Common Misbiefs ....

 This letter, written to a fictitious coach, is designed to provide background on an area where we all can improve our game knowledge and understanding. You can contribute your own "letters" or add your own comments to the "Dear Coach" section by emailing them to . This "letter" is authored by Joel Balberman. Any and all opinions and interpretations are his own ... etc. etc. Thank you to the many umpires who have commented on the article and assisted in correcting the "finer points."


Dear Coach,

Go get a cold drink, sit down and relax. We are going to be here for quite a while. I need to get some things off my chest. I've really grown tired of listening to or hearing some of the "old chestnuts" of wisdom about the game that I keep hearing coming from people's mouths - players, parents and coaches. This is my attempt to set the record straight. Be prepared to have your beliefs challenged!

I'll have to apologize now for my tone. I wrote this when I was extremely frustrated, but not necessarily with you. Please do not take it personally.

Belief #1 : "The hands are part of the bat"

I think I've got a headache! I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard this one. A batter gets hit by a pitched ball, right on the hands. Besides the fact that he is in pain, those that believe this want me to now tell that batter that he is not entitled to first base. After all, the hands are part of the bat, right?

Let's just think about this for a minute. It is anatomically impossible for the batter's hands to be a part of anything but his body. Sure, if no attempt to avoid the pitch was made, the batter would stay in the batter's box with an additional ball or strike added to the count, depending on pitch location. Also, if the ball became batted, it would not be a legally batted ball. Otherwise, he gets awarded first, and all other baserunners move up if forced. End of story.

Belief #2 : "Tie goes to the runner."

There are no ties on the ballfield, unless you mean that extra innings were played. As one old-time umpire once said, "Boys, der are no close plays. Dey is either dis or dat!" Umpires are permitted to call one of two things: safe or out. We prefer out, since it helps to get the game over with faster. (Just kidding!) We never call, " It was a tie." Either the runner beat the throw or he didn't. If he did, safe; if not, out. If indeed by some miraculous skill of visual acuity, it can be determined that indeed a tie did happen, then the runner did not beat the throw. He's out.

There is even a scientific explanation for this type of play. It has to do with the laws of physics and the speed of light as opposed to the speed of sound. I won't bore you with all the details, but through science we can prove that the out call should prevail. Either way, you lose this one. Out is the call.

Belief #3 : On an overthrow that leaves the field of play, the runner should be awarded the base he is going to, plus one.

It's no wonder I have grey hair! This is one of the most enduring and commonly held beliefs that does not hold up when given scrutiny, and the rules of the game are examined.

There is no such award of bases in the rules. There are have lots of base awards described in the rules. There are one-base awards, two-base awards, three-base awards, and even four-base awards, but not one plus one. Overthrown balls result in an award of two bases for every baserunner. So, when the opposing team has a runner at first who is off with the crack of the bat, and your centrefielder makes a diving stab, catching the fly ball for the out, fires it toward first to get the runner who is well off the bag toward second, and throws the ball over everything into the bleachers, I don't want to see you when I send the runner to third base. One plus two is three after all.

Belief #4 : "The runner who beats the throw to first must turn right after overrunning the bag. Otherwise he is out or can be put out."

Where did this idea come from? Other than home plate, first base is the only base that a runner can legally overrun without being in jeopardy of being put out by the defense. Runners at first base can turn any way they like after crossing the bag, just as long as no attempt is made to go to second. What is an attempt? Simply put, it is physical movement in that direction, and steps taken with the feet. When this happens, the runner is in jeopardy and may be put out.

So please don't holler at me that the runner turned the wrong way, and don't ask your first baseman to go after and tag runners who turn left. You are wasting your time. Besides, do you think I'd miss the opportunity to call my favorite play in the game? Fat chance! What is my favorite play? An out, any out! You give me the chance, I'll take it, but not on a play like this.

Belief #5 : The batter cannot hit a pitch that bounces first.

Why not? On the contrary, if he knocks it over the fence, it is a very legal home run. What can't happen, is that that pitch cannot be called anything but a ball, as long as the batter doesn't swing at it. The only way the pitch can become a strike if it has bounced, is if the batter swings and misses or fouls the pitch off.

The only time this would not be true is if the game being played was slo-pitch. Then the ball would be dead as soon as it hit the ground.

Belief #6 : Fielders must get out of the way of the baserunners.

At least this time, the statement is partially correct. Generally, fielders are entitled to go after batted balls without interference from the baserunners. If there is no batted ball in the area, fielders must take care not to obstruct the runners in any way; not so much as even slowing them down or forcing them to make a wider turn around the bag is permissible. If they do, the call is obstruction, and penalties can be applied. Any contact between the fielder and the runner, of course, makes the infraction obvious.

Fielders do have the right to field the ball, including charging in to take the ball on a favourable hop. The runners had better find a way to get out of the road of the fielder, preferably by running behind the fielder. No, this is not running off the baseline! Runners establish their own baselines; they do not follow some imaginary straight line between the bases.

To summarize, runners have the right to run, and fielders have the right to field, but not at the same place at the same time. Otherwise, penalties may have to be assessed.

Belief #7 : If a ball is held "long enough", it is a legal catch.

There is only one problem with this simplistic statement How long is long enough? The length of time a ball is held is never a consideration in determining the legality of a catch, yet I've encountered many of your colleagues who think that it is. The only factors that matter in determining whether or not a ball has been caught are that the fielder have control of both the ball and his body, and that the release of the ball is voluntary.

The way you have to think about this is that no fielder would deliberately collide with the ground, another fielder or a fence. He had the collision because he was not in control of his body. If the ball comes out under these circumstances, no matter how long it had been held previously, there is no catch. Check out the definition of a catch for more details.

Belief #8 : "It's a strike! The batter's wrists broke."

Maybe, but not always. Umpires look for control of the barrel of the bat. If the batter loses control of the bat barrel, we have a strike. It may be that a check swing appeal turns a ball into a strike. The appeal to the base umpire should never turn a strike into a ball, since the plate umpire should not be calling a strike unless sure that the batter swung.

Belief #9 : In order for something to be interference, it must be intentional.

On the contrary, the opposite is usually the case. Most instances of interference are the result of undesired, accidental contact between the ball and an offensive player or between an offensive player and a defensive player.

Think for a moment of a runner at second breaking toward third on a batted ball. The ball is hit on a line right at the runner, and despite all efforts to avoid it, the ball hits him. No intent, in fact the intent was to get out of the way. It matters not, since the umpire has to rule interference if the offense has taken a play away from the defense. If intent to interfere enters into the equation at all, the umpire has the right to add another out, either by calling out the runner closest to home, or a trailing runner, resulting in a double play.

Belief #10 : If a batted or thrown ball strikes an umpire, the ball is dead.

If you are the coach of the defense, that is exactly what you would like to see happen. I'm sorry to disappoint you. In all cases, if an umpire is hit with a thrown ball, the play continues and the ball ends up where it ends up, unless of course it goes out of play. The umpires are like part of the playing field, a piece of dirt on the ground, and as such, the play keeps right on going. It should also be pointed out that if the umpire were practising proper mechanics while working the bases, being hit by a thrown ball should be a rare, and unusual occurrence.

If an umpire is struck with batted ball, the positioning and mechanics of the base umpire may again be a problem. It should be noted that the ball could end up dead if it had not yet passed an infielder, excluding the pitcher, at the time that it hit the umpire.

A Few Other Classics ...

Here, in no particular order, are some other examples of misconceptions and misunderstanding that are connected with this game:

  1. If a batted ball hits the plate first, it is foul (or dead).
  2. The ball is dead on an illegal pitch
  3. Runners cannot advance on the bases on an infield fly.
  4. A fielder is never entitled to block the path to a base or the plate.
  5. If a base coach touches a runner in any way or at any time, the runner is called out.
  6. Runners cannot run backwards on the bases.
  7. A batter who is standing in the batter's box cannot be called out for interference.
  8. Fielders must tag the base with the ball in possession in order to record a force out.
  9. The defense must touch the base involved while holding the ball in order to make an appeal.
  10. Runners who were stealing must return on the bases if the batter hits a foul tip.

Coach, all of the above statements are FALSE. This may be difficult to believe, but it is true. If we conducted a survey constructed out of the 20 beliefs listed here, we would have a substantial number of respondents who not only would hold to some of these beliefs, but would be willing to argue that their understanding of the rule was correct. It is like a horse with blinders on; he gets a very narrow view of the world while wearing the blinders, just as those who "know it all" have about the game.

Many of these beliefs are the result of years of inherited misinformation stretching well back into the past. Just a the ancients passed on their culture and traditions through story-telling, we have perpetuated a mythology around the game due to our beliefs and stories. Also, rules change, but many involved do not stay current, and are not knowledgeable of the rules as they exist today.

All of this leads to conflict on the field, time wasted explaining why the call is made the way it was, and frustration for umpires, coaches, players and fans. The lack of understanding and the erroneous ideas that are held place a strain on the umpire-coach relationship.

What can be done to remedy this problem?

  • Players, fans and coaches, should not always assume that the umpire is wrong. They may be surprised by what they don't know.
  • Ask questions, buy and read the rule book, attend an umpire/rules clinic. Knowledge defeats misunderstanding.
  • Dialogue with all involved in the game. Coaches could teach a great deal to umpires about the game. Likewise, umpires have a lot to share with players and coaches in terms of their specific expertise in the game. Open communication and sharing of information between groups will bring positive results.

Coach, I feel a lot better now that I have had the opportunity to air my ideas and vent some of the feelings I have been holding inside for so long.

I almost feel better now. Let's do this again soon!

Still calling them as I see them,


... written May 14, 1997

Some Additional Notes

Needless to say there is always a discussion amongst the crew. Here is just some of the email that came in on the above topics:

Date: Wed, 21 May 1997
From: James T. Chapman
Reply-To: chapjim@erols.com
Subject: Common Misbelief #7 - Tie Goes to the Runner)

This is a rare occasion when I don't agree with things that appear on your site.

I'm not sure why the concept of a "tie" bothers Mr. Balberman so much. A tie does not put us in a third category. Granted, there are difficulties in perceiving a tie. However, if we accept that a tie is physically possible, the rules are clear how the call should be made. And the rules say nothing about whether the runner "beat the throw."

Rule 6.05(j) takes care of the matter for the batter. "A batter is out when after a third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is touched before he touches first base." If first base is touched at the same time as the runner touches first base, the requirements for calling the batter out have not been met and the batter must be called safe.

For runners other than the batter-runner, Rule 7.08(e) applies. "Any runner is out when he fails to reach the next base before a fielder tags him or the base . . . ." Thus, if the runner reaches a base at the same time as the fielder tags the base, then he has not failed to reach the base before the fielder has tagged him. The requirements for calling the runner out have not been met and the runner is safe.

I doubt many people know why a "tie goes to the runner." But, it looks to me like it is an accurate statement.

Jim Chapman
Springfield, VA


Date: Fri, 30 May 1997
From: Michael Frese
Reply to: MFrese@aol.com
Subject: Tie Goes to the Runner

"If indeed by some miraculous skill of visual acuity, it can be determined that indeed a tie did happen, then the runner did not beat the throw. He's out."

Pro Rules and Little League® Rules both cover this under 7.08 - (The Runner is Out when.... he or the base is tagged BEFORE he reaches the base. Seems clear to me that in the event a tie actulally did occur, the runner is safe because the fielders did not tag him or the base in time.

This is one case where the common description is correct! Oh, well, can't get them all right.

Michael Frese


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