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rectifiable
Fed Rules permit umpires to rectify any situation in which an umpire’s decision has placed either team at a disadvantage. However I know of at least one occasion where umpires have found what occurred not rectifiable. The Home team is batting in second to last inning and the Visiting team is up by 1 run. Bases are loaded with 2 outs. The field is unusual in the since that because space around the park is limited, so the netting extends from the area behind home plate all the way around to encompass the entire dirt infield. Batter hits a foul ball behind 1b. Everybody and his brother would have sworn on their mother’s graves that the trajectory of the foul ball was not only going to but would have to touch the extended netting. PU immediately calls batted ball dead. Ball comes as close to netting as possible without touching before being caught by F3. Yes he made a premature call mistake but I am telling you it was an act of God that this ball did not touch the netting. You guessed what happens on the next pitch, Batter hits a base clearing triple. Defensive coach argues that 3rd out should have been recorded on the foul ball caught by F3. Contrite PU explains that a Dead Ball cannot be made live again under any circumstances. Defensive coach argues that allowing the catch and out would not prejudice the offense since none of the base runners could legally have advanced on the play. To no avail, umpire tells coach the call even though wrong is just not rectifiable. I have repeated this story to several umpires and to date it is unanimous that the Dead Ball could not be made Live under any circumstances, despite the language “rectify any situation”. Would like to hear from the forum umpires.
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