliever can still blow a save and get a win.

Great, great stuff f_b, but what a fucked-up sport.