re: Lost the game on a dropped third strike!

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It’s the dumbest rule in sports. And especially dumb in the lower levels of baseball. Little league kids that can barely throw strikes, manage a strikeout and then the catcher whiffs it and little Johnny gets a free base . Meanwhile the pitcher has to throw another 25 pitches to get out of the inning. All while leagues are trying to keep pitch counts down.

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I don’t mind it at upper levels. I’m not sure why it was originally implemented, though. But you’re right about it being ridiculous in Little League. I don’t think we started it until high school.

But my daughter’s 10-year-old team had it. 1st year after coaches pitch and the girls can barely throw strikes. Probably half the runs were from dropped strikeouts that the catcher missed. Then usually proceeded to throw to 1st after the hitter was already there, where the ball would inevitably wind up in right field and the girl who struck out would wind up on 3rd or a lot of times even scoring. At a level where just getting an out of any kind is a huge deal, talking one away on a dropped/missed 3rd strike is just fricking retarded.