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Originally posted by Mick
By awarding the runner you do a disservice to the defense.
By awarding the runner you are saying the catcher would not have completed the throw to first.
Yep, you're right. But, you're gonna do disservice to one team or the other. I just think you gotta try to find the best solution possible, with the understanding that anything you do is gonna upset someone. I took this position on the other board, so I'll present it here too.
Rule 10-2-3-m says, " The plate duties include Art 1 and also the following............
m. rectify any situation in which an umpire's decision that was reversed has placed either team in jeopardy."
Now, let me defend my stand here. If I blew the call and called her out on what was obviously a dropped 3rd strike, that is protestable. ( Rule interpretation.) So, the runner is not out. You have put her in jeopardy by declaring her out. She, in most cases, will be heading to 1st until she hears me declare her out. The catcher knew the ball hit the dirt. How many times over the years, have you had a catcher come up ready to throw to 1st just in case you think she dropped the ball? She knows it's not an out and should be going to 1st anyway. The 1st baseman should have seen the ball hit the dirt. The defense had the advantage of seeing the ball hit the dirt, which the batter did not. Granted the offensive coaches did also. But, again, the batter usually quits running when she hears "... batter is out!" Thus you have put the batter-runner in jeopardy.
I'm gonna get my tail ripped pretty hard anyway, and I deserve it. So, I'm gonna put the batter on 1st and move all others up one base and play at least one more batter.
Now, to reiterate, this was not me doing this. I just think I'd have to handle it this way if I ever do a boneheaded play like this. I don't think there is a good solution to this play. I just think this is the lesser of 2 evils. If you stick by the batter being out, there is absolutely no way they can recover the possiblity of winning the game. If you put her on base, at least the defense has the chance of getting the out still. And the PU still needs to take the heat from one or both of the coaches. I just don't think you can end a game this way in good concience.
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Rick
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