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Mike rarely offers a "what if/third world play" for our consideration, so when he does, you know it's going to be a good one!
I tried to tackle this one step at a time and was surprised at the answer I was led to.
1) B2 is the proper batter. She is the proper batter up until which time her at bat is completed- that is, until she is either retired or becomes a runner. Neither has happened here. It is still her time at bat.
2) B3 is an improper batter. She has assumed a position at bat before the preceding batter's turn at bat was completed.
3) B3 received one pitch- a "ball"- before the defensive manager approached the umpire. (I'm guessing that he then brought the improper batter to the umpire's attention. It doesn't really say that he did!)
4) What is the prescribed remedy when an incorrect batter is discovered before she has completed her at bat? The proper batter takes her place and assumes the same ball-strike count.
That would leave us with...
B2 being returned to the plate and assuming the incorrect batters count of 1-0?
Doesn't seem right, but if I take it step-by-step, that's where I end up.
And, of course, R1 remains at second. Her advance is legal and has no bearing on the outcome of this play.
A couple of "by the ways"...
- What is the "abandonment rule" that posters keep refering to? Please cite a rule number, because I don't see an "abandonment" rule in the book that covers this play.
- In as much as Mike's question is "what would you do" and not, "what would be the proper ruling" (maybe there isn't one?) what I might do if presented with this odd play on the field and having only a moment to sort things out, might wind up being something totally different than the logical deduction attempted above.
If there is no accepted ruling covered in the rules, then we might be in rule 10-1 territory!
- While it is easy to say, "This would never happen in my game", the fact is the chance of this happening in one of my games would be slim-to-none.
With a 2-2 count, most likely I have just given the count, both by hand and verbally. If the pitch is a "ball" it will be verbally announced. If it is a called strike, believe me the batter is going to know she was out!
As "asleep at the wheel" the umpires in this play seem to have been, the whole fiasco could have been prevented with the most basic of umpire "ball/strike" mechanics.
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