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DTTB: "The purpose of the rule, as I understand it, is to prevent the offense from attracting, creating, or tempting the defense into making a play so that the offense can possibly advance a runner after the play is basically over."
Can't agree, Tony. What will you do with the runner that starts to steal 2B and stops, forcing F4 to run after her while R1 on 3B tries to steal home?
I have always felt that the L-B rule was written to eliminate a form of taunting and game delaying. I'm talking about the game playing between a runner of the base and the catcher or pitcher with the ball. The defender fakes, the runner moves a step. The defender gets closer to the runner, the runner gets closer to the bag. Finally the defender runs all the way to the bag and the runner finally steps on the bag. Then finally, we set up for the next pitch - and get to do it all over again!
The L-B rule took all that out of the game. Just return the ball to the pitcher, and the runner has to do something. It does not prevent the runner from advancing a base; it doesn't penalize a legitimate runner. It just takes away the game playing and moves the game faster.
WMB
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