Richard_Siegel
03-02-2011, 02:51 AM
The classic play first happened September 3, 1986, San Francisco Giants rookie pitcher Terry Mulholland was using what he called “a fairly new glove” when he fielded a hard ground ball off the bat of New York Mets slugger Keith Hernandez. Mulholland reached into his mitt only to find the ball was lodged in the webbing. Thinking quickly, the southpaw tossed his glove over to first baseman Bob Brenly with the ball in it to record the out. The ruling by the umpires that this usual method of transferring the ball was never protested by the Mets and it passed on in professional baseball as a legal play. However, it is not legal in NFHS rules.
If this were to happen in a high school game, whether the ball was pitched, thrown or batted, it would usually be a dead ball and bases would be awarded accordingly. Here are the rules that apply:
5-1-1.f(5) Ball becomes dead immediately when a fair batted ball lodges in players equipment or uniform;
5-1-1.g(4) Ball becomes dead immediately when a pitch or any other thrown ball lodges in an umpire’s, catcher’s or offensive player’s equipment or uniform;
The casebook gives us two well-describe case plays to illustrate the application of the rule:
5.1.1 SITUATION Q: A line drive rips the glove from the pitcher's hand. The pitcher retrieves the glove, which contains the ball, and throws the glove and ball to the first baseman. RULING: Illegal. A fair-batted ball is dead immediately when it becomes lodged in player equipment.
5.1.1 SITUATION R: On a sharply hit ground ball that is snagged by F1, the player's initial attempts to withdraw the ball from the glove and throw the ball to F3 are not successful. In an attempt to retire the batter-runner, F1 tosses his glove with the lodged ball to F3. RULING: U1 will declare the ball dead and award the batter-runner second base. When F1 tossed his fielding glove to F3 to put out the batter-runner, it became apparent that the ball was lodged and the ball becomes dead and the award is made.
Reading these rules and case plays it seems that a batted ball become dead when it lodges in anybody’s (offense, defense, or umpire’s) uniform or equipment. However, if the ball is thrown or pitched it can only become dead if it lodges in the catcher’s mitt or equipment, or the offense, or umpire’s equipment. This leads me to consider a couple of situations the casebook did not address.
Does this mean the fielders are screwed if a thrown ball gets lodged in their mitts’?
Example: Suppose the bases are loaded with no outs. If the throw from F5 to F3 lodges in F3’s mitt, since the ball is a thrown ball, the ball is not dead. If F3 received the ball at 1B in time to retire the BR, do we call the BR out and then stand there and watch him struggle to pull the ball out of his mitt while the other runners circle the base? Or since the ball is not dead in this situation would we allow the fielder to toss his mitt with ball stuck in it to another fielder?
Do we undo an unassisted putout on a ground ball if the batted ball becomes lodged in a fielder’s mitt?
Example: Bases are loaded with no outs. Batter smashes a two hopper to F5 who scoops it up and runs to 3B to retire R2 unassisted. The BU calls R3 out on the force. Immediately after F5 steps on 3B he attempts to pull the ball out of his mitt to throw it to throw it o 2B for a double play. However, it becomes apparent that the batted ball lodged in F5’s mitt. Since a batted ball is dead immediately when it lodges in a fielder’s mitt, it was dead before F5 stepped on 3B. Do we nullify the out and advance everybody 2 bases scoring R2 and R3?
Are these examples valid enforcements of these rules?
If this were to happen in a high school game, whether the ball was pitched, thrown or batted, it would usually be a dead ball and bases would be awarded accordingly. Here are the rules that apply:
5-1-1.f(5) Ball becomes dead immediately when a fair batted ball lodges in players equipment or uniform;
5-1-1.g(4) Ball becomes dead immediately when a pitch or any other thrown ball lodges in an umpire’s, catcher’s or offensive player’s equipment or uniform;
The casebook gives us two well-describe case plays to illustrate the application of the rule:
5.1.1 SITUATION Q: A line drive rips the glove from the pitcher's hand. The pitcher retrieves the glove, which contains the ball, and throws the glove and ball to the first baseman. RULING: Illegal. A fair-batted ball is dead immediately when it becomes lodged in player equipment.
5.1.1 SITUATION R: On a sharply hit ground ball that is snagged by F1, the player's initial attempts to withdraw the ball from the glove and throw the ball to F3 are not successful. In an attempt to retire the batter-runner, F1 tosses his glove with the lodged ball to F3. RULING: U1 will declare the ball dead and award the batter-runner second base. When F1 tossed his fielding glove to F3 to put out the batter-runner, it became apparent that the ball was lodged and the ball becomes dead and the award is made.
Reading these rules and case plays it seems that a batted ball become dead when it lodges in anybody’s (offense, defense, or umpire’s) uniform or equipment. However, if the ball is thrown or pitched it can only become dead if it lodges in the catcher’s mitt or equipment, or the offense, or umpire’s equipment. This leads me to consider a couple of situations the casebook did not address.
Does this mean the fielders are screwed if a thrown ball gets lodged in their mitts’?
Example: Suppose the bases are loaded with no outs. If the throw from F5 to F3 lodges in F3’s mitt, since the ball is a thrown ball, the ball is not dead. If F3 received the ball at 1B in time to retire the BR, do we call the BR out and then stand there and watch him struggle to pull the ball out of his mitt while the other runners circle the base? Or since the ball is not dead in this situation would we allow the fielder to toss his mitt with ball stuck in it to another fielder?
Do we undo an unassisted putout on a ground ball if the batted ball becomes lodged in a fielder’s mitt?
Example: Bases are loaded with no outs. Batter smashes a two hopper to F5 who scoops it up and runs to 3B to retire R2 unassisted. The BU calls R3 out on the force. Immediately after F5 steps on 3B he attempts to pull the ball out of his mitt to throw it to throw it o 2B for a double play. However, it becomes apparent that the batted ball lodged in F5’s mitt. Since a batted ball is dead immediately when it lodges in a fielder’s mitt, it was dead before F5 stepped on 3B. Do we nullify the out and advance everybody 2 bases scoring R2 and R3?
Are these examples valid enforcements of these rules?