What do you think of official scoring, hit versus error, today?
Has the scoring changed over the years?
I think, but am not sure, that it appears to me that there is a bias towards scoring plays that should have been made, but were not, as very generous hits; more so than when I was younger.
I am interested in opinions on this, especially from the old school guys where expectation was that "there is no crying in baseball" and you were expected to go down on a grounder, use two hands, and make the play. This is the same with hard slides, collisions and hard-nosed, but clean play.
I do recognize greater size and athleticism at short stop today, which suggests that some are getting to balls that their predecessors may not have.
Culturally, there is the elevation of feelings above all else. Everyone is a winner and everyone gets a trophy.
Has this shaped its way into the psyche of the official scoring for MLB today?
Is there something I am missing behind this?
I am not sure if there is a change, or if my perception has changed, especially due to the size of infielders, so I am open to opinions.
In a slow grounder, TJ Rivera missed the ball and I was surprised to hear Gary Cohn say, "it could go either way." Ron added that TJ should have used two hands on the ball and that the batter was very slow running. Gary agreed and said, "this will be factored in, too."
Gary is sharp. His sharpness also is reflected in his understanding of the reference point today for the officiating. He sees it and calls it regularly. A few times this year he expressed surprise that a play was called a "hit" when it appeared to him (and Keith) that it was an error. "He has got to make that play" Hernandez is not afraid to say.
"When the shadows are on the field, you have to be extra aggressive; not less" said Ron Darling.
Points well taken.
Is there a shift in the officiating?
Is the official scoring, for example, in the 1986 champion season, consistent with what we are seeing today?
It does seem to me that there's a prevalence of hits awarded on balls that could have been fielded. Another side effect of this change of scoring is the inflated ERA numbers from the pitchers who do not get benefit of the E preserving their numbers.
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