Quote:
Originally posted by Dave Hensley
This whole thread has, for the most part, just given me tired-head, but would someone care to reconcile the new FED interpretation, as reported on this site in both this forum and in Tim Stevens' article on the paid portion of the site, which defines a lodged ball as a dead ball in which the award, to both batter and runners, is two bases, with this play from page 67 and 68 of the October 2004 issue of Referee Magazine:
Play 13: With (a) no runners on, or (b) R1 on first, B1's line drive to the mound smacks into F1's glove, but the force of the hit rips the glove from f1's hand. The glove lands on the ground with the ball lodged in the webbing. F1 recovers the glove and prepares to throw the glove with the lodged ball to first base. Ruling 13: In (a) and (b), the ball is dead when the umpire sees the lodged ball. B1 is awarded first base. In (b), R1 is awarded two bases.
Can anyone explain why Referee believes the batter would only be awarded first base, and not second? As I understand it, the Stevens article clearly states the interpretation is to award two bases to the batter, as well as any runners.
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Dave:
I posed your question to Tim Stevens, who posed the same question to Elliot Hopkins, who said: "That's wrong. The interpretation language won't be finalized until January." Elliot affirmed the ruling Tim published at Officiating.com: Everybody gets two bases if the ball is
actually lodged. The umpire is to kill the ball when: (1) the fielder simply throws up his hands in horror; or (2) he tosses (starts to toss) the glove to another fielder for a tag/force out. (email to me, 5 Oct)
Referee jumped the gun, relying on second-hand information from the summer rules committee meeting. There will, no doubt, be a correction and apology in the December issue.
I wouldn't want to be the person responsible when Barry finds out about the mistake.