ThomHinton

Absolutely Beerguy55 has given you the best answer. The only thing I might add is that the Official Scorer must be absolutely certain that the out would have been made at 2nd base. Not probably, not most likely, but a certainty. "If you think you've seen it all, come to a minor league baseball game."

It is not necessarily laziness. Remember there are position restrictions for coaches plus new timing restrictions. There are only 30 seconds from the end of the play to the next pitch. Time is not called when a batter sheds his protective gear nor when the 'bat boy' retreives it from him or the first base coach, the clock is running. If the third base coach were to ask for time to deliver it the dugout that 'could' be considered against the batter negating his only one request for time during his plate appearance. As for waiting, that also brings some baggage. The coach can't lay it down creating an obstacle to fielding a batted ball. If he holds on to it, I'm not sure how that would affect any signs or signals the coach might attempt to give to a subsequent batter or base runner. How do you go through a complicated hit and run signal while holding onto protective gear from the previous runner?

That was exactly it. Everyone knows the runner at third base is going to score via the sacrifice fly. He wore the protective gear all the way around to third base. Is there a penalty/violation if the third base coach were to hand it back to him as he trots home after the ball is caught and he has tagged up? In more than 1300 minor league games I have never seen it happen, but as I often say, "If you think you've seen it all, come to a minor league baseball game."

As a minor league Official Scorer for 20+ years I will admit that I have not seen this happen, YET! I was asked about the ramifications, if any, in the following scenario. First batter of the inning hits a triple and when he arrives at third base sheds his protective gear, handing it the third base coach. Of course in this scenario the team's dugout is along the first base line. The next batter hits the first pitch high and deep to right center field so everyone assumes a sacrifice fly. Is there a penalty/violation if after the ball is caught, the coach hands the runner his protective gear to carry into the dugout? I do not believe 6.01(a)(8) is in play here, but my recommendation to the coach was just don't do it.