Catch or no catch - and the crazy outcome

I have never seen this before. What should have been the outcome?

Set up: runners on first and second with one out.

The hit: batter hits a line-shot up the middle towards the center-fielder. The center fielder charges the ball, dives,and appears to make a shoe-string catch. But right at the catch it appears the ball squeaks out for a second.

Post the questionable catch: the field umpire does not make the call as catch or non-catch. The base-runners hold on their original bases. The crowd in yelling "no catch". While the chaos continues the center fielder throws the ball to third then second base for the two-force double play the home plate umpire calls (because he saw "no catch" but also didnt call it). We end up having a potential good inning die right there with a crazy double play with the two runners getting forced-out.

Post play thoughts: what should have happened? Was it just an umpire colossal screw-up where he was supposed to make some call right after the catch?

Thoughts from some of you rules experts?

I would have thought the field ump MUST make some real-time call that the runners can act on.

2 or 3 umpire system? If 2 umpire system the fly ball is not the field umpires call, it is the plate umpires. If it was a 3 umpire system then the 1st base umpire should have been out on the fly ball coverage. If the umpire did not make a call and it resulted in the double play, they should have placed the runners where they felt they would have ended up if the call had been made timely.

It depends what organization you were playing under. PONY has divided responsibility for catch/no catch regardless of whether the base umpire goes out on the ball. That's because there is a close correlation between proximity to the play and correctness of the call. It makes no sense to have a plate umpire call everything in the outfield when the base umpire is at a minimum of 70 feet closer. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, the base umpire should have been able to simply open up, face the ball and make the call. That is opposed to a plate umpire who is looking through a catcher, batter and pitcher making a call while being straight-lined. It is clear that the plate umpire didn't make the call because he didn't see it or couldn't tell what happened.

Understanding that umpires don't call out fair balls, are they likewise only supposed to make a verbal call on a play like described when its an out or should they make a verbal "no catch" call?

So this was a two-umpire system they had working in Indy.

I just thought it just couldn't be the right outcome where the defense could throw the ball around to tag all the bases where the runners should have run to if it was not a catch and called that way.

Seems to me the "right" thing would have been to line the runners up where they would have been if the call would have been made timely which in this case would have been bases loaded with one out versus the double-play inning ender that was called....

But then you could argue that if the umpires made the right call right away that they at least would have had the force at second base (with the play being at the center-fielder and the runner from first would have no way gotten to 2nd base given holding up on the potential catch).

Man this is a tough one BUT this just should not have ended on a inning ending double play from tagging bases during the umpire pow-wow that ensued.

After thinking about it further probably the most fair outcome would have been first and third with one out made on the runner from first that probably would not have made it to second in time.

Biggest take-away is that umpires have GOT to make a timely call on the field...... (ya more pressure on the blues.... )

Granted.....there were screw ups.

In a two umpire system with a line drive hit.....this is normally going to be the plate umpires call. He can maybe get some info later from the base umpire to help in determining the outcome......but if it were me as the PU.......

I would have verbalized loudly a "Catch" with an out signal......or verbalized a "No Catch" with a safe signal......

I temper my remarks by saying I have "Yelled" an infield fly call.....and not a soul at the field heard me.

And when I say "Yell"....probably everyone not involved in the game heard it.....just not those that were at that game.

There is no possible way for any of us to give you a definitive answer on what should have been done, as none of us were there.

I hope I was vague enough. Good luck in your future endeavours.

How do you know there was no call? With parents and coaches all yelling and everybody most likely watching the play in the outfield, there very well could have been a verbal call made that nobody heard...see Gulf Coast Blue's post above.

This call belongs to the PU unless the BU chases the ball to the outfield, I'm assuming that didn't happen here, because it would have been easy to see the BU out there where the play was. It is also entirely likely that the PU signaled safe if and when s/he saw the ball hit the ground and nobody saw that because they were all watching the ball in the outfield. You might just have to put this one in the category of "stuff happens"

If no umpire raised their hand to signal the out then it was not an out (catch).

I know there was no call as the umpires conversed on what to do post a "no call" instance and concluded with the above. They basically admitted to the no-call.

And ya if this was an "I didn't hear ya" situation it would not have stood out to me.

The two umps called nothing and ran together just behind the pitchers mound to determine what to do with this pickle of a situation.