you make the call #4

....bases loaded, count on the batter is that she has 2 pitches that were called balls, next pitch, yep, another ball. The batter drops her bat and cruises down to 1b, the baserunners follow suit and just walk to the next base.
Ump calls time and says "the batter only has 3 balls".
What happens to the baserunners and why?

you make the call.

 

It Doesn't Matter , Good Decoy Play !!

I have seen this play before, it doesn't matter if it's 2 balls or 3 balls the ball is live, and runners can advance on their own risk. The batter may have thought it was ball 4, but still the ball is live, and if it works it's a
great play !!

Guru

 

+1

 

Batter returns to the box(If ump and opposing team catches it) runners advanced at their own will if defense tags a runner runner is out in other words ball is live !!!!!!

 

we tried to work on a take off of this play (Guru since you are still coaching think about using it! ... swinging strike three and the batter takes off for first any runner on second or third does the same tring to advance to second or third... 9 times out of 10 the catcher will throw the ball to first (or hesitate) allowing the runners to advance a base.

we never perfected it btw!

 

Awesome play when ran to perfection, all players on base and the batter have to be on the same page, never seen it stopped all the times i have seen this play always worked never seen anyone ever get out. This play is classic and has been run by the Carolina Cobras for ages.

 

An umpire at a camp in Fla. hosted by the USA team,answered this question this way. "The rule of deception", "if, as an umpire, I judge that the offense team tried to pulloff a deceptive play, then I'd call an out"
I don't remember if the batter would be out or if the kid on 3rd would be out. Also, he said that he's seen this situation many times and 90% of the time it happened because the batter did not know the count.
marlin

 

It would have to be the runner at third, otherwise the play would still work because the batter is going to be out regardless since the base was occupied.

I saw it run this past weekend in Chapel Hill in the Tar Heel classic... probably couldn't do this more than once or twice per game and make it work before the rule came into effect.