flyingron

I spent 15 years as a NASCAR official. Not quite the same thing, but ESPN thinks it's a sport.

If the field isn't lit, I just pick an arbitrary time based on the local sunset and say "We're not starting any new innings after 5PM" or whatever.

Since this has already run astray of the original subject, I'll toss in my non-baseball experience. I spent over a decade officiating at a Saturday-night NASCAR track (think minor leagues). One day they ask if I can officiate a go-kart (mostly kids) event hosted at my track. Learn the only thing worse than drivers are driver's parents. When one starts to get in my face, I calmly point out that I'm not sure what they are used to in officiating, but that we don't do that here and if he doesn't sit down, I'll have that nice police officer over there escort both him and his kid off the premises.

At the beginning of the inning, is the "due up" batter really the on deck batter?

You can't unscore the run. Now if there was another runner trailing, you'd have to make a call, but what was the runner interfering with?

Perhaps the Browns should pick up Kaepernick now that the NFL seems to be backtracking on his blacklisting.

I spent nearly fifteen years as a NASCAR official. One week the local go kart operation decides to run a race on the "big track" and I get volunteered to help officiate that. As bad as drivers and team crew chiefs are, driver's parents (most of the kart drivers are kids) are the worst. I told one parent that I wasn't sure what he was used to at their other venues, but this was a NASCAR track and if he didn't go back to his seat, the nice security guard over there would escort him and his kid off the premises.

And they may still not. Thousandths of a second maybe within the error range of the timing devices. The lower number in that place may just be randomness.

Don't see anything in the Nationals Park or general ground rules on this. The closest is that: A ball lodging behind or under canvas on field tarpaulin is out of play. similarly: A batted or thrown ball lodging in the rotating signage behind home plate or along the first base or third base stands is out of play.

I was expecting the Naked Gun dustbuster scene.

https://deadspin.com/red-sox-and-rangers-cast-aside-all-dignity-in-battle-ov-1838506027

OK, agreed. I see what you are saying now. The fielder needs to be off the bag for that to work.

Then it would not be "via force out."

5.05(b)(2) covers this. If he swings at it or the ball is in the strike zone when it hits him, it's dead and a strike.

Even little leaguers know this. If you're trying for a double play via force out, you need to throw the ball to third then to second.