yep. all the 1st baseman had to do was quickly tag Berkman (who should have been running to 2nd) BEFORE the bag...bam, double play. i remember a similiar play with Bagwell on defense. the opponent had a runner on 1st and were trying to bunt him over. instead of bunting the ball on the ground, it was a short pop up to the 1st base line. Bagwell was so smart about the play that he let the pop up bunt drop, tagged the runner (who thought Bagwell would catch it so he stayed on base) at 1st base first, then stepped on the bag. double play.
Yeah I just finished watching the game and man did Berkman get lucky, but I'll take it. Anyway its about time the the Astros got a break ... Lets hope we make up for some bad breaks earlier this season over the next couple weeks.
Here is another similar play involving the Astros last year: CARDINALS' FIRST BASEMAN Albert Pujols received a lesson about the forceout rule (2.00) in a game against the Astros on April 24. Here is what happened. Houston had the bases loaded in the sixth inning with no outs when Craig Biggio hit a hard ground ball to Cards' third baseman Scott Rolen who stepped on third to erase the runner on second. Rolen then threw to first to double up Biggio. After Biggio was called out, Pujols tagged Willy Taveras, the runner on first, who was standing on the bag. For some reason, Taveras never attempted to go to second. First base umpire Angel Hernandez got a bit confused and called Taveras out after Pujols applied the tag. It appeared that the Cardinals had executed a triple play. But Taveras stayed put, confident that he was not out. The umpires conferred and decided that Taveras was not out because he was no longer forced to go to second once Biggio, the batter-runner, had been retired. If Pujols had tagged Taveras (on the base or not) before he touched first to put out Biggio, then the Cards would have pulled off the triple play. Chances are that Pujols thought Rolen caught Biggio's shot in the air and tagged third base to double up the runner who was on third base and then threw to first for the triple play. After the smoke cleared, the Cardinals had recorded two outs but the Astros scored a run. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_6_64/ai_n15340884
except that the guy fielded the ball while already standing on 1B. he's touching 1B as he fields the ball.
Are you sure about that? It didn't look like that to me, but I was watching it on MLB.TV which is not the best quality so I certainly can't say for sure. If that was the case, then why did he bother to touch the bag with his glove unless he believed that he caught the ball on the fly?
i just watched it again on the astros website. looks like he's catching it while still touching the bag to me.
Wow well that is a worse play then I thought ... If he had just gone straight home with it (having touched the bag when he fielded the ball), then the catcher would have had plenty of time to tag Lamb (assuming he realized it was not a force out). Edit: OK I just watched it on the Astros website and I agreed with you until I saw another angle. If you are watching the highlight on the main astros.com page, if you watch the angle they show that starts about 32 seconds into the video, it seems pretty clear to me that he doesnt touch the bag until he touches it with his glove. Not that it matters, but its fun figuring out how dumb the Brewers first baseman really is
I agree if you watch it at the 30 second mark or so it really looks like he is off the bag. The other angle makes it look like he is on it but it is going pretty fast. The second angle is slowed down so that you can actually see the ball bounce on the ground before he catches it and Cirillo looks like he is about 2 feet off the bag. The umpire is right on it too and he doesn't make an out call until he touches the base.
ahhh..got it. i think you're right. but berkman is still pretty well safe in that view, too. if i'm berkman, i'm probably coming back to first, too...thinking the ball MIGHT get caught in the air and not wanting to be doubled off.
infield fly rules are only in place when there are men on 1st AND 2nd and less than 2 outs, from what i understand. also, a weak bunted popup that barely reaches a player's head is not considered an easy play in which you could easily double someone up on purpose.
Bunts and Line drives do not apply to the infield fly rule. But there is another provision that takes into account for intentionally dropping one. If a player intentionally drops a liner or bunt the umpire can rule that it was intentional and rule the batter out. If that happens it becomes a dead ball and runners have to return to their original places. This rule doesn't apply though unless a fielder makes contact with the ball while it is still in the air. If he just watches it drop, as it was in the case with Bagwell, it is considered a live ball. I'm inclined to agree with Max. If I'm Berkman I'm probably heading back towards first on contact. It was sharp enough to look like a line drive. I couldn't tell it wasn't until I saw the replay talked about above.
There is ZERO chance of the Astros sweeping the Brewers series, they will lose tonight no doubt about it. Season over... DD
Whatever it takes my man, whatever it takes...go back in the thread earlier and read, and LEARN !! DD
Great way to win and I'm trying not to get too excited...Another win will get me there...The Mets will spoil it though... Go Stros!!!
