Infield Fly caught with mask

[LeeBallanfant]

Bases loaded, no one out. ML Rules

Batter hits pop up to IF around pitchers mound. Umpire calls IF Fly rule, however, sudden gust of wind carries ball back towards catcher in fair territory. Realizing if it hits the ground and goes foul it is only a strike, he lunges with his mask and catches the ball in fair territory. What is ruling?

[soundedlikeastrike]

Detached equipment: 7.05b on a batted ball, 3 base award.

[TxUmp]

It's still an infield fly - the batter is out, but the runners are all awarded home on the 3-base award.

[BigUmp56]

Yes. it's still an IFF, but only if you judge that F2 lunging or diving to catch the ball constituted ordinary effort.

It doesn't sound like it was ordinary effort on this play.


Tim.

[kylejt]

"Umpire calls IF Fly rule,"

He called it, so unless it goes foul he's got to eat it.

Record the out, and award all the runners the plate.

[irefky]

I agree with you guys, batter out IFF, all runners score. Just think if you had 2 outs, bases clear and BR to 3rd. You would probably have to dump the coach.

[D-Man]

Umpire called the IFF too early. TIMING, TIMING, TIMING!

You can do two things. I reccommend the first.

Eat your bad IFF call (BR out) and award the other runners their three bases.

OR

Change your call based on the wind. Award all runners, including the BR, three bases. Bask in the heat of your new burning SH#$HOUSE.

D

[kylejt]

"Change your call based on the wind."

You're kidding, right?

[irefky]

Originally posted by irefky
I agree with you guys, batter out IFF, all runners score. Just think if you had 2 outs, bases clear and BR to 3rd. You would probably have to dump the coach.

the wind, what the heck is that about? You guys can be funny. Hey, next time a fielder misses a fly ball, I am going to have them to do it over due to the sun being to bright!

[BigUmp56]

D-Man is right on point with his assesment according to Evans.

From the JEA:


Professional Interpretation: Umpires often try to determine if a fielder is stationed comfortably beneath the ball before declaring the "infield fly." Wind conditions should be taken into consideration before making the "infield fly" call. As explained in 2.00, arbitrary distances should not be used as a gauge for making the ruling. See 7.08(f) for rulings regarding a runner being hit by an infield fly. Before ruling "infield fly," the umpire should determine that the batted ball has sufficient arc to distinguish it from a line drive (sharp and direct).



Tim.

[DG]

Originally posted by irefky

the wind, what the heck is that about? You guys can be funny. Hey, next time a fielder misses a fly ball, I am going to have them to do it over due to the sun being to bright!

From J/R, quoted in 2005 BRD, "when determining ordinary effort, wind is a factor; sun in the fielder's eyes is not a factor." I make a point of going over the wind in pregame on very windy days, ie let's not call an IFF too soon. I was BU in A in a game 2 years ago with runners on 1st and 2nd with a stiff wind blowing in. A high fly was hit to RCF, and I went out on it thinking it was going to be a trouble ball. To my dismay, the ball landed in the dirt, near where F4 had been standing before he went out. No IFF was called by myself or my partner on that day, because with the wind the way it was there were no ordinary effort fly balls.

[mcrowder]

talk about adding assumptions to a situation.

Why are we assuming the umpire screwed up at all. This could have been a perfectly called IFF, but a fluke gust after he called it caused the ball to be difficult after the fact.

Here's the other thing. Even in a very windy day, if this popup is near the catcher, your definition of ordinary effort better be VERY lenient, because if you don't call it, and the ball drops, this is an EASY double play on R3 and R2, which goes against the INTENT of the IFF rule.

[LMan]

Originally posted by irefky
Just think if you had 2 outs

Agreed, if you called IFF with 2 outs and bases clear, you would have a very tough next few minutes.

[DG]

Originally posted by LMan

Agreed, if you called IFF with 2 outs and bases clear, you would have a very tough next few minutes.

Never dump a coach with a legitimate rules question, that you obviously screwed up. Listen, learn, correct your mistake.

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by BigUmp56
Yes. it's still an IFF, but only if you judge that F2 lunging or diving to catch the ball constituted ordinary effort.

It doesn't sound like it was ordinary effort on this play.


Tim.

The standard on an infield fly is not whether the ball IS caught (or uncaught) with an ordinary effort, rather, if it COULD be caught with an unordinary effort.

The fact that the fielders convert what SHOULD be a routine play into something needlessly difficult should not invalidate the fact that it is an infield fly.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN