On an island

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

I don't want to sound like "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" but one should not call what one cannot see. If you didn't see the fielder tag the runner before the runner made contact with the base then you cannot call the runner out.

MTD, Sr.

If your on 1B and there is a high throw toward the plate side of 1B and F3 goes up to the throw and swings the glove down and to the rear. There is a loud thud, the BR acts is if there was a tag and F3 starts the ball around the horn, but YOU are going to call the BR safe because the tag was away from you and you couldn't jockey into a position to where you could actually see the tag.

This is a play that happens not that infrequently that it should not be addressed. This was my first play of my first NC game and I had 1B. It was the opening game, all the dignitaries were there for opening ceremonies along with three local TV affiliates with cameras capturing the first inning for their spot on that night's sports news. I was nervous as hell. Not of screwing up, but doing something stupid.

I came up with a point at the play, "on the tag" and a big overhand. I was lucky enough to recognize the situation and was able to adjust to the point of realizing the tag was possible, but I never really saw the glove touch the player or his uniform.

Another time in World Cup play, I'm U3, F5 (Great Britain) snagged a high throw and swiped at a diving Bahaman. It was a night game an the lights on Field 3 in Plant City aren't that great, and I didn't see a tag, but I did hear the "click" of the glove hitting the diving runner's shoe. There was not other possibility of hitting anything else and I rung up the runner, who without so much as a glance popped up and hustled to the dugout.

Have you ever determined a ball was NOT caught because you heard a double thump? Have you ever ruled a foul tip because you have "heard" the ball hit the bat and then the glove?

Point is you make the call based on all the information you have available to you. If sound is part of that compilation, so be it.