Two questions on a couple of plays...thanks:

1) Man on third, one out. Ground ball to first base side of mound, pitcher fields it and, thinking that there are two outs, runs to first himself and makes the putout, ignoring the runner at third who scores. Pitcher could have easily checked the runner at third and threw to first for the out, preventing the run. I scored it an error on the pitcher as far as the run scored.

2) Man on first, nobody out. Ground ball fielded by third baseman charging in front of the shortstop. He had an easy out on the batter at first (assuming a good throw), but stops, turns and throws to second, missing that runner by a step or two. You could tell as soon as he decided to go for the lead runner that he didn't have a good play on him. Runner at second subsequently scores. Is that run earned or unearned, i.e., is bad decision by third baseman considered an error or just bad judgement?

Bad judgement on both plays --- NO errors. As far as the run being earned or unearned --- Neither play would "create" an UNearned run but another error earlier in the inning COULD have created the opportunity for an UNearned run. Too little information. You have to go back and recreate the inning without ANY errors to determine if that run would be earned or unearned. If there were no other errors then the runs would earned.
Fungo

Thanks for the response.

Mental mistakes yes.

Errors no.

In situation 2 I would have called it a fielder's choice, no hit.