[Falconspeed]

Rule 2"It has to be caught it-the-air first. "Dropped Third Strike" is a mis leading tearm. So, if the ball touches the dirt before reaching the catcher, it is indeed a dropped third strike."

[Defiant]

Rule Numero Uno: Whether it is caught or bounces is a judgment call to be made by the ump. Guess what, sometimes they are wrong. If they say it bounced, it did. At least, if you want to win.

[sharkhawk]

Rule 2 "It has to be caught it-the-air first. "Dropped Third Strike" is a mis leading tearm. So, if the ball touches the dirt before reaching the catcher, it is indeed a dropped third strike."

Exactly right. Think of it as a line drive to the 2nd baseman. Trapped, he has to throw to first. If caught, player out. For all the whining Angels fans out there, yes it was a bad call, but the catcher did not even check to see if the ump called it an out. Mental error by the catcher on a close play.