Look, No Hands!

[Max Power]

It's possible to have a Triple Play where no one on defense touches the ball. How?

[LeGrandOrange]

A strikeout with a wild pitch/passed ball and two runners passing other runners on the basepaths is how I'd go about doing it. (Or at the very worst, 3 runners on 3B ala the Babe Herman incident)

[YankeeLinks]

Maybe, but wouldn't the bases be loaded so THREE players commit baserunning gaffes to create 3 outs, since the strikeout with the passes ball wouldn't be an out?

[LeGrandOrange]

Okay, good point. Had a blonde moment. :)

[KCBOOMER]

Originally posted by YankeeLinks
Maybe, but wouldn't the bases be loaded so THREE players commit baserunning gaffes to create 3 outs, since the strikeout with the passes ball wouldn't be an out?

When the bases are loaded and less than two out the batter is out on a third strike whether it is caught or not. Only on a third strike when there are two outs may a batter try for first when it is already occupied.

You only need two base running gaffes that way but to do it you still have to have the bases loaded to start with.

[YankeeLinks]

Originally posted by LeGrandOrange
Had a blonde moment.

:D Cute. Hadn't heard that one before.

[Max Power]

Hint: Runners on 1st and 2nd, and, duh, no outs.

[gyb13]

Originally posted by Max Power
no one on defense touches the ball. not even the pitcher?

[Max Power]

Originally posted by gyb13
not even the pitcher?

Nobody - - not even the pitcher.

Well, he does throw a pitch to start eveything in motion.

[gyb13]

Originally posted by Max Power
Well, he does throw a pitch to start eveything in motion. that's what i was refering to....thus the :D

[Skip]

yeah yeah - kissy kissy - huggy huggy (not like we don't know about you two anyway) - can we get on with the question?? :p

[Craig S.]

I think this could happen in more than one scenario. Are you looking for something that's actually plausible?

An example of what could happen, but never would:

The batter strikes out, but the ball gets away from the catcher. The batter heads to the bench, while the runners start moving. The runner on first takes off quickly, while the guy on second is a little slower. Not noticing, the first runner passes the guy coming from second for the second out. The runner who was on second believes that there are now 3 outs, so he heads to the dugout. Even though the ball is still in play, he would be called out for abandoning his effort to run the bases. That's 3.

It would never happen, of course. Is there an actual likely scenario for this one?

[LeGrandOrange]

Well, if you can score a strikeout 7-6-7, why not. :)

[Max Power]

Craig was close to the answer I was looking for - - -

Batter pops the ball towards the left of 2nd.
Infield Fly, batter is out, one out.
The runner on 2nd is off the bag, the runner on first is running with his head down, and passes him, two outs.
The runner off 2nd is hit with the fly before it touches the ground, three outs.

[Craig S.]

Originally posted by Max Power
Craig was close to the answer I was looking for - - -

Batter pops the ball towards the left of 2nd.
Infield Fly, batter is out, one out.
The runner on 2nd is off the bag, the runner on first is running with his head down, and passes him, two outs.
The runner off 2nd is hit with the fly before it touches the ground, three outs.

I think that one is much more plausible than mine. But I'd hate to be the first team to do it.

[Max Power]

I got this one from an old semi-pro ump around 5 years ago - - - this is the stuff they dream about.

[WiredTiger]

Excellent question! I am sure this has happened in a softball game before. I get someone on the drop the ball after the infield fly rule is called and then tag them out when they take off every year.

[YankeeLinks]

Cool question