Number of Baserunners Question

[soccer10k]

Just to put this in it's simplist form:

 

Let's say a pitcher gives up a single to start the game to Batter A. The second hitter, we'll call him Batter B, grounds into a fielder's choice with Batter A getting forced out at second. The pitcher then proceeds to retire the next 26 hitters and doesn't allow another batter to reach base. Would you say the pitcher only allowed one batter to reach base or two, and why?

[chuckywang]

1, because the only reason Batter B is on base has nothing to do with him. It was purely due to the fact that Batter A was on base ahead of him and the defense chose to get the out at 2nd instead of at 1st.

[Guest]

1, because the only reason Batter B is on base has nothing to do with him. It was purely due to the fact that Batter A was on base ahead of him and the defense chose to get the out at 2nd instead of at 1st.

 

That's what I thought but I figured I'd ask anyway since I wouldn't have been surprised if it went the other way.

[Hosak8]

Just to put this in it's simplist form:

 

Let's say a pitcher gives up a single to start the game to Batter A. The second hitter, we'll call him Batter B, grounds into a fielder's choice with Batter A getting forced out at second. The pitcher then proceeds to retire the next 26 hitters and doesn't allow another batter to reach base. Would you say the pitcher only allowed one batter to reach base or two, and why?

 

Two. It does not matter how the batter got on base, the bottom line is that he got on base.

[Hosak8]

1, because the only reason Batter B is on base has nothing to do with him. It was purely due to the fact that Batter A was on base ahead of him and the defense chose to get the out at 2nd instead of at 1st.

 

What if the defense chose to get the guy at 2nd, but did not? The guy at first is still only there due to the fact that Batter A was ahead of him, but he would still count as a baserunner. Batters represent a spot in the batting order, and once that spot reaches, he counts as a runner. (Have to designate "spot in the order" or else pinch runners technically would be considered an additional base runner.)