Reply To: unearned run with designated runner

I generally agree with your last paragraph. You can’t erase the earning potential of A, simply because A was put out. If the fielder had chosen to put out the batter at first, the runner on third would still score as unearned, right? So no choice by the fielder can eliminate that earnings potential.

I don’t believe you can assign “earned” or “unearned” status to B and C until you know the circumstances under which they score (when reconstructing the inning), but generally, it’s still that lead runner that is unearned unless, as you point out, the DR is out of his own action or by a double play.