more on dropped third strikes

[gmauriello]

Hope I'm not to late on this subject but announcing a loud batter is out is also for the batters benefit.

I use to play fastpitch and once had an umpire meekly call a 3rd strike and didn't hear him. The pitch was low and outside and since the catcher missed it I thought it was a ball. I didn't hear the ump say strike so I just stood in the batters box thinking it was ball 3. The catcher who did hear the strike call, gets the ball and throws it to first. I'm out.