What Happens When a Bat Snaps in Half and the Barrel Interferes with the Play?
Batter Throws His Bat. What is the Rule?
Coach Interference: Can a Coach Touch a Baserunner?
Catcher’s Interference
On Sunday the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros played at Minute Maid. In the bottom of the second, Tony Kemp was batting with the bases loaded and one out when Kemp’s swing made contact with the mitt of Royals’ catcher Drew Butera. Plate umpire Lance Barrett ruled the ball dead because it was a…
Best (Legal) Way to Break Up a Double Play
I have advocated in my spring training presentations that the pop-up slide is an excellent technique to help break up the double play at second base in a force situation. Because of the 2016 sliding regulations under rule 6.01 (j), runners obviously do not have the liberal opportunity they had in the past when breaking…
11 Rules Questions that Need Answering Now
If a manager wants to challenge multiple situations in the same play, what is the proper way to have the field umpires communicate this to the Command Center? The manager should tell the field umpires the situations he wants challenged. It should be done in layers at the same time. Does a tag attempt…
Batter is Hit by Pitch During Bunt Attempt
This much we know: When a batter attempts to hit a pitch, whether a full swing, check swing or bunt attempt, it is a strike. But what happens when that batter attempts to hit or bunt the pitch and is then struck by the pitch? Is the batter awarded first base? Can runners advance?…
Rule of the Week: Ball or Strike?
Is it a ball or a strike? Only your umpire knows! A crazy strike three was recently called in a minor league game between the Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) and Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) when the pitcher, Cory Burns, stumbled during his delivery and the pitch rolled towards the first base line well away…
