I never really followed baseball until my son started to play a few years ago. I understand the dropped 3rd strike rule and how it works. But where did it come from. What is reason behind swinging at bad pitch in dirt and being able to get safe because bad pitch you swung at got past catcher? what bought this rule about?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I have no idea where this rule came from but the strikeout still counts against the batter and its a K for the pitcher so it is not completely horrible. 
Look up the SABR website. It the Society of American Baseball Research. They have a great article on the history of the "the dropped third strike- the life and times of a rule. It goes way back to the early days of baseball.
If you read the whole article, you will still be unsure as to why it was kept.
Had this discussion a couple of years ago and did some research... It apparently goes back to old rules (1800's) where an out was only recorded if the ball was caught.
The dropped third strike is more properly called "an uncaught third strike". If you look at it that way it makes more sense.
The only ways to get a batter out are to catch a ball, tag him with the ball, or for the ball to beat him to a base that he must run to. An uncaught 3rd strike doesn't fill any of those qualifications.
The rest of the rule (1st base unoccupied part) is to prevent a double play by a catcher intentionally dropping the third strike - along the same lines as an infield fly.
The rule used to be that the B became a BR on all third strikes and had to be put out. Since the ball was not nthe same as it is today, and since F2 played well back of the plate, this was not a given.
Then, F2 got a glove and moved to (about) the current positioning. Now, the out became some much of a given that it was worthless and a waste of time (think 4-pitches on an intentional walk). So, the rule was changed to "B becomes BR only when strike three is uncaught."
Now, however, F2 got smart and realized that if there was a force play possible, F2 could drop the pitch and get a cheap double play (similar to the "intentionally dropped fly ball" rule). So, the rule was changed to the current rule -- B becomes BR on uncaught 3k when two are out or first is unoccupied.
Nice history guys. I love the rule. Love seeing a catcher call for a pitch in the dirt, blocking it and gunning it down to first!
