Help a broadcaster out (re: baseball myths)

[Larry1953]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

So you've never seen a fielder flip the ball to another fielder directy from his glove?

You've never flipped a ball from your glove to your hand?

You're using Baseball Digest as a rules source?

There seems to be a subtle difference in the amount of control needed to make a catch when making a base-tag force out and making a catch of a batted ball in flight. The Baseball Digest article also described a play where F7 made a long run to catch a fly just fair. His momentum carried him to the railing. When he braced himself the ball came out of his glove and fell into the stands. B/R was ruled safe and was awarded appropriate bases.

I know it bugs y'all to have sources like BD quoted, but I only used it to cite what a veteran MLB umpire had to say about it. That doesn't seem too terribly out of line.

[Larry1953]

As regards to flip tosses from the glove, sure, you see it all the time. Check out Todd Helton's 40 foot jai alai toss last night ( it went 3 feet over the leaping catcher's glove and cost an additional run. But these are usually on grounders. I don't recall ever seeing an infielder snare a line drive and then do a direct glove flip to a base. If the receiving fielder muffed it and the ball ended up on the ground, an OOO might have cause to rule "no catch" especially if the flip toss was way off the mark.

[asdf]

Originally Posted by Larry1953

As regards to flip tosses from the glove, sure, you see it all the time. Check out Todd Helton's 40 foot jai alai toss last night ( it went 3 feet over the leaping catcher's glove and cost an additional run. But these are usually on grounders. I don't recall ever seeing an infielder snare a line drive and then do a direct glove flip to a base. If the receiving fielder muffed it and the ball ended up on the ground, an OOO might have cause to rule "no catch" especially if the flip toss was way off the mark.

You need to go over to the basketball forum and post with chseagle, who is obviously your twin brother.

[voiceoflg]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Now if your a radio broadcaster you have slightly a different job. You are the eyes and ears of the listener. You have to actually talk more to describe what the listener can't see. Again though, stick with the facts and report what is happening, not what you think should be happening. get an official to sit with your broadcasting team.

Radio, so shutting up is not an option. All my baseball color commentators have been coaches. Though most do a good job helping with rules and nuances of the game, I have had a couple that I wanted to correct on the air but chose not to. "Hands a part of the bat" and "ball hitting an umpire is immediately dead" are two that was said and I cringed.

I would LOVE to have an umpire with me for baseball and an official for football. I was sitting next to a clock operator during a few football games and asked them to correct me if I made a mistake in explaining a rule and they all politely declined. I understand why they decline, but I would rather be right than sound stupid on the air. There are enough of us who do that.

Thanks to you all for your responses, and for participating on these forums. I learn a lot here.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Larry1953

The Baseball Digest article also described a play where F7 made a long run to catch a fly just fair. His momentum carried him to the railing. When he braced himself the ball came out of his glove and fell into the stands. B/R was ruled safe and was awarded appropriate bases.

Of course he was. That's the correct ruling.

What's less clear is wtf your point is. (apologies for the poor grammar)

[TwoBits]

Originally Posted by Larry1953

Common Baseball Myths

This is a good place to start :-)

Same thing with rules references for OBR and FED if you are interested:

Top Baseball/Softball Rules Myths, 2011 Edition

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by voiceoflg

"Hands a part of the bat" and "ball hitting an umpire is immediately dead" are two that was said and I cringed.

While the former is patently absurd and ridiculous, the latter is true of an umpire working in the B or C position (in the infield), but not when working in A (beyond first base behind F3). The reason for this is in A the ball is kept alive because it has passed an infielder other than the pitcher (i.e. F3). In B or C, the ball has not yet passed a fielder other than the pitcher, and is immediately dead when it hits an umpire. The batter is credited with a single and all runners forced to advance do so.

[yawetag]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

While the former is patently absurd and ridiculous, the latter is true of an umpire working in the B or C position (in the infield), but not when working in A (beyond first base behind F3).

I don't want to speak for voiceoflg, but I've heard this line used even for thrown balls.

Also, while generally true, an umpire can be hit in B or C and it not be a dead ball.

[MD Longhorn]

Learn the difference between OBS and INT... and as mentioned earlier, learn what a foul tip really is and what it means when it happens.

[aceholleran]

Originally Posted by voiceoflg

Radio, so shutting up is not an option. All my baseball color commentators have been coaches. Though most do a good job helping with rules and nuances of the game, I have had a couple that I wanted to correct on the air but chose not to. "Hands a part of the bat" and "ball hitting an umpire is immediately dead" are two that was said and I cringed.

I would LOVE to have an umpire with me for baseball and an official for football. I was sitting next to a clock operator during a few football games and asked them to correct me if I made a mistake in explaining a rule and they all politely declined. I understand why they decline, but I would rather be right than sound stupid on the air. There are enough of us who do that.

Thanks to you all for your responses, and for participating on these forums. I learn a lot here.

I did some local D-1 college hoops work with two announcers. I sat with them at the press table and would write notes to them. Never went on air. I even got to know some of the refs; they were truly polite (and helpful) to me when they found out I was a ref and "rules fixer" for the broadcast team.