Quote:
Originally Posted by reds1869
I think the infield fly rule is 100% necessary. Repealing the rule would lead to a double play on most infield pop ups. The defense let's it drop and they get a double play ; they catch it and they double up the runner who strayed too far. The rule wasn't the problem last night; the application was. Repealing a rule based on one misapplication is a knee jerk reaction.
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The ability for the defense to put the runner in a no win situation is obvious. I don't think anyone on this board really needs that explained to them.
And while the primary reason for this thread was because the discussion was cluttering the scoreboard thread and made it unreadable, the question posed is not about misapplication of the rule or really about last night's game at all (where the losing team deserved to lose for making errors and not hitting with runners in scoring position and certainly should not have been bailed out by hitting a pop fly with men on base).
My question is why the defense shouldn't get a DP on a pop-up. What makes getting a double play on a ground ball such a great job by the pitcher but on a pop-up the runners are protected? Seems to me that in most situations getting a pop fly is an even better outcome than getting a ground ball (which have a better chance of going through) so why limit the reward for the defense doing its job and limit the penalty for the offense failing? The whole concept seems misguided to me.