4 strikeouts in one inning

[albionmoonlight]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1825389

This article notes that a pitcher was recently the 45th guy to strikeout 4 batters in one inning.

I know that I am missing something obvious here, but how does one do that? How is three not the limit?

Thanks in advance.

[Ksyrup]

A wild pitch on the third strike. The batter can run to first if not tagged or thrown out. Theoretically, you could have an unlimited number of strikeouts in one inning.

[lcjjdnh]

If you drop the 3rd strike, the batter can run to first in certain situations. If he makes it to first safely, he gets on but it is still recorded as a strikeout. So if this happened, and the pitcher stuck out another 3 batters, it would go down as 4Ks

[moriarty]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=1825389

This article notes that a pitcher was recently the 45th guy to strikeout 4 batters in one inning.

I know that I am missing something obvious here, but how does one do that? How is three not the limit?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT - beat me to it.

[albionmoonlight]

Cool--didn't know that rule. Thanks.

[Ksyrup]

If you drop the 3rd strike, the batter can run to first in certain situations. If he makes it to first safely, he gets on but it is still recorded as a strikeout. So if this happened, and the pitcher stuck out another 3 batters, it would go down as 4Ks
That's true; it can only occur in certain situations. If someone is on base, I tihnk the batter is automatically out, right?

[Balldog]

That's true; it can only occur in certain situations. If someone is on base, I tihnk the batter is automatically out, right?

I'm not sure the exact rule, but I am pretty sure as long as there are less than two outs and the bases are not loaded the batter can try to get to first on a WP/PB 3rd strike.

It may be anytime a runner is on first base that the batter can not try. I'm not real sure how it works. I let the other coaches handle that.

[lcjjdnh]

Here is the section from the MLB rulebook dealing with this issue




6.05
A batter is out when_ (a) His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder; (b) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher; "Legally caught" means in the catcher's glove before the ball touches the ground. It is not legal if the ball lodges in his clothing or paraphernalia; or if it touches the umpire and is caught by the catcher on the rebound. If a foul tip first strikes the catcher's glove and then goes on through and is caught by both hands against his body or protector, before the ball touches the ground, it is a strike, and if third strike, batter is out. If smothered against his body or protector, it is a catch provided the ball struck the catcher's glove or hand first. (c) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before two are out; (d) He bunts foul on third strike; (e) An Infield Fly is declared; (f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him; (g) His fair ball touches him before touching a fielder; (h) After hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance. If the batter runner drops his bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball is alive and in play; If a bat breaks and part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits a runner or fielder, play shall continue and no interference called. If batted ball hits part of broken bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball. If a whole bat is thrown into fair territory and interferes with a defensive player attempting to make a play, interference shall be called, whether intentional or not. In cases where the batting helmet is accidentally hit with a batted or thrown ball, the ball remains in play the same as if it has not hit the helmet. If a batted ball strikes a batting helmet or any other object foreign to the natural ground while on foul territory, it is a foul ball and the ball is dead. If, in the umpire's judgment, there is intent on the part of a baserunner to interfere with a batted or thrown ball by dropping the helmet or throwing it at the ball, then the runner would be out, the ball dead and runners would return to last base legally touched. (i) After hitting or bunting a foul ball, he intentionally deflects the course of the ball in any manner while running to first base. The ball is dead and no runners may advance; (j) After a third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is tagged before he touches first base; (k) In running the last half of the distance from home base to first base, while the ball is being fielded to first base, he runs outside (to the right of) the three foot line, or inside (to the left of) the foul line, and in the umpire's judgment in so doing interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base; except that he may run outside (to the right of) the three foot line or inside (to the left of) the foul line to avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball; (l) An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases; APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Infield Fly rule applies. (m)A preceding runner shall, in the umpire's judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play: The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire's judgment play. (n) With two out, a runner on third base, and two strikes on the batter, the runner attempts to steal home base on a legal pitch and the ball touches the runner in the batter's strike zone. The umpire shall call "Strike Three," the batter is out and the run shall not count; before two are out, the umpire shall call "Strike Three," the ball is dead, and the run counts. 6.06
So I guess that means the batter is out if there is a runner on first and there are less than two outs. In all other situations he can run to first.

[Celeval]

Well, I think it also depends on the interpretation of that rule - IIRC (and I could be wrong), if there's a situation where, say, there is a runner on first with one out, and the batter swings at a wild pitch to the backstop... the runner on first can attempt to take second, which would leave first base open for the batter. Runners can advance on their perogative, but if the runner on first isn't moving than the batter is out (rather than the runner being forced to move).

[Hammer755]

Well, I think it also depends on the interpretation of that rule - IIRC (and I could be wrong), if there's a situation where, say, there is a runner on first with one out, and the batter swings at a wild pitch to the backstop... the runner on first can attempt to take second, which would leave first base open for the batter. Runners can advance on their perogative, but if the runner on first isn't moving than the batter is out (rather than the runner being forced to move).
I believe that in this case, first base is still considered 'occupied' and thus the batter cannot advance to first base on a dropped strike 3.

[Huckleberry]

Hammer is correct. Even if the runner breaks for second, the batter is out.

[Glengoyne]

I believe that in this case, first base is still considered 'occupied' and thus the batter cannot advance to first base on a dropped strike 3.
Yes this prevents "Cheap" double plays

[Glengoyne]

Dola,

I actually just got what Celeval was talking about.

Which rule would take precendence is his question, the third strike not caught by the catcher or the Wild pitch situation with the ball gettting by the catcher that would normally allow for runners to advance.

I am not sure how to resolve that situation. I think the batter would simply be out, and the runner free to advance.

[Huckleberry]

The batter is out.

It helps some people to think of it this way - the batter swung at the pitch before it got past the catcher, so the runner hadn't broken for second when he swung.

edit - Of course, that creates confusion on the fact that if the runner attempts to steal second as the pitcher delivers, the batter is still out. :D

[Samdari]

Dola,

I actually just got what Celeval was talking about.

Which rule would take precendence is his question, the third strike not caught by the catcher or the Wild pitch situation with the ball gettting by the catcher that would normally allow for runners to advance.

I am not sure how to resolve that situation. I think the batter would simply be out, and the runner free to advance.

Actually, there is no conflict between rules here. If first base is occupied, and there are less than two outs, and someone strikes out on a WP/PB, the batter is out, and any runners can advance at their own risk.

But, if first base is open, or there are two outs, all runners, including the batter, can still advance or be thrown out.

In either situation, whether a third strike is caught or not, the runners may advance at their own risk.

[Balldog]

This is a rule I just found out last year which is somewhat similar and I don't know if it is the same in MLB as High School.

Runner takes off to steal second the batter foul tips the ball but the catcher catches the tip the ball is still live. If the catcher drops the foul tip its dead. Obviously this is irrelevant if there are 2 outs and 2 strikes on the batter.

[Huckleberry]

This is a rule I just found out last year which is somewhat similar and I don't know if it is the same in MLB as High School.

Runner takes off to steal second the batter foul tips the ball but the catcher catches the tip the ball is still live. If the catcher drops the foul tip its dead. Obviously this is irrelevant if there are 2 outs and 2 strikes on the batter.

It's the same at all levels.

A foul tip that is caught by the catcher is treated the same as a swing and a miss. A foul tip that is not caught is a foul ball.