Softball Trivia

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I'm not sure if that's what Mike is hung up on, nor am I sure it has any bearing on this particular play. I guess the question boils down to this: Is this considered a fair batted ball hitting a batter-runner, or a fair batted ball blocked by an offensive team member?

Here's the thing ... I'm not hung up. I AGREE with the posts from Mike, Dave, Steve, you... The majority of that other board, including my own supervisor/scheduler from last year, insisted that there was 2 outs on this play.

I can slice this about 3 different ways, but always end up with 1 out.

1) BR is out when the ball gains "fair" status - which is exactly when it contacts him. So he's out on the IFF at the same moment he's struck by a batted ball, and out for that too. No logic requires a 2nd out here.
2) 8-2-I: I. When an infield fly is declared and the fair batted ball hits the batter-runner before reaching first base. EFFECT: The ball is dead and the infield fly is invoked.
3) If you (for whatever reason) insist that BR is out the instant IFF is called - then we have an offensive team member (retired runner) being struck by a batted ball - so all the plays about a runner being struck by a batted ball do not apply - this player is no longer a runner, and you can only use 8-7-P, which would only be an out if a play was available at the moment the ball struck the retired runner... which it's not.

The non-umpire peanut gallery where this was initially posted were nearly unanimous in their support of 2 outs... as were a slight majority of the umpires.

I feel better now that I (and Dave, who also posted there) are not insane. Or if we are, it's not because of this.