[WindyCityBlue]

LL,
An example of a play that addresses this very issue was sent to Hopkins by at least three different Illinois boys. I specifically addressed the frozen rope that is rocketed down the third baseline with R1 and R2, one out in a tie game. The umpire sees that the ball never waits - says, "Show me the ball." and the fielder raises the glove. Since the umpire knows that the ball never touched the ground, he signals "Out." The fielder then gets up and while trotting into the pitcher, takes his glove off in order to free the ball which is stuck in the now broken webbing. Oh, sh*t!

The third base coach goes crazy - pleading that it is a lodged ball and demands that his runners be moved. What do you do?

Now, what I should have written - R1 and R2 and 2 outs - the batter crushes a one hopper down the third baseline. He snares it and steps on third for the final out. His teammates are trotting off the field and congratulating him. The offense is now off the field and just about to their dugout, when you, the PU notice the kid take off his mitt and forcefully push the lodged ball out. He tosses it to the other pitcher coming to the mound. The third base coach sees this and knows what the rule implies. Oh, sh*t! What do you do, now? I fired this one off this afternoon. Do you think that we'll hear a logical answer?

Baseball rules are all about improbable scenarios and "what ifs". This sounds like a pretty good case of the "Fed doesn't remember that this is a game".