Crazy Appeal Situation–Official Baseball Rules
2 outs, Runner 2 on 2nd base; Batter 1 singles. Runner 2 scores on a close plaly at the plate as the Batter-runner takes second on the throw. The defense annouces it will appeal the batter-runner for missing first base. Batter-runner (on second) starts back to first after the pitcher has the ball on the rubber. The pitcher throws to second.
a) The first baseman catches the ball before the runner gets back to 1st base. How do you rule?
b) The batter runner beats the throw back to first base. How do your rule?
Rule Reference: Official Baseball Rules 7.01
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Shawn, here is what 7.01 says:
“7.01 A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base. If a runner legally acquires title to a base, and the pitcher assumes his pitching position, the runner may not return to a previously occupied base.”
With respect to your post it doesn’t matter where the pitcher throws the ball. (BTW, did you mean he threw to second? Wouldn’t he throw to first where it would be easier to make the appeal?). It also doesn’t matter whether the first baseman catches the ball before the runner gets back to 1st base (situation A) or the batter runner beats the throw back to 1st base (situation B). The result is the same.
Once the pitcher has engaged the rubber, the runner may not return to a previously occupied base. If he attempts to do so he will be declared out. The umpire will call “Time” if he persists, and the defense will not be permitted to play on him. The defense will be permitted to make an appeal. Again, we are talking OBR, not FED rules.
Yes, I meant to say the pitcher threw to first base! Here’s another question for this situation. You are the base umpire positioned in the “C” position when the defense says it is going to make an appeal at first and the runner on 2nd base takes off for third base.
a)The pitcher runs at the runner faking a throw and the runner goes back into 2nd base. The pitcher then throws to first for the appeal. How do you rule?
b)The pitcher throws to third and the runner scurries back to second just beating the throw. The pitcher then throws to first for the appeal. How do you rule?
Shawn, the defense is not allowed to appeal an event if a play intervenes between the event and the appeal.
It is a play if there is a:
(1) tag or tag try of a runner
(2) tag or tag try of a base
(3) throw to another fielder in a try to put out a runner
(4) rundown, or
(5) balk
It is not a play of there is only
(1) an appeal (although a play can occur during an attempt to appeal) [710d]
(2) a fake or feint of a throw, or an interruption of a throw
(3) a step or several steps toward a base or runner that do not result in an
actual tag attempt
Thus, in your situation (a) the pitcher runs a few steps at a runner, faking a throw, but the runner goes back to first; no play. The pitcher can then throw to first and successfully appeal the missed base.
However, in your situation (b) we have a throw to a fielder in an attempt to try to put out a runner. Did the second baseman ever tag the runner returing to second, either on or off the bag? If so, he can appeal the runner missing first because he tagged the runner before he returned to first and the appeal would be upheld.
However, if the second baseman merely kicked the bag and did not tag the runner, the appeal when the pitcher throws to first will not be honored, as a play intervened between the event the defense wants to appeal and the actual appeal.
I am basing my ruling on the information contained on page 16 of The Rules of Professional Baseball, A comprehensive reorganization and Clarification, Rule Differences Edition, 2003, by Chris Jaksa and Rick Roder
That would be my ruling. I’m interested in how others would rule.
question; Bases loaded one out fly ball to outfied legal catch is made after time is put back in play team appeals runner left second early and is called out does the run from third count
Our league goes by professional baseball rules. Is it considered an illegal pitch warranting a balk call (if there is a runner on base) if a pitcher pitches when, for example, the third baseman had one foot out of bounds while holding a runner on base? When is a fielder considered in fair territory when the ump calls “play”? Does he have to have just one or both feet in fair territory?
My understanding is that there is an interpretation that having part of a foot in fair territory is good enough and NO WHERE have I ever heard that it is a balk. The umpire is not supposed to be able to allow the ball to become alive if there are not 8 players in fair territory, but if a player goes to pick up a ball inside the fence in foul territory and the pitcher throws a pitch, I still blame the defense for not communicating. Therefore, I call the ball alive. Rules are meant for fair play and an official interpretation never came out on this while I was 11 years in the minor leagues. My opinion, but maybe a protest someday in a big major league game will get an official interpretation. My Baseball Umpire Development umpire supervisor, who shall remain nameless, brought this up several times and we would state that you cannot put the ball in play, but no one was going to cancel a homerun when the defense failed to have all its players in fair territory.
Sorry for not giving you a definitive answer. Hopefully someone might have come across an official interpretation in a manual somewhere. I welcome umpires to chime in on all rules codes–pro, college, National Federation, and even Little League.
Thank you!
Runner on first and no-one out. A ground ball is hit to the second basemen. The runner on first retreats to first and stands on the first base bag. The second baseman throws the ball to the first baseman who is off the bag. The first baseman tags the runner and steps on the base to retire the batter runner. Is the correct ruling a double play or is the runner on first safe since he was on the bag when he was tagged?
Great quesstion! I cannot give a definitive answer without looking further and citing a specific rule, but I would call this a double play. Otherwise, runners could do this every time to prevent a double play. Now, if the base was tagged first and then the runner standing on first, the runner would be safe.
Maybe someone can find a rulebook/casebook play somewhere that covers this. Can we assume that all rule codes rule this the same? I would sure hope so.
Great question Roger. Thanks for sharing it here.
I’m just passing through, but I can confirm Shawn’s opinion that Roger’s latest scenario is indeed a DP.
As soon as the ball hits the ground, the batter runner is safe until put out, which means the runner on first is forced to advance to second. So, s/he can be put out by any means necessary, and it matters not that s/he’s on the first base bag when tagged, because that bag now rightfully belongs to the batter/runner until retired.
Senerio: 1 out tie ballgame bottom of the 9th inning. runners on 2nd & 3rd. Batter hits a fly ball to centerfielder who catches it for the 2nd out. Both runners tag and there is a play at the plate and the runner from 3rd is called safe by homeplate umpire and the hitting team thinks they have won the game. Defensive team appeals that the runner on 2nd left early on the catch and the field umpire agrees and calls the runner on 2nd out. Does the run count since this would be the 3rd out or is the 3rd out recorded after the run scored?