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why give them an automatic out?
Because a fly ball on the infield should be an out. It is what the defense deserved for successful pitching. When we start getting judgmental about fielders positions, directions of movement, athletic ability, wind conditions, etc. we lose track of the fact that a ball may fall to the ground and still give the defense a chance for two outs. Runners are still going to be trapped at their bases by the fly ball. Defenders can recover from bad positioning and throw to two bases fasters than runners can cover that distance.
Our apex judgment should not limited to whether or not the ball can be caught, but to whether or not an uncaught ball can be turned into a DP. If we are going to judge where defenders are located, then we must also judge how far the runners are off base, how fast they are, and how close defenders are to taking a throw at a base.
I understand the technical nit-picking that is going on here, but I am more inclined to call an infield fly an out period rather than risk a DP.
WMB
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