So somebody's on the sports recruiters' radar for sure now.

5 in an inning?

oh..catcher farked up...duh.

slayer199: protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

Or better yet, let them participate in a game they WANT to play. (assuming, of course, they want to play a game)

/catcher probably wanted to be playing a real sport...like football.
//kiddin'.

I thought catcher errors on 3rd strikes were scored as E9 (8?) and there wasn't a K on the play.

It doesn't make any sense to me why he'd be credited with a "strikeout" when there was no "out".

Whatever, baseball is weird.

slayer199: My son struck out 6 in one inning at 14. No joke.

The manager's kid sucked...I hate to say it but he sucked. Nice kid, but totally uncoordinated. The manager put him in at catcher but he couldn't catch squat. My son's strikeout pitch was a 12-6 curveball (the only time he threw it was with 2 strikes). He struck 6...all got to first on a dropped 3rd strike. In the previous game the coach's kid dropped 5 3rd strikes in the game. After my son's outing...he met with the other pitchers and they all went to the assistant coach and told him they wouldn't pitch if the manager's son was catching. The coach went to the head coach and the kid never caught another game. I went through the box scores....the manager's kid ended up dropping 20 3rd strikes until the rebellion.

protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

How many batters did he face that inning?

Cyberluddite: slayer199: My son struck out 6 in one inning at 14. No joke.

The manager's kid sucked...I hate to say it but he sucked. Nice kid, but totally uncoordinated. The manager put him in at catcher but he couldn't catch squat. My son's strikeout pitch was a 12-6 curveball (the only time he threw it was with 2 strikes). He struck 6...all got to first on a dropped 3rd strike. In the previous game the coach's kid dropped 5 3rd strikes in the game. After my son's outing...he met with the other pitchers and they all went to the assistant coach and told him they wouldn't pitch if the manager's son was catching. The coach went to the head coach and the kid never caught another game. I went through the box scores....the manager's kid ended up dropping 20 3rd strikes until the rebellion.

protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

Wait, if first base is occupied and there are fewer than two outs, the batter is automatically out on strike three even if the catcher doesn't catch the pitch. And the bases are loaded with two outs and there's an uncaught third strike, all the catcher has to do is grab the ball and step on home plate ahead of the runner from third for a force out. So how is it even possible to strike out 6 in one inning and have all 6 reach base--unless there were several hits in between those strikeouts, which cleared the bases each time?

I think he meant there's 6 strikeouts, and three batters reached base on dropped third strikes. Not sure about the part what happens when first base is occupied though.

The dumbest rule in sports strikes again. And again apparently.

Cyberluddite: Wait, if first base is occupied and there are fewer than two outs, the batter is automatically out on strike three even if the catcher doesn't catch the pitch. And the bases are loaded with two outs and there's an uncaught third strike, all the catcher has to do is grab the ball and step on home plate ahead of the runner from third for a force out. So how is it even possible to strike out 6 in one inning and have all 6 reach base--unless there were several hits in between those strikeouts, which cleared the bases each time?

If the runner on first takes off like a steal the batter can take first. You're correct about just needing to step on home for the out once the bases are loaded, but this catcher seems really bad.

Cyberluddite: Wait, if first base is occupied and there are fewer than two outs, the batter is automatically out on strike three even if the catcher doesn't catch the pitch. And the bases are loaded with two outs and there's an uncaught third strike, all the catcher has to do is grab the ball and step on home plate ahead of the runner from third for a force out.

If the catcher is bad enough to drop third strikes three times in an inning, he's probably also not very hard to steal on, opening up first base again.

Well, he has to be better than Jason Marquis.

/Go Twins
//We suck

State record? 5? Uh huh

slayer199:
protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

Wait a minute, my coach always had me in right field...

/Oh
//Yea...

tommylikewingy: Well, he has to be better than Jason Marquis

They just had to cut him before the White Sox got a shot at him. Curses.

slayer199: My son struck out 6 in one inning at 14. No joke.

The manager's kid sucked...I hate to say it but he sucked. Nice kid, but totally uncoordinated. The manager put him in at catcher but he couldn't catch squat. My son's strikeout pitch was a 12-6 curveball (the only time he threw it was with 2 strikes). He struck 6...all got to first on a dropped 3rd strike. In the previous game the coach's kid dropped 5 3rd strikes in the game. After my son's outing...he met with the other pitchers and they all went to the assistant coach and told him they wouldn't pitch if the manager's son was catching. The coach went to the head coach and the kid never caught another game. I went through the box scores....the manager's kid ended up dropping 20 3rd strikes until the rebellion.

protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

My little brother played for a team where the coach insisted on letting his son pitch. And when he sucked, which he always did, wouldn't take him out. The kid couldn't get the ball across the plate without a bounce most of the time.

We went on vacation. Being a baseball mad small town, the paper did a paragraph on every game. So when we got back from vacation the first thing my brother and I did was look at the newspapers to see how our teams had done. The coaches kid threw a no-hitter and got beat in a shut out under the mercy rule, something like 17-0. The blurb noted "walks were a problem".

PsyLord: I don't follow baseball so this was a little confusing to me. So it's still called a strike out if you swing and miss but steal first base since the catcher mishandles the ball?

Is it also called a strike out if that hitter was bunting but misses and steals first base if the catcher mishandles the ball?

The way I think of it: You can try to steal first if you strike out and the catcher mishandles the ball. Weird, old rule.

GQueue: tommylikewingy: Well, he has to be better than Jason Marquis

They just had to cut him before the White Sox got a shot at him. Curses.

They'll get to face whatever Triple-A lifer is called up to take his spot in the rotation. It is pretty sad when your best pitcher is Scott Diamond (even if he has a kickass baseball name).

meanmutton: PsyLord: I don't follow baseball so this was a little confusing to me. So it's still called a strike out if you swing and miss but steal first base since the catcher mishandles the ball?

Is it also called a strike out if that hitter was bunting but misses and steals first base if the catcher mishandles the ball?

The way I think of it: You can try to steal first if you strike out and the catcher mishandles the ball. Weird, old rule.

I've always thought that rule is stupid too. But using that logic, would someone be able to take off running for first on strike one or strike two? I know it would be stupid to try, but I think it would be funny if someone who was batting .130 took off for first on a passed ball when he only has two strikes on him.

INeedAName: slayer199:
protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

Wait a minute, my coach always had me in right field...

/Oh
//Yea...

Right field, it's important. Ya'know? You gotta learn how to catch. And you have to learn how to throw.

//you ever pick any dandelions out there?

satanorsanta: If the runner on first takes off like a steal the batter can take first. You're correct about just needing to step on home for the out once the bases are loaded, but this catcher seems really bad.

Nope. If the runner was on first when the pitch was thrown, with less than 2 outs, the batter is out regardless. The runner can attempt to steal still, though, but the batter is still out.

tommylikewingy: meanmutton: PsyLord: I don't follow baseball so this was a little confusing to me. So it's still called a strike out if you swing and miss but steal first base since the catcher mishandles the ball?

Is it also called a strike out if that hitter was bunting but misses and steals first base if the catcher mishandles the ball?

The way I think of it: You can try to steal first if you strike out and the catcher mishandles the ball. Weird, old rule.

I've always thought that rule is stupid too. But using that logic, would someone be able to take off running for first on strike one or strike two? I know it would be stupid to try, but I think it would be funny if someone who was batting .130 took off for first on a passed ball when he only has two strikes on him.

Nope, its only on strike 3 where the catcher makes an error. Pitcher still gets credited with a "K". Doesnt count as a hit or whatever. Same as if there is an error on a throw to first. It's an Error, not a Hit.

PsyLord: I don't follow baseball so this was a little confusing to me. So it's still called a strike out if you swing and miss but steal first base since the catcher mishandles the ball?

Is it also called a strike out if that hitter was bunting but misses and steals first base if the catcher mishandles the ball?

First one: Yes, but it is not called "stealing first", you do not get credit for a stolen base. The pitcher gets credit for the strikeout and either a wild pitch or passed ball is called on the defensive team.

Second one: If it was the third strike, then yes. 1st or 2nd one, then no.

TrancePI: Nope, its only on strike 3 where the catcher makes an error. Pitcher still gets credited with a "K". Doesnt count as a hit or whatever. Same as if there is an error on a throw to first. It's an Error, not a Hit.

Can you swing half a second late if you see that the pitch is clearly wild? A free trip to first base is much better than, say, ball 2 on a 1-2 count. It is a really weird rule.

you have pee hands: TrancePI: Nope, its only on strike 3 where the catcher makes an error. Pitcher still gets credited with a "K". Doesnt count as a hit or whatever. Same as if there is an error on a throw to first. It's an Error, not a Hit.

Can you swing half a second late if you see that the pitch is clearly wild? A free trip to first base is much better than, say, ball 2 on a 1-2 count. It is a really weird rule.

Yes, you can. I was a pitcher after graduating tee-ball throughout high school. I had my fair share of breaking balls end up in the dirt where people swung and miss, resulting in the 1st or 3rd base coach yelling out "RUN!" from the opposing team. It happens, especially when you are starting out with breaking balls at the Junior High and Freshman levels.

Saw Felix Hernandez strike out four Minnesota Twins in one inning last year at Safeco...

Not as rare as a perfect game, but less common as a no-hitter...

/Twins still suck... :(

I'm pretty sure you can take the Minnesota All State High School team and they'd have a shot at beating the Twins.

High school baseball, which is a step above little league and thats it. Once struck out 14 batters in a row during a varsity game and was going to have a perfect game if it wasn't for a foul ball that was called fair.

Interestingly though one of the batters is in triple AAA and will likely be in the majors by end of the year.

Cyberluddite: ...who is entitled to attempt to drill that batter in the nuts with one fastball while he stands on first.

This post was worth reading to the end.

He'd be better than Blackburn. Hell, Butera is better than Blackburn.

I haven't noticed anyone explain the technical explanation for why the dropped third strike rule is in effect, but I also skimmed sorta quickly. Apologies for stepping on any toes.

Any time a runner or batter is is out, a fielder must record a putout (and vice versa). For the most part, this fact is not surprising: if the second baseman catches a popup, he gets the PO. If he fields a grounder and throws to first, the first baseman gets the putout. If there's a play at the plate, the catcher has the ball in his glove and touches the runner. If he is out, the catcher gets a putout.

But the rule extends to strikeouts as well. With a typical strikeout, when the catcher receives strike three, he is recorded with a putout. (This seems counter intuitive to some people, but I assure it, it is the rule. Johnny Bench recorded 942 putouts in his first full season, for instance, just 100 fewer than his team's primary first baseman.)

Let's back up a second. If the second baseman fails to catch a popup, the batter is allowed to attempt to run to first before a putout is recorded. If the throw goes wide of the first baseman, again, the batter is allowed to try to run to first. If the catcher drops the ball on the play at the plate, the runner is allowed to touch home.

And with a strikeout, if the catcher fails to catch the ball, the batter is allowed to attempt and reach. And, yes, bouncing a ball counts as failure to make a catch. The pitcher has still gotten to strike three, which is a strikeout, but no putout was recorded if the runner reaches. Thus, no out.

Note that this rule leads to some interesting thought scenarios. With less than two strikes and the bases empty, there is, in fact, no reason to have a catcher. Most likely the umpire would just call everything a ball out of spite, and you may see more bunts, but it would still be fun to watch.

(By the way, I may have inadvertently lead you to believe that a putout requires a ball in a glove. For the most part, this is true, but there are a number of rare exceptions explicitly spelled out in the rules. The best known is the infield-fly, where, if the ball lands uncaught, the putout is awarded to the closest fielder.)

DeWayne Mann: With less than two strikes and the bases empty, there is, in fact, no reason to have a catcher.

Except for rule 4.03:

4.03 When the ball is put in play at the start of, or during a game, all fielders other than
the catcher shall be on fair territory.
(a) The catcher shall station himself directly back of the plate. He may leave his
position at any time to catch a pitch or make a play except that when the batter is
being given an intentional base on balls, the catcher must stand with both feet
within the lines of the catcher's box until the ball leaves the pitcher's hand.
PENALTY: Balk.
(b) The pitcher, while in the act of delivering the ball to the batter, shall take his legal
position;
(c) Except the pitcher and the catcher, any fielder may station himself anywhere in fair
territory.

I love when they have stories like this and actually explain how something like this can happen...

Seems dumb that a batter who strikes out can still advance a base because the catcher is a butterfingers though. It's one thing for the runners to risk stealing, but the batter just struck out, why does he get ANY rights to the base without being hit? Can they justify it?

Fail Subby. Everyone knows that the Twins don't sign pitchers who can throw strikeouts.

Cyberluddite: slayer199: My son struck out 6 in one inning at 14. No joke.

The manager's kid sucked...I hate to say it but he sucked. Nice kid, but totally uncoordinated. The manager put him in at catcher but he couldn't catch squat. My son's strikeout pitch was a 12-6 curveball (the only time he threw it was with 2 strikes). He struck 6...all got to first on a dropped 3rd strike. In the previous game the coach's kid dropped 5 3rd strikes in the game. After my son's outing...he met with the other pitchers and they all went to the assistant coach and told him they wouldn't pitch if the manager's son was catching. The coach went to the head coach and the kid never caught another game. I went through the box scores....the manager's kid ended up dropping 20 3rd strikes until the rebellion.

protip: you put the crappy kids at 2nd base and right field.

Wait, if first base is occupied and there are fewer than two outs, the batter is automatically out on strike three even if the catcher doesn't catch the pitch. And the bases are loaded with two outs and there's an uncaught third strike, all the catcher has to do is grab the ball and step on home plate ahead of the runner from third for a force out. So how is it even possible to strike out 6 in one inning and have all 6 reach base--unless there were several hits in between those strikeouts, which cleared the bases each time?

If the catcher is that shiatty they probably instantly went for steals. If he cant catch it hows he going to throw somebody out.