How many people know a base runner can tag up and advance on a fly ball caught in foul territory?

It happened in a game the other night and over half the people didn't know it wasn't against the rules! That also got me thinking, that it isn't common for that to happen. Most people had never seen it happen.

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ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

Ooo, ooo, ME!!! That's why sometimes a fielder will let a ball drop in foul territory if the runner on third might tag up and score on the play.

WizardofOz · 26-30, M

@ChipmunkErnie Yeah, I was gonna mention that! I've played and watched a lot of baseball and have never seen a situation when that happened. That's extremely rare.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@WizardofOz I've seen it -- but then I've been playing and watching baseball for all my life, so that's over 70 years. ;) What I want to see someday is a catcher's balk is actually called -- "Rule 5.02(a) says a catcher’s balk happens when the catcher is out of position on a pitch: “Except that when the batter is being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet within the lines of the catcher’s box until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.”"

WizardofOz · 26-30, M

@ChipmunkErnie I actually just saw that about a week ago! The catcher clear set up outside the box, with a runner on first(a base stealing runner) but it was never called. The manager did argue but the ump didn't see it his way.

RenFur · 70-79, M

@ChipmunkErnie

What I want to see - who knows, this may have happened [i][i]somewhere[/i][/i] - is a home run hit (better yet, a grand slam with 2 outs) on an fly ball that, on an extremely windy day, looks like it's going to go to the short outfield but blows back to the infield, caroms off the pitching rubber wildly skipping past where the catcher was clear to the backstop allowing all the runners to score.

AbbySvenz · F

Alas, they demolished Candlestick Park. Where the three flags flying over the outfield flew in three different directions…..@RenFur

RenFur · 70-79, M

@AbbySvenz

I understand it was like FREEZING in the summer, too... true?

AbbySvenz · F

If my step-dads stories are to be believed, yeah.@RenFur

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ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@WizardofOz NO ONE seems to care about the catcher being outside the box -- or usually the batter being outside the batter's box, either. I guess it's "progress" -- sort of like the way no one calls palming, travelling, or turning the ball over in the NBA these days.

WizardofOz · 26-30, M

@ChipmunkErnie I actually watched a video on how what is considered"traveling" has changed through the years. It is actually ridiculous! They showed players running from mid court with the ball palmed! I'm not a huge basketball fan but that had me rolling my eyes.