Here is the play referenced in the OP.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/146106172/ryan-goins-scores-on-a-two-base-sacrifice-fly
Now that I’ve seen it I might be more inclined to agree that it’s a sac fly rather than an error. Yes, he had a brief mental lapse, but the catch was not as routine as I envisioned.
For the record, the CF is Anthony Gose of the Tigers and the runner is Ryan Goins of the Blue Jays.
Gose actually made a few other weirdly boneheaded mental errors in the same series, of the sort a major league ballplayer should not make. One wonders if he isn’t having a personal problem.
Depends whether a throw is made. One-hopper to the pitcher. Pitcher turns toward first. First baseman never moves to the bag. No throw. No misplay. No error. Same play, but pitcher sets and tosses to first. First baseman spaces it and doesn’t cover the bag. There is good reason for the throw, which is accurate and would have beat the runner, but no out is recorded. Somebody is getting an error. I’d give it to the first baseman due to Rule 10.12(a)(8): “[The official scorer shall charge an error against any fielder:] whose failure to stop, or try to stop, an accurately thrown ball permits a runner to advance, so long as there was occasion for the throw. If such throw was made to second base, the official scorer shall determine whether it was the duty of the second baseman or the shortstop to stop the ball and shall charge an error to the negligent fielder. Comment: If, in the official scorer’s judgment, there was no occasion for the throw, the official scorer shall charge an error to the fielder who threw the ball.”
I find it absurd that all these details about how to credit people with statistics that are meaningless to the outcome of the game are in the official rule book.
Actually, I believe it is a sacrifice fly and the batter would get an RBI. I don’t believe “mental errors” count as errors for stat purposes. Since he did make the catch, I don’t see the actual error. He was simply not paying attention.
Worse, I think it also counts as an earned run for the pitcher charged with that base runner.