Editing Passed ball

{{Short description|Baseball statistic}}
[[File:Ken Griffey Jr. Passed Ball (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|[[Rob Bowen]] (right) of the [[Minnesota Twins]] allows a pitch to deflect off his glove during a 2006 spring training game]] 
In [[baseball]], a [[catcher]] is charged with a '''passed ball''' when he fails to hold or control a legally [[pitcher|pitched ball]] that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control, and, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of PASSED BALL|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passed+ball|access-date=2021-06-23|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en}}</ref> A runner who advances due to a passed ball is not credited with a [[stolen base]] unless he breaks for the base before the pitcher begins his delivery.<ref name="MLBglossary">{{cite web |title=Passed Ball (PB) |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/passed-ball |website=[[MLB.com]] |access-date=29 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623142053/https://www.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/passed-ball |archive-date=23 June 2021 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref>

==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>

==Records==
{{Further|List of Major League Baseball career passed balls leaders}}
The MLB career record for passed balls allowed is 763 by [[Pop Snyder]], while [[Rudy Kemmler]] set the single season record of 114 in 1883.<ref>{{cite web|title=Progressive Leaders & Records for Passed Balls|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PB_progress.shtml|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=June 22, 2017}}</ref><ref name="tht">{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Frank |title=The Ghost of Passed Balls Past |url=https://tht.fangraphs.com/the-ghost-of-passed-balls-past/ |website=The Hardball Times |date=7 December 2018 |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref> The single season record in the modern era is 35, set by [[Geno Petralli]] in 1987.<ref name="tht"/><ref name="sporting">{{cite news |last1=Gotsulias |first1=Stacy |title=Aug. 30, 1987: When Geno Petralli had one of the worst games ever |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/geno-petralli-six-passed-balls-in-one-game-record-rangers-tigers-august-30-1987-video/f7ps7udwebig1w30w1cmd0i0g |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=www.sportingnews.com |date=August 30, 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="mcall">{{cite news |title=TEXAS' PETRALLI SETS THE RECORD FOR PASSED BALLS |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1987-12-27-2596864-story.html |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=The Morning Call |date=December 27, 1987}}</ref> The record for passed balls in a single game, six, was set by [[Rube Vickers]] in 1902 and later tied by Petralli in 1987 and [[Jerry Goff]] in 1996.<ref name="sporting"/><ref name="seatimes">{{cite news |last1=Albee |first1=Dave |title=Passed-Ball Infamy Not End Of World For Astros' Goff |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19960519&slug=2330130 |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=Seattle Times |agency=Marin Independent Journal |date=May 19, 1996}}</ref><ref name="cut4">{{cite news |last1=Clair |first1=Michael |title=Watch No. 1 NFL draft pick Jared Goff's dad, Jerry, hit his first MLB single |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/watch-top-nfl-prospect-jared-s-goff-s-dad-play-mlb-c175114272 |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=MLB.com |date=April 28, 2016}}</ref> The record for passed balls in a single inning is four, and is jointly held by Petralli, [[Ray Katt]], and [[Ryan Lavarnway]], all three of whom were catching knuckleball pitchers ([[Charlie Hough]], [[Hoyt Wilhelm]], and [[Steven Wright (baseball)|Steven Wright]], respectively).<ref name="mcall"/><ref name="lavarn">{{cite news |last1=Duffey |first1=Gene |title=Lavarnway finds redemption following wild first |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-catcher-ryan-lavarnway-ties-big-league-record-with-four-passed-balls/c-56093818 |access-date=8 March 2021 |work=MLB.com |date=August 7, 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Bye (cricket)]] – cricket term for an unhit, uncaught ball

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2007/10_the_official_scorer.pdf Baseball Rules] See section 10.13
*[http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/passedballs.htm Passed Balls] at the Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers

{{Baseball}}
{{Baseball statistics}}

[[Category:Catching statistics]]
[[Category:Baseball terminology]]