fuel for discussion

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by DownTownTonyBrown
But that is part of the problem. When does lodged mean LODGED? Are you suggesting that lodged means when equipment must be removed to secure/control the ball? What is control? Nothing between your hand and the ball besides the material of your glove (not a shirt)? And the ball is under control and not considered lodged until an attempt to remove it from the glove is made?

Perhaps these are good rules of thumb but legal clarification has not been made. Per the rulebook interpretation a lodged ball is immediately dead and a two base award is made. When do I decide the ball is lodged - when it became lodged at the time of the catch or when I discover that it truly is lodged at the time of attempted removal?

Often I am powerfully amazed when an umpire tries to support a preconceived notion with ticker-red-tape. DTTB writes: "When does lodged mean LODGED?"

Let me ask a few questions:

1. When is the pitch a strike?
2. When is the pitch a ball?
3. When is a movement of the bat an attempt to hit the pitch?
4. When is the runner out?
5. When is it a double play because the runner intentionally interfered with a double play possible?
6. When is the batted ball foul?

Excuse me while I go look up the answers to those questions. I suggest they occur with a great deal more regularity than the lodged ball. Even so....




Hey, I'm back. Amusingly enough, the answer to all the questions (both yours and mine) is the same.