If an infielder does not catch a flare (liner 10-15 above ground), the ball is likely in the outfield and no chance for an out, much less two. I don't see any reason to interject an IFF call on this.

He can back up and let it drop at his feet, and come up with it on a hop...

In my sitch, he could have very easily let this ball drop in front of him for an easy double play.

In your sitch he jogged a few steps to his left, caught the ball and doubled up the runner on 2B. IFF is irrelevant since the runner was doubled up, but why you trying to make it into one?

It is an infield fly if the fielder could make the catch with ordinary effort. If the umpire judged the ball to be a fly ball that could be caught with ordinary effort then it is an infield fly. If more than ordinary effort was needed or if it was not a fly ball then there is no infield fly

What we are hung up on here is not ordinary effort, but line drive, and spirit of the rule. I say if the defense has the opportunity to take advantage of what the rule is trying to prevent, then call it.

The definition of line drive is a ball hit that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the fielder without touching the ground. I dont see how you can call a flare 15-20 feet off the ground a line drive based on that definition.

Who said I did? Oh, wait, I did very early in this thread! Flares to me are those soft line drives. If the ball is 15 feet in the air, all thats left to see is if the fielder has ordinary effort and its a fair ball...

Listen... If, in YOUR JUDGMENT, you could call the hit a fly ball, and the fielder could make a catch with ordinary effort, in fair territory, it is an infield fly.

We know this Chuk - its just a matter of fly ball or not. Thats what we seem to be talking about here, at least the only real point of this thread.

And youre not gunna figure out if it was a fly ball or not by talkign about it. Its the judgement of the official who made the call

Sometimes it helps to iron things out before you go on the field rather than make a snap second judgement. Its the best form of anticipation we have. Think MLB umps go on the field with 2 teams who threw beanballs at eachother the day before not ready for what may come?

I think about umpiring alot, and will continue to think about it, rather than just make hasty judgement calls on the field when it can be avoided (not that I don't like a good banger).

And there are guidelines, rules of thumb, and even professional interpretations that address how those judgments should be made. That's the purpose of discussing judgment calls on an umpiring discussion board.

A basketball goal is 10 feet above the ground and many shortstops are going to go up that high to catch a flare. Or a flare that was 15 feet above the ground is 10 feet when it reaches the SS. These are not fly balls for IFF purposes. The defense should catch it and the offense should be wary of advancing until the ball is not caught.