Quote:
Originally posted by Dakota
General comments.
The LBR is in effect only when the pitcher has control of the ball in the circle and the BR (if applicable) has reached 1st base.
The LBR has no "history." When it is off, it is off for all runners and whatever they did or did not do prior to the rule being off does not matter.
When it is on, it is applied individually per runner depending on what that runner is doing.
Quote:
Originally posted by rwest
Couple questions on the look back rule.
Scenario 1:
R1 at 2nd. She's off the base at the release of the pitch. The pitcher has the ball in her glove and in the circle. R1 heads back to 2nd. Now, before R1 makes it to 2nd, the pitcher puts the ball and glove between her legs in order to fix her hair. Can the runner now advance to 3rd or once she's committed to going back to 2nd must she continue to 2nd? In other words, is the LBR off now that the pitcher no longer possesses the ball?
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The rule is off since the pitcher no longer has control of the ball. The runner can do whatever the runner wants to do. No history.
Quote:
Originally posted by rwest
Scenario 2:
BR rounds 1st to the left and heads for 2nd, she then stops. The rule book says that she is committed to 2nd.
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No, it doesn't. If she rounds, she is allowed one stop and then she must immediately either proceed to 2nd or go back to 1st. Either way, it is a tag play.
Quote:
Originally posted by rwest
Scenario 3:
The rule book says that once the runner stops at a base, they can not leave the base. Does the pitcher have to have possession of the ball within the circle before this takes effect? Suppose R1 at 1st steals second on a pass ball and stops at second. She does not round the base. Now suppose before the pitcher has the ball in the circle she steps off the base. Is she out?
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No, she is not out. The rule is not in effect.
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Dakota,
I had an error in my previous post in describing scenario number 2. I should have said that she overruns first and then turns to the left and heads for 2nd. She then stops. The rule book says she is committed to 2nd. Now, with those corrections in mind, if she returns to 1st, do we call her out on LBR or wait until the defense tags her out? Assuming the defense has to tag her out, if they fail to do so before the next legal/illegal pitch, is the runner then safe? Can she be tagged out while on 1st since she was committed to 2nd? Also, do these rules regarding overruning 1st base only apply when the pitcher has the ball in the circle?
I assume so since it is under the LBR. However, it seems that this would not occur very often since the pitcher would seldom have the ball in her possession within the circle before the runner has made it to 1st. The defense would have to get the ball to the pitcher very quickly. Not saying it's impossible.
Also, does it matter which happens first, the overrunning of first or the pitcher having possession of the ball in the circle? In otherwords, suppose the batter-runner overruns 1st and turns to the left. Suppose she heads directly for 2nd then stops. What if this all happens before the pitcher has the ball in the circle? Does the rule apply.
Sorry for so many detail questions on this. I'm just trying to understand it in all its variations.
Thanks!
Randall
[Edited by rwest on May 16th, 2005 at 01:44 PM]