After some thought, I'm wondering where the runner who dislodged a base should go if he passes a base and then returns.
Here's some stuff to ponder...
- The runner slides and breaks loose the bag. He stops where the bag was, but the bag is tossed several feet.
- The runner slides and breaks loose the bag. He slides several feet beyond the location of the bag, carrying the bag with him.
- The runner slides and breaks loose the bag. The bag flies several feet and the runner overslides the location of the bag, ending up touching neither the bag nor the original location of the bag.
The runner is safe in all three situations because approved ruling 1 says no play can be made on the runner if he reached the bag safely. This makes sense, because the runner is expecting the bag to stop their slide. If the bag becomes dislodged, they may not stop, creating the second two situations.
Following runners on the same play get their choice of locations to touch, according to the second approved ruling. This also makes sense. If the bag had only moved a foot up the line, the following runner may not know it had moved, so they are allowed to touch the bag. If the bag was sent several feet, it may be out of reach, so the runner gets to touch the location where the bag is supposed to be.
But the runner who dislodged the base is not a "following runner." So is he accorded the courtesy of approved ruling 2 if he leaves the base?