When the Umpire Messes up an Infield Fly
Umpires are human so sometimes they make calls that make no sense, like calling an Infield Fly with no runner at 2B. It happens quite a bit at the amateur level and often causes chaos because no one knows what to do. Bring some sensibility and calmness to you next rules discussion by learning this…
Outfielder’s Throw is Deflected into Dead Ball Territory
Whenever a thrown, pitched, or batted ball is deflected into dead ball territory, umpires must be able to make the proper base award and coaches should be able to determine if the base award was proper. This can impact the outcome of a game. Thrown Ball Deflected into Dead Ball Territory Take what occurred when…
Baserunner Hit Running to Second Base
The Rays and Orioles played in Baltimore on July 25, 2022. In the bottom of the fifth, the O’s had Adley Rutschman on third and Ryan Mountcastle on first and one out when Anthony Santander hit a ground ball to first baseman Ji-Man Choi. The Rays’ first baseman fired to second in an attempt to…
Indians’ Outfielder Austin Jackson’s Amazing Catch (and why it was legal)
The Red Sox hosted the Indians Tuesday, August 1, 2017 in a game that was highlighted by one of the most spectacular catches ever made by an outfielder at Fenway Park. A standing ovation for a visiting player is tough to come by in Boston, but that’s what Red sox fans did after witnessing Jackson’s…
Players Use Detached Equipment to Make Plays
Pitchers Throw Glove Play No. 1 On June 29th the Red Sox and Blue Jays played in Toronto. Boston’s Franchy Cordero led off the top of the third inning facing Alek Manoah. With the infield shifted toward second, the third base area was vacant. Cordero laid down a bunt in the direction of third base….
Bat Boy or Ball Boy Interference
Baseball games feature batboys and batgirls at all levels. Occasionally they get involved in a play and disrupt the natural course of the game. It most often occurs when a ball is hit down the baseline (fair) and the ball boy stationed in foul territory, is struck by the ball. We have all seen plays…
Oops! MLB Umpire Catches Wild Pitch
In the July 27, 2018 Jays-White Sox game in Chicago, top of the fifth inning, Curtis Granderson was batting for the Jays with Russell Martin on third, Randal Grichuk on second, and Devon Travis on first with one out. Sox pitcher Thyago Vieira unleashed a wild one. The ball bounced in the dirt and was…
Rule of the Week: Safe or Out?
Ouch! Runner Struck by Batted Ball While Standing on Base You can trip up some smart baseball people with this basic rule about baserunning. Most people believe that if a runner is standing on a base that belongs to him, he is safe from being put out. Not so. A base is not a safe…
Over Throws from the Outfield and Base Awards
When an outfielder makes a throw that goes into dead ball territory (DBT) such as the dugout or the stands, all runners are awarded two bases from the last base they touched at the moment the ball is released by the outfielder. Infield overthrows into DBT have a separate rule which I will cover in…
Runner hit by batted ball…..is the runner always out?
When a runner is hit by a batted ball, he is not always out. Umpires must assess the situation and apply the proper rule. The most common form of this violation is when a runner is struck by a batted ball in front an infielder and impedes him from making a play. The runner is…
