dropped third strike on a checked swing. catcher tags hitter than appeals to base umpire. base umpire calls swing, defense runs off the field and hitter runs to first. 6:05J says batter is out "after a third strike....he or first base is tagged before he touches first base." Is the batter out or should he be on first base? thx.
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He's out. Even though the appeal was after the tag, the sing was before.
7-2-1 says, "A strike is charged to the batter when . . . (b) a pitch is struck at and missed . . . "
8-4-1f says the batter is out when "after a dropped third strike . . . if the ball held by any fielder touches the batter before the batter touches first base."
Neither rule makes any reference to when the umpire declared his judgment. Both refer only to the sequence of player actions. Even though umpires say it's nothing until they call it, if they do call it a strike, it was a strike at the moment the event happened.
The batter is out.
