Between Innings - A New Wrinkle

By Richard B. Siegel

Like they do to the astronauts, if they hooked up those little electronic telemetry probes to an umpire during the game, they could scientifically determine the times of maximum stress and maximum relief.  Any experienced umpire can tell you, without the use of any electronic probes, what the points in the game of maximum relief are. That's easy. Every umpire breathes a little easier whenever the defense has just recorded the third out to end a half inning. If the third out is a "no brainer" that draws no complaints or discussion from the offense, the next 45 seconds come as a welcome respite to the umpire to relax. During this brief interval you get to regroup and prepare for the balance of the game.

While you make sure the teams are hustling on and off the field, between innings is the time you look forward to tucking in your shirt, repositioning you cap, getting out a fresh piece of gum, resetting your clicker to 0-0 and clearing your mind for the rest of the game. Until recently, that was my routine. However, this past season I encountered one of those rare situations that are more frequently discussed in rules clinics than are ever experienced on the field.

Suppose it is the bottom of the fourth inning. The first batter up in that half-inning, B4, (the fourth player in the home team's batting order) just singled to left field. Now, just as you are about to let the next batter, B5, step into the batter's box. The defensive manager comes out and asks if you recall what the ball-strike count was on the last batter who was up for the home team in the previous half-inning (in the bottom of the third inning). Would you have any idea? If you're like me, I couldn't remember the count that the last batter had in this inning once he was done batting! Now this guy wants me to remember what the last batter's count was in the previous inning! No way would I remember this, plus… why does he care? Why does he want to know this?

The reason is because the visiting manager is about to appeal that B4 was an improper batter.

In my experience, I have had to declare improper batters out twice. Both of these cases were caused when a runner was caught stealing for the third out to end the inning for the offense. The guy who was up at bat at the time became confused and failed to come up to bat to lead off the next inning. The confused "proper" batter allowed the next batter in the line up to lead off. Wisely, the defensive manager allowed the improper "lead off" batter to get on base before appealing.

From these experiences I have learned to make a mental note of the uniform number of a batter left in the batter's box whenever a runner is caught stealing or picked off for the third out that ends an inning. That's a potential situation where an improper batter may occur the next time that team comes to bat. Having a personal recollection of the last batter's identity helps when you are faced with an appeal and all you have to go on are the scribblings of the two teams' score books. Knowing that the batter currently in the batter's box is "improper" helps you prepare for the appeal, if it comes, when the improper batter has completed him time at bat. (By the way, since I began doing this I have noticed two other improper batters complete their time at bat, get on base, and they never were appealed! Of course I said nothing and the game continued. But I've always wondered how the defensive teams reconciled their score books.)

The situation I encountered this past season, however, adds an important new wrinkle to the strategy of remembering the last batter's uniform number when a runner is caught stealing or picked off for the third out that ends an inning.

The new wrinkle is: Check and remember the ball-strike count on that last batter, also!

The reason: You have to determine if the batter has completed his time at bat. You might wonder, "How could the batter complete his time at bat if his teammate, a runner on base has just been caught stealing for the third out that ends an inning?" It can happen if the last pitch to the batter is an uncaught strike three or a ball four that goes unnoticed because of the focus on the ensuing third out on the runner.

This is what happened in a game I was umpiring this past season that caused me to write this article. I must admit that after working in hundreds of games, when it happened, I realized that it was something I never thought about before. 

I was doing an AAU game involving 15 and 16-year-old players.  We had two outs and "R3" was the sole runner at third base.  The pitcher uncorked a wild pitch and R3 started for home plate.  However, the catcher pounced on the ball and made a great toss to his pitcher covering the plate.  R3 was easily out on the tag to end the inning.

As the players were changing sides the coach of the runner team that was just put out at the plate comes over to me with his score book and asks: "That wild pitch was ball four to that batter that was just up. Does he still get to come up again to start the next inning?" I looked at my indicator (still in my hand and, sure enough, it read 4-1)  I routinely and automatically clicked the "ball" as the WP whizzed by. 

I suddenly realized that he was bringing a very important rules point to my attention.  It startled me to realize just how important a point it was! I told him, "No, that batter's time at-bat was completed because he received four balls.  He never gets to physically occupy first base, though, because the inning is over. For scoring purposes, he would be considered "left-on-base" at first. Since his time at bat is completed the next batter in the batting order should be your first batter next inning." Of course I explained this to him in the most professionally confident tone of voice I have. Little did he know that I was quite shaken that he had tipped me off to what could have been a horrible oversight on my part.

This could have been a potentially embarrassing situation had the coach not asked me this question and mistakenly put the same kid up at bat again next inning.  It is so natural for the batter left in the box (when a runner is caught stealing to end the inning) to return to the box to lead off the next inning, this could have been an improper batter situation that I may have ruled on the wrong way! I would have routinely made my mental note of the batter's uniform number while clearing my clicker. I would have expected him to lead off the next inning when his team again comes to bat. Or, I would have been prepared to, wrongfully, declare him out as a "proper" batter if it was appealed that he missed his lead off at bat in the next inning.

It all has to do with the count! As an umpire, have you ever though to remember the count on a batter left at bat when the inning ends when a runner tagged out on a steal or pick-off? I never did before. However, when the pitcher pitches and the batter does not hit the ball, but a play on a runner immediately follows (usually as a throw from the catcher to a base, or after a wild pitch/passed ball that allows a play on a runner at the plate) you have to think about what that last pitch was. Was it a ball or a strike? And does that last pitch complete the batter's time at bat?

If the last pitch was a "ball four," as it was in my experience above or a "strike three" then the batter's time at bat is over. The next batter in the line up would be due to lead off the next inning. When the inning ends this way and the ball-strike count does not complete the batter's time at bat, then that same batter is due to lead off the next inning.

Normally, once a third out of an inning is recorded, I would just happily reset my clicker to 0-0 without any thought about the count on it at the time.  I would be relieved and just plain glad the half inning was behind me.   Who could ever remember (or even think to remember) the count on the last batter in at the end of the previous half-inning?  Well this is a new wrinkle for me.

What I learned this past season, and for once I didn't have to learn it the "hard way," was to take notice of the ball-strike count when there is a runner put out by being caught stealing or being picked off on the bases to end the inning.  This was a valuable lesson, even though it is one of those rare situations that might happen only once every season or so. But when that appeal comes, in this kind of situation, you'll appear 100% competent and in control when you can confidently rule if the batter is indeed an improper batter since you personally recall what the count was.