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this post may be from an impostor
Jun. 7th, 2014 11:58 am... because I have a baseball question.
Mark Evanier linked to a video compilation of triple plays.
I only watched this past about 20 seconds because I was enjoying the first piece of background music, but just as I was thinking how a triple play is a masterpiece of teamwork, along come some unassisted triple plays.
I hadn't known there was such a thing, and I couldn't figure out how they worked from the video, so I consulted Wikipedia, and I'm still confused.
I gathered from the writeup that a typical unassisted triple play, assuming such a rare thing can be typified, works like this:
1) The second baseman or shortstop catches a line drive. That puts out the batter, who had been running towards first.
2) He steps onto the plate at second. That puts out the runner who'd been heading from first to second.
3) He tags a third runner.
This is where I get lost. Who is this third runner? Where did he come from? What is he doing anywhere near second base?
If he was a runner who'd been on second and was heading towards third, surely it'd make far more sense by this point for him to keep heading towards third and hoping he can beat a throw which hasn't happened yet. What would make him turn around and head away from a third baseman who doesn't have the ball, and directly towards an infielder who is standing at second base with a baseball in his hand?
Mark Evanier linked to a video compilation of triple plays.
I only watched this past about 20 seconds because I was enjoying the first piece of background music, but just as I was thinking how a triple play is a masterpiece of teamwork, along come some unassisted triple plays.
I hadn't known there was such a thing, and I couldn't figure out how they worked from the video, so I consulted Wikipedia, and I'm still confused.
I gathered from the writeup that a typical unassisted triple play, assuming such a rare thing can be typified, works like this:
1) The second baseman or shortstop catches a line drive. That puts out the batter, who had been running towards first.
2) He steps onto the plate at second. That puts out the runner who'd been heading from first to second.
3) He tags a third runner.
This is where I get lost. Who is this third runner? Where did he come from? What is he doing anywhere near second base?
If he was a runner who'd been on second and was heading towards third, surely it'd make far more sense by this point for him to keep heading towards third and hoping he can beat a throw which hasn't happened yet. What would make him turn around and head away from a third baseman who doesn't have the ball, and directly towards an infielder who is standing at second base with a baseball in his hand?
