[IRISHMAFIA]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CecilOne

Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA

Earthling,
My impression from:

"Anytime there is something amiss, the umpire should hesitate slightly to see if the play may continue. Making an immediate safe call and then a reversal if F3 picks up the ball and chases the runner down the line for an obvious live ball appeal, may offer a poor impression."

is that you are suggesting not making a call on the original safe pass of the base, which implied to me a conflict with your previous comment:

"No, the umpire made the correct call, in the correct manner. The runner beat the play, the runner is to be ruled safe and that is the correct call. Now, if an appeal takes place, the umpire makes a ruling on the appeal, not a reversal of the initial call. "

Earthling! If you only knew!

No. My point was that the hesitation allows an umpire to see if the play is finished. Just as suggested on a missed tag/missed plate, the umpire should hesitate to allow the play to finish. At 1B, this would avoid some confusion if the umpire allowed the continuous motion to proceed. For example, in the scenario offered, if F3 immediately picks up the ball and chases down the runner, it is obvious he is aware of the missed base. The hesitation allows this live ball appeal to continue without the confusion of F3 hearing a safe and stopping dead in his tracks.

If this does occur, the umpire should hold off on the initial safe call, but when the runner is tagged, the call should still be, (point to runner with left hand) "On appeal, out!"

I was not suggesting the runner should not initially be ruled safe, but to just let the play continue if that is what is happening.