Entertainment desk
< December 15	<< Nov \| December \| Jan >>	December 17 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

December 16

baseball question

Is it true that in baseball, if the catcher doesn't catch the third strike, the batter can try to take first while the catcher fumbles with the ball? Wrad (talk) 03:58, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It is my understanding that if the catcher ever drops the ball the hitter can try and take first, i don't see why a 3rd strike would be any different. Killa Klown (talk) 04:51, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wrad is right, it's only on the third strike. If there are baserunners, they can advance if the catcher fumbles the ball on any pitch. But the batter can only advance to first if he would otherwise be out. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:03, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Okay, so I'm not crazy. My bigger question was: Has this ever happened? Any famous baseball/World Series moments? Also, does it count as a strikeout still? Does the batter's taking first count as a steal? Also, does it matter if the batter swings or not. Say the pitcher throws a wild pitch which the batter swings at and misses. Can he run anyway while the catcher retrieves the ball, or is he disqualified because he swung? Wrad (talk) 05:08, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know of any famous occasions, but yes, it happens. It doesn't matter if the batter swings, but that is more likely, because if the pitch was good enough to be called a strike by the umpire without the batter swinging at it, it was probably good enough to be caught by the catcher. Say the batter swings at a terrible pitch, which hits the ground and bounces away from the catcher. If the ball rolls far enough, the batter can run to first base before the catcher retrieves it. I've seen it happen in Major League games. It still counts as a strikeout for the pitcher, and it is not counted as a hit for the batter, but he is noted as having reached base on a passed ball or wild pitch (depending on whose fault it was that the ball was not caught). Of course, the more usual scenario is that the catcher fumbles the ball, the batter makes a motion to run, and is tagged out by the catcher who has meanwhile picked up the ball at his feet, Or, the ball gets away a little bit and the catcher throws it to first base long before the batter gets there. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:33, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

According to our article on stolen bases:

The expression "You can't steal first base" is sometimes used in reference to a player who is fast but not very good at getting on base in the first place. Although a batter can run to first base in the rare instance that the catcher fails to catch a third strike, such a play (if the batter is successful) is not recorded as a steal of first base, but as a strikeout plus a passed ball or wild pitch. In baseball's earlier decades, a runner on second base could "steal" first base, perhaps with the intention of drawing a throw which might allow a runner on third to score (a tactic famously employed by Germany Schaefer). However, such a tactic was not recorded as a stolen base, and modern rules forbid going backwards on the basepaths in order to confuse the defense or make a travesty of the game. Dismas|^(talk) 06:20, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Take a look at uncaught third strike and Chicago White Sox#2005 ALCS. And A.J. Pierzynski#Pierzynski and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for that matter. --Joelmills (talk) 00:44, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Uncaught third strike says that the batter can't run for first if there is already a man on first. What if the man on first starts running to second after the fumble? Before the fumble? Sorry that my questions are so specific, I'm just curious and have no idea where to find this information. Wrad (talk) 05:50, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The runner on first could start running to second but he would probably just be thrown out as well (and it would be scored as a failed stolen base attempt). Adam Bishop (talk) 09:20, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's more correct to say that, in such a case, the batter is not required to attempt to advance, due to the possibility of a double play. With two outs, such considerations are suspended, and the batter is free to attempt to advance (along with the other baserunners). Strikeout discusses the nuances of four strikeouts per inning, among others. — Lomn 14:07, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

john frusciante

what I ment about john frusciante reading music is would he be able to read a sheet of music if it were put in front of him? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.208.85.162 (talk) 04:49, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

That's what I thought you meant. I suspect you might not get an authoritative answer here. You might get more luck if you post it on a dedicated Chilis board. --Richardrj ^talk ^email 09:27, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

sightreading is a musical term often used in Royal Schools examinations, one is given a piece of music that one has never seen before and asked to play it. Therefore, he probably could. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.136.3 (talk) 16:33, 17 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How can I find enything about Hermann Toelcke

Goodmorning,

How can I find enything about Mr. Hermann Toelcke ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Belinda1958 (talk • contribs) 08:16, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Googling [1] produced a lot of entries. Here is his IMDB page. [2]. SaundersW (talk) 09:54, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]