Elks1 said:
batter swings misses ball hits ground(low pitch) then catcher catches it. umpire calls third strike drop says it doesn't matter when it hits the ground before of after the catch?
That is still an uncaught third strike. As noted above, the definition of a catch is the same for a catch of a third strike as it is for a catch of a batted ball.
Picture a batted ball that bounces one time then is gloved by a fielder. Do you have catch for an out? Of course not.
Same holds true for a third strike being legally caught. The ball must be caught "in flight", before touching the ground, to be considered a legal catch.
Some of the confusion comes from this play being generically referred to as a "dropped" third strike. That might lead the casual fan to assume that the pitch must be "dropped" by the catcher after it hits her mitt.
The actual rule in the rule book calls this an "uncaught" third strike. When you combine the correct "uncaught" terminology, along with the rule book definition of "a catch", it should make a little more sense- a bounced pitch that hits the ground before the catcher gloves it can never be a legally caught third strike.