11/05/24
August 22, 2011
Triple Play After Ball Bounces Off Centerfielder's Head: Nashville Sounds center fielder Logan Schafer turned a triple play after a fly ball caromed off his head as he was running to catch it. Schafer caught the ball before it landed and threw to the infield, catching two Omaha Storm Chasers runners far off base. "Everyone was kind of in disbelief," said Schafer, 24, a recent callup to the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple A affiliate.
If they were on the base when it hit the fielder in the head - then they legally tagged up. You are allowed to leave the base when the fielder first touches the ball youdon't have to wait for the catch to be secured.
While you can't see where the runners are in that clip, the right play with a centerfielder running away from home to try to make a catch on a ball to deep straightaway center is probably to be one-third to half-way to the next base, as there should be time to get back and tag up if the ball is caught with the momentum taking the fielder away from the infield. Worst case scenario, the increased chance of scoring by giving yourself that extra bit of a "lead" (particularly for the guy on first) outweighs the downside of not taking second or third on a tag.
posted by holden at 01:14 PM on August 22, 2011
Given where the trailing runner (from 1st base) was when the ball was thrown to the infield, they weren't standing on the bases when the ball hit him in the head.
posted by grum@work at 02:04 PM on August 22, 2011
Seems like the runners were well out of position, which seems odd as the runner on second clearly just goes about a 1/3 of the way and is watching the catch. Then for a few seconds you can't see the runners, but I'm guessing the runner from 1st never stopped running and got all the way around second while the fielder juggled the ball.
It appears the runners took off the second the fielder bobbled it, and they weren't 100% that they had to go back and tag up. At least the runner trying to go back to 1st seems a bit confused.
posted by dviking at 03:21 PM on August 22, 2011
If they were on the base when it hit the fielder in the head - then they legally tagged up. You are allowed to leave the base when the fielder first touches the ball youdon't have to wait for the catch to be secured.