Quote:
Originally Posted by cookie
"...Loney (F3) threw to Ronnie Belliard (F4), who was covering first base and stepped on the bag before tagging Ruiz (R1)..."
From the video, it appears to me that F4 DID tag R1 first and then the bag & the BR, contrary to what the writer states... (though it is all moot because "intentionally dropped ball" was invoked).
It appears that this might have been one of those odd-ball rehearsed plays to see if the fielders could get away with it...
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Actually, I'm not so sure the ball was
intentionally dropped. But I would have called it anyway - just because it should have been easily caught and the potential for a cheap-o double play was high.
On a play like that, the fielder has to be convinced that R1 is
very convinced the ball is going to be caught and hold up at 1st. Imagine how stupid you look when R1 takes off running, you intentionally drop the ball, the umpire doesn't call it, and all you get is an out at 1st with a runner now in
scoring position?
Also - you may be right. I looked at the video over and over again and I thought that Belliard
may have tagged the runner before putting his foot on the bag. It's close. But it does appear that his foot is on the bag just prior to tagging Ruiz. In any case, it's pretty obvious that Belliard did not understand the significance of the sequence.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN