MLB play - could it be different in softball?

[bigsig]

I had a different situation with similar results a few years ago in a Varsity game. I was BU. 2 outs, no runners. Line drive hit to F3 who caught it on one hop. PU immediately called it a catch for 3rd out. BR stopped running, F3 just started to run off the field without touching 1B. OC asked PU to get help. He came to me and asked if I had a catch. I told him the ball had been clearly caught on a hop. PU asked what should we do? We decided to stick with the original call and call it a catch and 3rd out. I don't know if that was correct or not but didn't know how to fix it.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by bigsig

I had a different situation with similar results a few years ago in a Varsity game. I was BU. 2 outs, no runners. Line drive hit to F3 who caught it on one hop. PU immediately called it a catch for 3rd out. BR stopped running, F3 just started to run off the field without touching 1B. OC asked PU to get help. He came to me and asked if I had a catch. I told him the ball had been clearly caught on a hop. PU asked what should we do? We decided to stick with the original call and call it a catch and 3rd out. I don't know if that was correct or not but didn't know how to fix it.

The way to "fix" this is to determine (as well as you could) what would most likely have happened had the call been correct immediately. In this case, it seems to me the most likely outcome if PU immediately ruled no catch, would be for F3 to simply make the easy play at first. Same result.

In the OP, if it happened in softball (or in baseball without replay), and we changed our call at first, the most likely outcome (had the call at 1st been made accurately and immediately) would be for the play at home to have been a tag. Had F2 known a tag was necessary, there was plenty of time for F2 to have executed that tag. I now have 2 outs on this play.

[Andy]

I have a hard time awarding two outs on the play based on the replay reversal.

I can see reversing the safe call and declaring the runner from first (R3 in softball nomenclature) out. Yes, it is likely that F2 would have made a tag if he had realized he needed to, but it is also likely that R1 could have stopped and attempted to retreat to third since he is not now forced.

My opinion....declare R3 out, return R1 and R2 to third and second respectively, award BR first.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Andy

but it is also likely that R1 could have stopped and attempted to retreat to third since he is not now forced.

And at any decent level of ball, they're almost definitely going to get that out too.

[bsnalex]

MLB should have, along with instant replay, implemented a policy dictating replay may NOT be used to argue your own player should have been called out--lest you end up with clusterf*cks like this.

The umpires' hands are tied, aren't they?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by bsnalex

MLB should have, along with instant replay, implemented a policy dictating replay may NOT be used to argue your own player should have been called out--lest you end up with clusterf*cks like this.

The umpires' hands are tied, aren't they?

I disagree. It is the "play" that is reviewed and the manner in which it is changed should be irrelevant. The idea of "replay" is to get it right, not offer an advantage or disadvantage to either team.