Game situation question:

No outs; runners on 2nd and 3rd; high, high fly, very near left-center fence; left fielder jumps up for ball; ball hits off his glove and center fielder dives for ball, and juggles it eventually securing the ball without it ever hitting the ground. Both runners take off the instant the ball hit the left fielder's glove. Clearly, the batter is out. What about the runners?? Did they legally tag without the ball having yet been caught?
Before you answer, let me tell you what the game umpires called and their call held. Their call: batter out because center fielder caught the ball. Both runners were called out as ball was thrown to second base then to third and bases were touched for a triple play. Ruling was runners tagged before ball was caught for an out. It took 8 minutes to sort this out and both head coaches were ejected, one at 4 minutes, the other at 6 minutes.
The game was a conference championship game in Chesterfield County, Va. in 2010.
What would you have called?

 

I say the correct call was made and it's a triple play. The batter wasn't legally out until the fielder secured the ball.

 

Sounds like the correct call was made, and the center fielder made a heck of a play.

 

I say the runner should have been safe. They can leave as soon as it was touched by the first fielder.

 

I agree with you tools...should be a runner on third and 1 out with one run scored...stretchy...what's your call?

 

In my opinion they got it wrong...

Years ago I asked mincmi about a similar situation. My question was: as a baserunner, if an outfielder bobbled a ball would you have to wait until he secured it or were you safe to attempt to advance as soon as the ball was touched. He explained that as soon as the fielder contacted the ball, runners would be allowed to safely advance. Now I understand in this situation the fielder that initially contacted the ball was not the one to secure it, but it seems logical that the same ruling be made based on the concept of the rule. To me the idea of the rule, or why it is in place, is to prevent a fielder from intentionally bobbling a ball in an attempt to get a runner to leave early. To eliminate umpires having to determine intent on a play, the rule simply states that once the ball is "touched by a player" (which I interpret as any player, not necessarily the player that ends up with the ball), runners are allowed to attempt an advance after they tag their pre-pitch base.

In summary, I think they got it wrong, but this is not a situation you see every day and I have seen High School umpires botch stuff much more simple than this.

 

i would think a creative outfielder could bobble the ball for a few minutes as he walked to the infield to keep runners from ever tagging up if the rule was caught not touched

 

Runners may advance when the ball touches the fielders glove. Ump missed the call!

 

Rules for games are created to provide equity in play.

Just as the infield fly rule provides “protection” to base runners to keep “creative infielders” from taking advantage of an otherwise inequitable situation, likewise the first touch rule in this case once again is used to protect base runners as they are allowed to leave from a tagged up base upon the ball first touching an opposing player.

Further, the NFHS rules provide an avenue for appeal in rule 4-5 for misapplied rules (not judgment calls), but it is up to each state association if an appeal is going to be allowed. In North Carolina, appeals are allowed (From NCHSAA – PROTEST: Each conference is to establish a baseball protest committee. The committee’s decision on any properly protested conference baseball game will be final.). Do not know about protests in VA, but if allowed, the coach should have informed the plate umpire that he would be playing the game under protest, before the next pitch, where upon if successful, which he should be if the situation was as described, the game would be replayed from the point of protest with the proper application of the rules applied.

 

Nice call guys.....

BINGO...but sure hope the ball did not touch any part of the fence or windscreen otherwise it would not be a catch at all.