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The Dropped Third Strike Rule (and the Confusion It Creates)

July 23, 2026 by jhon addison

Baseball skipping into the dirt past the catchers mitt on an uncaught third strike

Quick Answer The dropped third strike rule lets a batter run to first base when the catcher fails to catch strike three, but only if first base is unoccupied, or if there are two outs. In every other case the batter is simply out. The ball stays live, so the batter still has to be … Read more

The Infield Fly Rule: Why the Ump Just Called the Batter Out

June 12, 2026June 8, 2026 by jhon addison

Infielder running in to catch a pop fly, illustrating the infield fly rule explained

A batter pops the ball up, an infielder camps under it, and before the ball even lands the umpire throws his arm up and calls the batter out. Half the crowd groans in confusion and somebody mutters about the infield fly rule like it is some dark art. It is not. It is one of … Read more