Infield Fly in Wild Card Game

[youngump]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

U3 called it from 3rd base. I can easily see it both ends of the stick on this one. Take your pick. The protest is a no-brainer denial.

U3 calls it after Holbrook and he's just reacting to what he'd done. The ball is already clearly going to fall when he puts his arm up.

[D Ray]

For those that feel this should not have been called, I wonder what standard you use in your games to determine "ordinary effort". In my neck of the woods, if the infielder turns his back to the plate, he is demonstrating EXTRA-ORDINARY effort to make a play. F6 never turned his back. From my arm chair, I feel he would have made the catch had he not bailed. It appears these are the fact used be the umpires on the scene.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by D Ray

For those that feel this should not have been called, I wonder what standard you use in your games to determine "ordinary effort". In my neck of the woods, if the infielder turns his back to the plate, he is demonstrating EXTRA-ORDINARY effort to make a play. F6 never turned his back. From my arm chair, I feel he would have made the catch had he not bailed. It appears these are the fact used be the umpires on the scene.

The rule calls for the catch to be accomplished with ordinary effort. While the effort an infielder expends to get into position is a contributing factor, it shouldn't be the deciding factor. An infielder could turn his back and sprint 10-20 feet to get settled under the ball, and then make a routine catch.

So I wouldn't necessarily support your standard. Just watch the infielder get into position, and then judge if the catch is one that he can turn into a possibly easy DP if he let it drop.

[Lapopez]

Originally Posted by Manny A

The rule calls for the catch to be accomplished with ordinary effort.

What? I must be misinterpreting your statement. You are not saying the ball must be caught for IFF, right?

[Rita C]

Originally Posted by Lapopez

What? I must be misinterpreting your statement. You are not saying the ball must be caught for IFF, right?

No, but it could be. That's the point.

Rita

[Lapopez]

Originally Posted by Rita C

No, but it could be. That's the point.

Rita

Is that Manny's point, Rita?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Lapopez

Is that Manny's point, Rita?

That was my point. The rule calls for the catch to be made using ordinary effort. It doesn't require an actual catch. The fielder may use more than ordinary effort to start out, but as the play progresses, he may get into position to make the catch easily.

And an easily caught ball could turn into an equally easy drop to turn the DP. Which is why the rule exists.

For those who continue to argue that the ball went too deep into the outfield, consider the Thome shift that more and more teams are using against him and other dead-pull hitters. Are you going to suggest that a can-of-corn fly ball to F4 playing in short right-center field can never be an IFF?