Bottom of the ninth...2-2 game...no outs...runners on the corners...and here's what I get:

"A.Boone fields the groundball but makes a bad throw to 1B. I.Thomas reaches on the throwing error. S.Nicholls scores."

Can someone explain to me why, with no outs and the winning run on third, a third baseman would be going to first with a ground ball?  This is absolutely ridiculous and should never, EVER happen.

The third baseman looks back the runner then goes to first?  Not that uncommon of a play. 

Then why wasn't he going for two if the runner didn't break? He should at least be going to second to get the "lead" runner.

Your mom was managing.

If he has to look back the runner, maybe he doesn't have time for a play at second so he goes to first. 

I could see this happening in a game.  3rd baseman fields the ball.  Looks back the runner at third to make sure he doesn't score the winning run.  Takes a little extra time for that and plays if safe and goes to first.  Don't be a hero and take the out that you have.  Walk the next runner and hope for a play at the plate or a dp. 

Posted by profcake on 9/12/2010 2:35:00 AM (view original):
I could see this happening in a game.  3rd baseman fields the ball.  Looks back the runner at third to make sure he doesn't score the winning run.  Takes a little extra time for that and plays if safe and goes to first.  Don't be a hero and take the out that you have.  Walk the next runner and hope for a play at the plate or a dp. 

Exactly.

Bummer that he made the error, though. Heck of a way to lose a game.

Yes, but you're all failing to realize it takes more time for a 3B to throw to first than to second.  So to say "after looking, he had no time to get the runner at second and decided to go for first" doesn't make sense...unless the batter has lead feet

Not at all....happens all the time in MLB.  The runner on first almost certainly had a lead and may have broken on the pitch.  The 2B may have been late covering second, etc.  There are plays all the time where the 3B goes 5-3 instead of 5-4.

explained

Give it a rest JT.

Could have been a ball he needed to charge, so the runner didnt break because the play was right in front of 3B.
He could have looked the runner back then threw it into the 3rd row.
Throwing to 2nd is a shorter throw for 3B, but it would make it a longer throw for the 2B if the runner from 3B broke for home.  Go to 1st, get the out.  BUT make a good throw...haha.

Was the IF in?

Posted by profcake on 9/12/2010 2:35:00 AM (view original):
I could see this happening in a game.  3rd baseman fields the ball.  Looks back the runner at third to make sure he doesn't score the winning run.  Takes a little extra time for that and plays if safe and goes to first.  Don't be a hero and take the out that you have.  Walk the next runner and hope for a play at the plate or a dp. 

That!

Posted by The_Creeper on 9/12/2010 9:33:00 PM (view original):
Give it a rest JT.

Could have been a ball he needed to charge, so the runner didnt break because the play was right in front of 3B.
He could have looked the runner back then threw it into the 3rd row.
Throwing to 2nd is a shorter throw for 3B, but it would make it a longer throw for the 2B if the runner from 3B broke for home.  Go to 1st, get the out.  BUT make a good throw...haha.

Was the IF in?

In RL you may be right. But I don't think the SIM factors in guys charging, 2B late covering the bag, etc., or it would say "2B was late covering the bag, so 3B went to first and threw it away."

There's only so much detail worth getting into in the play by play. I don't want to read that the 4-3 play with a runner going to second was because the SS sneezed and couldn't get to the bag quickly enough, or that the LF's throw was up the line because he was distracted by Ines Sainz doing a fan in the stands interview while wearing a micro bikini.

The fact that he threw to 1B indicates there was no play at 2B; whether that's because the 2B was slow covering or because the runner had a good lead or is faster than the guy going to 1B doesn't matter. And with a 2-2 score in the bottom of the 9th, why would you want your 3B to pay any attention at all to the runner headed to 2B? Looking the runner back and throwing to 1B is the correct play.