Don Summers

Runner on third base with two outs. The hitter checks his swing and the ball glances off something and goes to the backstop. The umpire calls a past ball off the catcher’s glove so runner scores. The catcher claims the ball hit the bat instead or at least before it hit his glove but manager cannot appeal a foul tip so instead he appeals that the pitch hit the batter. After review there is unarguable video evidence that the ball did not hit the batter but did in fact hit the bat before it glanced off the side of catcher’s glove. Neither what was called on the field nor what was appealed was what actually happened. The manager did not win the appeal because the ball did not hit the batter but the umpire’s call was still wrong. Does the call remain the same or is it changed to a foul ball, which is the correct one, despite that not being something that was called or was challenged and in fact is not eligible for an appeal? If so, does the manager retain his appeal or does he lose it because what he appealed did not happen?

I’m not sure I’m following. If the play had been ruled a catch, obviously the batter would be out and the runner would remain on first. That’s what was initially ruled but then overruled after replay. When the play was ruled a catch the runner from first naturally returned to first and play stopped while the throw came in toward second. After the opposing manager challenged and the call was changed from a catch to a trap, are you saying the runners would be placed on first and second regardless or would it be up to the umpires to decide what would have happened if the play would have been initially called a trap? If that were the case the center fielder could have fairly easily gotten to his feet and thrown to second for the force but did not because play stopped after a catch was ruled. Could the umpires have determined that the runner would have been out at second and decided to rule so if they thought that’s what would have happened if it had been initially ruled a trap?

In Major League Baseball. Runner on first with no one out. Shallow fly ball hit and center fielder dives for the ball and it is called a catch by the umpires. The runner returns to first and the center fielder throws the ball to second baseman standing on the base. The opposing manager challenges the catch and after review the catch call is overturned and the batter is awarded first base. Is the runner who was on first called out due to it becoming a force play after the catch is overturned? Is the play dead? Is it an umpire judgment call or are there specific rules to cover it? What’s the call and why?