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This is a simple question...
Runner takes off to steal. (from 1st base)
Hitter swings and foul tips ball into catcher's glove. Runner is successful in steal.
Does he need to return to the base?
Does it matter if this happens on a third strike vs. a first or second strike?
(The ump made him return last night - it was the first strike on the hitter.)
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A foul tip is a live strike. It is different from a foul because it stays live just like it was never touched by the bat. This why there are two different and distinct mechanics for showing the two. On a foul tip the PU right over left hand, then shows a strike just a swung strike. On a foul ball he raises both hands over his head and says foul. This is why umpires hate to hear MLB announcers say a ball to the screen is a foul tip. It just makes the myth that much harder to dispell.
Bad call. The steal stands! Strike count doesn't matter. Like the other posters said, the ball is live and in play. From the MLB website: A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher's hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first touched the catcher's glove or hand.

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