Dropped 3rd strike .... 3 questions.

[bobbrix]

dropped 3rd strike:

1) you know those dropped 3rd strikes where the batter doesn't realize she can run until a hundred people are screaming at her:

a) would she be out once she was 3 feet away from the base line ?? i thought she could walk all the way to the edge of the dugout (usually an exposed players bench where I ump) and then run to first from there

b) if she can get to the edge of the dugout and then try to get to 1st, is her base path established as directly from the dugout to the 1st base bag?? or does she have to somehow return to the 1st base line and then advance ??



2) a colleague watched a game i umped sunday night and told me later i should always call out the count when there's two strikes and a dropped 3rd strike would be available to the offense if it happened

i told him that i didn't think that made sense, that if the coaches aren't paying attention or they aren't asking for the count then that's a coaching fault

do any of you remind everyone of the count when there's two out and a dropped 3rd strike is available ???