[DownTownTonyBrown]

I'm with Stripes. After over 25 years of officiating, I don't think I have ever seen a pitched baseball that a batter hit such that it went to a barely perceptible height and could be caught on a falling arc by the catcher.

The poster even adds to the confusion by saying "a little bit of an arc on it directly to the catchers glove." "Directly" sounds like foul tip and R1 needed to be tagged. 'Directly' and 'bit of an arc' are mutually exclusive (unless it was a slowpitch softball game).

Had To Be There.

As for situation #2, why come in and buttonhook? Continue to 2nd outside the basepath and position yourself, if you are expecting a throw so everything is in front of you - ball, front edge of base and runner.

You will be 10 feet behind if the runner continues to 3rd. But these kind of plays don't develop in an instant - you should be able to see what is happening and expect where the play, if any, will ocur.

If I am expecting the runner to continue to 3rd, I would begin following outside the base path and cut behind the runner as he approaches 2nd, short-cutting my way to 3rd. Absolutely no button-hook piroutte.

Now, regretfully, I have placed myself with the base and runner in front of me but the incoming throw comes from behind me. Unless your are an olympic sprinter, I don't think you're going to make the extra 20-30 feet before the runner, by staying outside the basepaths. Of course your partner should see this developing situation (you being well behind the play) and should have made his way up to 3rd for the impending call.

Button-hooking is not always an advantage and it is not always necessary.

Staying outside the basepath can also be a good tactic with a double to left field.