[greymule]

Among the entire staff of game veterans, not a one knew what was going on.

I'll say it again: the former MLB guys I know are about as familiar with the rules as the average fan, and we know what level that is. I suspect we'd find that many even believe in some of the "myths" we list from time to time.

If you asked them technicalities about interference/obstruction or whether a certain missed base would be considered a force out on appeal or even where to place runners on some of the plays we discuss on this board, they'd have no clue. Of course, many of them haven't even given such things a thought. They concentrated on what they had to learn to play the game, and they know the obvious safe/out, fair/foul, ball/strike and very little else.

I know a former relief pitcher who knows almost nothing about the rules (and freely admits it). Why would he know how to rule on deliberate interference to prevent a double play? His job was to get a couple of batters out late in the game.