HWK34BB

Mudder, Excellent job with the situational awareness. I must share a similar hidden ball trick where my base/field partner was "clued in" and I, the PU, was not. This happened an NFHS national tournament: Top of 7th. Visitors chasing by one run. Runner at 2B, 1 out. Batter hits deep fly ball to center field, causing F8 to go back to the warning track. I rotate up 3rd base line to cover in the event F8 fails to make a catch. I was also convinced that R2 would advance to 3B on the catch since the fly ball was batted so deeply. F8 did catch the fly ball for out #2. I read the play. R2 tags up, stays put at 2B. I tell my partner, "I'm going back home". The ball is thrown to F6, who slowly trots back to the infield and apparently fakes a lob to the pitcher, retaining the ball. My partner is watching the entire time. R2 and base coaches are oblivious to it. Pitcher is just lingering along the backside of the mound, watching the next batter approach the batters box. As I am putting my mask back on and squaring up to receive the pitch, my partner is banging R2 out to end the game(R2 had drifted off 2nd base and F6 tagged him on the back). I see my partner trot off the field behind 1st base dugout, and, I see both dugouts clear to go shake hands. Me? I'm still standing behind home plate with that clueless "bibiddy-bibiddy-bibiddy" look on my face, asking myself what had just happened. I then caught some snap and made my way off the field.

R3, runner at 3rd, returns to 3B, since the umpire killed play when ruling on the Type A obstruction. Had R3 crossed the plate before the obstruction occured, the run would score.

No tag! After attempting to "apply" the tag, Cairo/1B(F3), failed to complete Rule 2, definition of a tag. While in the process of transferring Cairo lost control of the ball. Cairo never had full control and did not actually transfer the ball, per Rule 2, from glove to throwing hand(free hand). Based on my observation of the video I do not observe the batter-runner exceeding 3 ft to his right. Batter-runner stays on first base. Isn't this stuff fun!

A good, experienced catcher will "receive" the pitch. A poor or inexperienced catcher often "stabs" at pitches. Simply tell the catcher, "I am looking for strikes. I like to call strikes. When you shift at the last second or 'hold' the mitt out in front of you, this hinders my view of the strike zone". If the kid has any basic common sense, he will understand your message.