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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcb!pumphrey
From: pumphrey@ttidcb.UUCP (Larry Pumphrey)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: An infield-fly-rule question
Message-ID: <475@ttidcb.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Oct-85 09:01:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcb.475
Posted: Tue Oct 15 09:01:31 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Oct-85 20:38:26 EDT
Organization: TTI, Santa Monica, CA.
Lines: 28


    An interesting situation occurred in the NLCS game of  Thursday  10/10
    when Ozzie Smith was on first base  with  one  out.  Andujar  was  the
    batter  and  was trying to sacrifice Smith over to second base when he
    bunted a pop-up to the Dodger pitcher, Hersheiser,  who  intentionally
    allowed  the  bunt  to  drop  (he could have caught the ball) and then
    threw the ball to second to start a successful  inning  ending  double
    play.  The  situation  did  not  call for the infield fly rule because
    nobody was on second base.  My question is the following:  The infield
    fly  rule was created to disallow double plays caused by intentionally
    dropped pop flies.  The rule states that baserunners must be on  first
    _and_  second  base  with  less  than  two outs for the rule to apply.
    Presumably, the reason that the IF rule does not apply with only first
    base occupied is that the batter should be able to  reach  first  base
    before a pop fly ball is caught, thus eliminating the possibility of a
    double play.  The previously described NLCS situation did not seem  to
    fall  into  this  category  as  the  arc  of  the  pop bunt was not of
    sufficient height to permit Andujar to reach first base.  I guess what
    I'm  talking  about  is  it  appears that the baseball rules committee
    should expand the scope of the  infield  fly  rule  to  cover  special
    situations  with  only  a  baserunner at first and less than two outs.
    For example, consider the possibility that an infielder  intentionally
    drops a line drive for an error in order to get a double play.  Should
    the IF rule be expanded to cover special situations  with  only  first
    base occupied, when in the _judgement_ of the umpire the batter had no
    chance to reach first base (for a fielder's choice) when a fly ball is
    intentionally dropped or allowed to hit the ground first.  What do all
    you basenetters think about this?