Baseball savants, explains this to me
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A fielder is also not allowed to catch a ball with his hat. You’re not allowed to use two “gloves”. I’ve never seen that called on a catcher, but I’ve also not seen a catcher do that.
I’ve actually seen that called one other time. The catcher used his mask to catch the ball or pick it up or something. I think it was in an MLB game but it was a while ago. I didn’t even know there was a rule about it until then.
I believe it was Mike Piazza
ETA: Piazza played in the game, but the Dodgers walked it off in the 11th inning when Pirates catcher Angelo Encarnacion scooped up the ball with his mask:
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I was watching a Rangers game a few years ago and a ball was rifled 20' over third base. Adrian Beltre was goofing off and threw his glove up at the ball jokingly. Anouncer mentioned it would be a 3 base award to the hitter if it hit the ball.
Detached equipment rule. Hat, mask, or thrown glove are all potential culprits. Different penalty based on if the ball was pitched, thrown, or hit.
Detached equipment rule. Hat, mask, or thrown glove are all potential culprits. Different penalty based on if the ball was pitched, thrown, or hit.
Beltre and Elvis Andrews were the best thing about major league baseball in the 2000s.
Where does Randy Johnson vs Bird fall into to this particular equation!?
I think he debreasted it and wrapped with bacon during the half inning. Louis Gonzalez put some coriander on it
I think he debreasted it and wrapped with bacon during the half inning. Louis Gonzalez put some coriander on it
But its totally OK to do if its the catcher on a pitched ball, and there are no runners on base?
The Big Unit didn't really care to talk about that with the press even though he was constantly asked.
Yet, this is his logo for his photography business:
Yet, this is his logo for his photography business:
In this case it's a stupid interpretation of the rule. But generally speaking, you aren't allowed to use equipment to catch or stop the movement of a ball. Think as kids when we would throw our hats at a ball rolling on the ground to try to stop it. In this case he used his facemask to contain/keep the ball under control.
Again, I don't agree with the interpretation because it doesn't look like using it gave him any kind of advantage. But there's a reason the rule exists and it's a generally good one.
Interesting. Should outfielders always throw their gloves at home runs to try to limit them to triples?
I think physics is still going to carry the ball (along with the glove) over the fence, which would still be a HR?
Depends on how the ball is moving, where it is, and how well the glove was thrown.
batter gets 2 bases if you throw a hat or glove to try to stop ball on a batter ball
It doesn't say anything about intent or gaining an advantage and you definitely should not have an umpire try and judge either of those. If you use your mask in you hand and touch the ball it is a penalty.
We constantly complain about that stuff in football and basketball on holding, PI, travelling, carry, etc. Hell we complain about Balls and Strikes because of the umpires judgement.
If he threw his mask, and it was no longer attached to his body, then yes it should have been a penalty. This is a dang stupid rule. What about the chest protector after the ball hits the dirt. It redirects the ball to maintain control.
The rule should only apply to a player throwing equipment to block a balls path. This is stupid and one of those things that makes people hate the game. Like a pitch clock. Like a fumble through an endzone that bounces out of bounds. In no way should the ball be awarded to the other team. It should be down at the last point it was possessed and possession should be maintained.
The rule should only apply to a player throwing equipment to block a balls path. This is stupid and one of those things that makes people hate the game. Like a pitch clock. Like a fumble through an endzone that bounces out of bounds. In no way should the ball be awarded to the other team. It should be down at the last point it was possessed and possession should be maintained.
I don't agree with this. If umpires (or referees in other sports) called everything they saw as written by the rule, we'd never have flow or continuity in any sport. Sometimes they need to make an interpretation in the moment and decide, for the good of the game, whether an advantage was gained or the outcome of the play was decided by it.
A great example of this is balk calls. Lefties use that 45 degree step on throws to first and so many times those end up being balks - but an umpire won't call all of them. Same with holding in football - we all know that a holding flag can be thrown on virtually every play in football.
Ball/strike and out/safe are very black and white. Most everything else is going to have a little interpretation involved.
The way the rule is written it is black and white. You’re not allowed to use detached equipment to touch a ball. There is no room for interpretation the way the rule is written.
The chest protector is still attached to the catchers body when the ball hits it in your example. Therefore it’s not “detached equipment”. The catcher took his face mask off and was holding it, therefore making it detached from where it is supposed to be, his face.
You're missing my point.
Interpretation is used all the time, regardless of how it's written. That's the point here. More often than not, whatever side of the argument you end up on - as far as how the rule is enforced or not - depends on your rooting interests. If that were a state catcher in a tight game, you'd fall on the side of "come on, that's petty." We're all baseball purists until our rooting interests change that.
You can see in the original post, the catcher knows he's not supposed to put used his mask to stop the ball. But it was TOO LATE! Mwha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Exactly. Either have the rule or don't have it (you should have it, it's there for a reason). But if that's the rule, you have to call it there.
Once you allow interpretation you open the door to bias, cheating and fixing. You could always argue the opposite way on this play. If there was no advantage to be gained, why would the catcher use a mask that is in his hand to corral the baseball. He did it because he couldn't reach it with his hand, so he did gain an advantage.
We will truly argue about anything on this board... Letting this thread go on this long is certainly catching the attention of the Injuns.
Calling it now: The most Mississippi State thing in history is going to happen tonight. In the top of the ninth as we are about to end the 17 game losing streak in conference play, a detached equipment ruling is going to give USCe a 2 or 3 base award scoring the tying and winning runs.
Calling it now: The most Mississippi State thing in history is going to happen tonight. In the top of the ninth as we are about to end the 17 game losing streak in conference play, a detached equipment ruling is going to give USCe a 2 or 3 base award scoring the tying and winning runs.
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