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Originally Posted by Rich Ives
Did the new guy change it? If not it's still in effect.
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I wonder if it ever was "in effect". Seemingly, the ruling didn't make it into the PBUC manual. Is an email to a well-known Texan who has no actual connection to MiLB sufficient to establish a ruling? It seems to me that a "ruling" is only effective if it is recorded and communicated to MiLB umpires.
Perhaps the PBUC has some system for collecting and distributing rulings which aren't in the manual, but if not, I'm hard pressed to accept Fitzpatrick's email as a published and effective ruling.
Now, for non-professional games using rules based on OBR, I'd argue that J/R and the BRD are authoritative, since they are the only commonly available published material that covers the situation.
Also, the NCAA actually did publish in 2001 a clarification that allows the 4th out for this situation.