Question about the rules?
tri...@infinet.com
All,
What is the purpose of the rule in baseball where if the batter
swings and misses the ball on the third strike the batter can run if
the catcher fails to catch the ball?
Please reply via email.
tri...@infinet.com
David Kenney
tri...@infinet.com wrote:
> What is the purpose of the rule in baseball where if the batter
> swings and misses the ball on the third strike the batter can run if
> the catcher fails to catch the ball?
Here's an extension of this question. I was watching a baseball
game with a guy from India and a guy from England. They both were
very knowledgeable about cricket, and had some knowledge of baseball.
During the game, with nobody on base, a pitch got away from the
catcher. They both wanted to know not the answer to the above
question, but if the ball gets away from the catcher and there
are less than 3 strikes, why could the batter NOT attempt to run
to first. In cricket, I guess the batsman can run if he and
the wicketkeeper both miss the ball.
That question just blew my mind. I had just never thought of anything
like that before, and I suspect that most of us also have not.
So, I ask:
Why can't the batter attempt to reach first when the catcher drops
the ball and there are less than three strikes?
Yes, this sounds like a stupid question to a baseball fan. Why not?
He just _can't_. The question is so "stupid" that I think it needs
a proper answer.
--
David Kenney
Wenthold Paul G.
In article <325014...@lucent.com>, David Kenney <ken...@lucent.com> wrote:
>tri...@infinet.com wrote:
>During the game, with nobody on base, a pitch got away from the
>catcher. They both wanted to know not the answer to the above
>question, but if the ball gets away from the catcher and there
>are less than 3 strikes, why could the batter NOT attempt to run
>to first. In cricket, I guess the batsman can run if he and
>the wicketkeeper both miss the ball.
>
yep
>That question just blew my mind. I had just never thought of anything
>like that before, and I suspect that most of us also have not.
>
>So, I ask:
> Why can't the batter attempt to reach first when the catcher drops
> the ball and there are less than three strikes?
>
>Yes, this sounds like a stupid question to a baseball fan. Why not?
>He just _can't_. The question is so "stupid" that I think it needs
>a proper answer.
>
Here's the way I think about it:
In baseball, the batter can only advance by putting the ball in play.
Moreover, the batter only has three chances (ie strikes) to
put the ball in play. If, on the thrid chance, he doesnn't hit
the ball, it goes into play automatically. If the catcher catches
the ball on the third strike, then it is like a line drive caught
by the fielder, and the batter is out. If the ball hits the ground,
then, like other ground balls, the batter has to be thrown out at first.
Also, the pitcher has to give the batter decent pitches to hit,
and if he has four bad pitches (or gets hit by a pitch) he gets on as well.
Now, there are a couple problems here (like, foul tips before
strike three), but it's generally the idea. I think the
"dropped third strike" rule stems from some cricket influence.
paul
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Ryan Robbins
>> swings and misses the ball on the third strike the batter can run if
>> the catcher fails to catch the ball?
>
> Why can't the batter attempt to reach first when the catcher drops
> the ball and there are less than three strikes?
Because he's not a runner. Most people don't realize the batter becomes
a runner on a third strike, regardless of whether the pitch is caught.
The only thing is, when the pitch is caught the batter's term as a runner
is rather short-lived.
_____________________________________________________________________
Ryan Robbins "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine -- Andy Rooney
_____________________________________________________________________
RROB...@Maine.Maine.Edu ____________________________________________
http://maine.maine.edu/~rrobbi32/____________________________________
Rodolphe Audette
Ryan Robbins wrote:
> ... Most people don't realize the batter becomes
> a runner on a third strike, regardless of whether the pitch is caught.
> The only thing is, when the pitch is caught the batter's term as a runner
> is rather short-lived.
That's an unusual way to look at it and definitely not conform to the
rule book, which says:
6.09 The batter becomes a runner when -
(a) ...
(b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, ...
(c) ...
Nowhere in the rules will you find that, when a third strike is caught,
the batter becomes a runner but is called out at the same time.
Rodolphe Audette
James Mantle u
David Kenney (ken...@lucent.com) wrote:
: tri...@infinet.com wrote:
: > What is the purpose of the rule in baseball where if the batter
: > swings and misses the ball on the third strike the batter can run if
: > the catcher fails to catch the ball?
In baseball, whenever the defense attempts to make an out, they must have
control of the ball. Including strike 3. A player can be out in a few
other methods, such as batting out of order or passing a preceeding
runner, but these outs are self-inflicted, not earned by the defense,
therefore the ball doesn't matter.
: Here's an extension of this question. I was watching a baseball
: game with a guy from India and a guy from England. They both were
: very knowledgeable about cricket, and had some knowledge of baseball.
: During the game, with nobody on base, a pitch got away from the
: catcher. They both wanted to know not the answer to the above
: question, but if the ball gets away from the catcher and there
: are less than 3 strikes, why could the batter NOT attempt to run
: to first. In cricket, I guess the batsman can run if he and
: the wicketkeeper both miss the ball.
In baseball, the batsman gets a pass the 1B in certain situations (HBP,
walk, ...). Otherwise, he has to earn his way to 1B. The rulebook has a
rule (posted by others) which says "a batter becomes a runner when....".
Until these terms are met, he doesn't get to try for 1B.
In cricket, the batsman can try to make a run on any pitch, batted or
not. Similar game with similar rules, but still a different game with
different rules.
Jim
Ryan Robbins
Not everything is in the rule book.And I didn't say you'd find my
explanation in the book. It wouldn't make any sense to put my
explanation in the book because it doesn't add anything. It's more
concise to say the batter becomes a runner on an uncaught third
strike.