[DG]

Originally posted by Jim Mills
In September 2003 I sent this to MLB.com:

In the Aug. 26 Tigers/Indians game, the Tigers had R1, R2, R3 and one out when Higginson grounded to third. The Indians F5 Blake threw to F4 McDonald at second to force R1 Klassen (who was tagged before reaching the base). Meanwhile, R2 Sanchez retreated to second on the throw and was standing there when the tag was made on R1, removing the force. Sanchez left second base under the mistaken assumption that HE had been put out and headed for the dugout. U2 Marty Foster correctly ruled that Sanchez had abandoned his effort to run the bases and was out number three. Before that call, R3 Santiago touched home. Santiago's run was disallowed; newspaper reports said the umpires ruled that Sanchez left second base before Santiago crossed the plate, negating the run.

If a runner has abandoned his base, is the timing of the ruling retroactive to when he left his base, or does abandonment take place the moment when the umpire judges that the runner is no longer attempting to legally advance or retreat? That is, if R3 touches home before R2 leaves his base, clearly the run counts. If R3 touches the plate after the umpires call R2 out for abandonment, clearly the run does not count. If R3 touches the plate after R2 leaves his base, but before the U rules abandonment, what is the timing of the out?

Since R2 can obviously leave his base in an attempt to advance, it seems the umpire needs allow the runner at least a few steps before judging that he has abandoned his attempt to advance. Of course, if R2 retires toward the first base dugout, it makes the call easier than if he heads toward the third base dugout; that is, in the same direction as his advance base.

It appears that the ruling is that if a runner leaves his base, and that leaving is ultimately ruled abandonment, the abandonment is ruled to have occurred at the moment the runner left his base. Therefore, with two out R3 must cross the plate before the abandoning runner leaves his base in order for R3's run to count. Is this correct?


They replied:

Hi Jim,

Neither the rulebook nor the MLB Umpire Manual indicates whether the time of the out for abandonment is when the runner leaves the base or when he is actually called out. The crew ruled that the time of the out was when the
runner left the base. They felt it was unfair to the defense to give the runner enough leeway to let the run score. After all, the runner who abandoned the bases was the one at fault.

Thanks for your inquiry!

World Umpires Association

It appears the crew applied 9.01c since this situation was not covered by rules or by MLBUM. However, the crew made it a timing play. - "newspaper reports said the umpires ruled that Sanchez left second base before Santiago crossed the plate, negating the run." This was originally a college question and the collge guide I have says that abandonment should be called on R2, when he crosses the foul line, not when he left 2B. PBUC indicates otherwise, "Runner...leaves the baseline and heads toward dugout. He is declared out before the runner from third reaches home plate. - Ruling: No runs score; this is a time play."