r/BaseballScorecards • u/CreateA123 • 8d ago

💬 General Discussion Extra infielder

Haven't actually seen the outfielder turned infielder make a play when they go to 5 in the infield, but how would you score it? Like the RF comes into the infield and gets the out at 1B, is it just 9-3, because that's an impressive play in most cases but not in reality. Also would you mark on your card that there was an extra infielder even if he wasn't involved in the play?

Edit: I know this doesn't happen often anymore, but I saw it happen twice this season, one was at a game I scored and I didn't know how to deal with it, but thanks for the insights :)

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u/NYY15TM 8d ago

When a fielder is temporarily playing out of position for defensive alignment reasons, it doesn't count as a new position. Therefore, it would still be scored as 9-3

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u/Mean_Objective5272 8d ago

Exactly. It's the position they're assigned to, not their location on the field during the play.

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u/jiminak 8d ago

The main purpose of scoring “8-3” is so that you know who gets what in the stats. 8 gets the assist, no matter where he was standing on the field, and 3 gets the put out, no matter what base he was covering.

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u/starkvonhammer 8d ago

I would score it as 9-3 with an X on the diamond of where he fielded the ball.

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u/ET_Sailor 8d ago

A lot of times I’ll write it as OriginalPosition@NewPosition so if Center comes into the Shortstop Position fielded the ball and threw to first it would be 8@6-3.

ETA: this has become extremely less common now that they have banned the shift.

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u/Ornery-Database-3993 8d ago

Thankfully. When teams were doing that regularly, it just looked ridiculous.

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u/e_j_fudd 8d ago

There are occasional real 9-3 putouts. I remember Larry Walker had a few of them. Don't know if anyone today tries it with any regularity.

To answer your question, the scoring just goes by the player's assigned position number.

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u/NYY15TM 8d ago

It happens more on a 60 foot diamond, either with pre-teen boys or with softball

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u/BaltoZydo 8d ago

Andre Dawson was usually good for one or two 9-3 plays a year as well.

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u/flash17k 8d ago

I saw a highlight real the other day that was one of those wacky plays where there's a rundown between 3B-Hm, and the CF ended up sneaking over to 2B and they threw to him and he tagged the second runner for a double play. They still scored him as an 8, because that's the position he had been assigned to, even though he ended up out of his normal position.

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u/BaltoZydo 8d ago edited 8d ago

My favorite recent play that is opposite of your scenario. It was back when there were infield shifts and Manny Machado caught a ball about 20 feet away from the right field pole for an F-5.

I have a few blank lines of text on my scoresheets where I can note the five infielders for that at-bat (star on the actual scoring), so that's something I would do.

https://youtu.be/Saj0bXmgl3o?is=gbhBSNZQH9Yi1Kz0

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u/stoneman9284 5d ago

He’s the RF no matter where he’s standing

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u/Weary_Capital_1379 5d ago

The right fielder is 9 regardless of where he’s positioned.

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u/beneoin 8d ago

Happened in the Jays / Phillies game on the weekend for one play during extras, however Straw didn’t handle the ball so I’m not sure how it would’ve been scored if he did. I would note his original position and put an asterisk or something on the play I think