During Friday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis, as well as at least some of the Mets, learned an important detail about baseball’s rules on tagging up.
The play in question happened in the bottom of the third inning. With runners on first and second base and one out, Mookie Betts hit a fly ball into right-center field. Outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto bumped into each other while trying to catch the ball, creating a nervous moment for the Mets. But while the ball was bobbled, Taylor was able to secure it. Michael Conforto tagged up from second base while Shohei Ohtani did the same from first. Taylor’s throw into second was well ahead of Ohtani, but shortstop Francisco Lindor did not tag the runner.
Both runners tagged up, not when the ball was caught by Taylor but when it was initially touched. With that, Lindor thought that Conforto left early and was therefore out as soon as he (Lindor) touched second. The announcers agreed.
Then it was time for the Randazzo, Willis, Lindor, and any other confused parties to learn a rarely used but important part of the rule.
Most of the time, especially in MLB, a fielder contacting the ball will catch it simultaneously. Bobbled flyouts don’t happen very often. When they do, particularly when they’re also hit deep enough where runners can consider tagging up, they’re not often caught. That said, runners are allowed to leave the base when a fly ball is first touched by an infielder. The ball does not need to be caught.
“You learn something new every day, Wayne,” Willis said. “Wow.”
“For real,” Randazzo replied. “So, because he waited for the touch to happen, the catch is essentially nullified, in terms of tagging up. And Conforto was ruled to have tagged up appropriately.”
Former MLB umpire Brian Gorman explained the purpose of the rule to anyone still unsure.
“The reason behind the touch, as opposed to when he eventually catches the ball, is that an outfielder can actually juggle the ball all the way in and prevent the guy from advancing,” Gorman said. “As soon as the ball hits the glove, he can take off.”