Unassisted Caught Stealing

[MacDice]

Like a triple play where a defensive player never touches the ball - yes it can be done and it happened in a college game a few years ago

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by MacDice

Like a triple play where a defensive player never touches the ball - yes it can be done and it happened in a college game a few years ago

Please explain?

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by stlcardsfan

Please explain?

Runners on 1st and 2nd
Batter hits a pop-up
Infield Fly Rule called by the Umpire

1 out

Runner who left 1st passes the other runner on the basepaths

2 outs

The pop-up hits the remaining runner before they get back to 2nd

3 outs

At least, I think that's how it went down.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Runners on 1st and 2nd
Batter hits a pop-up
Infield Fly Rule called by the Umpire

1 out

Runner who left 1st passes the other runner on the basepaths

2 outs

The pop-up hits the remaining runner before they get back to 2nd

3 outs

At least, I think that's how it went down.

That has just been a proposed theory of how one could happen, but it hasn't actually ever happened (on record).

From a hardballtimes.com 2008 article

4. Triple play without the ball touching a fielder

Not necessarily a rule per se but rather a composition of a range of rulings. Again there is some debate as to whether a triple play without the ball touching a fielder is an urban myth. While it might be technically possible, it certainly hasn’t happened and nor is it likely to.

The theory goes like this:

There are runners on first and second with no outs. The batter hits a fair ball that can be fielded by one of the infielders. He is out by the infield fly rule even if no one touches the ball. Then the crazy stuff really starts. The runner on first passes the runner on second, so the runner on first is out due to rule 7.08, which forbids a runner overtaking another runner on the base paths. Two outs. The runner at second is then struck by the batted ball as it lands (rule 7.08 again—look, it covers a whole host of base running situations). There we have it three outs and no fielder has touched the ball.

The Mariners somehow “hit” into a triple play in a Sept. 2 game in Tampa Bay—without a ball being put in play. How’d that happen? It wasn’t easy. Raul Ibanez got called out on strikes for the first out. Adrian Beltre got nailed stealing second for the second out. Then Jose Lopez bolted for the plate and got thrown out at home for the third out. Try that one on your X-box sometime.

Ah, the joys of the creative mind.