There are countless scenarios where the ball is in play, runs are scored and outs recorded with a ball not having been hit
but it always starts with the ball in the pitchers hand.
As a former softball pitcher I would agree (tho obviously there are differences, in that a softball base runner isnt permitted to take a lead).I had occasion to appeal a runners having left base too soon before an outfielder had caught a fly ball. That is actually always an appeal play, even if the runner was trying to return to base and didnt make it back in time. Being then without understanding, I called time out before I threw the ball to the base - and found that I had thereby mooted my right to appeal. Live and learn!
Nope, see if this helps.
When the ball is being thrown back to the pitcher or being pitched to the catcher there is no play going on. The ball is live yes. But no one would define those two instances in the most commonly used, and accepted, definition as a play. Once the batter hits the ball or there is some kind of errant throw by pitcher or catcher than the someone has to make a play on the ball.
Some are trying to apply a very legalistic and not necessarily accurate view of the use of the word play in the baseball code. Many, many, MANY words are found in the law that have a definition applied to them there that the overwhelming number of people would not apply to them and they would apply a different, more commonly accepted and used definition to them. Doesn’t make either of them “wrong”. But using the “legalistic” definition in the case of my post IS wrong.
In my original, theoretical situation I posted to start this thread the definition of the word play is not the one found in the law of baseball cited.