Will's You Make The Call #11

[WJMorris3]

It's a game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies. Rafael Furcal leads off the sixth inning for the Braves in a 1-1 game. He's worked a 2-2 count off of pitcher Eric Milton. Milton throws a 58-foot breaking ball and Furcal checks his swing. The home plate umpire, however, rules it strike three. The first base umpire can see that the call was blown; Furcal didn't swing. The ball gets away from catcher Mike Lieberthal and Furcal advances to first.

Lieberthal asks the catcher for an appeal. He claims Furcal did NOT swing, therefore it should be a ball. Should the umpire check with the first-base umpire?

[Mings]

No, on a called strike 3, if the catcher drops the ball, the batter is allowed to try to make it to first base. Usually the Home Plate Umpires decision is the final call, so it would have stayed the same wether or not he checked with the First Base Umpire.

[pcgd]

Yeah, if the home plate umpire can see its a swing, the first base umpire isn't gonna be able to overrule him because if you can tell it was a swing from behind him, it was a swing.

Also, on a dropped third strike, the umpire might be required to make a call. I'm not sure on the exact ruling, but because this situation calls for an immediate call (to force the batter out by tag or force at first) it may be only up to the home plate ump.

[slapshot]

If the home plate umpire already called it strike three, there's nothing to appeal. If he feels the batter offered/swung at the pitch, the umpire is supposed to point at the batter and announce "yes, he went" or "that's a swing" or something to that effect.

Now you have a third strike that WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE CATCHER. So instead of arguing with the umpire on the "blown" strike call, Furcal should just head to first base.

Answer: No, the home plate umpire should not check with his partner at first. Once the strike call was made, it stands.