“Baseball Tonight’s Buck Showalter” can get angry in a hurry. Last night on ESPN he made a strong case for including a new statistic that he calls “team errors” — plays that cost a team an out, but that don’t show up in the scorecard. He was absolutely meteoric, his voice nearly a shout, as he voiced-over a video showing a third baseman, catcher and pitcher converging on a pop foul, which fell uncaught. “Now that should be a team error,” he said, “and it oughta be in the scorebook.”

Showalter and A-Rod in Texas

Showalter makes a good point. During last night’s tilt against the O’s, the Nationals committed a “team error” that didn’t show up in the scorebook, but that cost the Nats a run — and perhaps the game. It came in the third inning. Detwiler walked the first batter (Greg Zaun). The next hitter (Cesar Izturis), grounded to Nick Johnson (unassisted). One out, runner on first. Detwiler then walked the pitcher (Koji Ueharu) and Brian Roberts before striking out Adam Jones (bases loaded, two outs). 

The next hitter, Nick Markakis, hit a slow grounder between third and short, forcing Zimmerman to his left with Guzman behind him. The ball was hit slowly enough that Zim’s only play was at second, but when he looked there the second baseman (Willie Harris) was nowhere to be found. He was moving towards first. Zaun scored from third. It’s nearly impossible to know how to score the play — officially it’s 1B, a dead-duck-no-fault infield single.

After the game, Nats fans (on “Nats Extra Postgame”) blamed Harris, saying he had failed to cover second. But Manny Acta had another version: “Harris was playing Markakis to pull,” Acta said. “Harris told Zimmerman that [on] a ball to him, he should go to first base. Harris just bluffed [going to second]. Zimmerman was not going to second base.” That is to say: when Zimmerman looked at second, Nats fans assumed Harris should be there. In my quest to keep the perfect scorebook (and after hearing Showalter), I noted the following – Team Error: Zimmerman, Harris. I then erased it. Managers place the infielders, so I put — Team Error: Acta. But that doesn’t make sense either, as I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that bench coach Jim Riggleman positions the infielders (according to the scouting report), so I put — Team Error: Riggleman. But actually, Harris was playing Markakis correctly, so Riggleman was not at fault. In the end I erased it all, and scored it the way the official scorer had it in his book: 1B. But in my notes for the game, I wrote this: Markakis (3rd inning) infield hit, no throw. 

The final line is frustratingly incomplete, but elegantly simple: BB, 3u, BB, BB, K, 1B, F9.

After The Game: I tuned into the Nats postgame call-in program and was surprised at the number of angry fans commenting on the loss. One caller suggested that Willie Harris “be waived” (for his apparent third inning “error”). But most of the calls focused on Manny Acta, for not being tough enough. I generally don’t like this kind of thing: it’s “football think” — where fans believe that winning games is a matter of “character” and “toughness,” words used by football commentators who pass themselves off as “analysts.” Do we really think that throwing buckets will make this team play better? Be patient. We just don’t have the horses folks . . . One of the callers, the night before last, had come down from Baltimore. He criticized Nats fans for being impatient. You have a beautiful ballpark, he said, and some very good young pitchers. The O’s look at Jordan Zimmermann and wish they had him. All true. But then again, we’d do anything to get this guy . . . After the Pale Hose worked hard to land Jake Peavy in a trade with the Friars (a panicky move to shore up their suffering starting pitching), White Sox pitchers threw two shutouts in a row, one from Gavin Floyd and the other from Clayton Richard. The second city’s second team has to feel better, but it won’t last . . .   

Defining The Game: Washington author Paul Dickson is finally getting the attention he deserves. The Dickson Baseball Dictionary was featured in today’s New York Times. It’s been a ready reference of mine for many years and is now in its third (new and expanded) edition. CFG readers might remember my chat with Paul about the definition of a Bugs Bunny Change-Up. It would be interesting to get his views on “team errors” and hear him whinge on about the history of the scorebook . . .