Re: Reasoning behind dropped third strike?

> There's no real reason. It's just an arbitrary rule somebody invented one
> day. It punishes the catcher for not catching the ball, but most strikes
> can be dropped without penalty.
> --
I disagree.

The rule is there to even out the playing field. Have you ever seen a split
fingered fastball pitcher work a hitter? With two strikes a hitter must
expand his strike zone to protect the plate. Pitchers know this and throw
pitches in the dirt, especially split finger fastballs and hard breaking
balls. This causes hitters to swing at pitches they may otherwise take.

The rule adds an element of risk to the defensive team when using this
strategy.