this to this one...

[UmpJM]

Good catch, I wasn't thinking about i being R3 only when I was trying to note the difference. Say you have R2, R3 but only R3 is stealing then only R3 gets the base, R2 stays at second.

And the sitch Michael describes (i.e. R3 & R2 only, R3 going, R2 not going) is the ONLY sitch where the 7.07 "double penalty" makes any difference in the ruling on the play.

That's why I think of it as "the stupid R2 rule".

JM

[UmpTTS43]

In OBR if the R3 is stealing and the F2 catches the ball in the zone or in front of the plate then 7.07 kicks in. Award the batter first for the CI and all runners a base for the balk.

Not true. 7.07 applies when the catcher steps on or in front of the plate, or when there is actual CI. There is no penalty if F2 simply reaches out over the plate to receive the pitch while not stepping on the plate. With F2 reaching into the zone, there is the very real possibility of CI happening, but that act, by itself, is not illegal.

Edited February 14, 2010 by UmpTTS43

[mstaylor]

I would be hard pressed to make the distinction between partway in the zone and too deep in the zone. If the catcher reaches into the zone and you think he took the chance of swinging away from the batter, bang the CI. Good catchers with quick hands reach in the zone on a fairly regular basis but are rarely caught. If you catch it, call it.