Fielder's Choice
FCWhen the defense fields a batted ball cleanly and chooses to retire a different runner, letting the batter reach base without crediting a hit.
A fielder's choice is recorded when a batted ball is fielded cleanly (no error) and the defense tries to retire a different runner, usually the lead runner, instead of throwing the batter out at first. The batter reaches first safely, but only because the defense chose to make a play elsewhere.
The key word is choice. The batter is not credited with a hit, and the at-bat counts as an official at-bat. That is what separates a fielder's choice from an infield single: on a single, the defense tried to retire the batter and failed; on a fielder's choice, the defense made a play on another runner instead.
Even if the defense goes for the lead runner and that runner is safe (the throw is late, or there was no force), it is still a fielder's choice for the batter, not a hit, because the ball was not fielded with the intent to retire the batter.
Bleacher Notes charges the at-bat, withholds the hit, and tracks which runner the defense played on, so your batting average reflects the FC correctly.
Does a fielder's choice count as an at-bat?
Yes. A fielder's choice is charged as an official at-bat, and no hit is credited, so it lowers the batter's batting average just like an out would.
Is reaching on a fielder's choice the same as a hit?
No. The batter reached base, but because the defense chose to retire another runner rather than failing to retire the batter, no hit is credited.
Let the scorebook keep itself.
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