When is an out not an out?

When the ball is not in the catcher's glove on a play at the plate, but is instead rolling in the dirt between the catcher's legs.

That's what happened in the top of the ninth inning of Friday night's game between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.

San Diego's Justin Huber comes barreling home as the ball arrives at Seattle catcher Kenji Johjima. The throw beat Huber to the plate but Johjima did not catch the ball cleanly (or, at all, apparently), but Huber was ruled out by the umpires.

I was shooting from a photo well between home plate and third base, so I actually had a better look at the play than the ump, who was blocked by Johjima. Actually, the Padres dugout had the best look, since they were yelling the loudest that the ball was on the ground.

Here's a look:

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec., f2.8)

(Canon EOS 1D Mark III, EF 70-200mm/f2.8 lens, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec., f2.8)