IFR fake?

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Robert Goodman

Fly balls can be hard to judge from behind their flight path. Do umpires ever get faked by fielders into drawing an IFR call on a deep fly ball? If after calling the batter out (say if the umpire's working solo behind the plate), an umpire sees the ball leave the field in a place that would otherwise result in a home run, is he allowed to reverse the "out" call?

Would it be unsportsmanlike conduct for fielders to move toward a shallow spot in an attempt to draw an IFR call? Or would you never presume it to be the umpire who's the target of such fakery rather than the opponents?

If you were in that plate umpire's position, would you try to delay making an IFR call until you saw baserunners playing halfway?

Why would an infielder want to draw an IFF call - there is no advantage and a big disadvantage.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Why would an infielder want to draw an IFF call - there is no advantage and a big disadvantage.

An F4 could try to deke a pop-up on a shot to the gap or some such -- trying to get the runners to stop or retreat.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Rich

An F4 could try to deke a pop-up on a shot to the gap or some such -- trying to get the runners to stop or retreat.

If a runner doesn't see a shot to the gap he deserves whatever happens to him.

Other than that as a fielder you don't want the runners to retreat on a popup - it reduces the possibility of doubling them off.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Why would an infielder want to draw an IFF call - there is no advantage and a big disadvantage.

I can't even fathom what a disadvantage would be... the advantage would, of course, be an undeserved out on the batter-runner.

That said, this whole idea that an infielder could dupe an umpire into making an IFF call on a ball that will not be easily caught by an infielder is extremely absurd.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I can't even fathom what a disadvantage would be... the advantage would, of course, be an undeserved out on the batter-runner.

As soon as an IFF is declared the runners just go back and stand on the base, knowing they will not be required to run. You've lost any potential to double them off. So no advantage there. It's a disadvantage. You want them off the base - but to do that you do NOT want an IFF declared.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Why would an infielder want to draw an IFF call - there is no advantage and a big disadvantage.

Rich, I agree 100% with you and also I think the whole scenario is a bunch of BS. Not even going to waste time addressing it.