Mon Jul 05, 2004, 10:51pm
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Official Forum Member
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 4,022
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Quote:
Originally posted by LDUB
Quote:
Originally posted by akalsey
Luke,
I agree that following runners get their choice of spots. In fact, I would probably give considerable leeway to a 12 year old in this instance. If he came to a stop or touched in passing a spot that is reasonably close to where the base is supposed to be, I'd rule that he touched -- even if he missed by a couple of feet.
In any event it would be a good teaching moment for the coach after the play. With my younger teams, I try and explain at least one situation an inning to them. I tell them there's a thousand rules in baseball and the best way to learn them all is to experience them and make a mistake.
But the reason for the question is what happens when it's not the following runner that needs to touch the dislodged base? What if it's the runner who dislodged it? Or even a preceding runner? However unlikely, it could occur that R1 knocks 2B loose and then R2, who hasn't made it to 3B yet needs to come back to 2B. So where does he have to touch?
Is the "following runner" portion of the rule one of Bob's 456 known errors of the OBR? Should it really be any runner?
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I just think that this rule is more clear cut than some of you are making it.
APPROVED RULING: (1) If the impact of a runner breaks a base loose from its position, no play can be made on that runner at that base if he had reached the base safely. APPROVED RULING: (2) If a base is dislodged from its position during a play, any following runner on the same play shall be considered as touching or occupying the base if, in the umpire's judgment, he touches or occupies the point marked by the dislodged bag.
Yes I agree that this rule is not written correctly. I think that Ruling 1 should be removed. Then all that needs to be changed is to take Ruling 2 and change following to all.
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The following runner is not the subject of this post.
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