Had a game the other night...I am coaching now...the batter swings and hits the ball straight back into the catcher's mit.

Catcher hangs on to the ball for strike two...
Runner at Second attempts to steal third...catcher throws him out.

Umpire ruled it a foul ball and sent the runner back.
Being a former umpire I politely argued that it was a live ball.

You guys still in the game and in the rule book...tell me what the ruling is...

I say it is a live ball...not a dead one...
Of course had he said foul ball..it is dead...but he did not say anything but strike two! :)

Do I win this argument here???

Well, you can't win the argument because the game's over . . . .

But you should have.

<i>2.00 A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher's hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first touched the catcher's glove or hand.</i>

Understood...can't win the argument now...but I can win the bet that I have with the umpire that he is wrong...
Just made $20! :)
Thanks!!!

Not to be picky, but a "caught foul-tip," is redundant. If it's not caught, it's not a foul-tip.

If you did not mean to be picky, then you missed.

He's not being picky. The phrase "foul tip" has a specific meaning and when used in described plays infers something in particular. A ball that is not caught is a foul ball.

Why is this being picky?

Now, saying that the BR is not forced at first -- THAT'S picky.

Picky, picky, picky! Reminds me of my 12th grade English teacher.

<bold> Picky, picky, picky! Reminds me of my 12th grade English teacher. </bold>

Very nice sentence structure. You make us teachers all very proud! We appreciate the way you distinguish the 3 unique uses of the word "picky" in your first sentence and separate them with commas. You get an A+ for the day!

Take off some points. There should be a hyphen between "12th" and "grade." The term is used as an adjective that precedes the noun.

12 grade picky, picky, picky
 

Actually we call them Seniors, here.

My senior English class was an honors class, but English was not my best subject.

yes a foul tip and foul ball means two totally different things. this is something that really couldn't be protested but the umpire was in the wrong if the ball went straight from the bat to the glove and was caught.