A fielding error can change momentum in a baseball game--or it can go almost completely unnoticed. Errors occur when fielders fail to make plays that they should normally handle without a problem. Sometimes fielding errors are obvious because a shortstop will get himself right in front of a ground ball and then drop it, allowing the runner to reach base. On other plays, a centerfielder may run 30 yards to try to catch a ball up the power alley, but when he gets to the ball it trickles off his glove. On the one hand, it was a great effort to get there; on the other hand, he failed to come up with the ball once he got himself in position.
Signficance
An error can be very significant. If it comes at the wrong time, it can cost a team a game. If the bases are loaded and the batting team is down by a run, a ground ball to the second baseman should result in an out and the end of the game. However, if the second baseman fails to stop the ball and it rolls through his legs into right center, and two runners score, it costs his team the win. On the other hand, a two-out error may put a runner on first base and the pitcher retires the next batter on an easy pop-up: inning's over and the error is all but forgotten.
Types
There are different types of errors. The kind that make a manager or a coach the angriest are the ones that demonstrate a lack of effort. For example, infielders are taught from the earliest age that they need to get in front of a ground ball. If the batter hits a two-hopper in the direction of the third baseman and he tries to take it from the side and the ball gets through him, he has made an error because he was not in the right position. This would make the manager furious. On the other hand, if the third baseman gets right in front of the ball and it takes a bad hop, hits him in the chest and he chases it down and the runner beats the throw, it is still an error. However, he made the effort and did everything he could to make the play, so the manager cannot be upset.
Considerations
The official scorer makes the call if a play is a hit or an error. If a fielder dives to stop a hard-hit one-hopper, and it hits his glove and trickles away, some would call the ball an error since it was in the fielder's glove at one point. However, the ball was hard-hit and then the fielder collided with the ground. If it's not reasonable to assume that the player would have the ball, then the official scorer must rule the ball a hit. If it's a play that an average fielder would normally make, then it should be ruled an error.
History
Some of the most famous games in baseball history have been impacted by errors. In 1986, the Red Sox and Mets were tied in the sixth game of the World Series when Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner allowed an easy grounder hit by Mookie Wilson to get through his legs in the bottom of the tenth inning. On the play, Mets baserunner Ray Knight came running around from second and scored the winning run. The victory allowed the Mets to play the seventh game, which they eventually won. Had Buckner not made the error, the Red Sox would have taken the game to the top of the eleventh inning.
Misconceptions
Errors are committed when a fielder makes a poor play on a ball he should catch or throw cleanly. However, when a pitcher delivers a wild pitch that allows a runner to move up a base, or a catcher allows a passed ball, these are not classified as errors. They may be just as damaging as an error, but they fall into their own category, and neither the pitcher nor the catcher is charged with an error.
Expert Insight
Great defense is one of the most overlooked factors when it comes to winning baseball games. Fans love the big hits and are awed by the power of a strikeout pitcher, but teams that play great defense and don't give their opponents extra outs tend to win games. Teams that misplay balls they should have handled and give their opponents extra swings with the bat tend to lose important games.
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