If Youre An outfielder And You Throw Your Glove up And It Catches?

If you're an outfielder and you throw your glove up and it catches the ball and you catch the glove, is it an out?

To answer this question, we need to look up the definition of a catch in the rules. The rules define a catch as “the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it
” The rule goes on to say that “in establishing the validity of the catch, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove that he has complete control of the ball and that his release of the ball is voluntary and intentional.” Therefore, if a fielder catches the ball in his glove and his glove falls off with the ball in it, it would not be a legal catch, as the fielder would not be firmly holding the ball and the ball’s release from his possession not voluntary and intentional. So what happens next? Next we turn to Rule 5.06(b)(4)(A), which states that each runner, including the batter-runner, advance to home base if a fair ball goes out of the field in flight. But what does “in flight” mean? Let’s go back to the Definitions of Terms section of the rules, where we found the definition of a catch. “In flight” means a “batted, thrown, or pitched ball that has not touched the ground or some object other than a fielder.” OK. Great. All runners are awarded home. But is it a home run or an error? Let’s go to Rule 9.06(e). It states that when a batter-runner is awarded a home run under 5.06(b)(4), the batter-runner is to be credited with a home run. But wait, did the fielder commit an error when he lost the ball? On to Rule 9.12. It states that a fielder shall be charged with an error when the fielder’s “misplay (fumble, muff or wild throw) prolongs the time at bat of a batter, prolongs the presence on the bases of a runner or permits a runner to advance one or more bases
” So could the hit not be a home run but an error? Well, now we need to check under the scoring rule whether the hit qualifies as a hit. Rule 9.05(a)(2) states that it is a base hit if the batter reaches safely on a fair ball that is hit with such force that a fielder attempting to make a play can’t do so. I would say that a batted ball that takes a fielder’s glove off qualifies as a hit. Home run.