cde@cornell.UUCP (Carl Eichenlaub) (05/27/85)
> *** HIT THIS LINE OVER THE FENCE *** > *** IT MIGHT IT COULD BE ITS A HOME RUN - HOLY COW! burp! *** > > > > > How about these other baseball puzzles? How can a pitcher pitch a complete > > 9 inning game, and throw just 9 legal pitches? > > You beat me to this one - I was going to post it. Oh well I will solve it. > > 1st inning: > Batter lines the first pitch into right field corner for a triple. (1 pitch) > > Next batter up - runner at third tries to steal home - pitcher throws ball to > catcher to make the play at home. Batter interfers and is out and runner > back to third. (1 out - no pitch) > > Next batter up - runner at third tries to steal home - pitcher throws ball to > catcher to make the play at home. Batter interfers and is out and runner > back to third. (2 out - no pitch) > > Next batter up - Same thing (3 out - no pitch) > > 2nd inning: > Batter lines the first pitch into right field corner for a triple. (1 pitch) > > Next batter up - runner at third tries to steal home .......... > > Get the idea. This is possible but highly improbable. This question first popped up some years ago in, I believe, Ripley's Sports Believe it or Not (at least I first saw it there). I read it at a time when I had just completed a book of puzzles on baseball rules, so the error was immediately apparent to me. With less than two out, on an interference play at the plate the runner is called out even if it is the batter who is guilty of the interference. The point of the rule is to prevent a batter who sees that a runner will be out from giving himself up and preserving a runner on third. >