Timing play??

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I disagree with some of what you seem to say here (not that it matters to the OP; the replies are correct, not a timing play). My comment is about what the BU should do. In the case of a batter hit by a batted ball in the vicinity of the plate, the BU should immediately declare DEAD BALL, but should not rule on whether the batter was in or out of the box. The PU should rule on that. Once the ball is declared dead, the PU should rule on foul ball or out.

Dakota,

I took at face value that "The batter is out of the box" from the OP.

The runner has about 30' where she can run in fair territory before having to be in the running lane. A RH batter who bunts down the 1B line might be hit in the front of their body, effectively screening the PU from seeing contact in fair territory. If I see this, I'm calling a dead ball and the BR out. The angle from "C" is a little better than the PU, but also a lot further away. Add in moving fielders and a runner breaking for 3B once the ball has hit the ground, and it can be a busy situation.

My point is that if the PU doesn't see it to call it, and the BU does see it, it should be called immediately. If the BU did see it and had to wait for a conference, that's something s/he'll need to work on for the next game/opportunity.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

Dakota,

I took at face value that "The batter is out of the box" from the OP.

The runner has about 30' where she can run in fair territory before having to be in the running lane.

I know the OP stated things generically, but as I said, I'm talking about the vicinity of the plate.

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

My point is that if the PU doesn't see it to call it, and the BU does see it, it should be called immediately. If the BU did see it and had to wait for a conference, that's something s/he'll need to work on for the next game/opportunity.

I agree, the dead ball should be called immediately. But, if this happens in the vicinity of the plate, that is as far as the BU should go short of the PU asking for information.

[Jasper]

Thanks for all the input everyone

Let me try to explain where the contact was made more precisely.

It was a right handed batter, ball went pretty much straight down and a little forward. Took about a knee high bounce and ended about a foot in front of lefty batters box. Batter started running and like jump stopped just outside the batters box seeing she was going to make contact with the ball. From my perspective, which was behind and left, I could not tell if she touched the ball or not. At the time I felt if she did make contact with the ball it would have went forward more than it did. I am sure the PU couldn't see any contact as he was blocked by the catcher and batter/runner. PU did signal fair ball though.

I, like most of you, figured if the BU saw the batter/runner contact the ball, it would have been called dead at that point. Play on I thought.

The 2 umpires were not going to conference until the defence, brought it up between batters.

That is why I thought it may have become a timing play, based on what I thought was an appeal from the defence. But from what I read this could not have been the case.

Just to let you know I do not have a player on either team, just happened to be there.

Thanks again for the input.