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When there is a "dropped 3rd strike," EVERYBODY on the field should know exactly what the situation is. Everybody has had the opportunity to get the count and know the number of outs. Everybody should have noticed if 1B was occupied.
Therefore you are under no obligation to say "the batter is out" in the situation if the defense gets confused. The players have to know the rules.
I have seen batters run to 1B when they were not entitled to and it caused other runners to be confused and get put out, even double plays! I have also seen situations where batters run to 1B when they were not entitled to and it caused the fielders to become confused and when they played on the batter who had struck out it allowed other runners to advance and even score. The confusion can go both ways.
You are also under no obligation to call, “the batter’s out!” although many umpires do. However, unless you are very sure of yourself and if you think you will not screw it up and accidentally say the batter is out when he is not, I suggest you never call it. The players have to know the rules.
When the pitcher throws the pitch that becomes the 3rd strike that is not caught, all of the defensive players had ample opportunity before that pitch to see that first base was occupied and they all had had ample opportunity before the pitch find out how many outs there were. This information is easy to get. If the catcher has ample opportunity to see that first base is occupied and to find out that there is one out BEFORE the pitcher throws the pitch which became the 3rd strike, why would he throw the ball to 1B when the runner runs? It is because he is not thinking. He is expecting you (the umpire) to do his job for him.
The response is simple when a coach complains to you should have called the batter out so the batter who ran to 1B could not confuse or deceive his catcher into throwing the ball to 1B unnecessarily: "Coach, I'm sure you've taught your players the rules! Before your pitcher threw the pitch, I'm sure your catcher noticed that first base was occupied and I'm sure he knew there were less than two outs. If he knew this why would he throw the ball to 1B when he knew the runner is already out? That information was available to him, and everybody, before the pitch was thrown. Why did YOU tell him NOT to throw it? I can't penalize the batter for running, even if he did it on purpose. Deception is part of the game."
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