DG,
I'll play.
From your description, the only thing that I can conceive of that the manager might have legitimately appealed was whether or not the BR should have properly been ruled out for running more than 3 ft. from his baseline in avoiding the tag attempt by F3. As described, there is no possibility of a "running lane violation", and it also doesn't sound like there's any possibility of obstruction or interference or a question of whether the batted ball was properly ruled fair or foul.
I would also assume that the R3 scored on the play so there is the question of run nullification if the BR gets called "out" on the play. If he is called out (whether for leaving his baseline to avoid a tag or some other reason I haven't thought of), the R3's run does not count.
Now I didn't see the play, so I certainly can't comment definitively on whether or not the runner should have been called out for leaving his baseline to avoid a tag (if that was the subject of the discussion), but, based on your description, I would be inclined to lean towards a "safe" call. Had I actually seen the play, I might very well be inclined to rule "out" depending on what I saw.
But, I don't think I've ever seen an F3 whose left arm is 3 ft. long (or longer), so I don't think the BR had to go beyond his 3 ft. limit in order to successfully avoid the tag.
The thing that's puzzling to me is why the umpire felt a need to get his rulebook and why the discussion lasted for ten minutes.
Of course, us coaches can get pretty darn "creative" when the game is close and there's a "close call" in an "important" game, so maybe the defensive coach was a little more "creative" than I'm being right now.
It does sound like everbody's behavior was "exemplary".
I hope you'll share the details and outcome (as well as your opinion of same) after everyone's has a suitable opportunity to respond.
JM
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