A lodged ball can be live?
 

I was doing some research after Cubs' Fukudome's hit back to Astro's pitcher Fulchino ended up in the pitcher's shirt in last night's game. I haven't found a rule that addresses this, so I would have left it as a live ball and in play. Watching the replay, HPU Brian Gorman tossed both hands in the air, then pointed to first - it looked like he called time and awarded Fukudome first base. No beef here since the end result was the same.

What I do have a question about is what Rich Marazzi wrote in Baseball Digest, April 2001 about a similar play that happened in 2000 in a game between the Cards and the Astros (the Astros need better fitting uniforms, it seems):

"The rulebook addresses baseballs that lodge in the umpire's mask or paraphernalia (5.09-g) but not a player's uniform. A baseball that lodges in an umpire's mask or paraphernalia should be ruled a dead ball and runners are allowed to advance one base. The rule also reads, "A ball lodging in the catcher's protector or uniform is a live ball and in play."

I've read the rule very closely and I didn't see that in the rule. Am I missing something?

It's in MLBUM (and maybe PBUC) -- treat it as an "error" -- put the runners where you think they would have been, but allow no outs. So, suppose the play starts with R2. If he's advancing on the hit, allow him to third, but if he's holding (waiting for the throw), keep him at second.

It's specifically in the NCAA rules.

FED has an automatic award.

Post 2000 Rule?
 

Believe a recent {within 5 years} major league play involves situation where F3 loses sight of a thrown ball when blocking it w/ his body and then begins looking around everywhere only to discover it in his uniform.

Award B/R 2nd base?

When a ball enters a player's uniform, the ball is immediately dead. Awards are bases on judgement of the umpires.

There is only one senario where a "logded ball" is not dead and considered "live" and in play ....................



.................... when such "lodged ball" is in a glove.

This, of course, is not true for FED. 2 base award at time of "lodging."

Are you sure it's a 2 base award in FED? I know in FED a ball lodged in a glove cannot be removed from the players hand and thrown to F3 w/ the ball stilll lodged Ala (Terry Muholland)? I don't know for sure if it's automatic two base in FED for a ball lodged in glove. Can you post the rule or case play? I'll look tonight too.

8-3-3-c

yep, that's the one thank you for posting the case play. See also in 5.1.1 sitch R pg. 145 in the FED rules by topic book.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, Bob. Found it referenced in BRD. MLBUM (item 5.10) states: If a batted ball inadvertently goes into a player's or coach's uniform, the ball is dead. The umpire, using common sense and fair play, then places all runners such that he nullifies the action of the ball going out of play. No outs can be declared after the ball goes out of play in this manner.

With that cleared up, I'm still confused about Marazzi's article - is there any circumstance where, "A ball lodging in the catcher's protector or uniform is a live ball and in play"?

It's because of the timing. There was no formal interpretation at the time Marazzi wrote the article. He wrote it before MLB published the rule.