Why does the catcher have to catch the ball to record the out? Why does he need to tag the batter or throw to first base if he doesn’t catch it? What is the reasoning there? Thanks baseball fanatics.
As I recall it is because way back in the day catching the ball on the fly was one of the accepted ways for putting the batter out. Others were tagging him with the ball or “soaking” him (i.e. hitting him with it). When strikes and balls were added it was still considered proper that to put a batter out you had to catch the ball or tag him out (force plays were also added and soaking was removed).
This is all off the top of my head so some of it is almost certainly wrong.
That is pretty much the answer. You had to catch the ball to make a guy out, and so it is.
Sometimes it’s difficult for the umpire to discern a slight foul tip from a whiffed swinging strike. A batter can foul after two strikes and continue with the at bat, of course, whether it’s a long fly ball barely foul next to the yellow pole or an inaudible nick that barely disrupts the trajectory towards the catcher’s mitt. OTOH, it’s easy to discern whether or not the catcher catches the pitch.
Also…
Putouts in baseball are generally the result of a caught baseball (such as fly outs, force outs, strikeouts) or a tag with ball in glove. There are only rare exceptions such as runners running outside the base line, runners interfering with defenders, infield fly rule, runner struck by a batted ball, bunted foul after two strikes, too much pine tar on the batter’s bat (just kidding…the George Brett incident was later overruled).
Also…
This doesn’t just happen in “swing ana miss” situations. Sometimes catchers fail to catch called strike three pitches…especially knuckleballs.
Also…
It’s cool that a pitcher can get 4 strikeouts in one half inning…although it’s exceedingly rare.
Joe Niekro once got five strikeouts in an inning in a spring training game (although it’s never happened in the regular season).
I can only assume that this happened after he started throwing knuckleballs.
Theoretically, more than 5 Ks in 1 inning are possible, but highly improbable at the major league level talent of pitchers and catchers.
It was in 1976. I assume he must have been throwing knucklers, since his catcher, Cliff Johnson, also had five passed balls in the inning.
There have been a lot of rule changes along the way. For example, the first team to score 21 runs is no longer declared the winner. Players, coaches, and owners became more clever and learned how to “bend/beat” the rules that existed so the rules were changed to make the game more fair and/or shorter. Five innings “was” considered the minimum for an official game and nine innings (8.5 actually) is considered the standard game unless the score is tied. The rules were also changed to make the game more interesting to “paying” customers.
Anyway, to answer your question - the “reasoning” is that the defense is supposed to control the ball. In the case of the “uncaught third strike”, the ball has gotten away from the defensive team (ie lost control of the ball). Therefore, the ball is in play and the batter might (see rule 6.09) be able to advance to first base. The batter, now runner, could be tagged out. Unless rule 6.09(b)'s comment is applicable.
*6.09 The batter becomes a runner when -
(a) He hits a fair ball;
(b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied, or (2) first base is occupied with two out;
Rule 6.09(b) Comment: A batter who does not realize his situation on a third strike not
caught, and who is not in the process of running to first base, shall be declared out once he leaves the dirt circle surrounding home plate.
(c) A fair ball, after having passed a fielder other than the pitcher, or after having been
touched by a fielder, including the pitcher, shall touch an umpire or runner on fair
territory;
(d) A fair ball passes over a fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of
250 feet or more. Such hit entitles the batter to a home run when he shall have
touched all bases legally. A fair fly ball that passes out of the playing field at a point
less than 250 feet from home base shall entitle the batter to advance to second base
only;
(e) A fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands, or passes through,
over or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to advance two bases;
(f) Any fair ball which, either before or after touching the ground, passes through or
under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through any opening in the
fence or scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, or which
sticks in a fence or scoreboard, in which case the batter and the runners shall be
entitled to two bases;
(g) Any bounding fair ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over or under a
fence on fair or foul territory, in which case the batter and all runners shall be entitled
to advance two bases;
(h) Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over the fence into
foul territory, in which case the batter shall be entitled to advance to second base;
but if deflected into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be
entitled to a home run. However, should such a fair fly be deflected at a point less
than 250 feet from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only.*
Thank you doorhinge and others. It makes sense now. I appreciate your replies.
You can also create an out in that situation when, with two outs (the only time the batter can attempt to advance if a runner is on first), you have a force play available the same as if the ball has been put in play. So if the bases are loaded the catcher can recover and step on home plate for instance, or could throw to second for a force out if the runner on first isn’t hustling.
It has in fact only been done 30 times, making it a much more rare feat than throwing a no-hitter.
What I find absolutely incredible, though, is that of those 30 occasions, Chuck Finley did it three times, in the span of two seasons, 1999 and 2000. Finley was not a knuckleball pitcher, nor was he served by a particularly incompetent catcher; in fact, three different catchers started the three games. It’s one of the most bizarre flukes in baseball history.
For Johnson, you probably should have said only five passed balls…
One way to understand this is to look at the Knickerbocker Rules from 1845:
In the very early days of baseball there were no balls or strikes - the pitcher would keep delivering pitches until the batter put one in play. The idea of strikes was added to force the at-bat to come to an end. At first there were no called strikes - only swinging strikes - and the idea wasn’t “three strikes and you’re out,” but “three strikes and the ball is in play.”
Catching strike three was similar to catching a fly ball, but in those days the catcher stood ten or fifteen feet behind home plate, so it was pretty unusual for him to catch a pitched ball before it hit the ground. The batter would almost always run on strike three. Later, when the catcher moved up closer to the plate, a third strike hitting the ground became the exception.