Uncaught 3rd Strike

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Jul 4, 2012
329
18
Two strikes, batter swung and missed a change up. Ball hits the ground, but home plate ump doesn't see it and calls batter out. Batter runs to 1st. Catcher does not tag batter or throw to 1st. Offense coach pleads his case that ball touched the ground, plate ump asks his partner for help and base ump confirms ball did touch the ground. Batter runner was left on 1st. Of course, defense was not happy. How should this have been handled? USSSA if it matters. Thanks
 
Feb 13, 2015
164
18
I'm not an ump and I'm sure one will chime in here soon, but I think umps have the right to correct their errors. I don't think the runner should automatically get first, I think the ump would need to decide if the runner would have reached or not if he made the correct call.

It may be that the verbal call is irrelevant, the catcher should have known to throw to first or tag the runner if she didn't catch the ball.
 
Jan 30, 2018
252
0
SE Michigan
I also am not an ump nor do I play one on tv nor did I stay at Holiday Inn Express. This happened to us, our catcher stopped and didn't continue to throw to first. They awarded the runner first base, which I believe to be the right call. We argued the call in a respectful manner, but to no avail. At first I felt the ump calling out is like the whistle blowing in bball but they have the right to change their mind.
 
Aug 23, 2016
359
43
I'm not an ump and I'm sure one will chime in here soon, but I think umps have the right to correct their errors. I don't think the runner should automatically get first, I think the ump would need to decide if the runner would have reached or not if he made the correct call.

It may be that the verbal call is irrelevant, the catcher should have known to throw to first or tag the runner if she didn't catch the ball.

DD's coach tells the catchers to make the tag or the throw if there's any doubt at all, no matter what the ump says. (And he tells the girls that if they're batting and there's any doubt, run to first.)
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
It certainly doesn't seem fair that the umpire's wrong call (calling her out) should be allowed to affect the defense negatively when they correct the call.

We teach them to play until the play is over. Run until the umpire calls the ball foul. Stay on the base until you're called out. That sort of thing. When an umpire saying a batter is out results in the defense no longer continuing to play (because the play has been deemed to be over by the umpire), I don't see how it's right to then reward the offense. It may be the correct call, but it's not right.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Did the umpire actually announce the batter was out, or did he simply give the hammer signal indicating a swinging strike and the defense assumed it was an out call? That is one reason umpires are suppose to be careful with saying a batter is out, unless it is a situation where 1st base was occupied at the time of the pitch with less than 2 outs and the batter starts to run to 1st on a D3K. I look at this as similar to an umpire failing to call the infield fly rule. Regardless of if it is called or not, the teams are expected to recognize the situation and play accordingly.
 
Jul 4, 2012
329
18
The plate ump announced that the batter was out. After both umpires discussed, they agreed it was the responsibility of the catcher to make the play. Clearly, the plate umpire made a mistake, but how should it be resolved? The TD said two things. First, he said leaving the runner on 1B allowed the defense a chance to make the next out - less damage done. Second, he said the base ump should have never confirmed that the ball touched the ground.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Umpires are dictators.

Apologize if I say this wrong....

If they make a mistake they try to reset game to how, it would have been if they did not make a mistake.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Umpires are dictators.

Apologize if I say this wrong....

If they make a mistake they try to reset game to how, it would have been if they did not make a mistake.

In this case, it sounds like the runner was only safe because of their mistake though.

Without being there it's hard to say, but if the catcher only didn't tag the runner because she was already told the runner was out, that's not her fault.
 

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