Understanding “Time of the Pitch” in Baseball: How Umpires Determine Base Awards
There are several situations in the game of baseball when umpires determine the award of bases based on the last base touched by the runner’s position at the “Time of the Pitch,” which is defined as the moment the pitcher’s movements commit him to deliver the ball to the batter. A runner who attempts to…
Nationals’ 2025 Catch/No Catch Trap Plays: Triple Play and Rare 7-3 Putout Spark Debate
The Washington Nationals have been involved in two catch/no catch trap plays during the 2025 season that have created interesting situations. The Mets and Nationals played at Nationals Park on April 25, 2025 when an unusual triple play took place. It was the second triple play of the season, joining the Rockies’ trifecta on April…
Meyers Not Called for Batter-Runner Interference
The Nationals and Astros played at Minute Maid on June 14, 2023. In the bottom of the ninth, the Astros were batting with one out and the bases loaded with the score tied 4-4 when Jake Meyers grounded to shortstop C.J. Abrams, who threw home for the second out. Catcher Keibert Ruiz tried to turn…
2023 Home Plate Collision and Pitcher Declaration
Regarding the Collison at Home Plate rule, the catcher has no restriction when receiving a throw from the pitcher or a drawn-in infielder. The following two plays illustrate those aspects of the rule. Catcher Receives Throw from the Pitcher The Nationals hosted the Guardians on April 15, 2023. In the top of the eighth, the…
Umpire Interference
The Twins and Padres played at Petco on July 30, 2022 when second base umpire Jerry Lane was called for umpire interference. In the bottom of the seventh, the Padres had CJ Abrams on second and one out when Jurickson Profar hit a shot that struck Lane who was positioned in front of the defense…
2022 Rules Questions: September Edition
Runner Obstructed During Rundown Question: See the above attachment before reading this play. In this situation, the runner going from second to third is obstructed during the rundown. I know this is a Type 1 obstruction because there was a play being directly made on the runner. The umpires awarded the obstructed runner third base…