Another Baseball Puzzler 2

[philhege]

In honor of Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown (the first since Yaz in '67) and the sweep of the Yankees, here's another baseball puzzler:

How is it possible to have a triple play without any fielder's touching the batted ball?



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With business clients like mine, you'd be better off herding cats.

 

[CajunCenturion]

[hide]Runners on first and second, no outs. Batter pops up towards the SS. Batter is declared out by infield fly rule. The runner on first, who was breaking on the pitch, passes up the runner on 2nd, thus making the runner on first out number two. Meanwhile, the runner on 2nd is touched by the pop fly as it comes down, thus making him out number three.[/hide]making

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[vacunita]

Spoiler

Though most people agree on that, I was under the impression play stops the second the infield fly rule is called, and all other players must return to their starting locations. If play is let to continue then the infield fly rule is pointless, as any fielder could simply grab the ball and continue play.

Spoiler

If a runner is touched by an infield fly that hasnl't been touched by anyone of the fielding team, both runner and batter are out instantly. To get the third out, The third player must run off base, after the runner is touched by the fly ball, and does not return to his base after the play is over for whatever reason, Umpire calls out.

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Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Web & Tech

 

[CajunCenturion]

[hide]==> I was under the impression play stops the second the infield fly rule is called, ...
It does not. The ball remains alive and runners may retreat to their previous base or advance to the next base. Once the rule is declared, the batter is out, but play continues. If the infield fly is caught, then the runners must return to their original bases; however, if it is not caught, runners may advance, but importantly, they are not forced to the next base. The sole purpose of the infield fly rule is to prevent an easy double play by watching the runners and playing accordginly. If the runners do not move towards their next base, then the fielders can allow to ball to hit the ground and easily get force outs at 3rd and 2nd base. If the runners do move towards their next base, then they catch the ball and double the runners(s) before they can return. By calling the infield fly rule immediately, the batter is out, meaning all force outs are also off the table, and the runners are on their own.[/hide]

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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something. - Plato

 

[philhege]

Well done, CC, and probably more well-known than I thought. I know an umpire who claimed he witnessed such a play.

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With business clients like mine, you'd be better off herding cats.

 

[vacunita]

I see thanks for the explanation. CC. Very informative. Though it still suggests a double or triple play is possible if the runners are tagged in travel between bases. Correct?.

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Phil AKA Vacunita
----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Web & Tech

 

[CajunCenturion]

Once the infield fly is called, runners are not longer required to advance, so they will normally return to their bases. Even if the fielders choose to not catch it, the runners can just stay right where they are. They don't have to advance.

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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
Wise men speak because they have something to say, fools because they have to say something. - Plato