Two outs, everyone leaves field
 

My first post :cool:

I was doing a LL Minor A game today, solo. Calling the game from behind the plate. Here's the situation: R1, R2, one out. Batter pops up over shortstop. I get out from behind the plate, call "infield fly, batter's out" and point upward. R2 was on the way to 3rd and R1 stayed. F6 throws to F4 who steps on bag. I don't move (still have my arm up) and everyone (!) leaves the field.

After most of the kids were in the dugout, I pulled the opposing coaches aside and explained how the infield fly rule works and that there were only two outs. I got blank stares (gotta love this level of LL). After explaining the rule to them, offensive coach asked if he can put his runners back out on the bases.

My ruling was that since everyone had vacated the field, the play is over and, subsequently, that half-inning is over.

Did I make the right ruling?

Thanks!

As I read the play, BR is out on the infield fly (2 outs) and R2 is out on appeal for failing to retouch his base after a caught fly (third out).

I neglected to mention that R2 continued to 3rd and stopped there. It appears that I had forgotten the clause of the infield fly definition that the runner must retouch.

"I don't move (still have my arm up) and everyone (!) leaves the field.

Maybe, because that's an out signal too.. Once you correctly call the INF and point, your done with that call, get your hand back down and get ready for the next one..all it takes to look like you called the out is for the finger to curl a little. Had you not had hand your hand in the air, you may have gotten a different reaction? Who knows? But mechanically, verbalize, signal and it's over with, now somebody at least has to get "another" call out of ya.

It sounds like you didn't call the 3RD out at all. Whom did you ring up for the 3RD out? In your explaination did you tell the OC that R3 or somebody was the 3rd out, for abandoning? Or is coach gonna be having nightmares all night that he still only has "two outs in the 3rd inning"?

I might have even a signaled safe or verbally "no force there" on the step of F4, as a "hey, it ain't an obvious appeal here ( which I'm not advocating here), and R1 ain't out on a force"..
You give a safe sign there, I bet ya, F4 picks up the ball steps on 2ND and says "but he didn't tag up".

I just figured out why this play happens: 1 out, INF 2 outs.

As a base runner, how many times ya heard "2 outs, go on anything"...

HA!

You had three outs and didn't know it. Bad umpire, no hot dog for you:p

Okay, one out.

Two outs.

Three outs.

Good for them.

This should be good...what did you explain to them?

Gotta love this level of umpire.

Heck, why not? After the call you made, he might as well try.

Did F6 catch the infield fly or did it fall? If F6 caught it, well, you screwed the pooch. If not, then there would only be two outs.

Sounds like you screwed the pooch.

Consider the pooch screwed. :o

Two weeks ago I was working the plate doing a middle school game. One out, no one on. Kid hits a can of corn pop up to third and he drops it. Next batter gets up and lines out. The runner on first leaves and walks to his dugout, as does the defense. My partner and I both double check our indicators and shake our heads. Neither side picked up on it and we start the next inning!

Maybe you were wrong. It would really strange to have both teams and several spectators to think there were three outs when there were really two.

OTOH, you should have announced that there were only two outs.

Well..... if you didn't have a third out, you certainly did when the runner on first went to the dugout. :eek: