Trivia 3

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Andy

If the ball is on the ground and the fielder puts his hand on top of it, I can't tell if he has control or not. When he lifts the ball, that demonstrates control. As I said before, control started when he gripped the ball, but was not demonstrated to me until the ball was lifted. If the fielder never lifts the ball, I can't tell if he has control or not, so the benefit of that doubt goes to the offense.

So, using your logic of needing additional evidence to determine control, one could argue that "Show me the ball!" is a totally irrelevant demand. After all, the fielder may have had the ball when she tagged the runner, but his/her possession was not demonstrated until he/she showed it to you afterward.

Sorry, but I don't buy that argument. I think it's perfectly acceptable to judge that when we see a fielder clearly grip the ball with his/her fingers around it, we can conclude that control was established at that point, regardless of what else the ball may be touching at that time. Unless the fielder has extremely tiny fingers, he/she is going to pick up that ball without any need for additional gripping or adjusting. It's not like trying to palm a basketball.

If showing you the ball after a tag is enough to convince you that the fielder had the ball when he/she made the tag, then lifting the ball off the ground should equally be enough to convince you that the fielder had the ball when he/she gripped it.