Tagging with two hands

[Guest Andrew]

Hello all,

so this is from the World Series game tonight but slightly modified. Catcher (or any fielder) lays down a tag with the ball in the mitt. Bare hand is holding the glove closed from the outside. The runner slides and touches only the bare hand and not the glove before touching the bag. Is he safe or out? I said safe.

[WilsonFlyer]

That "bare hand" just became part and parcel of the gloved ball. It's hard for me to imagine a scenario here where I wouldn't have an out. It's equally hard for me to imagine the scenario you described actually happening.

[maven]

In amateur ball, the mitt tagged the runner.

In games with replay, they'll call what they're told to call. A tag with an empty glove (ball in bare hand, glove tags runner) is no tag; but here we have the throwing hand securing the ball in the mitt. That seems to satisfy the rule's requirement of "ball held securely in hand or glove."

I'd count that as a tag, for all that's worth (disclosure: I am not a MLB umpire supervisor).

[isired]

I've never seen a fielder hold his glove closed with his throwing hand on any level. Having said that, I would imagine that in that any league where it might happen, presumably young kids, I'd have to call it an out.

[beerguy55]

31 minutes ago, isired said:

I've never seen a fielder hold his glove closed with his throwing hand on any level. Having said that, I would imagine that in that any league where it might happen, presumably young kids, I'd have to call it an out.

Catchers do/did it all the time - especially before the collision rules were implemented...but the design of the glove makes it easier to pop the ball out, so we teach them to reinforce with the second had.

I prefer to see the kids place/secure the bare hand over the ball in the glove, if there's time to do so.

[Rich Ives]

5 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

Catchers do/did it all the time - especially before the collision rules were implemented...but the design of the glove makes it easier to pop the ball out, so we teach them to reinforce with the second had.

I prefer to see the kids place/secure the bare hand over the ball in the glove, if there's time to do so.

I've seen catchers hold the ball in the glove. Don't recall ever seeing one hold the glove closed.

[isired]

Catchers do/did it all the time - especially before the collision rules were implemented...but the design of the glove makes it easier to pop the ball out, so we teach them to reinforce with the second had.
I prefer to see the kids place/secure the bare hand over the ball in the glove, if there's time to do so.

"Ball in hand, hand in glove"

[Stan W.]

At my levels, I cannot see any way that the described tag in the OP would not be called an Out.