Pitcher Leg Ball

[JerseyBall]

One of the teams in our organization played a game the other night and had bases loaded. The pitcher hit her leg with the pitch and the ball dropped to her right and rolled toward the foul line. The runner on third took off and crossed the plate while the other team watched the ball roll just short of the foul line.

The ump called it a dead ball and returned the runner to third and didn't call it a ball. When the coach asked about it, he said it would have been a different story had the ball rolled foul. Then it would have been a ball but the runner still couldn't have scored. Our coach walked away in a big what. Of course when he told me the story, he prefaced it with "just when you think you've seen everything..."

The ump got it wrong, didn't he?

 

[JAD]

I am not an expert on the subject, but IMHO the ball should have been treated as 'live', and the runners can advance, just like they can on a wild pitch or a passed ball, and the pitch should be considered a 'ball' on the batter.

 

[MTR]

One of the teams in our organization played a game the other night and had bases loaded. The pitcher hit her leg with the pitch and the ball dropped to her right and rolled toward the foul line. The runner on third took off and crossed the plate while the other team watched the ball roll just short of the foul line.

The ump called it a dead ball and returned the runner to third and didn't call it a ball. When the coach asked about it, he said it would have been a different story had the ball rolled foul. Then it would have been a ball but the runner still couldn't have scored. Our coach walked away in a big what. Of course when he told me the story, he prefaced it with "just when you think you've seen everything..."

The ump got it wrong, didn't he?

Rule set, please.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I have it as a ball and live ball. I tell my pitchers that is all it is.

 

[JerseyBall]

Oh yea, sorry, ASA

 

[MTR]

In ASA, that is a live ball. Runners may advance at their own risk, but there is something the defense must understand. If the ball is anywhere near the batter to the point s/he can still hit it, the defense cannot step out and pick up that pitch as that could be construed as obstruction.

 

[Gbucz]

I would agree it is a live ball and tell my girls the same thing. Just as if the throw back to the pitcher goes by and rolls to CF it is live and runners may advance at their own peril.

To add a twist to this I saw a strange one a few years back: there were two strikes on the batter and pitcher hits her leg nd the ball starts rolling toward home. The batter swung to make it a third strike and ran to 1st on the dropped third rule!? (I personally hate the rule) The catcher waited for it to get to her and then threw late to 1st. The ump gave the girl 1st base becaue he was unsure if the ball had to be hittable or even who the drop could be called on. The batter's coach was well known to twist rules in his favor whenever possible. I never heard the outcome but the ump did say he would file an appeal on behalf of the team for an official ruling. Just when you thought you had seen it all.

 

[BretMan]

- Batters may bat into play a bounced or rolled pitch, just the same as any other pitch.

- Batters also may swing and miss a bounced or rolled pitch and it would be a strike, just the same as any other pitch.

- If a batter swings at a bounced or rolled pitch, but misses for strike three, then it would be considered an uncaught third strike. A "catch" of a third strike means that the ball was in-flight from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's catch. If it touched the ground anywhere between those two points, then it is an uncaught third strike.

 

[Gbucz]

So is the rule uncaught third stike or dropped third strike? Meaning that the catcher touched it or lost possession or is it any ball on the ground when the third strike occurs?

 

[chinamigarden]

The rule is an uncaught third strike. meaning if it hits the ground at all, its all treated the same. Even if it bounces directly into the catchers glove where it remains. It is an uncaught third strike, and the batter has the same opportunities she would have if it was a passed ball on a third strike,.