Dropped Pitch

[outathm]

A pitcher is in mid-windup, and drops the ball before completing the pitch to the catcher. If the ball goes forward, towards home plate, what is the ruling? If the ball goes backward, what is the ruling? Does it matter whether the ball remains in the circle or not?

[MNBlue]

Originally Posted by outathm

A pitcher is in mid-windup, and drops the ball before completing the pitch to the catcher. If the ball goes forward, towards home plate, what is the ruling? If the ball goes backward, what is the ruling? Does it matter whether the ball remains in the circle or not?

Ball.

Ball.

No.

[Crabby_Bob]

Ball

If the hands have come together after the pitcher has taken a position on the pitcher's plate. If not, the pitcher has simply dropped the ball. The LBR is off in both cases.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by outathm

A pitcher is in mid-windup, and drops the ball before completing the pitch to the catcher. If the ball goes forward, towards home plate, what is the ruling? If the ball goes backward, what is the ruling? Does it matter whether the ball remains in the circle or not?

You have been listening to baseball umpires, haven't you? (Bill Hohn probably doesn't know what a softball game is. In fact, I had to google just to find out who Bill Hohn is.) Absolutely no part of this makes any difference in softball.

If the pitch has started (in ASA and NCAA, hands have separated, in NFHS, either hands have separated OR the pitcher makes any motion that is part of the windup after the hands are brought together), it is a pitch; no more, no less. Not illegal, just a pitch. Unless the batter attempts to hit it, we can assume 100% of umpires would call it a ball.

If the pitch hasn't started (hands not yet brought together; yes, the pitcher can windup prior to that point; now refer to prior paragraph for rules differences), it is simply a live ball; pitcher no longer in possession, so LBR doesn't apply. Not a pitch, not a ball, not an illegal pitch.

[DUNDALKCHOPPER]

Have to be careful and not call it a ball too soon. One day some crazy batter is going to swing at this thing as it rolls across the plate at 2 MPH.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by DUNDALKCHOPPER

Have to be careful and not call it a ball too soon. One day some crazy batter is going to swing at this thing as it rolls across the plate at 2 MPH.

So, if the catcher steps up and picks up the ball prior to it reaching the plate, it is.....................................

[RKBUmp]

Catchers obstruction.

[DUNDALKCHOPPER]

Good topic !!, OBSTRUCTION. BUT Once the pitch stops rolling (like right in front of the plate) I think we need to call time ??? so the catcher knows she can go pick it up. Or am I making this too involved.

[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by DUNDALKCHOPPER

Good topic !!, OBSTRUCTION. BUT Once the pitch stops rolling (like right in front of the plate) I think we need to call time ??? so the catcher knows she can go pick it up. Or am I making this too involved.

Better be careful...if there are runners on they are released to run as soon as the ball leaves the pitchers hand!! So you better not kill it with runners on!!

[RKBUmp]

Why call time? If the ball stops before it reaches the plate it cant be catchers obstuction, and if there are runners on base you may have playing action going on.

[UmpireErnie]

OK, so this is a very interesting discussion.

Irish, your story about your Navy fastpitch days made me reread your post. I am getting the point you are driving at. I was thinking of a batter who sees the pitcher drop the pitch and knowing it's ball four decides to get to 1B asap and see what else she can get. Her discarded bat comes to rest in fair territory and the ball rolls into it.

But in your scenario you don't really care what the count is, you are talking about a batter who, seeing a dropped pitch rolling to the plate intentionally places the bat in the path of the ball and takes off to 1B.

Crazy idea but I would agree that by rule this is contacting the ball with the bat with one foot out of the batters box and so a dead ball out.

So if she tries to hit the ball in this manner but the ball rolls past the bat, is it a swing and a miss? She made an attempt to hit the ball even if it while the bat was not in her hands...

Is it a bunt attempt? If the ball rolled into the bat before the batter got her foot out of the box and the ball rolled foul with two strikes is she out for bunting foul?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by UmpireErnie

OK, so this is a very interesting discussion.

Irish, your story about your Navy fastpitch days made me reread your post. I am getting the point you are driving at. I was thinking of a batter who sees the pitcher drop the pitch and knowing it's ball four decides to get to 1B asap and see what else she can get. Her discarded bat comes to rest in fair territory and the ball rolls into it.

But in your scenario you don't really care what the count is, you are talking about a batter who, seeing a dropped pitch rolling to the plate intentionally places the bat in the path of the ball and takes off to 1B.

Crazy idea but I would agree that by rule this is contacting the ball with the bat with one foot out of the batters box and so a dead ball out.

Like is said, TWP.

So if she tries to hit the ball in this manner but the ball rolls past the bat, is it a swing and a miss? She made an attempt to hit the ball even if it while the bat was not in her hands...

I would say no. see below

Is it a bunt attempt? If the ball rolled into the bat before the batter got her foot out of the box and the ball rolled foul with two strikes is she out for bunting foul?

This probably would be perceived as a "bunt" as the only possible positive result would be that the bat tapped slowly in the infield. However, that means that for the purposes of determine if the batter "offered" at the pitch, the bat not being withdrawn has no bearing, and even if it did, the bat isn't in the strike zone.

[MD Longhorn]

Mike,

If this batter is smart enough to put her bat in the path of the ball with the intent to hit the ball ... suppose she's also smart enough to watch the pitch as she's running and leap into the air just before the ball strikes the bat.

Yes, WAY TWP ... but you started it! I have a base hit in this situation.

(Wanna make it weirder? What if R1 from third contacts the bat before the ball gets there?)

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Mike,

(snip)
(Wanna make it weirder? What if R1 from third contacts the bat before the ball gets there?)

Obstruction on R1?????

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Mike,

If this batter is smart enough to put her bat in the path of the ball with the intent to hit the ball ... suppose she's also smart enough to watch the pitch as she's running and leap into the air just before the ball strikes the bat.

Yes, WAY TWP ... but you started it! I have a base hit in this situation.

No, great question. And by the exact wording of the rule, there is no out to be had here, assuming the umpire is going to see the leap and be able to watch the ball at the same time

(Wanna make it weirder? What if R1 from third contacts the bat before the ball gets there?)

Depends. If no contact between bat and ball, it is a stolen base.
Now comes the hard part. You cannot have an offensive player obs a batter. What would you do if R1 was stealing home with the B still in the BB, R1 clips batter who falls and the bat hits the pitch?