Runner leaves batter’s box on dropped 2nd strike allowing 3rd to score

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  • Post
    Kirk Staggs
    Participant
    Very odd scenario but we just had a one run ballgame and a kid waived at a curveball that was blocked by the catcher but takes off like a dropped 3rd strike to 1B. The ball bounces that direction and the catcher didn’t see the runner from 3rd because batter was standing out of the batter’s box on 1B line, then broke for 1st base and catcher turned and threw him out for what would’ve been the third out and game over. Instead, runner from 3rd ends up crossing the plate and was the tying run. Is there not any batter’s interference on this for leaving the box and running down to 1B? Or is it on the catcher to react to the actual count and not be distracted by this batter?
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      Dave Johnson
      Participant
      it’s up to the defense to know the count, outs, position of runners, etc.

      unless of course the umpire has screwed up the count – if he announced a 1-2 count that was really 1-1 and then this happens, I think he’s going to have to put the runner back on third and eat a couple spoonfuls

       

      Kenneth Koronowski
      Participant
      In Little League, is a two sticke pitch thrown in the dirt and the batter swings and misses concidered a dropped third strick or is the batter out as the ball didn’t get to the catcher in flight?
      Frank Watson
      Participant
      This weekend, I saw a batter run on a dropped 2nd strike. The catcher assumed the batter was a better counter than she was and threw the ball to first before the batter got there.

      The batter’s manager leaves the dugout to point out to the umpire the mistake, the first base coach also approaches to help as needed and the batter, still assuming it was strike 3 and she was out, runs into the first base dugout and is called out for abandonment. Poor kid, but it was pretty funny.

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