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Old Mon Jul 11, 2005, 04:24pm
mick mick is offline
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Houghton, U.P., Michigan
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Quote:
Originally posted by dudeinblue
1)B1. The offensive team has left their dugout gate open after being told before the game to have it closed at all times. The batter hits the ball to F9 and B1 goes to 3rd base. There is a wild throw and it goes into the dugout. What's the ruling?

dudeinblue,
The simple answer is that a ball thrown into dead ball territory is a two base award from time of throw.

...But your sitch doesn't necessarily meet that simplistic criteria, because the offensive team has created an unnatural opening and has produced more of a ground rule situation (missing fence area, hole in the fence, opening in the fence) that could have been covered with the managers at the plate meeting.

...But you kinda did cover it when you asked the team to have the gate closed at all times.

So, it seems, we must do what we're paid to do. We must adjudge fairness.
[*]1. If the defense had left the gate open, their throw through the gate could be rationalized as their gate, their problem --> two bases.[*]2. But, it was the offensive team's gate that was left open and awarding any more than one base would certainly be penalizing the defense for an offensive wrong-doing --> one base[*] 3. Had the gate been closed, as requested, the ball may (or may not) have taken an ugly bounce and the runners may have earned two bases, but possibly would have been held to only one.

For me, in your case, I would award one base time-of-throw.

A quick glance about the dugout area, with each new batter, may prevent such contingencies.

A thought: What if the gate was left open and the catcher going after a foul fly got tangled up in the chain-link gate before he touched the ball? Offensive interference? Batter out?

mick
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