[greymule]

This was a useful thread. The play that started it is covered specifically in the rules, and a check of even one of the baseball books on my shelf would have produced the answer. The books also cover my "dropped ball" situation. Two bases. It may not seem "just," but it's not a matter of opinion. After all, we could all list a dozen rules we believe to be unjust.

As far as collecting opinions goes, it reminds me of when I owned a high-end audio store and people would come in and say, "I'm collecting opinions about what the best amplifier is. What do you think?" As if one buys an electronic product (or applies a ruling) based on a poll. The best electronics were often those that most people had never heard of. The correct rulings are often those that most people don't know.

Apparently if a runner is lucky enough to deflect a ball into DBT unintentionally, he gets two bases, which after all my years in baseball I did not know. If a runner is returning to 1B (say, on a pickoff) and he slides into the tag and unintentionally kicks the ball into DBT, he gets 3B, even though the throw did not provide the impetus.