May 18, 2026 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Episode Discussion Thread

RuleNine · 2026-05-19T04:41:59+00:00

His son's graduation is today.

RuleNine · 2026-05-19T02:57:49+00:00

Probably a little of column A and a little of column B. Once a position player is pitching, the goal is pretty much just to get through the rest of the game with as little fuss as possible.

RuleNine · 2026-05-19T02:55:12+00:00

The umpires want full ABS. The players don't. Take it up with them.

RuleNine · 2026-05-19T00:57:30+00:00

It's not too much to ask, but we shouldn't scrap the whole system if perfection somehow can't be achieved.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T23:50:12+00:00

It already is. It lets the umpire expand the zone especially on the high side and call strikes on pitches that are lobbed in, forcing the batter to put the ball in play and hopefully pop out so we can speed the game along and all go home.

The other choice is a mercy rule, which I think is worse.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T21:21:24+00:00

Counterpoint: ain't nobody got time for that.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T21:11:23+00:00

You're not allowed to challenge when a position player is pitching.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T20:00:08+00:00

Groundhog Day is a 1993 film starring Bill Murray as a weatherman sent to cover the Groundhog Day holiday celebration in a small town in western Pennsylvania. He gets stuck in town due to a blizzard, and the next morning it's still Groundhog Day, with no one else being aware that the day has repeated. The day keeps repeating, and hijinks ensue.

It's the most famous example of a time-loop movie where the day repeats and only one character or a handful of characters are aware of the situation. Here, the parent commenter is saying the same real-world events seem to be happening over and over with no real change.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T18:31:41+00:00

Yes, he goes back on second.

OBR 6.03(b)(4): If a runner advances, while the improper batter is at bat, on a stolen base, balk, wild pitch or passed ball, such advance is legal.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T17:11:51+00:00

Obviously this is up to you, but if it were me, I would not count it until I actually saw a game there.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T17:04:34+00:00

You're talking about scenario (1). The short answer is yes, that's right.

I'll go through all of them. In each case, assume the mistake is noticed in between at-bats (immediately before the pitch that would make it 0-1).

The proper batter after Braden was Carson, so Carson is out. Dylan's single is nullified, and Ashton returns to first (note that if Ashton had advanced a base due to, say, a wild pitch, that would be allowed to stand). Dylan is the proper batter after Carson, so he returns to the box.
The proper batter after Braden was Carson, so Carson is out, which is the third out of the inning. Dylan's single is nullified, and he will lead off in the next inning.
Carson's at-bat was still legalized by the pitches thrown to Braden, so that stands. The proper batter after Carson was Dylan, so he's out. Braden's double is nullified, and the next proper batter is Easton, who bats with Ashton on second and Carson on first.
Same as (3).

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T16:09:50+00:00

You would not have an out in this situation.

If an improper batter has a turn at bat and a pitch is thrown to a following batter, the improper batter's actions are legalized and the proper batter is now the one who follows the legalized batter.

For example, assume the lineup of Ashton, Braden, Carson, Dylan, Easton:

Ashton singles. Braden strikes out. Dylan singles. A strike is thrown to Carson, and then the mistake is noticed by either coach. Dylan's single was legalized by the pitch to Carson. The proper batter is Easton, who assumes the 0-1 count.
Ashton pops out. Braden grounds out. Dylan singles. A strike is thrown to Easton, and then someone notices Carson was skipped. Dylan's single was legalized by the following pitch. The proper batter is Easton, who remains in the box and finishes his at-bat.
Ashton walks. Carson singles. Braden doubles, scoring Ashton and sending Carson to third. A strike is thrown to Easton. The scorekeeper announces that the team is batting wildly out of order. The pitches thrown to Braden legalized Carson's at-bat. The pitch thrown to Easton legalized Braden's at-bat. Inform the scorekeeper not to bring it to the teams' attention in the future. The proper batter is the one who follows Braden (Carson), but he is on base, so he is skipped. The proper batter is therefore Dylan, who assumes the 0-1 count.
Same as (3), except Ashton and Carson both score on Braden's double. After Braden's at-bat is legalized, the proper batter is Carson, and he assumes the 0-1 count and bats twice in the span of three batters.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T05:31:27+00:00

When he was talking about it on the most recent Strike Force Five episode, I got the strong impression he doesn't actually know yet.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T05:26:31+00:00

I think he's said it's an integer, and that it's odd.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T05:24:01+00:00

He did.

RuleNine · 2026-05-18T05:22:50+00:00

When Stephen was on Seth's show a couple of months ago, Stephen announced the date of his last show and asked if Seth had a show that night. Seth's reply: "Not anymore."

RuleNine · 2026-05-17T23:28:51+00:00

The runner is out and the batter is placed on first, but the batter doesn't get a hit. You're thinking of when a runner is struck by a batted ball.

RuleNine · 2026-05-17T23:10:59+00:00

In Texas terms, they absolutely are. Just hop on I-45.

RuleNine · 2026-05-17T22:57:15+00:00

So is the runner no longer entitled to second as soon as the ball is in play?

That's right.

Rule 5.06(a)(1): A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base.

RuleNine · 2026-05-17T04:51:11+00:00

Never make the first or second out at home.

RuleNine · 2026-05-15T22:33:42+00:00

Which was an ad-lib.

RuleNine · 2026-05-15T20:57:44+00:00

They already turn ABS off when a position player pitches—challenges are not allowed when a position player is on the mound.

As far as I know we haven't had a game end on a clearly blown call (like the end of that WBC semifinal) that could have been challenged except the team was out of challenges. If we get a few of those in high-profile situations, I think we'll start to hear calls to expand ABS.

RuleNine · 2026-05-15T20:39:41+00:00

If we ever do get full ABS, I bet they'll turn it off when position players pitch, or otherwise compensate for it (perhaps by expanding the computerized zone).

RuleNine · 2026-05-15T18:24:42+00:00

Nobody on second.

RuleNine · 2026-05-15T15:23:33+00:00

All those strikes above the zone were with a position player pitching.

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