Baseball rules corner: some quirky rulings kept umpires alert during the 2004 season.

THE 2004 SEASON PRESENTED some interesting situations. Let's go to the video tape.

APRIL 16: The Cubs and Reds met at Wrigley Field. Cubs' manager Dusty Baker made a double-switch at the start of the seventh inning replacing shortstop Alex Gonzalez with Ramon Martinez and pitcher Todd Wellemeyer with reliever Kent Mercker.

Unfortunately, Dusty never communicated the change to the umpires. Baker wanted Martinez to bat ninth so he could lead off the Cubs" seventh inning. But the umpires put Martinez in Gonzalez's No. 8 spot since they never heard from Baker.

After Martinez led off the inning with a double, the Reds appealed that he batted out of turn claiming Mercker should have batted in the No. 9 spot. The umps upheld the Reds' appeal and Mercker was called out for failing to bat in his proper turn.

April 21: Phils' manager Larry Bowa unsuccessfully protested Florida's 12-inning, 8-7, win. Placido Polanco led off the bottom of the ninth with a hit to left field. The ball got stuck under the padding on the wall, prompting Marlins' outfielder Jeff Conine to throw up his hands. Polanco circled the bases but the" umpires called it a ground-rule double and sent Polanco back to second.

Bowa argued that Conine should have had to play the ball because it was clearly visable.

May 1: Mets manager Art Howe didn't have much luck in his protest of a 31 loss to the Padres. Howe objected to San Diego reliever Akinori Otsuka's motion, which includes taking the ball out of his glove and then putting it back during his delivery from a full windup.