Dodgers v. Reds - Dead ball missed
 

Tonight's game between the Reds and Dodgers had an interesting play. Top 9, Reds lead 4-1. Dodgers at bat, bases loaded, 2 outs, count is 2-2. B1 swings at the pitch. The pitched ball strikes him in the shin and ricochets to the backstop. Third strike, not caught with 2 outs, the runners all advance and the umpires allow this. Bases are again loaded, now the score is 4-2. What am I missing? A ball that strikes a batter, even if it is a strike, is immediately dead. In the case of strike 3 not caught, the batter is out and cannot advance to first as the ball is dead. Am I correct in stating that the wrong ruling was made on the field? Thanks all.

Yes, if that's what happened the ball is dead, the batter is out, and the game is over.

Video here:

http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/...46125_400K.mp4

If the plate umpire gets totally blocked out, which he did when the catcher moved over, and the base umpires cannot tell whether he was hit in the foot either, you just get away with it. If the catcher would just squat down in the middle of the plate and stay there like he was in the beginning, the plate umpire might have been able to see the ball hit the back foot and not assume it hit the ground for the wild pitch.
Also, just like a high and tight pitch that the catcher completely misses that just ticks his glove, why did the catcher go running after the ball if it hit the player rather than the ground, if you want to go by player reactions.

The thing that I find strange is that both announcers seemed to be unaware of the rule!

You play until the ump calls time.

You play until the ump calls foul.

You don't head back to the dugout until the ump calls you out.

If you assume, you'll get burned.

I saw it on SC and didn't actually believe that they didn't kill it, just chalked it up to an out of context clip and a less than explanatory anchor. Guess this confirms it.

As PU, I'm sensing something is up when the ball so violently ricochets like that. There is also a sound that comes with a catcher blocking the ball... why didn't I hear it?

And as U3 or U1, there is no freaking way that I'm not seeing it. This wasn't a nick of the toe, this was a direct hit and redirection... not alot of excuse for this IMO. If it happened during my game and I missed it as either PU or BU, I'd be pretty embarrassed.

Excellent advice.

So it is possible for you to miss this one on the bases or not?:confused:

Listen, I think we all would like to say we would have gotten that one.

I am 100% confident that in 5 years of umpiring I have not missed a ball off the batters foot, whether it was fouled or a HBP. And I tend to realize in my head where something may have happened that I didn't get, whether it was a banger, a checked swing, whatever. I'm pretty criticial of my work.

Now, sometimes "it" happens. Its possible that "it" happened for 3 umpires all at once. In which case, I'd be pretty embarrassed after seeing the replays that we, as a crew, kicked one that bad.

That being said, I understand that on any given call its easy to say "I'm better than so-and-so" but I realize the full body of work is more important in evaluating officials, and completely understand that I have alot to learn.

I just wish I had a shot at being U1 in that play, cause I feel I would have gotten it.

Keep working, its going to happen sooner or later especially with the way catchers move way over and pinch you off more than they use to or have to move over at the last moment like this one and you cannot compensate for that movement. If this never happens to you, you are living in the graces of the baseball Gods.


"I just wish I had a shot at being U1 in that play, cause I feel I would have gotten it".

I think U2 or U3 would have a better shot than U1.

Good for you. Keep working. You'll get your chance.

I would have gladly taken Dusty's paycheck to question the umpire before play resumes. If the team manager doesn't want to bring a rule into question, then lets play ball.

Watch it a couple more times and you will clearly see the batter turn and look at the PU who is pointing at him, while ball scoots away, which he no doubt deduced to mean the ump thought he swung, but did not see it hit him, since he would have had his hands up for that mechanic. So he did what any talented major leaguer would do, he took off running to 1b. And yes, he was totally blocked out from seeing that by the catcher going down for the ball.

Tuss
You haven't missed one if five years?
In most cases if you "missed it" how would you know?
If you don't see it, it is very dificult to know you didn't see it.

Man, that's the truth! Great statement!

On pitches that fool a batter that badly, often he's checking his swing and our focus shifts to whether he went too far, and not to the ball near his feet. How can anybody see everything? So a little help from your friends is in order. I continue to be amazed that the third base umpire missed it also. Maybe he was fixing on the guy's hands also.

And of course, we all know that we often make the call on sound (the sound of a foul tip or the sound of no catch or the sound of a pitch nicking a guy's uniform or shoe), so the plate umpire missed that sound too.

Was away for a few days, traveled down to Baltimore to see a game.

I meant as BU, not as PU. PU its obviously pretty easy to get blocked out on the curve ball... particularly when the batter is crowding. Not sure if U2 was on the inside on this play (not going to reload the video). Sorry about the confusion.

U3 has a great look at this play, U1 a pretty good look. Even U2 would have a decent look, not great but I'm sure he'd have an opinion on it. PU's only info is the sound, which isn't actually that loud in this play. Maybe a case of "did that just happen" at the MLB level, they don't see crazy stuff like this nearly as much as amateur guys do. I recall a play two years ago on a balk that should have been killed, but an overthrow was made and the runner got 2 bases. They just don't see the wacky stuff.

And btdt makes an excellent point, but one I previously combated - we all know that feeling where we feel like we might have missed one, or at least wish we had one more look at it. As BU, it has not happened to me yet on a ball at the batter's feet. In A to a righty, if it hit the front foot and trickled to 3B, that's a tough one from A. Pretty elementry from B or C. In a 3 man crew, the only thing that is an understandable miss is a slight slight skim, but a slight skim is going to end up foul anyways unless its a running swing becoming a bit more popular in baseball these days.

Never say never.