Active Community : All Content - Official Baseball Rules

Ty Cobb: .401 or .399 ?

guest — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:38:38 GMT

May 15, 1922: In a game at New York, Ty Cobb beats out a grounder to shortstop Everet Scott.

Veteran writer Fred Lieb scores it a hit in the box score he files with the Associated Press.

But official scorer John Kieran of the Times gives an error to Scott.

At the season's end, the A.L. official records, based on AP box scores, list Cobb at .401.

New York writers complain unsuccessfully that it should be .399, based on the official scorer's stats.

Umpire Interference

guest — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:20:16 GMT

Little League closed bases. Bases loaded, 1 out, defense in on the grass. Umpire in C position behind and between 3B and SS but in the back of the dirt. Hard hit ball between the two fielders and hits the umpire. Is this a live ball or is it umpire interference?

NFHS Balk Rule?

guest — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:36:43 GMT

Umpire told our coach that it is a balk (in high school) if the pitcher comes to the set position if he holds his glove above his chin.

Is this true?

Delay of Game

guest — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:07:19 GMT

We play our games with a time limit. Is there a rule to prevent one team from intentionally delaying the game? i.e. stepping out after every pitch, taking longer than normal to return the ball from catcher back to picther, etc.

Confusion on Batting out of Order

guest — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 02:52:30 GMT

Minor A Little League Baseball: Batters A-B-and C are due up to bat. Batter B bats first and walks. Batter A reaches 1st base on hit and Runner B advances to 3rd base. Before a pitch to Batter C, the defensive manager appeals a batting out of order. (B before A should have been A before B). What is would be the ruling? This is Continous lineup, I don't know if it makes a difference but.......I know I got this one wrong but was accepted by both teams. I called out Batter A out on first without moving Runner B back to first base. (Luckily B never scored) Should this have been Batter B out on first and runner on third base returns to first due to no advancement on play OR.....? I have gotten as many answers as the number of people I have asked. When A took one pitch the appeal was no longer valid since he became the proper batter, 6.07c. I do know that the lineup had to stay that messy order till the conclusion of game.

Out of line, or just making sure the call is correct?

guest — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:43:05 GMT

I wanted to get some viewpoints from the expert Blues on a situation from opening day.

I was conscripted into keeping the official book for my son's Junior Leauge game due to a scheduling oversight. Top of the third, bases loaded, one out. BR hits a loopey liner to short. SS doesn't quite reach the ball cleanly, but does manage to knock it down. Tags R2, then steps on second for the third out well after R3 crosses the plate.

UIC points to home and says run counts loud enough for all to hear. I call him over and say that the run should not count b/c the third out was a force out at second. He agrees after we quickly recap the course of events.

Top of the sixth comes around and one of the visitor coaches approaches me and asks what the score was. When I tell him 0 visitors, 3 home, he says that they should have one run. I point out to him that the run from the third did not count b/c the third out was made on a force play. (He argued that b/c a tag was made, it wasnt a force but either didn't really believe that or was not up for a longer debate since he abandonded after stating his arguement)

So, my two questions:

1.) Was I out of line to correct UIC even though the correct call was ultimately made? (home team HC was also on top of it and I am sure that he would have made sure the outcome was the same).

2.) Who is responsible for communicating the change to both sides since clearly the visitors were still under the impression that the original call was in effect?

Thanks,

psustock

Runner returning to touch a missed base

guest — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:19:08 GMT

Dear Blues

What are all the situations when a runner CANNOT return to touch a missed base?

Thanks

edited to state: OBR rule set.

MLB "Ooops" !

guest — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:51:50 GMT

Can't argue balls and strikes but Joe Madden certainly wasn't happy about it !!!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130409&content_id=44287208&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

Fly ball deliberately not caught in the outfield, what to call?

guest — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:01:54 GMT

March 11, 2013 WBC, Netherlands - Cuba. Bottom of 9th, bases loaded, 1 out. Thrilling excitement.. the score is 6-6. A day earlier, Netherlands lost 16-4 to Japan, via the mercy rule. Batter hits a long and high fly ball to F8, standing on the warning track. F8 catches it, and everybody realizes he cannot prevent the Dutch from scoring the winning run. Indeed, R3 waits for the catch, and dashes home, scoring the winning run.

In my opinion, Cuba could have forced a 10th inning, this way:

F8 intercepts the fly ball with the outside of his glove (no catch!), bunting it in the direction of 2nd base. Just like R3 being in touch with his base, waiting to run after the catch, R1 and R2 also will be in touch with their base. Now F8 fields the ball, throws to F4, who touches 2nd, (R1 out; 2nd out) and makes a double play to F3, touching 1st.. B/R out, 3rd out. So, no run scores, and Cuba starts in the 10th inning.

I think Cuba should have done this.

Somewhere I think I read that deliberately not catching a fly ball in the outfield with at least bases one and two loaded, less than two out, will be judged as a caught ball. Is this true? Or what would Blue have called here?

Thanks!

Frank (from the Netherlands)

Hope I called this correctly..

guest — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:01:34 GMT

Minor A Little League Rules...During Batter4 at bat, a wild pitch allows runner to score from third base. Batter4 draws a walk and is only runner on the bases. Batter5 is hit by second pitch and is now on first, Batter4 is on second. Batter6 takes one pitch his team Manager,(they were Visitors) asks for Timeout. He brings to my attention(I am Plate Umpire) that the last run scoring on the wild pitch was the 5th run and the inning should have ended. The opposing team(Home) concurs and the teams switch sides.

What I Did: Informed the visiting team that when they batted in the next inning Batter6 would be the first batter with a new count(0-0). The Home Team Manager was informed that all pitches would stay on record for the pitch count as well as the hit by pitch,(it was pitchers 2nd HBP)

The Visiting Team wanted Batter4 to be first to bat when they resumed and wanted an explanation.

My response, " Show me in the rulebook before his team bats again where it states that his way is correct". He was unable to and Batter6 batted first.

Ironically, this same Manager wanted an OUT called on a batter/runner sliding into first base(feet first). I asked him to show me in the Rule Book where it declares an out. The only way an out is called is if the runner slid head first.