[David B]

I don't think it was that obvious of a missed call.

If he stopped short of third, removes his helmet, and it nearly to the mound before the coach starts to yell at him, I'm going to call him out also.

Blame the coach for instigating it all. He deserves to have the out called.

Sure its only a warning for removing the helmet, but the runner does have a baseline he was heading to third.

So, he abandoned his efforts to run the bases and should be called out IMO.

Now, the BR is protected all the way to dead ball territory, but this is not the BR, its a base runner and the obligations are different.

FED rules state 8-4-2p (note) - any runner who leaves the baseline heading for the dugout or his defensive position believing that there is no further play shall be declared out if the umpires judges the act of the runner to be considered abandoning his efforts to run the bases.

So I don't think that was such a bad call at all.

Thanks
David