Foul Tip Rules

It seems the rule is, if the catcher catches a foul tip, it's still just a strike. But if it would be the 3rd strike, it doesn't count with foul balls [of course] unless they are caught. But catching foul tips counts as catching a foul ball if there are 2 strikes, right?

I noticed the Cardinals catcher [Molina?] caught such a foul tip for an out and leaped up to see if he could throw to first base. Was he trying for a double play? Do runners have to tag up on foul tips in this special circumstance?

We seem to have knowledgeable baseball guys here.

Quote: odiousgambit

It seems the rule is, if the catcher catches a foul tip, it's still just a strike. But if it would be the 3rd strike, it doesn't count with foul balls [of course] unless they are caught. But catching foul tips counts as catching a foul ball if there are 2 strikes, right?

I noticed the Cardinals catcher [Molina?] caught such a foul tip for an out and leaped up to see if he could throw to first base. Was he trying for a double play? Do runners have to tag up on foul tips in this special circumstance?

We seem to have knowledgeable baseball guys here.

Molina is known for throwing out people at first base. I didn't see the play but my guess is the runner at first was way off the base and he was trying to catch him sleeping. They don't have to tag like a fly ball on that play and the first baseman would have to tag the runner out.

A foul tip for strike 1 or 2 makes the play dead and it is counted as a strike. It does not matter if the catcher catches the ball. A foul tip when there are 2 strikes is different. If the catcher catches the ball off a foul tip then it is recorded as a strike out and it is a live ball. If the catcher misses it then it is a foul ball and the play is dead.

Quote: GWAE

Quote: odiousgambit

It seems the rule is, if the catcher catches a foul tip, it's still just a strike. But if it would be the 3rd strike, it doesn't count with foul balls [of course] unless they are caught. But catching foul tips counts as catching a foul ball if there are 2 strikes, right?

I noticed the Cardinals catcher [Molina?] caught such a foul tip for an out and leaped up to see if he could throw to first base. Was he trying for a double play? Do runners have to tag up on foul tips in this special circumstance?

We seem to have knowledgeable baseball guys here.

Molina is known for throwing out people at first base. I didn't see the play but my guess is the runner at first was way off the base and he was trying to catch him sleeping. They don't have to tag like a fly ball on that play and the first baseman would have to tag the runner out.

A foul tip for strike 1 or 2 makes the play dead and it is counted as a strike. It does not matter if the catcher catches the ball. A foul tip when there are 2 strikes is different. If the catcher catches the ball off a foul tip then it is recorded as a strike out and it is a live ball. If the catcher misses it then it is a foul ball and the play is dead.

Incorrect. The ball is live at any point as long as the catcher catches the ball. See the official ruling from the MLB Rulebook.

"A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher’s
hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught
is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first
touched the catcher’s glove or hand."

Note where it says "any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play". Therefore, if a batter fouls a ball back and the catcher catches it, the ball is still live and the catcher is free to try to pick off a runner at first base. Foul tips that are caught by the catcher are strikes, nothing more. Runners may steal, catchers may throw them out.

Edit: Didn't see the first part of your question, but you have to differentiate between "foul tip" and "foul ball". As the rule states, a foul tip goes sharp and direct into the catcher's hands and is legally caught. This is not considered a foul ball: this is a strike, a live ball, and play continues.

I actually came back on here to correct that. I knew it after I closed the window but had to run.

So the catcher was trying to get the runner in a rundown? If second base was free, the runner could be safe on first or second if no one tagged him?

Trying here to distinguish the situation. If I understand, then it is not a matter of the runner failing to tag up after a foul tip was caught, no need for that as when it is a fly ball.