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Had always heard of this set play, R2 cutting 3rd, but had never seen it, until....
Couple weeks ago, HS Varsity. R2 and R3 one out. Batter lays down bunt, up first baseline, close to the mound. As PU I watch for the usual. BR thrown out at 1st.
I see R3 touch home, and BOOM, right behind him comes R2. But he was coming in at an angle that was between the mound and 3rd.
I knew what had happenned. If R2 was trying to score from second on a bunt, he would have been steaming around 3rd, and he would have been coming from the direction of the 3rd base coaching box.
Def coach starts yelling for F1 to throw to 3rd. Which he does, and upon appeal, I ring the out. End of inning.
Off mgr, coaching 3rd, comes down the line, and vry calmly, almost monotone, says...."Jeff, whatcha have?"..... I say..... "Dave, your runner missed 3rd." All he says is.... "Ok, Ill talk to him."
That was it. Now you know if R2 had come anywhere near 3rd, off mgr would have been going nuts, due to a run being taken off the board.
Couple innings later, he comes up to me between innings and says.."Jeff, your the first guy whos seen that, now we have a play, where our runner cuts sharp at 3rd, but not that bad.." I said Dave...."Im not saying you did this (but of course I know he did) but we both know there are teams that do that as a set play".....
Dave: "Im just giving you a compliment"
He starts to walk away, then says "Arnt you guys supposed to be looking at other things?" Which of course verified to me that this was a set play, that theyve done it in the past and would do it again in the future.
I notified our Instructional Chair, to let anyone who is working that schools games in the future to be aware.
And that type of set play IS cheating. An oufielder holding the ball up on a diving catch, he may or may not have caught is not "cheating", just trying to sell the call.
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