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From: cpf@lasspvax.UUCP (Courtenay Footman)
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: An infield-fly-rule question
Message-ID: <613@lasspvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 20-Oct-85 13:32:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: lasspvax.613
Posted: Sun Oct 20 13:32:43 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Oct-85 05:20:56 EDT
References: <475@ttidcb.UUCP>
Reply-To: cpf@lasspvax.UUCP (Courtenay Footman)
Organization: LASSP, Cornell University
Lines: 30
Summary: 

The original article wondered if there should be a rule about deliberately
dropped fly balls to prevent double plays.  This is not the right question,
because there is such a rule!
6.05 "A batter is out when --"...
(l)  "An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive,
with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and
third occupied before two are out.  The ball is dead and runner or
runners shall return to their original bases;

    "APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the
infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except
where the infield fly rule applies."

In any event, this rule would not apply to the play described in the
preceding article, because that was not a fair fly ball or line drive,
but a bunt.  The thought seems to be that a bungled bunt deserves
heavy punishment:

2.00 ... "An INFIELD FLY is a fair fly ball (not including a line
drive or attempted bunt)" ...

Thus the rules for a deliberately dropped ball do exist, and are
sufficient.  An amusing note is that when 6.05.l was first written the
word infielder was left out, until a student at umpire school asked
"What would happen if an outfielder deliberately dropped the ball?"
The horrified instructor hurriedly contacted the rules committee.
-- 
Courtenay Footman		arpa:	cpf@lnsvax
Newman Lab. of Nuclear Studies	usenet (finally this will work):
Cornell University               {decvax,ihnp4,cmcl2,vax135}!cornell!lnsvax!cpf