Name That Rule!

BY DEB SEYMOUR

How often are you watching a ballgame, there’s some unusual play, and, of course, the not-so-unusual umpire conference occurs – because the rule applying to the play is such an obscure one?

My best recall of that type of situation was a “one from the mound, two from the field of play” decision from a game some years back.

But we’ll return to that in a bit.

Here’s a different example, from eight years ago:

In this situation, a pitched ball got caught in the front of (surefire Hall of Famer) Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina’s chest protector, and there was a question as to whether Rule 5.06(c)(7) applied. The rule asserts that if a pitched ball becomes lodged in the umpire’s or catcher’s mask or other paraphernalia, the ball becomes dead and it’s considered out of play; and the runners (and batter) get to advance a base.

But because the ball was lodged in the front of Molina’s gear and readily accessible, and not lodged behind it or stuck in it, in this case it was determined that the ball wasn’t out of play; and consequently, Rule 5.06(c)(7) didn’t apply.

We witnessed the same kind of thing last month – except not exactly.

In the September 10, 2025 game between the Yankees and Tigers, a pitched ball got stuck under, or behind, catcher Austin Wells’ chest protector. This time, the umps decided Rule 5.06(c)(7) did apply, and Tigers runners were allowed to advance a base.

Some baseball websites have said the rule is actually a balk rule; or, at least, equivalent to a balk.

Here’s a video discussing the Austin Wells September 10^th play, at about midway through the commentary. (Heads up: there are a lot of opinions expressed with which you may not agree; so be forewarned. Viewer discretion is advised!)

But now, getting back to the “one from the mound, two from the field of play” rule – which rule is it, and when does it apply?

Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G), from BaseballRulesAcademy.com:

Official Baseball Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G) is about the awarding of two bases on balls that are thrown out of play. In making such awards, keep the following points in mind:

(1) If the throw is the first play by an infielder and the batter-runner has not reached first base when the throw was made, award all runners from time of pitch.

(2) If the throw is the first play by an infielder and all runners including the batter-runner have advanced a base when the throw was made, award all runners from their positions at the time of the throw.

(3) If the throw is not the first play by an infielder or the throw is made by an outfielder, award all runners from their positions at the time of the throw.

Importantly, note that all these conditions of Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G) involve throws from the field of play.

The implication of “one from the mound, two from the field of play,” therefore, is if the throw is a wild pitch coming from the pitcher, only one base is awarded the runners. Interestingly, that also covers wild pickoff attempts by the catcher.

Say a runner on first is stealing second. The catcher attempts a pickoff throw to second, but it’s wild and goes out of play. The runner would be awarded one base from first, ending up on second.

Not two bases; as in this instance, the catcher isn’t deemed an infielder or an outfielder.

Here’s a video from Jake Savicki (with some artistic flair) explaining the implications of Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G):

And here are some real, in-game examples from CloseCallSports:

Of course, though, the list of obscure baseball rules is practically endless.

Here’s a great one, and 26 years ago we saw quite the infamous spin on it by then Mets manager Bobby Valentine:

When a manager, coach, or player is ejected, they are expressly permitted to take a seat in the stands, as long as they change into street clothes and are “well removed from the vicinity of his team’s bench or bullpen.” Rule 4.07

Now, whatever your feelings about Valentine, who can possibly forget this gem – from a 1999 Mets game against the Blue Jays?

Valentine was later fined – because he actually did return to the dugout, albeit disguised, instead of sitting in the stands (or elsewhere away from the vicinity of his team’s bench or bullpen).

And for everyone out there who just loves to stumble across the all-time “you really never see it” baseball play, here’s one that’s usually discussed without a rule even mentioned:

In 1989, Reds outfielder Paul O’Neill kicked the ball toward first baseman Todd Benzinger’s glove – and the play counted.

Is there a rule out there that addresses using something that isn’t your hands to make a play, and why isn’t the ball dead after such a play?

MLB Rule 5.06(b)(4) is what’s known as the “detached equipment rule.” It outlines the penalties for a fielder who deliberately touches a ball with their glove or other equipment after it’s come off their hand. The penalty depends on whether the ball was batted or thrown.

• Thrown ball: if a fielder deliberately throws their glove and it touches a thrown ball, all runners are awarded two bases from the time of the throw.
• Batted ball: if a fielder deliberately throws their glove and it touches a batted ball, all runners are awarded three bases from the time of the pitch. If the batted ball was a home run in the umpire’s judgment, the batter is awarded a home run.
• Ball stuck in a glove: if a ball gets stuck inside a fielder’s glove, it is not a penalty to throw the glove with the ball still in it to another player. If the receiving player catches the glove with the ball inside, the runner can be ruled out. However, if the ball falls out, it is not a catch.

Hence, the O’Neill kicked ball wasn’t an instance of the detached equipment rule. O’Neill didn’t use his equipment to make the play – he simply kicked the ball instead of fielding it with his hands, because he had already bobbled it with his hands and glove several times, as shown here:

Speaking of getting an out by throwing the glove with the ball lodged inside it, there are at least six examples of that happening over the course of the history of MLB:

September 3, 1986: Giants pitcher Terry Mulholland fields a grounder, tosses his glove to get the out at first.

June 5, 1999: Yankees pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez fields a grounder, tosses his glove – overhand – to get the out at first.

May 3, 2014: White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu fields a grounder, tosses his glove to get the out at first.

April 19, 2015: Cubs pitcher Jon Lester fields a grounder, tosses his glove to get the out at first.

July 16, 2017: White Sox pitcher Derek Holland fields a grounder behind his back, tosses his glove to get the out at first.

May 31, 2023: Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr. fields a grounder, gets the ball stuck in the webbing, and tosses his glove to the pitcher covering first.

(See https://uni-watch.com/2023/06/01/a-brief-history-of-mlbers-throwing-their-gloves-with-the-ball-inside/)

And after all this, now that you’re an expert on some of the more obscure baseball rules and their exceptions, play a game of baseball trivia with your friends. See who’s as familiar with all these technicalities are you are. My money’s on you!