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The uncaught third strike in baseball
Posted on 6/17/13 at 12:58 pm
Posted on 6/17/13 at 12:58 pm
How do you feel about this rule? Personally, I've never liked it. It's been around for as long as I've been a baseball fan, but I often-times find myself wondering who the hell ever came up with it and what purpose that it serves. I've always considered it somewhat unfair and simply strange that a strikout victim is given an opportunity to reach base despite striking out.
Wikipedia blurb for those that aren't familiar with baseball:
Wikipedia blurb for those that aren't familiar with baseball:
quote:
In baseball and softball, an uncaught third strike (often inaccurately referred to as a dropped third strike) occurs when the catcher fails to cleanly catch a pitch for the third strike. A pitch is considered uncaught if the ball touches the ground before being caught, or if the ball is dropped after being grasped (see also catch). In Major League Baseball, the specific rules concerning the uncaught third strike are addressed in Rules 6.05 and 6.09 of the Official Baseball Rules.[1]
On an uncaught third strike with no runner on first base or with two outs, the batter immediately becomes a runner. The strike is called, but the umpire does not call the batter out. The umpire may also actively signal that there is "no catch" of the pitch. The batter may then attempt to reach first base and must be tagged or thrown out. With two outs and the bases loaded, the catcher who fails to catch the third strike may, upon picking up the ball, step on home plate for a force-out or make a throw to any other fielder.
This post was edited on 6/17/13 at 1:01 pm
7
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:02 pm to JPLSU1981
I like it. It's kind of one of those rules when it works for your team you like it and when it doesn't you don't. But overall I like it and it does makes sense.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:02 pm to JPLSU1981
I don't see how it is any different than a guy who gets on via error.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:03 pm to JPLSU1981
I agree, I hate this rule. Seems like it gives the hitter an advantage in a situation where he has already failed.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:03 pm to AU_RX
quote:
Seems like it gives the hitter an advantage in a situation where he has already failed.
the bigger fail is the guy playing the position called "catcher" not catching the ball
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:04 pm to AU_RX
quote:
Seems like it gives the hitter an advantage in a situation where he has already failed
You mean like a pitcher picking off a baserunner? That kind of interpretation can be applied to rule out many things.
This post was edited on 6/17/13 at 1:13 pm
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:05 pm to TH03
quote:
the bigger fail is the guy playing the position called "catcher" not catching the ball
this
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:06 pm to TH03
It's not always on the catcher. There are some nasty strikeout pitches that pitchers utilize.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:08 pm to TH03
You ever try to catch a nasty 12/6 that hits the plate?
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:08 pm to 3HourTour
quote:
It's not always on the catcher. There are some nasty strikeout pitches that pitchers utilize.
Yep...just seems wrong to me that the hitter can advance on a wild pitch that he struck out on. It's not always a passed ball.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:08 pm to TH03
What about a wild pitch or ball throw over catchers head? Swing at a ball thrown 54 or 55 feet and hope the catcher can't block the pitch or takes a strange bounce.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:11 pm to JPLSU1981
Doesn't make sense..wouldn't take it out of the game though..it's part of the game breh!
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:12 pm to JPLSU1981
I only really have a problem with it when the batter looks so stupid on a pitch that he often blocks the catcher's view.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:14 pm to goldenbadger08
quote:
It's kind of one of those rules when it works for your team you like it and when it doesn't you don't.
In game four of the 1941 Series, Brooklyn was only one out away from evening the series. Dodgers reliever Hugh Casey faced Tommy Henrich with the Yankees down to their last batter. Henrich, whose nicknames include "Old Reliable" and "The Clutch", would become the first player to hit a walk-off home run in a World Series eight years later. But before that, he dealt with Casey in 1941. Henrich worked the count full before a Casey breaking ball got him to swing and miss for strike three, and what would have been the end of the game. Unfortunately, Dodger catcher Mickey Owen didn't catch the ball and Henrich made it safely to first. A subsequent rally by the Yankees stunned Brooklyn and turned that game around. It also turned around the series and immortalized the uncaught third strike.
It's one of those weird rules...that in essence is elevating the 3rd strike...that the pitcher has to make a better pitch to get the batter out and won't be rewarded by the batter going after a junk pitch...that the 3rd strike must be hittable.
Interesting history/debate:
quote:
The original rule about catching the third strike emerged around 1880, about 15 years before players began widespread use of gloves. Some believe the 'dropped' third strike came from devious catchers purposely muffing a pitch to try and get two outs instead of one. For example, with the bases loaded, a dropped third strike could easily lead to a double play, and possibly a triple play. It's a gambit that seems difficult with modern day pitchers and their 100 m.p.h. fastballs and fast-breaking sliders, but pitchers in the early days of baseball didn't have quite the arsenal and a play like that could have been popular.
However, it's doubtful that the purposeful drop was the sole contributor to the rule of a clean catch on strike three. If it were, rule 6.05 (c) would suffice to protect the base runners, just like the Infield Fly Rule. 6.05 (c) is similar to the infield fly and surely would be the lone rule in the matter if deception by the catcher were the only catalyst to the uncaught third strike.
One thing that makes 6.05 (b), and the idea that rules require a clean catch for the out on strikes, mesh with the rest of baseball's rules is that a defender must catch the ball to record an out. With no force and no tag on a batter before the ball is in play, the act of catching the ball cleanly on a pitch must have seemed necessary to early rule makers.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:15 pm to JPLSU1981
The thing I feel that doesn't make sense is why the rule isn't in effect when 1st base is occupied w/less than 2 outs.
On a sidenote umped a game when the pitcher had 6 strikeouts in one inning and no one score.
On a sidenote umped a game when the pitcher had 6 strikeouts in one inning and no one score.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:18 pm to 3HourTour
so it's the batters fault for swinging at it or the pitcher for throwing an uncatchable ball?
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:20 pm to TigerintheNO
quote:
The thing I feel that doesn't make sense is why the rule isn't in effect when 1st base is occupied w/less than 2 outs.
Catchers may drop the ball on purpose to get a double play.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 1:29 pm to Master of Sinanju
quote:
Catchers may drop the ball on purpose to get a double play.
see your point, like the infield fly and it not being a force.
Posted on 6/17/13 at 2:01 pm to TigerintheNO
quote:how does that happen?
On a sidenote umped a game when the pitcher had 6 strikeouts in one inning and no one score.
**disclaimer** rhetorical question
Posted on 6/17/13 at 2:40 pm to Zamoro10
quote:
One thing that makes 6.05 (b), and the idea that rules require a clean catch for the out on strikes, mesh with the rest of baseball's rules is that a defender must catch the ball to record an out.
This is what makes the rule make sense to me. Just because a batter fails doesn't mean he's automatically out. Just like if a batter "fails" by hitting a pop up on the infield or a weak ground ball back to the pitcher. A catch must still be made in order for the batter to be called out. It's just a fundamental part of baseball.
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