just a simple question I am sure

cmathews

Ok guys basketball/football official here, so not clear on all baseball stuff.
Little league game 1 out runner on first. Swinging strike 3 at the plate, catcher drops the ball. The batter trys to advance to first, catcher picks up the ball throws to first, at this time the runner being confused leaves to go to second gets in a rundown and is out. Was all done correctly here from an umpiring standpoint? The coaches questions were isn't the ball dead on the third strike? The umpire did call the batter out at the plate.

thanks for any help no axe to grind just want to know the rule.

Ump Rube

Not 100% sure for LL, but in OBR (MLB) and NFHS:
The batter was out the moment of strike 3, as 1B was occupied at the time of the pitch.
It is the catcher's responsibility to know the batter is out and not play on him.
The runner is free to steal at his own risk (assuming the rules allow stealing), and can thus be put out as he was.

Everything sounds like it was done properly, but someone else with more LL experience should confirm this.

Rich

They're both out. The BR running even when out is not, in itself, interference.

Adam

cmathews wrote
Ok guys basketball/football official here, so not clear on all baseball stuff.
Little league game 1 out runner on first. Swinging strike 3 at the plate, catcher drops the ball. The batter trys to advance to first, catcher picks up the ball throws to first, at this time the runner being confused leaves to go to second gets in a rundown and is out. Was all done correctly here from an umpiring standpoint? The coaches questions were isn't the ball dead on the third strike? The umpire did call the batter out at the plate.

thanks for any help no axe to grind just want to know the rule.

Answer from another basketball guy; can't the runner steal 2nd as soon as the ball gets to the plate? Can't he steal even on a third strike?

TwoBits

This couldn't have been actual Little League as LL does not allow batter-runners to try for first base on a D3K.

The above posters have it right for OBR and FED.

TwoBits

Snaqwells wrote
Answer from another basketball guy; can't the runner steal 2nd as soon as the ball gets to the plate? Can't he steal even on a third strike?

Yes, and yes.

MD Longhorn

TwoBits wrote
This couldn't have been actual Little League as LL does not allow batter-runners to try for first base on a D3K.

The above posters have it right for OBR and FED.

Thought that was just Minor and Major. Can't Juniors d3k?

TwoBits

mbcrowder wrote
Thought that was just Minor and Major. Can't Juniors d3k?

Correct, however I fall into the group that related the term "Little League" with the division for 12 year olds on a 60' diamond unless told differently.

cmathews

Thanks for the answers guys. The league is actually called the cheyenne junior league, players from 4 to 13 or so, obviously different division, this game was in the upper division. Thanks again, it is more clear now.

celebur

cmathews wrote
Thanks for the answers guys. The league is actually called the cheyenne junior league, players from 4 to 13 or so, obviously different division, this game was in the upper division. Thanks again, it is more clear now.

In LL Juniors (13-14 yo), with 1B occupied and less than 2 outs, the batter is out on the uncaught third strike, but the ball is still live. R1 can try to steal. The batter running to 1B (whether in confusion or on purpose as in a trick play) is nothing, and there is no reason to kill the play. R1 was legitimately tagged out. Had R1 instead safely advanced to 2B, that advance would have been legitimate too.

MD Longhorn

TwoBits wrote
Correct, however I fall into the group that related the term "Little League" with the division for 12 year olds on a 60' diamond unless told differently.

Ah, I see. I'm in the group that has VERY little direct LL experience and was not aware that was the norm. My bad! 🙂

Interestingly, especially after OP's final post... I find that in general a lot of parents who are casual followers call ANY youth baseball "Little League" and are not aware that LL is actually strongly in the minority of overall youth baseball. It seems OP falls in that category.

Adam

mbcrowder wrote
Ah, I see. I'm in the group that has VERY little direct LL experience and was not aware that was the norm. My bad! 🙂

Interestingly, especially after OP's final post... I find that in general a lot of parents who are casual followers call ANY youth baseball "Little League" and are not aware that LL is actually strongly in the minority of overall youth baseball. It seems OP falls in that category.

This is a good point. Growing up, we called the league I played in "Little League," but only informally as there was no official affiliation.

It's sort of like "Kleenex" and "Velcro."