Infield Fly?

[Rufus]

Bases loaded and BR hits a pop fly behind the mound. Umpires did not call anything and let play continue. The ball dropped and when questioned the umpire said the ball wasn't "high enough" for IFR. I could understand "ordinary effort" not applying (the ball dropped after all) but had not heard of a height requirement before.

I've reviewed OBR and NFHS and could not find anything about height of the pop. Do you all typically look at height of the ball on pop flies when determining whether or not to call IFR?

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by Rufus

Bases loaded and BR hits a pop fly behind the mound. Umpires did not call anything and let play continue. The ball dropped and when questioned the umpire said the ball wasn't "high enough" for IFR. I could understand "ordinary effort" not applying (the ball dropped after all) but had not heard of a height requirement before.

I've reviewed OBR and NFHS and could not find anything about height of the pop. Do you all typically look at height of the ball on pop flies when determining whether or not to call IFR?

Height does help determine whether it can be played with ordinary effort but a fly ball is a fly ball....I have heard that reasoning before and it drives me crazy.

-Josh

[kylejt]

The book definition of a fly ball is one that's hit high in the air. How "high" is "high"? Judgment call. And that's what the umpire should have said.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by Rufus

Bases loaded and BR hits a pop fly behind the mound. Umpires did not call anything and let play continue. The ball dropped and when questioned the umpire said the ball wasn't "high enough" for IFR. I could understand "ordinary effort" not applying (the ball dropped after all) but had not heard of a height requirement before.

I've reviewed OBR and NFHS and could not find anything about height of the pop. Do you all typically look at height of the ball on pop flies when determining whether or not to call IFR?

It appears nobody was in position to make a play on a pop fly ball behind the mound. Perhaps it was just a well placed infield hit and the umpires did not call anything, and correctly let the play continue, and one should be asking why it wasn't caught. That would help answer part of the question.

[dash_riprock]

If it's high enough for me to think about calling it an infield fly, it's high enough to be an infield fly, I think.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

If it's high enough for me to think about calling it an infield fly, it's high enough to be an infield fly, I think.

dash, are you stating this in general, or in response to the OP situation?

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by yawetag

dash, are you stating this in general, or in response to the OP situation?

Both.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

If it's high enough for me to think about calling it an infield fly, it's high enough to be an infield fly, I think.

OK. Infield's playing for the bunt. F5 is very shallow, and pop fly is hit just inside the line, about 5' behind 3B. There was no way for F6 or F5 to get there. Do you call it?

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by yawetag

OK. Infield's playing for the bunt. F5 is very shallow, and pop fly is hit just inside the line, about 5' behind 3B. There was no way for F6 or F5 to get there. Do you call it?

Of course not. Do you?

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Of course not. Do you?

Of course not.

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

If it's high enough for me to think about calling it an infield fly, it's high enough to be an infield fly, I think.

I probably read this as your general rule.

[Rufus]

Originally Posted by SAump

It appears nobody was in position to make a play on a pop fly ball behind the mound. Perhaps it was just a well placed infield hit and the umpires did not call anything, and correctly let the play continue, and one should be asking why it wasn't caught. That would help answer part of the question.

SA - I agree with you and would have had no problem with a call/explanation that it couldn't have been called with ordinary effort because it did, in fact, drop (where our middle infielders were is a question for another day and many, many laps).

My main reason for asking the question was I wanted to be sure I wasn't missing some aspect of the rule that had a height requirement for the fly ball. It would seem there isn't, but that it factors into whether or not the ball can be caught with ordinary effort.

[Paul L]

Since the purpose of the infield fly rule is to prevent the defense from getting an easy double play, I interpret "high" as so high that when it comes down to an infielder, he could let it drop untouched and the ball would stay close enough to let him retrieve it and still get an easy double play.

In other words, if it's high enough for me to think about calling it an infield fly, it's high enough to be an infield fly, I think.