A's-Rangers Double Play - Infield Fly or Ordinary Effort?

Oakland turned an inning-ending double play against Texas when Rangers batter Jared Walsh's soft infield pop fly evaded diving A's second baseman Zack Gelof near the pitcher's mound, with 2B Umpire Tom Hanahan initially appearing to signal an infield fly, before declaring the batter safe, electing not to invoke the infield fly rule because none of the Athletics infielders could have caught the batted ball with ordinary effort.

With one out and runners on first and second base in the bottom of the 7th inning, Walsh's quasi-fly ball initially attracted speculation that the infield fly rule would be invoked, but as second baseman Gelof slid in an unsuccessful attempt to catch the batted ball, Oakland recovered and turned the inning-ending double play when umpires ruled the infield fly rule did not apply.

Gelof's slide may have tipped the scales against ruling this play an infield fly, as pitcher Austin Adams would have had to range backwards, off the mound to field the ball and Gelof was the other closest infielder, meaning that according to the umpire, no infielder was in a place where this ball could have been caught with ordinary effort.

This might be the infield fly counterweight to LF Umpire Sam Holbrook's infamous postseason infield fly call in Atlanta, when the umpire ruled that a shortstop deep into left field could have caught a fly ball with ordinary effort because he was camped under the ball before suddenly vacating that position.

Although formally termed an "infield fly" the definition and rule may more accurately be deemed the "infielder fly rule."

An infield fly is defined as "a fair fly ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out," and the infield fly rule results in the batter being declared automatically out while the ball itself remains live.

When Walsh's batted ball fell to the ground and the infield fly rule was not invoked, that forced both preceding baserunners R1 and R2 to advance, allowing pitcher Adams to turn a double play when both R1 Adolis García and R1 Jonah Heim didn't advance.

Video as follows:

Forgetful Infield Fly - Reversing Calls Across Levels

Umpires reversed an erroneous force out call during an infield fly rule play in Grapefruit League action, scoring a run that had seemingly been nullified just moments earlier. By now, we know what the infield fly rule is and how to communicate when a potential IFR situation occurs, but what happens if an umpire or entire crew forgets to call "infield fly" when it occurs? Is the batter still out or are runners forced to advance—and what happens if a fielder attempts to force out a baserunner or a time play occurs at home, as was the case in Florida?

Recap: To briefly review the infield fly rule's three criteria: 1) First and second (at least) occupied with less than two out; 2) batter hits a fair fly ball that is not a line drive nor a bunt, that; 3) can be caught by any infielder using ordinary effort. For more about the infield fly rule, including its definition, ordinary effort, and pre-play communication, see the following two articles:
Related Post: Infield Fly and a Double Play - Back to Basics for Phillies (4/11/16).
Related Post: Knowing the Situation - Infield Flies and Time Plays (9/15/17).

Mechanics confusion reigned in Florida.

So now that we know what should happen during an infield fly play, it's time to explore what happens when things go awry, including rules differences amongst the NFHS, NCAA, and OBR codes.

Perhaps true to the Spring Training moniker, umpire Jeff Kellogg's crew encountered an infield fly situation over the weekend that took an odd turn when the plate umpire forewent an infield fly signal as a fly ball dropped untouched on the infield with the bases loaded.

The Play (Annotated with the infield fly criteria): With one out and the bases loaded, Twins batter Byron Buxton swung and hit a fair fly ball in front of home plate, where Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart, in what should have been a routine catch, bobbled and dropped the batted ball. Pitcher Rick Porcello picked up the loose ball, tagged home plate, and thew to second baseman Brock Holt, who tagged Twins baserunner R2 Bobby Wilson between second and third base.

Sidebar, in case you were wondering: the infield fly rule takes precedence over the intentional drop rule; this is due, in part, to the fact that an infield fly is declared before the ball reaches the fielder [i.e., before the fielder has a chance to intentionally drop it].
Related Post: Phillips' DP Attempt Reversed by Intentional Drop Rule (9/19/17).

The Call: Confounding the issue, while 2B Umpire Tim Timmons properly signaled the infield fly (batter out), plate umpire Kellogg signaled baserunner R3 out upon F1 Porcello's tag of home plate; no call was immediately made when F4 Holt tagged R2 Wilson (who appeared to have given up as a result of observing both B1 and R3 being declared out for outs #2 and #3), as Timmons' back was to the tag.

This produced a logically impossible double play: Once the batter (or any trailing baserunner) is declared out, the force on any preceding baserunner is removed; R3 should not have been declared out via force at home.

2B Umpire Tim Timmons calls Buxton out.

The End Result: After discussion amongst the three umpires, batter Buxton was declared out pursuant to the infield fly rule, R3 Aybar's out was reversed to a run scored, and R2 Wilson was declared out because of F4 Holt's tag. The problem, naturally, lies in the erroneous out call on the fake force/tag at home, upon which Aybar ceased to exist as a baserunner (and took away the potential for a time play, as would normally occur with a runner trotting home from third base with two outs, as was the case when Wilson was tagged for the final out of the inning, though U2 didn't call the out when it occurred because he wasn't facing the play [and because three outs had already transpired, however erroneous the third out was]). Did Kellogg's force-out mechanic cause Boston to give up on R3 Aybar? (Logically, it has to be yes, since R3 had already been "retired.")

Not as clear, however, is its effect on R1 Zack Granite (who advanced to second) and R2 Wilson (who abandoned ship after the phantom "third out" at home plate). By rule, Kellogg's force out call caused Aybar to disappear, meaning the umpires had to correct an error. The relevant rule under OBR to correct the mistake is 8.02(c), which states, in part:

If the umpires consult after a play and change a call that had been made, then they have the authority to take all steps that they may deem necessary, in their discretion, to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing, including placing runners where they think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been made as the initial call, disregarding interference or obstruction that may have occurred on the play; failures of runners to tag up based upon the initial call on the field; runners passing other runners or missing bases; etc., all in the discretion of the umpires.

Kellogg spots the error and convenes his crew.

To be crystal clear, the "call that they are reversing" in this situation was Kellogg's force out call of Aybar at home plate; no other call was reversed. Timmons' earlier infield fly call was not modified in any way.

If the crew believed that, had Kellogg made the correct call in real-time (which would have been a no-call on R3 at home), Aybar would have scored, then the solution to "eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing" is to score the run, whether or not Aybar physically touched home plate prior to F4 Holt's tag of R2 Wilson (since, again, Aybar technically did not exist as R3 after the phantom force, and F4 Holt's tag of R2 Wilson was superfluous [and a fourth out in its own right]).

Gil's Call: There are probably three realistic options for this play, all of which involve declaring the batter out pursuant to the infield fly rule, as declared by Timmons in real-time.

The first option is what Kellogg's crew decided to do: B1 out, R3 scores, R2 out. The second is the same as the first, except that R3's run does not count. The third essentially "kills" the play at the moment of error: B1 out, R1 to 1st, R2 to 2nd, and R3 to 3rd (this approach is rather similar to an NCAA procedure for changing "no catch" to "catch" [see below]).

However, because of Rule 8.02(c)'s requirement to place runners "where [the umpires] think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been made as the initial call," options #1 or #2 are likely most reasonable. There stands a good chance that R1 Granite would have attempted to advance to second base even without Kellogg's call at home, meaning that R2 Wilson would have been hung out to dry regardless of the incorrect initial call. Which solution is "more correct?" That's for the umpires on the field to decide, likely taking into consideration Aybar's speed for a mental time play calculation.

> QOC Consideration: Pursuant to precedent established in Dale Scott's 2012 ejection of Padres Manager Bud Black for arguing an inadvertent "time" mechanic-turned triple play, QOC here is likely incorrect.
Related Post: Ejections: Dale Scott (1) (4/15/12).

Rules Difference: The aforementioned is the pro (OBR) rule, but what of NCAA college or NFHS high school?

NCAA: The college book doesn't directly address the case of a changed infield fly, but does include a section called "Appendix E: Getting the Call Right." Similarly, this portion of the rules book does not specifically address bungled infield fly plays (though it does specifically state what must happen when a call of "catch" is changed to "no catch" [dead ball, batter awarded first, baserunners awarded one base from time-of-pitch] and "no catch" to "catch" [dead ball, batter out, baserunners returned to bases occupied at time-of-pitch], both on balls hit into the outfield or any foul ball [or, if an infield-bound "no catch" call is changed to a "catch," when that decision would result in the third out or no runners are on base]).

In high school, teams must know the situation.

There exists a note within Appendix E which states, "The Crew Chief and crew should be conservative on their placement of base runners," and, additionally, "Some calls cannot be reversed without creating larger problems." Nonetheless, Part D of Appendix E states, "Both NCAA philosophy and umpire integrity – consistent with NCAA rules – dictate that calls are reversed in this situation [when the umpire's initial decision is clearly erroneous]." Judgment calls exempted from reversal include tag plays when the fielder clearly holds on to the ball (e.g., stolen base attempts), force plays (when the ball isn't dropped and the foot not pulled), and pitch location ball/strike calls. The Porcello/Buxton/Aybar play is not, however, a judgment call; it is a rules application issue that should be addressed.

NFHS: The high school case book states that players and teams are responsible for knowing when an infield fly situation exists, even when the umpire erroneously forgets to call "infield fly" or calls it at an inappropriate time ("both teams have the responsibility to know when conditions exist for an infield fly" 10.2.3 Situations F & G). High school explicitly requires a batter erroneously declared out to attempt to reach base safely in order to be awarded the base after the play. By that token, NFHS would likely score Aybar's run based on the crew chief's duty to "rectify any situation in which an umpire's decision that was reversed has placed either team at a disadvantage," since the teams were responsible for knowing the infield fly situation. In the end, perhaps this is a situation in which the umpires legitimately do not know whether Aybar beat the third out (due to, again, the erroneous force play for the premature third out at home plate), in which case, a healthy dose of game management will be most vital.

Video as follows:

Knowing the Situation - Infield Flies and Time Plays

A crew that knows and communicates situations such as infield fly and time plays crisply stays a step ahead of the game and its fans. A momentary lapse in concentration or communication, however, can render confusion on the base paths. In order to make sure all umpires are on the same page, "each umpire team should work out a simple set of signals" (General Instructions to Umpires). This not only applies to correcting a manifestly wrong decision, but to communicating game situations. In general, specific signals are communicated amongst the crew prior to at-bats during which the following might occur, due to the number of outs or runners on base: 1) Infield Fly, 2) Time Play. Additional communication should take place between at-bats regarding: 1) Number of outs, 2) Rotations (e.g., which field umpire is going out on a fly ball, who is staying home, etc.), and 3) Shifting of responsibilities (e.g., base/plate umpires' responsibilities for an "infield in" situation). Warnings or problem players may also be communicated. Finally, umpires should have a signal to request a consultation amongst the crew.

Think of a rhyme: "Infield Fly, ASL 'Y'"

Infield Fly (most common MLB signal: Both hands are fists with the thumbs and pinky fingers extended outward, similar to the sign for "Y" in American Sign Language, rotated onto its side; also used is the finger-to-hat-brim signal [or fist-to-hat if zero are out]):
By now we know quite well that the infield fly rule contains three criteria: 1) First and second base occupied with less than two out; 2) Batter hits a fair fly ball which is not a line drive or bunt, that; 3) can be caught by any infielder with ordinary effort. We also know that "ordinary effort" is defined in the rulebook as "the effort that a fielder of average skill at a position in [MLB] should exhibit on a play, with due consideration given to the condition of the field and weather conditions."

Here's what a routine infield fly rule-turned-double play looks like when properly officiated:

Infield Fly is called well in advance of the drop.

With one out and two on, the batter hits a shallow fly ball to the second baseman. As the ball reaches its apex, the second base umpire rules infield fly by pointing skyward, a mechanic which is mirrored by the crew. The infielder allows the ball to fall untouched onto the ground in front of him, picks up the ball, and throws to the shortstop covering second base as both baserunners attempt to advance, apparently unaware of the infield fly rule's invocation. R1 advancing from first base is easily tagged and declared out for an inning-ending double play (R2 safe at third).
Related Post: Infield Fly Rule Knowledge Costs Giants as Reds Turn Two (7/4/13).

Here's another properly communicated play, this time in reference to an infield fly no-call situation:

A non-infield fly results in a double play.

With none out and runners at first and second, batter hits a high fly ball to shallow left field, where the shortstop attempts to make a play. Umpires determine that the shortstop cannot catch this ball with ordinary effort since winds were gusting above 30 miles-per-hour during the play. Thus, no infield fly call is made. After the ball falls untouched to the grass, shortstop throws to second baseman, who tags baserunner R2 before stepping on the second base bag. Knowing that his crewmate had not invoked the infield fly rule, the second base umpire properly calls both R2 (tag) and R1 (force play) out for a double play. The crew chief entertains the offensive team's argument, explains the call, and the game proceeds without incident.
Related Post: Orioles Turn Triple Play on Contested Infield Fly No-Call (5/3/17).

Here's an incorrectly communicated play where an umpire calls an improper force out on an infield fly:

U3 improperly calls R2 out on a non-force.

With one out and two on, batter hits a high fly ball in front of the pitcher's mound. The only umpire to make a call before the ball falls to the ground is the first base umpire. After the ball falls, baserunner R2 takes off for third base, which draws a throw from the first baseman. Before R2 arrives at third base, the fielder covering third catches the ball with his foot in contact with the base, as in a routine force play situation. The third base umpire then declares the runner out at third, apparently unaware that the infield fly had been called. To rectify the situation, the crew rules the batter out and awards R2 third base (as R2 had never been tagged while off his base).
See Attached Video

The sign for time (not "Time" as in time out).

Similarly, Time Plays begin before the pitcher even toes the rubber, with umpires employing another crew signal—often a touch of the wrist similar to the ASL sign for "time" or "watch"—so everyone is on the same page prior to what could very well end up as a time play.

A crew could even borrow a page from ASL by incorporating the number of outs into the time play signal: one finger on the wrist for one out, and two for two outs. Chances are a time play signal won't be necessary with zero outs. It matters not so much what the precise signal is, but rather that all officials are on the same page in regards to intra-crew communication.

An inning-ending double- & time-play in LA.

Naturally, it is also important to know what is and what isn't subject to timing considerations. We're obviously looking for whether a run scored or not before a third out non-force tag, but recall that appeal plays are not force outs, so appeals are also potential time plays. A time play can occur whenever: there are two outs and at least one runner on base; or there is one out and at least two runners on base. Though extremely unlikely, it is also technically possible to have a time play with zero outs and the bases loaded (e.g., batter hits an infield fly [first out], runners attempt to advance; R1 and R2 are both tagged off their bases [second and third outs] prior to R3 touching home plate).
Related Post: UEFL Series: Baseball Rules in the Real World (Fourth Out) (1/18/14).

Here is an example of a properly officiated time play:
With one out and runners at the corners, batter's fly ball to left field is caught for the second out as both runners tag. Lead runner R3 crosses home plate as trail runner R2 is tagged out going to second base. Plate umpire observes the play and signals the run has scored prior to the third out having been recorded.
Related Post: Tmac's Teachable Moments - The Time Play in LA (6/17/16).
Related Post: Not So Fast - Unique Time Play Plates Indians a Run (4/4/17).

Infield Fly play, Video as follows:

Orioles Turn Triple Play on Contested Infield Fly No-Call

Baltimore turned an odd triple play in Boston thanks an infield fly rule no-call and batter's failure to run to first base and/or abandoning his effort to run the bases. It was the first triple play of the 2017 regular season.

Jim Wolf calls a double play at second base.

With none out and runners on first and second base in the bottom of the 8th inning of Tuesday's Orioles-Red Sox game, Sox batter Jackie Bradley hit a 3-2 pitch from Zach Britton high in the air to shallow left field, where Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy attempted to catch the fly ball. Instead, the ball fell untouched to the grass, whereupon Hardy retrieved it and threw to second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who tagged Red Sox baserunner R2 Mitch Moreland off of the base, stepped onto the second base bag, and threw to first baseman Chris Davis, who tagged first base as Red Sox baserunner R1 Dustin Pedroia stood on the bag, batter Bradley having failed to touch first base. Replays indicate none of the four umpires had declared an Infield Fly during the play and that Bradley returned to the dugout, indicating by his actions that he was out (see abandonment under Rule 5.09(b)(2)).

Holbrook entertains John Farrell's argument.

Upon conference amongst the crew comprised of HP Umpire DJ Reyburn, 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Sam Holbrook, 2B Umpire Jim Wolf, and 3B Umpire Greg Gibson, the triple play stood as the umpires ruled that the play did not qualify for an Infield Fly ruling.

This may seem like deja vu for Holbrook, who was the LF Umpire in Atlanta during MLB's first year of Wild Card Games in 2012, and made a controversial Infield Fly declaration.

As we discussed back then, the Infield Fly has three basic criteria: 1) First and second must be occupied with less than two out. 2) The batter must hit a fair fly ball which is not a line drive or bunt. 3) In the umpire's judgment, the fly ball can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort.

Yes, it WAS gusty at Fenway in the 8th.

Ordinary effort is defined in the Official Baseball Rules as "the effort that a fielder of average skill at a position in [MLB] should exhibit on a play, with due consideration given to the condition of the field and weather conditions." (Was it windy at Fenway during this play?)

All else equal, a shortstop "of average skill" in 2017 should be comparable to the same in 2012, and as we discussed during our 2012 analysis, "Ordinary effort pertains to the player, not the play. In other words, a shortstop tracking a fly ball into left field and preparing himself to make a play or attempt prior to the ball arriving, as in the STL-ATL play, constitutes ordinary effort."

Rule 5.09(a)(5) states, "A batter is out when—an Infield Fly is declared." Runners may advance at their own risk, but because the force is removed when the batter is out for having hit an Infield Fly, the runners are not obligated to advance. This would explain why Pedroia remained on first base, if he (incorrectly) thought that an Infield Fly had been declared.

Compare and Contrast: 2012 Infield Fly Call in Atlanta vs. 2017 Infield Fly No-Call in Boston

Flashback: Holbrook calls Infield Fly in 2012.

2012: Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma settled (the term "camped" was often used) underneath the location where the fly ball would eventually fall, and in doing so, established, in Holbrook's judgment, that he could catch the ball with ordinary effort.
Time of Ball's Flight (Bat-to-Ground): 6.2 seconds.

2017: Orioles shortstop Hardy never quite settled or camped underneath the ball's final resting place: he was at least a yard too shallow, which may have tipped 3B Umpire Gibson off that the fly ball could not be caught by an infielder employing "ordinary effort."
Time of Ball's Flight (Bat-to-Ground): 5.7 seconds.

2017: Hardy is too shallow to make a catch.

Thus, the main difference between the two fly-ball-into-left-field plays was that one shortstop positioned himself under the ball while the other shortstop never quite got there until it was too late. For what it's worth, Kozma also had approximately half-a-second longer than Hardy to position himself underneath the fly ball.

With no Infield Fly declaration, batter Bradley was not out, and thus, baserunners Moreland and Pedroia were forced to advance—a predicament solidified as soon as Hardy was unable to catch the ball in flight. Still, confusion reigned supreme as Moreland was tagged attempting to run back into second base, while Pedroia never left first base, and Bradley failed to run out his fly ball: In other words, a triple play.

Non-AER Affiliated Broadcasting Non-Award: Bob Costas said, "They had called the infield fly rule," even though replays clearly indicated that none of the four umpires signaled for an infield fly.

Video via "Read More"