DROPPED THIRD STRIKE
QUESTION: In high school, baseball and softball, no out; no runners on base; batter has count of 2 balls and 2 strikes. Batter swings at a pitch which is in the dirt in front of the plate and the bat tips the ball which goes directly into the catcher’s mitt. Pitch is caught by catcher. Is this a dropped third strike? Can batter attempt to advance to first base? Is this a foul ball or foul tip?
ANSWER: Live ball, foul tip, batter is called out on strike three. Even though pitch contacted ground, the tipped pitch on the swing traveled sharply and directly into the catcher’s mitt and catcher maintained possession of foul tip. If catcher dropped this tipped pitch and ball contacted the ground, it would be ruled an uncaught foul ball. Batter would remain at bat with same count (BB- Rule 2, Sec. 16, Art. 2; SB- Rule 2, Sec. 25, Art. 2).
QUESTION: Runner on first base; two outs; batter has a count of three balls and two strikes; batter swings and misses pitch which is dropped by the catcher for apparent third strike. Plate umpire calls, “Strike”, on missed swing. Base runner continues to advance to second due to apparent dropped third strike. Batter, thinking he/she is out on strike three, heads towards the dugout. Is the batter out in this play? Is this a dropped third strike situation? Can batter-runner advance to first base? Is batter automatically out for giving up effort?
ANSWER: This is a dropped third strike play; ball remains in play and batter-runner is entitled to advance to first base provided he/she did not enter the dugout. It is the responsibility of the defense to put out the batter-runner is this play. If first base was occupied with less than two outs, batter-runner would be declared out on dropped third strike but ball remains in play (BB- Rule 7, Sec. 4 Art. 1, b; SB- Rule 7, Sec. 4, Art. 7, Note).
