When is it considered a Legal Catch??
 

The leftfielder misjudges a fly ball and and takes his cap off and catches a fly ball. Is this a legal catch or does the ball have to be transferred to the glove or hand to be a legal catch? If less than two out, and a runner on base, when can the runner tag up legally to advance?




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..In the heat of competition....You can't rationalize with irrational Coaches.

Assuming he secures the ball in flight with his hat, this is not a catch - it is considered "detatched equipment". Since it was a batted ball, the B/R is awarded three bases. The ball also remains live at the moment of the detatched equipment infraction. As for the tag up question, this does not apply since the ball is not considered to have been legally caught.

Slow day huh,
 

The ball in the cap would not be a catch . . . it would be detached player equipment and a three base award.

Anytime a fielder touches a "ball in flight" runners can advance at the first touch by the fielder.

Regards,

It's not legal for a fielder to use (intentionally) other parts of his equipment to make a catch. It's not a catch and the runner need not "tag up." In fact, all runners will be awarded three bases (althought the ball will remain live so BR can attemtp for home, if he so chooses).

(If it were a catch, the runner can leave the base as soon as the ball is touched.)

On a 3-base award any runner would score.

To answer the implied question: on an ordinary fly ball, the runner may retouch ("tag up") as soon as a fielder touches the ball (regardless of when he actually secures possession of it).

I always knew Madonna made a mistake...

If the ball remains live after it is caught in a hat, what is the signal, if any, for that particular scenario and when does the ball become dead and the award made?

I'm not totally sure on this because it's never happened and don't remember ever being trained on it.....

I would probably point at it and verbally say "that's detached equipment" - then I would give the safe mechanic and say "no catch, no catch".

I agree with the mechanic that Sal mentioned. To answer your second question, the ball remains live and in play until all playing action stops. A runner advances passed his award base at his own risk.


Tim.

The closest thing I've ever had to it was this past season during my sojourn into Little League Baseball (big mistake, not going to repeat it).

I had a left fielder throw his glove at the ball and hit it. I pointed at it, yelled "that's detached equipment," and waited until the dust settled. Of course, nobody heard me yelling this, since all the little rascals were running around the bases, with all the mommies and daddies yelling and screaming, so I had to wait.

The batter had made it to 2nd, so I announced "That is detached equipment since the left fielder threw his glove and hit the ball, that is a 3 base award for all runners, you (R3) score, you (BR) 3rd base."

It was the first detached equipment violation I ever had in 20+ years of this. That's what I get for working Little League, I suppose.

I saw an MLB ump call detached equipment on the Dodger's a few years ago. The pitch came in and got away from the catcher about 2 feet. F2 took off his helmet and scooped the ball back toward him. U3 called time, presumably said something like "that's detached equipment," and advanced the runners one base.

Naturally, the announcers couldn't figure out what had happened, and had to ask their ballpark contact to explain it.

Note: on detached equipment plays, the ball is live

Are you sure? :D


Tim.

Master of the Obvious ;)

hehe just clarification for the benefit of jshock