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For the second time today!

 

Hello Again Everyone - I had an e-mail from somebody who read the earlier e-mail from today and challenged my ruling on the play situation I typed up after watching it happen at a regional final game nearby.

 

The play once again happened like this - Nobody aboard and the batter hit a pop up right in front of the third base bag and about 1 foot fair. It was medium height. The third sacker called for the ball and was camped under it but the shortstop was running over there and called the third sacker off. The shortstop stopped short, a bit confused and the ball struck her glove but she didn't catch it, in fact the ball then rolled slowly toward the third base dugout. The batter had ran it out and was headed for second when the ball entered the dugout, out of play.

 

The umpires, both very experienced, awarded the batter-runner third base. I was certain it should have been a two base award from the time of the pitch. The team in the field apparently made no beef about the award and play went on. The runner ended up stranded at third.

 

For the record. I was correct. Rule 8-4-3h page 67 says

" a fair ball bounces over or rolls under or through a fence or any designated boundary of the playing field. Also, when it deflects off of a defensive player or goes out of play after having passed an infielder excluding the pitcher and provided no other fielder had a chance to make an out.

PENALTY: (Art. 3h) The ball is dead and all runners are awarded two bases from the time of the pitch.

 

Thanks to John Peterson for confirming the rule, section and articles.

 

I posted a link to a blog from New Berlin Now about New Berlin Eisenhower and their two underclass pitchers who are both very good. One of the two, Kayla Schegel, has a Poynette connection and actually New Berlin Eisenhower has two Poynette connections. Head Coach Jeff Setz, a Waterloo native, has a brother Dan who lives in Arlington and whose daughter was a standout infielder for us last year. Kayla Schegel is the niece of Poynette 5th grade teacher Sallie Spees whose daughter Megan was a three-time all state softball player for Poynette. Check out the article either on the blog or just click on the link right here: [color=#0066cc]http://blogs.newberlinnow.com/sports_thoughts/archive/2008/05/15/lions-boast-1-2-pitching-punch.aspx[/color]

 

Here is another situation that makes a person shake their head in wonderment. This play took place this past weekend in a baseball game but the umpires are both WIAA softball umpires and at least one of them did a regional semi-final the other day.

 

[size=2]The home team had the bases loaded with one out.  A high pop-up was hit in front of home plate about three feet in fair territory.  The catcher came out into fair territory, camped under the pop-up but did not catch it.  It landed and stayed fair. The catcher picked up the fair ball and touched home plate and the runner at third was called out for not advancing home.  As you can read no infield fly rule was called.  The field umpire's explanation was that the catcher and pitcher are not considered infielders and therefore the infield fly rule was not in effect.



I asked the umpire about this, he knows I am a softball coach, and he told me the rule also applied to softball.  This story relates because he is the same umpire that had our softball regional semi-final.  His interpretation did not come into effect in that game.



Unless there is something new or something old that I am unaware of the infield

fly rule should have been enforced.....



Who's right and who's mistaken?[/size]

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[size=2]With a ball that near a foul line the call should have been made while the ball was in the air "Infield fly, batter is out if fair!" [/size]

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[size=2]I've said time and time again, read the rule book often and know it better than the umpires know it. If an umpire, read it time and time again and know it better than the most knowledgeable coach knows it. [/size]

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[size=2]Have a great day![/size]

[size=2]Keep it Rising![/size]

[size=2]Bob



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