Does an umpire have discretion on a ground rule double?
“It’s a ground-rule double. There’s no discretion that the umpires have. In this play right here, the ball was no longer in flight because it hit the front part of the wall. So you cannot catch the ball off the wall.
What is the rule for batter interference?
Per rule 6.03 (a) (3) reads, “A batter is out for illegal action when he interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher at home plate.” The Pro rule parallels the NCAA rule.
Can a batter step out of the batter’s box?
A batter cannot jump or step out of the batter’s box and hit the ball. Rule 6.06(c) Comment: If the batter interferes with the catcher, the plate umpire shall call “interference.” The batter is out and the ball dead.
Why don t pitchers apologize for hitting a batter?
The etiquette reason is that an apology would be insincere. The pitcher is not sorry. The pitcher is angry that he gave the other team a runner. Or the pitcher was carrying out an order of retaliation from the manager, in which case an apology would be passive aggressive.
Why was that a ground-rule double?
A ground rule double is a double awarded by the umpire because a fair ball became unplayable according the the ground rules of the ballpark. Until 1931, balls bouncing over the fence were counted as home runs, and this difference in playing rules is respected when tabulating historical statistics.
Who has the most ground rule doubles?
Tris Speaker
A batter may also be credited with a ground-rule double when a fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands or becomes lodged in a fence or scoreboard. Hall of Fame center fielder Tris Speaker holds the Major League Baseball career doubles record with 792.
Does a batter have to avoid a pitch?
Per the rules, a batter must make an attempt to avoid being hit by a pitch in order to receive first base.
Who is out in batter interference?
If the batter interferes with the catcher’s throw after the batter is out on strike three, the umpire shall call “Time,” and the runner is declared out for the batter’s interference. All other runners are returned to the base they previously occupied.
Can a hitter run back to home plate?
A.R. 3—On a tag play between home plate and first base, a batter-runner may retreat toward home plate to evade a tag, but shall be declared out after touching or passing home plate, or leaving the base line. The ball remains live. Therefore, a runner can back up to just before he would touch home plate.
Can a pitcher switch sides during an at bat?
Yes, the batter may switch sides during an at-bat, subject to the rule that he cannot leave the batter’s box once the pitcher is ready to deliver the ball (he would have to ask the umpire to call time).
Why do batters stare at pitcher after strikeout?
They want to avoid eye contact with their manager, hitting coach or other players because they don’t want to feel more embarrassed than they’re already feeling. They want to stare at a pitcher to deliver a message through eye contact, “I will hit it next time”.
What pitch is illegal in baseball?
This seems to meet the definition of “illegal pitch” in the MLB rulebook, which reads, “An ILLEGAL PITCH is (1) a pitch delivered to the batter when the pitcher does not have his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher’s plate; (2) a quick return pitch. An illegal pitch when runners are on base is a balk.”