Introduction
Hello, my name is Jake Nordstrom, and welcome back to my monthly blog on the Basics of Baseball.
Last month, I talked about the National Anthem Etiquette. Today, we will discuss some of the confusing plays in baseball.
Hope you enjoy!
Drop Third Strike
When
there are two strikes and first base is NOT occupied by a runner, the drop
third strike rule is in action. If the pitcher throws a ball in the dirt (it hits
the ground before your glove) and the batter swings, he can run to first base.
To be clear, if the batter does not swing, it is not a drop third strike unless
it is a called strike, but the catcher drops it.
Infield Fly
The
only time that infield fly is in action is when there are two (or more) runners
on base, and there is a force out. The only examples of this would be runners
on first and second, and bases loaded. The way that Infield Fly works is that
if the ball is hit in the infield in the air (a pop fly) the umpires will call
out infield fly. The runners all have to go back to their bases. When the
infielder catches it, the runners may then advance at their own risk. If the
infielder misses the ball, the batter is still out. The runners still have to
tag up, but may advance at their own risk. No matter what happens, the batter
is always automatically out.
Ground Rule Double
A
Ground Rule Double is simply when the batter hits the ball, and it hits the
ground in the outfield, but goes over the fence. The runner then goes to second
base, no matter what. Even if the runner is on third base when the ball goes
over the fence, they still have to go to second base.
Bunt Foul Third Strike
The
reason that you never see anyone (maybe besides the pitcher in majors) bunt
when there are two strikes, is because when the batter bunts with two strikes
and it goes foul, the batter is called out. The batter can bunt foul with 0 and
1 strikes, and won’t be called out. But I advise you to swing away with two
strikes.
Player Interference
Player
interference is when the Offensive or Defensive player interferes with the
other team’s actions. For example, if the runner is running around the bases,
and the shortstop is in the way of the base path (where the runner rounds the
bases), the runner has the right to try and advance to the next base, and if
out, may complain that the defensive player was in the way. This would be an
example of Defensive Interference.
An
example of Offensive Interference would be if the runner runs into a defensive
player, but the defender isn’t in the base path. The runner would then be
called out for Offensive Interference.
Another example of interference is Catcher’s Interference. Catcher’s Interference
is when during the batter’s swing, the batter’s bat hits any part of the
catcher. The batter is then awarded a free base. The only time that it doesn’t
count, is when the batter has followed through on his swing, and the bat hits
the catcher when the ball has already been hit or missed.
Fan
Interference is when someone (or something) interferes with the game. An
example would be if a fan came running onto the field. Also, it could be as
simple as a bag distracting the pitcher or a fielder. If a fan does interfere
with the game, it will usually result of them being put into handcuffs and
maybe worse. In Little League, you will
probably just get a warning, but you still shouldn’t do it.
Balk
In baseball, a pitcher can commit a number of illegal
motions or actions that are called a balk. Most of these motions involve
a pitcher pretending to pitch when he has no intention of doing so. A balk
results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In the event a balk is enforced,
the pitch is generally (but not always) out of play, each runner is awarded one
base, and the batter remains at bat, with the previous count.
According to Wikipedia, here are a few examples of
balks:
1.
Switches his (or her) pitching position from the windup to the set (or vice
versa) without properly disengaging the rubber.
2.
When pitching from the set position, fails to make a complete stop with his
hands together before beginning to pitch.
3.
Throws from the rubber to an unoccupied base, unless a play is imminent.
4.
Drops the ball while on the rubber, even if by accident, if the ball does not
subsequently cross a foul line.
5.
After bringing his hands together on the rubber, separates them while not
throwing a pitch.
Conclusion
Next month, join me for Part 2 on the Other Plays in Baseball. Help me out my clicking the "Join This Site" Button in the upper-right hand corner of my blog.
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Thank you!
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