Sunday, April 7, 2013

Know the Rules- Part 13


Last Week's Question:

In which situations does the dropped third strike rule come into play?

Answer:

If there are less than 2 outs and first base is unoccupied OR when there are 2 outs (and it doesn't matter where the runners are).  Simple as that, but coaches, players and fans get soooooooooo confused about this one.

If you're an infielder, especially a catcher, you REALLY need to be aware of this one.  Suppose there's one out, bases are loaded, the third strike pops out of your glove, and you throw to first.  And the throw sails over the first baseman's head...and 1 or 2 runs score...and that costs you the game...totally unnecessary, and easily prevented.

If you're a batter or a baserunner, you also need to be aware of what could happen.  If you're on base, you need to know when to run or when to stay put.  If you're a batter, maybe you choose to cause a bit of chaos and run when first base is occupied, just to see what happens...


This Week's Question:

How long does the batter have to enter the batter's box?  How long does the pitcher have before they must pitch the ball?  What are the consequences if the batter or the pitcher take too long?



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