I had a runner on second and third & 2 outs. the batter had a full count on her. The catcher drops strike three call and the batter steps out of the box and turns toward her dugout on the third base side then realizes the drop and takes of running to first. the catcher throws the ball to rightfield and the runners score from second and third and the runner makes it to first. The PU turned his back after the third strike call (He addmitted) and did not see the batter so he asked the FU and he told him about the batter stepping out of the box. The PU called the batter out (with help from the other coach)thus ending the game and i lose. Was this the right call or not.

Speaking ASA............and most codes that I know of.......

The BR can make it all the way to the dugout and still decide to legally head to first..........

Somebody booted one..............

Joel

I'm with Joel on this one. Stepping out of the batter's box and/or toward the 3B dugout is irrelevent.

reed2310,

<font color = blue>Welcome to the board.</font> Both Joel and Mike have naturally,
correctely responsed to your question. As long as the R
did not enter the dugout, she can turn and scoooot.

glen

drop third strike
 

Thank-you for your reply's.

Had the same play in a Pony qualifier last year. Coach insisted that all it takes is "one step toward the dugout" and the batter is automatically out. He repeated "one step toward the dugout" several times. When I asked him whether he was quoting the rule book, he replied, with a straight face, that he saw it happen on TV, and that's what the announcer said.

By golly, if Tim McCarver said it was the rule...........

Steve M

Let me see if I understand this...

A coach was using a TV commentator's remarks about, presumably, MLB rules, and taking that as authoritative on Pony softball?

Sometimes there is nothing to do but shake your head and walk away.

I should have realized that readers of my post might assume the coach to be referring to a MLB game he had watched on TV. In fact, he claimed his rules degree from having watched the women's college World Series.

Great wisdom last year from the Little League World Series, too: after the third baseman fielded a foul bouncer down the line, the announcer informed the TV audience that had F5 managed to keep his feet on the fair side of the line, the ball would have been fair, and he could have thrown the batter out at first.

[Edited by greymule on Apr 24th, 2002 at 03:59 PM]

Pet peeve: A player or coach citing ANYTHING from TV as justification for arguing a call.

A couple of years ago during a playoff game, I'm working with a rookie umpire who was behind the plate. There was a no tag/no touch play at home. The rook hesitates, neither player reacts, he rules safe. Teammates scream for the catcher to tag the runner, he does and my partner rules the runner out on appeal.

Both coaches were on the field arguing. The defense wants to know why he ruled the runner safe and the offense wanted to know why we changed the call. Once the defensive coach realized he got his out call, he backed off, but that didn't stop the offense from arguing that 1) the umpire should have made No call and confused everyone by calling "safe, and 2) an umpire can never change a judgment call.

I slowly walked in listening to the argument and the second I heard the coach cite Richie Ashburn from the previous night's Pirate-Phillies game, I turned to my partner and said, "We've heard enough, let's play ball". We both turned away from the coach and returned to our position. He didn't know what to do standing there all by himself so he went back to the dugout totally confused why we refused to listen to him.

After the game, he complained to the complex coordinator and the minute he mentioned the Pirates-Phillies game, the coordinator just started laughing an walked away. I almost started feeling sorry for the coach d:-)

drop third strike
 

thats has haooend to my son many times before he hasnt not realized that the catcher dropped it and was on his way back to the dugout then he hussled down to first and it counted no argument was even made

Yeah...these were probably the same capable announcers that told us this year it was "necessary to touch the base with the ball" on a force out. Those founts of wisdom!

Scott