What Is A Gidp In Baseball?

A GIDP in baseball is a fielder’s choice that results in the batter being out and a runner being put out.

What is a GIDP?

A GIDP is a statistic in baseball that stands for Grounded Into Double Play. It occurs when a hitter hits a ball into the ground and the defense is able to turn two outs on the play.

What does GIDP stand for?

In baseball, a GIDP (grounded into double play) is the act of a batter hitting a ground ball that leads to two outs. It is considered one of the worst things that can happen to a hitter, as it not only ends their turn at bat, but also takes away any chance for their team to score.

There are two types of GIDPs – force outs and double plays. A force out is when the runner is forced to advance to the next base due to the batter being out. A double play happens when two runners are out on the same play.

GIDPs occur relatively often in baseball – in 2018, there were 3,096 GIDPs hit in MLB (or 8.32% of all plate appearances). However, they are compiled differently than other statistics, as they are seen as negative plays by the batter. As such, pitchers receive credit for them, while hitters are penalized.

The all-time leader in GIDPs is Albert Pujols, who has grounded into 342 double plays over his career. Other notable players in the top-10 include Miguel Cabrera (331), Adrian Beltre (328), Alex Rodriguez (321) and Derek Jeter (317).

How is a GIDP different from an error?

In baseball, a ground ball that leads to the batter being out is usually credited to the fielder who handles the ball. If, however, the fielder makes a poor play on the ball or fails to field it cleanly, the official scorer may credit the batter with a hit instead of an out. A hit given up by the pitcher in this situation is called a ground into double play, or GIDP.

GIDPs are relatively rare; according to baseball-reference.com, there were only 1,359 of them in the majors in 2019. They tend to happen more often with speedy runners on first base, as those runners have a better chance of beating a throw to second base for a force out.

Errors, on the other hand, are awarded when a fielder makes an mental mistake or physically mishandles the ball. Unlike GIDPs, errors do not count as hits given up by the pitcher; they are their own separate category.

How do GIDPs happen?

A GIDP happens when a runner is stranded on base after a batted ball is hit into an out. The out can happen on any play where the ball is hit into the field of play. There are a few ways that a GIDP can happen.

Pitcher’s mistake

Most GIDPs occur when the pitcher throws a low, inside fastball that a hitter is expecting. When the ball doesn’t break as much as anticipated, the hitter swings and rolls over on the ball. The resulting grounder is usually too slow for the infielders to turn two, so a run scores from third base.

Hitter’s mistake

A GIDP happens when a hitter hits the ball weakly on the ground, and the defense is able to turn two putouts on the play. In order for a GIDP to occur, two things must happen:

First, the hitter must hit a weak ground ball. This usually happens when a hitter gets fooled by a pitch, or tries to do too much with the ball and doesn’t make solid contact.

Second, the defense must be able to turn two putouts. This usually happens when there are two outs and the defense is playing “in,” meaning they are positioned closer to home plate in an effort to prevent the runner from scoring from second base.

The most common type of GIDP is when the shortstop or third baseman fields the ball deep in the hole (between second and third base), and then makes a strong throw across the diamond to first base to retire the batter. The second out is usually made at first base, but can also be made at second or third base if there are runners on those bases as well.

Fielder’s mistake

A GIDP can happen when a fielder tries to field a ground ball but makes a mistake, such as dropping the ball or throwing it away. It can also happen when a fielder tries to field a line drive but misjudges it and allows it to drop in for a hit. Sometimes, a GIDP can occur when a baserunner is caught between bases and is tagged out.

How to avoid GIDPs

A GIDP occurs when a fielder touches the ball more than once before it leaves the infield. This can happen when a fielder bobbles the ball, or when a fielder tries to make a play on a ball that is already in his glove. There are a few ways to avoid GIDPs, and they all have to do with being more careful with the ball. Let’s take a look at some of those ways.

As a pitcher

There are a few things pitchers can do to avoid inducing GIDPs:
-Avoid pitcher’s best friend, the sinker. Sinkers tend to generate a lot of ground balls, and ground balls have a high probability of becoming GIDPs.
-Throw more off-speed pitches and mix up your repertoire. Changeups, sliders, and curveballs all have a lower ground ball rate than fastballs.
-Keep the ball up in the zone. High pitches are less likely to be hit on the ground than low pitches.
-Avoid hitters who grounded into a lot of double plays last season. Some hitters are just more prone to grounding into double plays than others.

As a hitter

The best way to avoid grounding into a double play as a hitter is to hit the ball in the air. While this may seem like common sense, hitting the ball on the ground puts you at a much higher risk of grounding into a double play. In general, you want to hit the ball hard somewhere between the infield and outfield. Hitting the ball hard on the ground gives the infielders a chance to field it and make a play, but also gives you a chance to beat out an infield hit.

There are certain situations where you are more likely to ground into a double play. These situations include:

-Hitting with runners on first and second base
-Hitting with runners on first and third base
-Hitting with the bases loaded

As a fielder

The best way to avoid GIDPs as a fielder is to play your position well. This means being in the right place at the right time, and having good footwork. If you are a infielder, practice your double play turns. If you are an outfielder, take good routes to the ball. The more you practice, the better you will become at avoiding GIDPs.

Another way to avoid GIDPs is to pay attention to the batter. If you know a batter is likely to ground into a double play, be extra careful not to let the ball get past you. You may need to make a diving stop or take extra time to field the ball cleanly.

There are some advanced stats that can help you predict which batters are more likely to hit into double plays. If you have access to this information, pay attention to it and use it to your advantage.