No, A-Rod is out because Lowell caught the ball. Jeter is out because A-Rod interfered with Lowell while Lowell was attempting to throw home. Consider a runner exiting the basepath to take out a shortstop relaying to first to turn a double play. The runner is already out on the force; the batter is then called out for the runner’s interference.
Only if he had tagged up after the ball hits Schilling in the noggin. As originally described by the OP, it’s not clear that Jeter tagged up. Sounded like he just took off from where he was standing (off third with a lead) on the assumption that the ball will not be caught after striking Schilling. So he’s out. Boston goes to the Series and repeats their championship. Jimmy Fallon makes Fever Pitch 2.
True, but irrelevant to the OP’s query.
It was indeed not a catch until the diving grab by Lowell, but until then it couldn’t be declared anything at all.
One has to wait until: 1) Lowell catches the ball (catch), or 2) it drops to the ground (no catch).
Jeter could be safe or out depending on when he last touched 3rd base (which was not specified in the OP).
Safe if he tagged up on 3rd until after Kurt S. got beaned. Out if he took off before then.
Re-read the Catch rule above, RealityChuck.
Only if Lowell could reasonably make a play on Jeter. By the description of the play, that’s not true.
You’re absolutely right. That is how I’ve always heard it, too, although reading section 7 certainly doesn’t give you that impression.
Well, that’s what I’m saying.
(Unlikely you say? Consider the other impossibilities put forth in this thread:
- The Red Sox are in the playoffs.
- Schilling goes nine.
- A-Rod hits the ball hard in a clutch situation.)
Actually, under the circumstances, it seems likely that Lowell would have play on Jeter–Jeter needs to tag up after the ball hits Schilling, and he is likely already several steps down the line. The ball is in shallow left field, and couldn’t have gone that high–this play is not going to take that long. Jeter is, at best, going to get to the base half a second or so before the catch is made. Any play at the plate would be close.
I’m still trying to figure out how the OP relates to the sacrifice fly rule (as referenced in the title), which determines how the scorekeeper records A-Rod’s at-bat, which affects only stats and not the outcome of the game.
Umpire here who has made that very call.
The scenario was pretty much the same: runner on third with less than two out. The pitcher deliverd and slipped slightly on delivery. As a result, she managed to turn and bend away from the line drive. The ball hit her in the back and angled up without too much loss in velocity. It hung up just long enough for the center fielder, who came running in like a bat from hell was chasing her, to make a reasonably spectacular bellyflop catch.
The runner on 3rd had not taken a big lead on the delivery. She started back toward the base and her coach started hollering “RUN!!!”. So she did, before tagging the base and while the ball was still in the air.
The appeal play was correctly made to third base on the runner leaving early. I was the field umpire, so the call was mine. I was still a rookie, so I checked with the plate umpire and told him what I thought the call should be and he agreed completely.
The ruling was batter out on the fly, run scored because the pitcher’s touching the ball (even though it was quite involuntary) removed the tag-up liability. And yes, the out was scored as 1-8; the pitcher got an assist on the out.
Maybe I’m reading you wrong, but did she not tag third at all? Reading Rule 2.0, it sounds like there still is a tag-up liability, but you can leave after the ball touches the first fielder (in your case, the pitcher.)
No?
Since she never tagged 3rd, wasn’t she supposed to be out? It sounds like you made the wrong call.
This thread makes my head hurt.
His ruling was that the ball striking the pitcher made the tag up unnecessary. I find that ruling questionable, but I’ve never been an ump.
Clothahump: This is the second time in a row you’ve posted wrong information on a baseball rules question, after other people have given the correct answer and cited the correct rule.
And you claim to be an umpire? :eek:
Like many such sports-related, it follows a typical pattern
- Complicated sequence of events, designed to obscure the correct application of a rule.
- After a few tentative posts, someone cites the correct rule and its application.
- Ten to fifteen follow-on posts reiterating the correct solution
- Someone (who hasn’t read far-enoguh back) posts an incorrect solution, usually the “trick answer” implied by the original question.
- Another 10 to 15 posts reinterating the correct solution and in painful detail why the wrong answer is wrong.
- Repeat 4 and 5 as necessary.
- Some curmudgeon posts a grumpy list of steps in this futile process.
I would think that proves he is! 
Just to sum up and see if I have this right:
The runner is safe only if she tags up after the ball hits the pitcher. Since this is being touched by the first fielder, the actual moment of catching is beside the point (to prevent the juggling so many people have mentioned).
Correct.
Now, a related opinion question (probably not worth starting a whole IMHO thread): Do you think most MLB players and coaches are that familiar with the rule?
What percentage of players would tag up and then run home immediately after Schilling gets hit? My guess is that most would tag up and then run after the actual ball is caught (in the traditional sense), or run home without tagging up at all.
And if they wait until the catch, no special ruling is needed by the umpire, and so the point never comes up. It reminds me of when the runner misses the plate and the catcher misses the runner. I’ve seen plays in which everyone stares at the umpire for a moment before it dawns on someone that he is pointedly NOT making a ruling, at which point there is a mad scramble toward the plate.
What if the umpire is on a treadmill?
It would be a miracle.