Editing Passed ball (section)

==History==
A passed ball may be scored when a base runner reaches the next base on a bobble or missed catch by the catcher, or when the batter–runner reaches first base on an [[Uncaught third strike|uncaught strike three]] (''see also'' [[Strikeout#Rules and jargon|Strikeout]]).<ref name="MLBglossary"/>

A closely related statistic is the [[wild pitch]]. As with many baseball statistics, whether a pitch that gets away from a catcher is a passed ball or wild pitch is at the discretion of the [[official scorer]]. Typically, pitches that are deemed to be ordinarily catchable by the catcher, but are not, are ruled passed balls; pitches that get by the catcher that are thought to have required extraordinary effort by the catcher in order to stop them are wild pitches.<ref name="MLBglossary"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of WILD PITCH|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wild+pitch|access-date=2021-06-23|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref> If the pitch was so low as to touch the ground, or so high that the catcher has to rise out of his crouched position to get to it, or so wide that the catcher has to lunge for it, it is usually then considered a wild pitch and not a passed ball.

A run scored due to a passed ball is not recorded as an [[earned run]]. However, a run scored due to a wild pitch is recorded as an earned run.<ref name="MLBglossary"/>

Passed balls and wild pitches are considered to be part of the act of pitching rather than fielding. Thus they are kept as separate statistics and are not recorded as [[Error (baseball statistics)|error]]s.<ref name="MLBglossary"/>

There tends to be a higher incidence of passed balls when a [[knuckleball]]er is pitching. The physics that make a knuckleball so difficult to hit make it similarly difficult to catch. While teams with a knuckleballer on their pitching staff often employ a special "knuckleball catcher" who is equipped with a knuckleball mitt,<ref>{{Cite web |title=35 Inch All-Star Professional CM3000KM Adult Baseball Knuckle Ball Catcher's Mitt |url=https://www.hq4sports.com/all-star-professional-cm3000km-adult-baseball-35-inch-knuckle-ball-catchers-mitt.html |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=HeadQuarters 4 Sports Inc |language=en}}</ref> similar to a first baseman's glove, it is still extremely difficult to catch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knuckleball (KN) {{!}} Glossary |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/pitch-types/knuckleball |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>