 What I want to look at now is a term that I think I've used a few times, but I've never really fully defined it And so I want to take a look at what does it mean to have a fielder's? choice and and so this is Fielder's choice is something a term we would use for to talk about the advancement of a runner from one base to the next You know something like a hit or an error would would do a similar thing, but but let's look at it how Or why we would call it an advancement a fielder's choice and not you know one of those other options so basically Fielder's choice is used to account for the advancement of a runner And and when the fielder is attempting to put out another runner so this is Advancement of a runner when a fielder is attempting Put out another runner and so and and certainly this runner here when we say runner here This is often the batter and so but really it could be it could be any Runner, let's take let's take a look at any example of of a batter so let's have our defensive players here Or infielders and then we have a let's say we have a runner on first because by definition we need more than one runner For the play so let's say the batter gets up and he hits a ball to the third baseman and so At this point the third baseman he has a couple options and so the first thing he could do is Throw the ball to first base and remember During the play as soon as the ball is hit We'll see this we'll see the runner on first base run to second and we'll see the batter Start running to first because both runners in this situation have a force play and so What what what could happen with the third baseman could do is just throw to first base and In an attempt to get the batter out at first base, but a lot of times what you'll see him do is Actually turn and throw the ball to second base in order to get the the force out on On the lead runner which in the lead runner is is what we call the The runner who's progressed, you know furthest around the bases so If in this situation Even though this runner is running say, you know The second baseman would generally come over and cover the base and he would catch the ball from the third baseman he would touch the base before the The the runner gets there and so that would put out this runner here And so let's say that on that play And and a lot of times, you know, he'll turn and he'll try to get the second out too He'll try to get the batter out of first, but let's say in this situation. He doesn't do that for whatever reason and the batter advances to first base and And so he the batter we don't give him credit for a hit, you know No error was made so it's like what so what do we classify this as and so that's why we We've come up with the term fielder's choice and So this batter then would be advancing to first base on a fielder's choice and really it doesn't matter whether or not The the runner the other runner that the fielder's are attempting to put out is safer out because you know Just the simple fact that another runner or a fielder attempted to put out another runner is enough to consider it fielder's choice so another situation you might see is That Say we have a runner in same situation We have a runner on first base and and we get have the ball is hit We have a single to the outfield so this the batter hits a single to the outfield and for whatever reason the Runner who started on first base he thinks he can make it the third base So he around second. He doesn't stop and he keeps running on toward third base and while he's doing that the Right fielder out here. He sees this and so he picks up the ball And of course what while this is all going on we the runners wouldn't have much trouble making it to the first base So the right fielder he sees the the runner here making his way to third base, so he picks up the ball The right color he picks up the ball and he throws it over To third base, you know to the third baseman who's going to try to tag out the the runner and so On the throw whenever the the batter who's standing on first base now sees the this throw He can he can You know because the ball is nowhere near him so he can make an attempt and he can run down to second base and so Because he ran on the throw We he ends up on second base You know we wouldn't give him credit for a double in this situation because you know traditionally a runner would only be able to get a Single out of this but because of the throw the because the right fielder made the choice to throw the ball to third base We would give this runner credit for a a single on his time running toward To first base and then he would get from first to second base on a fielder's choice Because and so we and we have to account for each You know it the advancement to that every every batter and every runner makes to each base so perhaps you know we a lot of that's taken care of by the the scorekeeper but and and So it might not necessarily be all that important to any kind of fans watching in the stands, but but That that's that's something you might notice You know if a runner ends up on second base, you know On a play like that, you know Why does he only get credit for a single and that that is why because he was advancing on the fielder's choice? So the final way That that it can have a fielder's choice is Is on when whenever a runner You know generally we would say a runner is attempting to steal the base So but but if in the the situation of The game if if you know that if the scores really out of hand or something and it's late in the game And the defense really doesn't want to bother with them And then we would consider his advancement not a stolen base, but it would be a fielder's choice. So This is the advancement from one base to the next due to defensive indifference and so this and And and so sometimes you'll hear it called defense of indifference Sometimes you could you might also hear it called catchers indifference and this is because The the catcher would be the one with the ball So if they say the the team on defense is winning, you know 17 to nothing and and it's late in the game So they're not really going to bother with this runner but this during a pitch this runner breaks for second base and So we don't really and and so whenever the pitch comes in And the catcher catches it, you know on a stolen base he's really he's gonna throw down here to try to get this runner out but in the in the the situation if the the game's out of hand and He doesn't really want to bother because it's not really going to make a difference Either way and he just holds on to the ball, you know and just then just throws it back to the pitcher for the next pitch And they kind of ignore him You we would hear this we wouldn't give the batter credit for a stolen base But we would say it's defensive indifference catchers indifference But but really that the technical term here would all it would technically be a Fuelers choice and so again, you know, this is something that unless you're the the scorekeeper you really wouldn't have to worry about but hopefully Someday we'll have a whole series of videos on that but At least now that you'll know you'll be able to tell your friends that that is why you know a runner Maybe didn't get credit for a double on a when he made it to second or wide a runner Didn't get credited for a stolen base late in the game