Another Wierd Play
 

Tigers vs. Sox tonight, I was listening on the radio and didn't see the play.

Runner on first, nobody out. Short pop-up to shortstop who tries a basket catch but muffs it and the ball pops out - onto the ground. They quickly toss the ball to 2nd but there is no throw back to 1st. Hold on though! Apparently (according to the radio guys at least) the umps called the infield fly rule???

They left R1 at first, and called the BR out. Anybody see this play and know what the REAL call was?

Sounds like an intentionally dropped ball.

Makes a whole lot more sense than an infield fly.

Most likely they called the BR out for an intentionally dropped ball. Not a common call. Only the second time I've heard of it being called.

Rita

Which brings up Game 4 of the 1978 WS - and the infamous Reggie 'non interference' call. The umps on the infield were Frank Pulli, Brinkman and Ed Vargo. Brinkman tells of how THEY thought they had blown the call in a different way - failing to call Bill Russell the shortstop for an intentional drop! And if you ever see the replay of that game, that sure looks like what happened.

If you have never seen it, here is what happened: Lou Piniella hot a very soft liner to Russell at short, and Russell either mishandled or dropped the ball, and then tossed to second for the force on Reggie, who was on first. The relay from Lopes then hit Jackson on his hip - which he may or may not have turned to eflect the ball, as he had come to a dead stop after the force. The umps basically made no call - allowing Piniella to reach. meanwhile Munson had been on third and scored.

Lasorda of course came out screaming - to Pulli at first - a familiar face perhaps - not Brinkman, and all the while Brinkman is thinking he blew the intentionally dropped ball call!

With only a runner on 1st the infield fly rule would not have been in effect. They probably called an intentionally dropped ball.

6.05(I) A batter is out when an infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases.

Pulled it up on the game video. Top 1, no outs, Jackson R1, Rayburn hits broken bat soft liner to SS. Looks like SS took his eye off the ball and it hits his glove and falls to the ground. U2 immediately points and calls time, SS tosses to 2B anyway but U2 is calling the batter out and tells R1 to stay at 1B. I wouldn't have had an intentional drop here but U2 did and he might know more about how well these guys can act especially if they want to replace fast R1 with the slow batter.
I couldn't get the audio turned off quick enough so I had to listen to the Sox announcers butcher whatever rule they thought it was.

If U2 didn't call it and the D turned 2, an EJ would soon follow.