Dropped third strike

[UmpJM]

Jeff,

While I would agree that the players' bear a responsibility for understanding the situation (and their coaches bear the responsibility of teaching them), I don't understand how the players can be held responsible for reading the umpire's mind.

For example, R2, 1 out, two strikes on the batter. Next pitch is a breaking ball that the batter takes a mighty swing at and misses. The catcher comes up with the ball, along with a mittful of dirt. The umpire indicates the strike and nothing else.

What play should the catcher make?

To make it interesting, the R2 got a good jump towards 3B and it's going to take a great throw to get him. The batter is a slow runner and is "easy meat" at 1B. The catcher "thinks" he caught the pitch before it touched the ground.

Is the batter out, or is he a runner? Should the catcher try to throw out the R3, or take the "sure out" at 1B?

Only the umpire knows for sure, and if he ain't tellin', NOBODY else does. Even when they DO know the situation.

On a "trouble ball" in the outfield, the umpire is going to clarify whether the ball was caught or trapped. The players need to know in order to know what play to make. Why should this be treated any differently?

JM