The 5-4-3 double play is more uncommon than a 4-6-3 or a 6-4-3 double play, but it is also a more impressive double play to watch. To see a great example of a 4-6-3 double play, check out the quick clip below.Ī 5-4-3 double play, also known as an “around the horn” double play, is where the third baseman(5) fields the ball, throws the ball to the second baseman(4) to get the force out at second base, and the second baseman makes a throw to the first baseman(3) to get the batter out at first. What is a 4-6-3 Double Play?Īnother type of common double play you’d see in the Major Leagues is a 4-6-3 double play.Ī 4-6-3 double play is a common type of double play where the second baseman (4) fields the ball, throws the ball to the shortstop (6) to get the force out at second base, and the shortstop makes a throw to the first baseman (3) to get the batter out at first. If you’re interested in seeing what a t-shirt looks like with this saying on it, check out this t-shirt design on Amazon. In this type of double play, the shortstop fields the ball, throws the ball to the second baseman for the first out, who then throws the ball to the first baseman for the second out. What is the Meaning of 6+4+3=2?īecause the 6-4-3 double play is so common, this also gave rise to a saying in baseball that “6+4+3=2”, which is a saying that can be seen on some t-shirts.Īs a whole, “6+4+3=2” is baseball slang for saying that a double play occurred. Because the numbers are ordered this way, we know the shortstop originally fielded the ball, the second baseman somehow received the ball from the shortstop, and the first baseman somehow received the ball from the second baseman. So, the “6-4-3” tells us a story of the sequence of events that led to the double play. The 6-4-3 double play is a very common type of double play where the shortstop (6) fields the ball, throws the ball to the second baseman (4) to get the force out at second, and the second baseman makes a throw to the first baseman (3) to get the batter out at first. One of the most common types of double plays you’ll see in the MLB is the 6-4-3 double play. To help put this into perspective, let’s take a look at some of the common and uncommon types of double plays that happen in the MLB. The second piece of the puzzle to understanding what the numbers mean in a double play is to look at how those numbers are ordered.Īs a general rule, the order of the numbers in a double play tells us a story as to what happened first, what happened second, and what happened third.īecause this is a standard way to track what happened during a play, this also makes it easier for anyone else who reads the scorebook to understand what happened during that play.Īs an example, if there were three defensive players who handled the ball during a double play, the first number in a double play will tell us who originally fielded the ball, the second number will tell us who received the throw to make the first out, and the last number will tell us who received the ball for the second out. The Order of the Numbers Tells us What Happened During the Play If you’re interested in learning more about what each position is responsible for (including the DH role) check out my previous article that goes into more detail about every single baseball position and their roles. Using numbers instead of names helps keep the scorebook clear of clutter while also improving the efficiency of keeping an accurate scorebook.
When the scorekeeper marks down what happened during the play, they’ll use the numbers associated with each defensive position as a type of shorthand.
As a general rule, there are 9 positions in baseball, and each defensive position is associated with a number.
The first thing to understand about the numbers you see in a double play is that these numbers correspond to the defensive position of the player.
0 kommentar(er)
