I'm with Mike on this one (Oh, wow, heart attack
).
I'm going with the spirit of the rule rather than the literal interp. It is obviously intended to keep the game moving. It has a penalty that is based on a player's deliberate action to delay the game. I don't see applying the penalty for a mistake.
Mike talked about checking your indicator, or with your partner, or the scoreboard if it exists. Are we sure that we have previously made the count clear? We can also check the player. If she comes out from behind the plate with exuberant action and probably a cheer, then she thinks that she just got an out. I am going to bring her back to earth with a
Hold it Catch, thats only two strikes!
If, however, her actions are routine and I discover that she doesnt know the rule, then she gets the penalty. Now she knows the rule, and weve done our little bit of teaching for the day. She wont do it again.
WMB