# Five ways to first base **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 8, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470 "2010-04-08T23:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/1 "2010-04-08T23:49:43Z")
Interesting this classic is up this week [What are 5 ways to get to 1st without hitting the ball? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/265/what-are-5-ways-to-get-to-1st-without-hitting-the-ball) Today on the Tacoma Rainiers twitter feed (talking to the Reno Aces) they came up with 23 ways for a hitter to reach first without it being scored a hit: \*@Aceball walk, int. walk, HBP, dropped 3rd pitch, don’t deliver pitch in 20 secs, catcher interference, fielder int, spectator int… @Aceball fan obstruc., fair ball hits ump or runner, fielder obstructs runner, pinch-runner, fielder’s choice, force out at another base… @Aceball preceding runner putout allows batter 2 reach 1st, sac bunt fails 2 advance runner, sacrifice fly drop, runner called out on appeal @Aceball error, 4 illegal pitches, single, game suspended with player on 1st who is traded prior to the makeup-\> new player then takes place \* I especially like the last one for creativity! ---
**Author:** ![from\_a\_to\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5fc32e/32.png) [@from\_a\_to\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/from_a_to_z)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/2 "2010-04-09T00:39:08Z")
Thanks very much **voguevixen**. I count only 22 in your list, which looks like it’s from [Tacoma Rainiers (RainiersLand) on Twitter](http://twitter.com/RainiersLand). What am I missing? And why are “walk” and “intentional walk” counted as two? Same for “pinch runner” and “game suspended…”. However, if 62-year-old Morganna runs out on the field and causes the runner on first to faint… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/3 "2010-04-09T03:14:58Z")
Single, fielder’s choice, anything with “runner”, fielder or spectator interference all involve hitting the ball, which is excluded in the original question. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/4 "2010-04-09T04:20:52Z")
a balk with a 3 balls count (although that might be consider a walk) > [@from\_a\_to\_z](#): > > And why are “walk” and “intentional walk” counted as two? Rainiers are a minor league team and in the minors you can announce to the ump that you are giving an intentional walk and they get the base without throwing the 4 pitches. The fair ball hitting an ump would be scored a hit because umpires are in the field of play (like hiiting a bas would be considered a hit too) ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/5 "2010-04-09T13:36:30Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > a balk with a 3 balls count (although that might be consider a walk) Um, what? Balks don’t affect the batter–only the runners. I don’t think you can even walk a batter on that play–play is dead as soon as the balk is called, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/6 "2010-04-09T13:59:17Z")
From the [Official Rules](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/pitcher_8.jsp): "8.05 If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when – (a) The pitcher… _snip_ PENALTY: The ball is dead, and **each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, unless the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk**." Bold added. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/7 "2010-04-09T14:08:02Z")
Gee, my preferred way to first base is dinner and a movie. You guys are just over-complicating it. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/8 "2010-04-09T15:01:44Z")
As **Telemark** pointed out, Cecil’s column dealt only with ways to first without hitting the ball, but I’ll play along here anyway… There are lots of redundancies on your list. “Walk” and “intentional walk” were mentioned. Officially, there is no difference. What the hell is the difference between “spectator interference” and “fan obstruction”? (and in most cases it’s scored a double anyway.) “Force out at another base,” “preceding runner putout allows batter 2 reach 1st,” and “sac bunt fails 2 advance runner” are all forms of “fielder’s choice”… “Don’t deliver pitch in 20 secs”?? What rule is that? I have to call bullshit on this @Aceball person. > [@DCnDC](#): > > From the [Official Rules](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/pitcher_8.jsp): > > "8.05 > If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when – > (a) The pitcher… > > _snip_ > > PENALTY: The ball is dead, and **each runner shall advance one base without liability to be put out, unless the batter reaches first on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the balk**." > > Bold added. I think the deal here is that if the pitcher balks during his delivery, _and_ it’s ball 4 or a hit, etc., the batter gets his base as usual in addition to the runners moving up. This is rare since most balks are called before the delivery or on throws to the bases. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Rainiers are a minor league team and in the minors you can announce to the ump that you are giving an intentional walk and they get the base without throwing the 4 pitches. I’ve never heard of this or seen it happen, and don’t believe it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/9 "2010-04-09T16:20:03Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Rainiers are a minor league team and in the minors you can announce to the ump that you are giving an intentional walk and they get the base without throwing the 4 pitches. > > I’ve never heard of this or seen it happen, and don’t believe it’s true. According to Wikipedia, the line here is drawn between non-professional and professional, not between minor and major. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/10 "2010-04-09T16:44:39Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Don’t deliver pitch in 20 secs”?? What rule is that? [QUOTE=Rule 8.04] When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call “Ball.” The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball. The intent of this rule is to avoid unnecessary delays. The umpire shall insist that the catcher return the ball promptly to the pitcher, and that the pitcher take his position on the rubber promptly. Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire. [/QUOTE] The Rainier list is BS. For example: count is 3-1 and the pitcher puts his hand to his mouth without permission. Under Rule 8.02(a)(1) the ump calls a ball and the batter gets his base. Any reasonable person would say that’s a walk but Aceball would list it as yet another way to get on base. He also does not know the rules, because as I pointed out earlier, a hit ball off an ump in the field of play is a live ball and would be scored a hit just like if it hits the rubber or wall. Even if you grant that in the minors, a pitcher can give an intentional walk by announcing it (and yes I did see it maybe 10 years ago at an Elsinore Quakes game although the rule may have changed since then), we would all agree that it is no different than the standard base on balls. ---
**Author:** ![qbme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/3bc359/32.png) [@qbme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qbme)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/11 "2010-04-12T17:17:01Z")
If a base runner is hit by a batted ball, the base runner is out and the batter is awarded first base. Also: A general, catch-all rule referred to as Fielders Choice. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/12 "2010-04-13T12:12:21Z")
Does “sac bunt fails to advance runner” mean a) fielder’s choice (runner was put out), or b) hit (if first base was open, and runner just stayed where they were w/o advancing) ? Is “sacrifice fly drop” scored as a sacrifice (i.e. not an official at-bat?) or is it really the same thing as “error”? And how is “single” not “scored a hit”? And a serious scoring question: Assume there’s a runner on second, and what would otherwise be a single is hit, but the runner goes to third while failing to tag second and is out on appeal. This would be a hit plus a baserunning out, right, same as if the runner was tagged out trying to reach third? OK, how’s this list: (Without hitting the ball): walk, HBP, dropped third strike, catcher interference, pinch runner, and (possibly a variant of pinch runner, but listed because it’s so creative) game suspended with player on 1st who is traded prior to the makeup-\> new player then takes place, (with hitting the ball): fielder int, spectator int, fielder’s choice, error I suppose to both lists we could add “umpire decision over situation not otherwise covered in rules”, since that’s always a possibility. Say, it’s discovered the third baseman has a mirror that he’s using to flash sunlight into the batter’s eyes during the pitch; in that situation I could see an umpire awarding first to the batter (and yet it’s not catcher interference). ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-ways-to-first-base/535470/13 "2010-04-13T12:35:24Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Gee, my preferred way to first base is dinner and a movie. > > You guys are just over-complicating it. A really good pick up line helps also =)