Situation - you tell me

[poppaeagle]

Here's a situation that happened at the 15 y/o tournament in Hampton.......how would you rule this play?

No outs...bases loaded.....batter squares around and attempts to bunt and pops it up to the pitcher....the ball hits in the pitcher's glove and bounces out and hits the ground 3 feet in front of home plate ....pitcher picks up the ball and steps on home plate before the runner from third crosses the plate.

What's the ruling...who was out ...and how do you score the runner who crossed the plate?

[heathwaldrop]

That's a force-out at home plate so the runner from third should be out. Beyond that I'd say an error on the pitcher because he dropped a ball that should have been caught.

But I'm no more than a novice on how baseball is scored, and so much of it is subjective anyway. Outlaw probably has a better idea.

[Eddie Goodson]

heathwaldrop said:

That's a force-out at home plate so the runner from third should be out. Beyond that I'd say an error on the pitcher because he dropped a ball that should have been caught.
idea.

That was my thought. Score it an E1 with the fielder's choice by the pitcher at home plate. But I know how weird the scoring gets in baseball at times so there is no telling.

[poppaeagle]

OK....in talking with the umpire behind the plate and then one of the umpires in the field....I think even the officials had different views on the same play.

It was a confusing play.....and some of the Crossett players could not see that the ball was actually dropped by the pitcher....and then the ball was tossed around the infield because the infield players were thinking they were trying to catch runners off base after a fly ball was caught.

The way the umpire ruled the play was..... infield fly rule was called, therefore the batter was out & therefore, the runner from third was advancing at his own risk (not a force)....the run was scored because home plate was only stepped on, the runner was not actually tagged.

The way the play should have been ruled.....was not as the infield fly rule. As per the BR rule book.....an attempted bunt cannot be ruled as an "infield Fly". Therefore, the runner from third to home should have been out (force play) and batter should have been awarded first base.

And this.....is part of why baseball is endeared so much.

[heathwaldrop]

The infield fly rule is one of the most confusing and misunderstood part of baseball at this level.

How long has it been a part of the Babe Ruth league?

[greeneagle]

but isn't an in-field fly...stated as a easily caught ball........? bunt or not right?..........therefore the runner should have been held at third by the third base coach....due to teh fact the ball was not on the ground and it was the third out......?

[poppaeagle]

easily caught ball, yes ......but not as an attempted bunt or a line drive....according to BR rules