Quote:
Originally Posted by jmkupka
Mike, I appreciate the black-and-whiteness of your interpretation of the rule. It makes it so much easier to make this call.
Situation: F2 catches the incoming throw at the plate, the mitt is holding it securely as the runner slides into the mitt (6-8" up the line from the plate-whatever). The violent action of the foot hitting the mitt causes the ball to come out & roll away.
The instantaneous contact between foot and mitt is enough for the out?
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What Tom said.
Remember, I am discussing a certain play where a tag was executed by a fielder with possession of the ball. To demonstrate the possession, the fielder was capable of withdrawing the mitt/hand with the ball in it. At that point, the tag is complete. There is no rule in any book which has been cited in the thread that states the fielder must continue to maintain possession of the ball for any certain period of time.
Now, in the play cited at the top of the thread, if the catcher had slapped the runner with the mitt and the ball came out as a result of that action, the tag was not complete and the runner is not out because, like in the play to which Tom responded, the ball came loose because of the tag, not subsequent to it.