Baseball is driven by statistics that are determined by batting averages, home run totals, innings pitched, earned runs allowed and walks allowed. In determining those figures, errors also come into the equation. When a fielder makes an error on a ground ball with two outs and the batting team follows with a rally that results in four runs, all those runs are unearned. Those unearned runs will put the team in a hole in that game, but it won't impact the pitcher's Earned Run Average (ERA). That number can have a huge impact on the salary a pitcher receives. While some calls are easy to make, other scoring decisions can be quite difficult to determine.
Errors
The officials scorer must rule that a fielder made an error on any ball hit that the scorer believes would be turned into an out if the fielder had not failed to make. Some calls can be quite easy to make. If the third baseman picks up a one-hop grounder cleanly and then throws the ball over the fast baseman's head and the batter gets to second, that is clearly an error because an accurate throw would have retired the batter. But other calls can be more difficult. For example, if a fielder dives to pick up a grounder and catches it in the web of his glove, but then drops the ball as he transfers it to his throwing hand and the batter beats the throw to first by an eyelash, the ruling on that play is more difficult to make. The fielder made a great effort and came up with a ball that others may not have. However, he had the ball and dropped it, so the play is an error.
Wild Pitches and Passed Balls
The official scorer has to make a decision when a pitch with a runner on base is not caught by the catcher. On a pitch that bounces and goes away from the catcher, the call is a wild pitch. However, if the ball gets through the catcher and he should have had it, it is called a passed ball.
Saves
The official scorer awards a save to a relief pitcher who comes in and gets the final out of the ball game when he meets one of the following criteria: if he entered the game with a lead of no more than three runs, and pitched for an inning or more; if he entered the game with the potential tying run on base, at bat or on deck, or if he pitched for at least three innings.
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