Folks, a foul tip IS a live ball!

[Thunderheads]

Why the hesitation in the mechanic here?

 

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=30122141&query=cabrera napping

[Larry in TN]

That's exactly what I was talking about a week, or two, ago with trying to teach 13-15yr olds the difference between a foul and a foul tip.  

[scrounge]

Didn't seem like an overly long delay, just a quick check to see if he caught it. Seemed like such a routine play that a normal, relaxed mechanic was fine. Bad, bad baserunning.

[maven]

I think Jeff is referring to the fact that the PU started his mechanic, stopped, then did it again.

 

He seems to pick up the runner stopping mid-steal, and I'd guess he was wondering "what the...?" Cabrera's smarter than that.

[umpstu]

I think Maven's comment is spot on. Some things just surprise you back there. Like turning a DP with two outs.

[grayhawk]

I think Jeff is referring to the fact that the PU started his mechanic, stopped, then did it again.

 

He seems to pick up the runner stopping mid-steal, and I'd guess he was wondering "what the...?" Cabrera's smarter than that.

 

I had the same impression.  He's in the middle of giving the foul tip mechanic, and sees Cabrera and stops to think, "this could be interesting."

[Richvee]

Cabrera's smarter than that.

Evidently not. 

[maven]

 

Cabrera's smarter than that.

Evidently not. 

 

 

Yeah he is. You've never had a brain fart?

[MCump]

On the isolated park audio from MLB.TV Joyce verbalizes "Foul Tip" and you can hear the dugout yelling at him about that after the play.  Not that it should have affected Cabrera who would have been out by a mile no matter what.

[Richvee]

 

 

Cabrera's smarter than that.

Evidently not. 

 

 

Yeah he is. You've never had a brain fart?

 

Nope. Never.     

[UmpJM]

That's exactly what I was talking about a week, or two, ago with trying to teach 13-15yr olds the difference between a foul and a foul tip.  

 

Larry,

 

I believe a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that people assume it's a "special case" of a foul ball.

 

It's really a "special case" of a catch.

 

JM

[afaber12]

I wonder if the pause in the mechanic was to do with realising something was happening, and that maybe R3 was going to try something or already was trying something, in which case he'd have to be ready for it.

 

If you're attempting to steal and there may or may not be a foul, you keep going and stay on the base until you're told to go back. "Play to the whistle" doesn't exactly work word-for-word in baseball, but the idea's still right.

[maven]

 

That's exactly what I was talking about a week, or two, ago with trying to teach 13-15yr olds the difference between a foul and a foul tip.  

 

Larry,

 

I believe a lot of the confusion comes from the fact that people assume it's a "special case" of a foul ball.

 

It's really a "special case" of a catch.

 

JM

 

 

John, it's also a special case of a foul ball, since it is a batted ball first touched over foul territory and caught, yet does not result in an out.