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Thread: Totally unassisted triple play

  1. #1
    Haunted by walks
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    Totally unassisted triple play

    Hardball Times has an interesting look at quirky baseball rules, including the possibility of a triple play where no fielders touch the ball, and a triple play that actually happened where the batter didn't hit the ball. http://www.hardballtimes.com


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    Quiet Reverence Vada Pinson Fan's Avatar
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Quote Originally Posted by BCubb2003 View Post
    Hardball Times has an interesting look at quirky baseball rules, including the possibility of a triple play where no fielders touch the ball, and a triple play that actually happened where the batter didn't hit the ball. http://www.hardballtimes.com

    I can imagine the scenario of a triple play when the batter didn't hit the ball such as 2 runners on, batter swings and misses on the third strike, leading runner attempts the steal of third and is thrown out while the trailing runner momentarily stumbles and is tagged out before reaching second. Triple Play! Batter didn't hit the ball.

    However I can't picture a triple play where no fielders touched the ball. I'll have to go to the website and check that out. Thanks BCubb.

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    Be the ball Roy Tucker's Avatar
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    From the website...

    I think I've seen the triple play with no batted ball in play before. But the no fielder one is pretty wacky. I have no idea what it would look like on my scorecard.

    4. Triple play without the ball touching a fielder

    Not necessarily a rule per se but rather a composition of a range of rulings. Again there is some debate as to whether a triple play without the ball touching a fielder is an urban myth. While it might be technically possible, it certainly hasn’t happened and nor is it likely to.

    The theory goes like this:

    There are runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hits a fair ball that can be fielded by one of the infielders. He is out by the infield fly rule even if no one touches the ball. Then the crazy stuff really starts. The runner on first passes the runner on second, so the runner on first is out due to rule 7.08, which forbids a runner overtaking another runner on the base paths. Two outs. The runner at second is then struck by the batted ball as it lands (rule 7.08 again—look, it covers a whole host of base running situations). There we have it three outs and no fielder has touched the ball.

    The Mariners somehow "hit" into a triple play in a Sept. 2 game in Tampa Bay—without a ball being put in play. How'd that happen? It wasn't easy. Raul Ibanez got called out on strikes for the first out. Adrian Beltre got nailed stealing second for the second out. Then Jose Lopez bolted for the plate and got thrown out at home for the third out. Try that one on your X-box sometime.

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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Let's say that the bases are loaded, nobody out. Bottom of the ninth in a playoff game 7.

    Batter hits an apparent HR. However, no signal is given yet that it IS a HR. The fans storm the field in celebration. Confused, the runner on third doesn't move off of third base, but the other three runners pass him amidst the crowd.

    How many outs would that be?

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    Beer is good!! George Anderson's Avatar
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Quote Originally Posted by GoReds View Post
    Let's say that the bases are loaded, nobody out. Bottom of the ninth in a playoff game 7.

    Batter hits an apparent HR. However, no signal is given yet that it IS a HR. The fans storm the field in celebration. Confused, the runner on third doesn't move off of third base, but the other three runners pass him amidst the crowd.

    How many outs would that be?

    I cant imagine at the MLB level that such a no call by a umpire would ever be given on a home run but....

    If all three runners passed the runner at third then it would be three outs , unless the score was tied when the ball was hit and then I believe the runner would have the right to first by hitting the ball over the fence and thus forcing in the runner from third and ending the game.

    I need to brush up on my rules, its almost that time!!
    Last edited by George Anderson; 01-30-2008 at 03:47 PM. Reason: Changed My Mind
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Then there's the legendary quadruple play.

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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    . Triple play without the ball touching a fielder

    Not necessarily a rule per se but rather a composition of a range of rulings. Again there is some debate as to whether a triple play without the ball touching a fielder is an urban myth. While it might be technically possible, it certainly hasn’t happened and nor is it likely to.

    The theory goes like this:

    There are runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hits a fair ball that can be fielded by one of the infielders. He is out by the infield fly rule even if no one touches the ball. Then the crazy stuff really starts. The runner on first passes the runner on second, so the runner on first is out due to rule 7.08, which forbids a runner overtaking another runner on the base paths. Two outs. The runner at second is then struck by the batted ball as it lands (rule 7.08 again—look, it covers a whole host of base running situations). There we have it three outs and no fielder has touched the ball.
    Who thinks of these things? Who?
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    I thought if a runner was passed on the basepaths the runner who got passed was out not the runner who passed the runner ahead of him.

  10. #9
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Quote Originally Posted by Hollcat View Post
    I thought if a runner was passed on the basepaths the runner who got passed was out not the runner who passed the runner ahead of him.
    The running doing the passing is the one who is out. Here is an example...

    July 6, 2002 (KC at Oakland)

    With the score tied 3-3 and one out, Michael Tucker hit a shot that sailed over the fence in dead center, but he passed pinch-runner Mike Caruso between first and second. Caruso thought the ball had been caught by A's center fielder Terrance Long, who made a leaping stab at the hit, and turned back toward first. Tucker was called out on the way to second as he and Caruso passed each other like two trains in the night going in opposite directions.

    Rule 7.08(h) declares a runner (Tucker) out for "passing a preceding runner (Caruso) before such runner is out." In such plays, the back runner is always out. This holds true even when a preceding runner runs by a back runner while retreating for some reason which was the case with Caruso and Tucker.

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    Beer is good!! George Anderson's Avatar
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Quote Originally Posted by Hollcat View Post
    I thought if a runner was passed on the basepaths the runner who got passed was out not the runner who passed the runner ahead of him.
    Nope.


    This brings back an agonizing memory for me.

    I had a HS game I was umpiring that was on local TV. With no outs and a runner on 1B and 2B, the batter struck out on the next pitch with both the runners on 1B and 2B attempting a steal of 2B and 3B respectively. The catcher threw out the runner attempting to advance to 2B. The runner who was attempting to advance to 3B for some stupid reason back tracked and attempted to go back to 2B, but while doing so the runner who was just tagged out at 2B passed him. The coach of the team on defense came out to argue that since the runner that had been tagged out at 2B passed the runner that was attempting to advance to 3B, that runner should be out which would have resulted in a triple play. So in not one of my more brilliant moments I ruled in favor of the defense and chalked up a triple play.

    Needless to say I was WRONG on two counts. The runner who was tagged out at second was out and thus was not eligible to pass another runner since technically he was out and no longer a runner. Besides that I called the runner who was attempting to advance to 3B out when the preceding runner in a play like that should never be called out.

    So basically I screwed up royally on Local TV and all of Noblesville, Indiana gotta see it first hand!!
    "Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard

  12. #11
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    Quote Originally Posted by George Anderson View Post
    Nope.


    This brings back an agonizing memory for me.

    I had a HS game I was umpiring that was on local TV. With no outs and a runner on 1B and 2B, the batter struck out on the next pitch with both the runners on 1B and 2B attempting a steal of 2B and 3B respectively. The catcher threw out the runner attempting to advance to 2B. The runner who was attempting to advance to 3B for some stupid reason back tracked and attempted to go back to 2B, but while doing so the runner who was just tagged out at 2B passed him. The coach of the team on defense came out to argue that since the runner that had been tagged out at 2B passed the runner that was attempting to advance to 3B, that runner should be out which would have resulted in a triple play. So in not one of my more brilliant moments I ruled in favor of the defense and chalked up a triple play.

    Needless to say I was WRONG on two counts. The runner who was tagged out at second was out and thus was not eligible to pass another runner since technically he was out and no longer a runner. Besides that I called the runner who was attempting to advance to 3B out when the preceding runner in a play like that should never be called out.

    So basically I screwed up royally on Local TV and all of Noblesville, Indiana gotta see it first hand!!
    I've long thought that umps should sit in the stands with the fans. We never get it wrong. Instant replay.
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    Re: Totally unassisted triple play

    I was at Coors Field this year when Troy Tulowitzki turned the unassisted triple play vs. Chipper and the Braves. It looked so easy - in fact, at that moment, it looked too easy to be anything special. Then the crowd started to realize what just happened.


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