Simple question- what is the maximum number of fouls that can be given to a single baseball player during an single play?
Unlimited, unless bunting. In the case of bunting, bunted fouls count just like a normal strike.
Bunting foul with two strikes is a strikeout
IANAU, but I thought the only bunted foul counted as a strike was a third strike. That is, if the batter has zero or one strike, and fouls a bunt, it doesn’t count as a strike. I may very well be wrong…
hrh
According to the official MLB rule book:
A STRIKE is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which_
(a) Is struck at by the batter and is missed;
(b) Is not struck at, if any part of the ball passes through any part of the strike zone;
© Is fouled by the batter when he has less than two strikes;
**(d) Is bunted foul; **
(e) Touches the batter as he strikes at it;
(f) Touches the batter in flight in the strike zone; or
(g) Becomes a foul tip.
Oooops…My mistake! What I meant to ask was how many errors can a single player receive on a single play…I have heard up to two…anything beyond that? How many errors period can there be for a play? Is there a limit?
It’s easy to imagine a player making two errors at a time - failing to field the ball cleanly, allowing runners to advance, and then making a wild throw, allowing another advance. I’m sure it happens occasionally.
Hmm. what if the shortstop went after a routine grounder and muffed it (fielding error) allowing a runner to advance. He throws the ball to first, but it is a wild throw and the batter is safe at first. The catcher, backing up the first baseman, retrieves the ball and throws it to the SS who is covering second base. The SS drops the ball again, and the runner is safe at second.
Maybe that’s three errors. Doesn’t seem right though.
There is technically no limit on the number of errors a player can make on a single play, although it would be limited to some extent by the play itself. After all, once the runners all score there isn’t any need for more fielding so no more errors.
Tommy John, who wasn’t exactly a shabby pitcher, once committed 3 errors on the same play. The shorthand of the linked page:
And just to point out, that quote says John tied the record. I didn’t search around for any other record holder(s), but it clearly has happened at least twice.