Quote:
Originally Posted by NCASAUmp
ASA SP only.
Improbable scenario, but wondering what you all think.
Bases loaded, 2 outs. Batter hits a very high pop-up about 20 feet shy of the fence, but the fielder is parked under it. Batter thinks that's 3 outs, gets pissed, and stomps into the dugout. The fielder loses the ball in the sun, gets bonked on the head, and the ball goes over the fence in fair territory.
4 runs score? Or 3 outs, change 'em up?
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Actually, not so improbable. Believe it or not I had almost the same sitch two weeks ago. Runners on 1st & 3rd, two outs. The only slight difference in mine is that the fielder did not get bonked on the head.
Here's what happened:
ASA Men's SP, local rec league. B1 hits a shot to the fence in left. Seeing F7 going back to the fence and reaching up to make to the catch, B1 figures it's caught (plus he doing the whole SP power hitter gyration act that they do when they"didn't get all of it") and heads into the 1st base dugout kicking dirt and bemoaning his misfortune. Well lo and behold, the ball clanked off of F7's glove and over the fence. I signal HR.
BU comes in, he wants to call B1 out for abandonment. I made the case for a four base award, dead ball, B1 not required to run the bases, score the 3 runs, how B1 reacted not a factor, bring up the next batter. We went with that, no argument from the defensive team.
Don't think for a minute as we're huddling to discuss this, that I'm saying to my P...."8.3 Exception yada yada..." We went to the book after the game at our cars and felt we were OK with how we ruled.
Now here's the part where I'm not 100% sure that I'm on solid ground. Are we to take into consideration B1's actions/reactions to the way he felt he hit the ball (in his mind a missed HR), and decide if that constitutes abandonment, in making our ruling?
I say no, as I don't feel that abandonment is an applicable ruling in either sitch. That being said...Dave, I'm going the same way in your sitch, score the four runs.