the weirdest play so far this season

Been pondering something for a few days...

Earlier this week I saw a highlight on ESPN Motion, that little screen that plays ads, clips, ads, and ads when you go to the website. It was from a MLB game but I don't remember the teams or players involved. The highlight was shown and mentioned in the clip but wasn't reviewed later. I found this a bit surprising since it's by far the strangest and most confusing baseball play I've seen so far this year.

Okay, so here's the scenario. Runner on first, less than two outs, some dude at the plate who would hit a home run later in the game. He pops up over the right side of the infield. The first baseman comes in on the infield grass a couple of steps, a few feet or so inside the line, and waits for the ball. Of course the runner on first is staying put, and the first baseman notices that the batter isn't bothering to run this one out. The fielder holds his arms out as if to signal his teammates to stay away and lets the ball drop. Of course the baserunners are now sitting ducks. The guy still on first no chance of beating a throw to second, and the fool who hit the thing is standing dumbstruck near the plate instead of hustling down the line. So the first baseman picks the ball up and flips it to second, the guy covering second throws it back to first, and a double play is called.

Now, the obvious question is, how in the world is the infield fly rule not in effect here? The whole point of the rule is to prevent exactly this sort of play. Under the infield fly rule the hitter should have been called out immediately when the ball hit the ground (or when the ball is in the air and the set-up is in place--can't remember but that detail is irrelevant) and the runner shouldn't have had to leave the bag. I mean, this is little league stuff, right? If not then why don't we see much more of this trickery in the majors?

I watched the clip at least five times to make sure I saw what I thought I saw, and indeed it was a double play. But the Sportscenter guys didn't even mention how it was allowed; they jabbered on as if covering a routine series of highlights. So I must be missing something here. Perhaps the fielder can call off the rule if he does it early enough? Did the ump just screw up and not call the rule when the ball was in the air as he should have? Is there some bizarre reason it doesn't apply to such a situation as this? I've tried to come up with any scenario which could make this play work out and by my understanding of the rules it isn't possible. So until I find an answer it has to go down as one of the most freakish plays I've ever seen in any spot.

Weird I tell ya. Scary weird.