Well, I had promised myself that I would leave this alone, and it still looks like a spud to me; but I just got my spiffy new 2004 J/R. Lah me, and behold: Rick Roder also seems to think that the appeal for failure to touch a base is governed by
7.10b, with nary a mention of runner needing to reach the advance base before being vulnerable to appeal [see: J/R Ch.9,Sec.II(B)(1), pg. 71]. Guess the reading Gee likes ain't quite so "obvious" after all.
--Carter