In baseball, when asked what consititutes a “perfect game”, I have responded by saying that “it is when the pitcher does not allow anyone to reach first base, i.e., there are no hits, walks, hit batsmen, catcher interference or errors resulting in a baserunner”. However, while watching a baseball game recently, a batter hit a foul ball with no runners on base which was dropped by a fielder in foul territory and resulted in just a strike. The problem was that an error was awarded on that play (not catching the ball and recording the out). Obviously, my first definition would not be correct.
OK, here’s the scenario. Two outs, two strikes, top of the ninth and the home-town pitcher has not allowed a baserunner throughout the game (no hits, walks, or errors). The batter hits an easy pop-up in foul territory behind the plate which is dropped by the catcher. Then the strikeout occurs immediately aftreward. In this situation, IS THIS A PERFECT GAME?
I’ve always thought the key to a perfect game is the fact that no batter reaches base. Whether there is an error on the catcher (or any other fielder, for that matter) on a foul ball doesn’t matter, because the ball’s not in play and will not result in the batter reaching first. Your scenario still results in a perfect game.
According to Phil Wood, a radio sportscaster in the D.C.
area, who has been the official scorer at many major league
games, it would not be a perfect game.
According to him, a perfect game is a team concept, albeit
usually associated with a pitcher.
He discussed this about 10 years ago, when I lived in DC.
I don’t know if he addressed passed balls and wild pitches.
Since there is no precedent in this, we don’t really know the answer. In the event that it happens, and it’s fairly unlikely it will owing to the rarity of perfect games and errors committed by fielders in foul territory (keep track of how often you see it), Major League Baseball will make a ruling on it.
Either they will or the Elias Sports Bureau will.