# Hypothetical baseball play: Has it happened?  Could it happen?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-baseball-play-has-it-happened-could-it-happen/416926>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 25, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-baseball-play-has-it-happened-could-it-happen/416926 "2007-08-25T21:08:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reyemile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-baseball-play-has-it-happened-could-it-happen/416926/1 "2007-08-25T21:08:57Z")

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Here is the hypothetical situation: Bases are loaded, no out. The batter hits an infield fly straight over the Third baseman’s head. Looks like an easy out.

Instead, the third baseman drops the ball, scoops it up, tags the runner on third, tags third base, and tosses it to first or second for a triple play.

Might a baseball player intentionally drop a fly ball to force better/more outs? Has anyone done such a thing?

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**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-baseball-play-has-it-happened-could-it-happen/416926/2 "2007-08-25T21:10:46Z")

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In your case, the batter is automatically out whether the ball is caught or not.

The [Infield Fly Rule](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infield_fly).

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetical-baseball-play-has-it-happened-could-it-happen/416926/3 "2007-08-25T23:05:37Z")

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[QUOTE=Reyemile]  
Might a baseball player intentionally drop a fly ball to force better/more outs? Has anyone done such a thing?  
[/QUOTE]

And while we’re at it. You cannot intentionally drop a fly (usually a line drive) either. That is a different rule than the infield fly rule. It is 6.05l

(l) [The batter is out when …] 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.

I have seen infielders let the ball drop untouched when a fast runner is on first and a slower runner is batting then forcing the fast runner out at second.