"Dead Ball" during play?

[Goobie]

Situation: Base runner on 2nd no outs. Batter hits ball to SS who bobbles the ball but makes the throw to 1st too late and runner is safe. Baserunner on 2nd runs to 3rd, rounds 3rd toward home. Our 1st base threw the ball home and now they have the base runner in a pickle between 3rd an home. She is basically a dead duck.

We are at one of those places where the fields are back to back. Suddenly a random foul ball comes bounding into the field of play. It hit in the middle of the infield and bounced towards second base and eventually ended up on the outfield. It was nowhere near the play happening on the 3rd baseline.

As the ball bounces the first time, while we have the runner in the pickle and are going for the out, the umpire waves his arms and yells "Dead Ball" and he stops the play. The base runner stops and gets tagged out.

After discussing things with is partner, the home plate ump gives the original batter 1st base (for some reason she was standing on 1st watching the pickle play with 2nd open). He then gives the girl that was stuck in the pickle 3rd base. Declares the play is over and "batter-up" for the next batter in the order.

After discussing this with the coaches, I think the ultimate answer that was provided was something similar to the "inadvertent whistle" in football.

Was this the right call?

Our coach felt that he shouldn't have called "dead ball" in the middle of a continuous play and he should have let the play end before calling dead ball (or time out). (Kind of like when our pitcher took a liner drive off her thigh and dropped to the ground in pain... they let the play conclude then called time and checked on the injury).

Just seems that his call favored the offensive team when to be honest, the girls was caught and would have easily been tagged out.

 

[honus14]

Well, he shouldn't have called "Dead Ball," but since he did, you can't "unring" that bell. As you say, similar to an inadvertent whistle. No runners can be put out when the ball is dead, so what he did was pretty much all he could do: place the runners on the last base touched.

 

[Comp]

A foreign ball coming onto the field can be a problem, but, as long as it isnt immediately impacting the play in progress it probably should have just been let go until the play was done. Since it wasnt and dead ball was called, anything that happened after that point never really occured. Yes the runner was probably a sure out, but, the offensive coach could equally argue anything could have happened, ball been thrown away, someone trip, ball fall out of glove on tag, runner gets obstructed etc. Placing the runner back at 3rd and the batter/runner at 1st since she never attempted to advance was the correct call.

 

[BrianMonk]

Too bad the girl from 1st wasn't going to 2nd. You could have picked up the extra ball rolling towards second tagged the runner getting a double play

This past weekend we played at a 4 plex and the diamonds were on top of each other. All fields had tinker toy backstops. Balls were going everywhere. I considered getting my hard hat out of the car but unfortunately the color of it was that of a few of our opponents. As a spectator, it was tough to actually watch one game.

Fortunately the umpires must have been used to dealing with it so they didnt' kill any play until all play was stopped.

 

[PGSAKen]

Unless that foul ball impacts the safety of the players you finish the play. Calling dead ball was incorrect by the umpire and killed the play. in killing the play runners return to original positions.

bad judgement call by ump but being a judgement call.......