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I think Warren's right.
Last year I posted the following play on eteamz:
Play: No outs, nobody on. B1 swings and misses for strike three on a pitch that bounces in the dirt. B1 starts down the line toward first but stops. The catcher returns the ball to the pitcher. The defensive manager yells to the pitcher: "Throw the ball to first base." The offensive manager yells to the batter: "Run to first base."
Everybody seems confused. Nobody does anything. It's a freeze frame before VCRs.
Whereupon the defensive manager runs out to the mound and directs his pitcher to throw to first. Now the batter finally runs, but he is thrown out.
You're the UIC. What do you do?
Here's what we decided at "Referee" back in 1983:
"The key element to this case is when the defensive manager ran to the mound and directed his pitcher to throw to first base. Until this point, the ball remained alive and in play; the pitcher could have thrown out the batter-runner or the batter-runner could have safely advanced to first base. However, once the manager illegally enters the field of play -- and because there is a lull in the action -- the umpires should kill the ball and award the batter-runner first base. The manager would be charged with interference under 3.15, as when he entered the field he was unauthorized to so.
"While this case is not directly covered in the rules, we feel comfortable in not solely relying on 9.01c, points not covered by the rule. It would not be fair to allow the defense to profit because of the manager's illegal intervention. By process of elimination, this must mean that the batter-runner should be awarded first base, since he had yet to abandon his effort to reach that base.
[2000 Note: In those days we didn't know to call it "desertion" as we do now, thanks to JU/R.]
"There are a number of supplemental references which could be utilized (3.16; 4.07; 5.10g; 6.05b and j; 6.08c; 6.09b-1) to support this ruling. The only remaining decision is whether or not to eject the manager for his intrusion. In our view, a warning should be issued, with ejection to follow for a second offense. This is supported by 3.17."
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That's the end of the eteamz post.
The current situation is also truly a point not covered by the rules, so some kind of precedent needs to be used. I would use our answer from 1983. Once it is determined that the umpire egregiously called an out on a fly ball that was a ground ball, something has to be done.
This, as Warren pointed out, is the key:
The umpire cannot assume the pitcher would have thrown safely to first. What if his name had been Knoblauch?
There are three possibilities:
1. Stick with the call: Once saved, always saved, the Baptists say. Double play, therefore. That answer has great merit in that the UIC sticks to his guns ("How come your eyes are any better than mine?").
2. Send R1 back to first, call out the BR. That's known as the "compromise" solution. It's a favorite of professional umpires: Each side gets someting. That's reasonable where money is involved. But for amateur teams/umpires that is the worst of the three possibilities. It requires the umpire to determine how well one team would have executed.
One of the major complaints umpires have about FED rules deals with their requirement that the umpire determine the meaning of "with a double play possible." In the "real" world that means the runners are configured for an easy double play. In the FED world that means the umpire determines the defense would have completed a double play but for the interference.
There's another where the FED umpire must have precognition: batter interference with the catcher's throw. Enough said: We don't want umpires "guessing" what would have happened.
(Some who would opt for this ruling might want to leave R2 at second and declare out B1. Yuk!)
3. Declare an immediate dead ball retroactively as soon as everyone admits the ball was a ground ball rather than a fly ball. That leaves two runners in limbo. Ergo, award B1 first, which forces R1 to second.
Door number three is the only ruling that takes into account precedent and the spirit/intent of the rules. I'll take my chances with the protest committee by continuing that game with two runners on.
BTW: Having the field umpire keep his mouth shut until asked is another of those recipes for immediate disaster. It is his JOB to get the attention of the UIC before the coaches come calling.
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