Of course it’s a fielder’s choice, as would be the same play if made by the shortstop. A force out allowing the batter to reach first is always a fielder’s choice.
No, it’s not… I mean, I guess it a choice made by a fielder, but it is not a Fielder’s Choice in the scoresheet. A fielder’s choice, by rulebook definition, is always when a batter-runner safety reaches first base on a batted ball because the defense attempts to make an out on another runner.
The FC rule is, in my opinion, a flawed part of baseball record keeping, in that it will (once in a great while, it’s not very common) result in a batter being recorded in his stats as making an out that never actually happened.
No, it’s actually a Fielder’s Choice in the scoresheet. I just learned that by perusing the rules.
The Official Scorer shall not score a stolen base when a runner advances solely because of the defensive team’s indifference to the runner’s advance. The Official Scorer shall score such a play as a fielder’s choice.
Yes. Rule 9.05a says a hit should be awarded if (among other things):
“Ordinary effort” is the same standard for distinguishing between a hit and an error, and it has no clear definition because it depends on what the normal defensive standard would be at that position, in the league in question, and based on the effects of weather and field conditions.
Yes, but normally it’s the case that the catcher doesn’t even bother to throw the ball, so it’s obvious that they are indifferent to the runner advancing.