Quote:
Originally posted by greymule
The runner gets 3B. Even if you consider the throw to be the first play by an infielder, the runner was on 1B at the time of the pitch.
Tougher awards are these:
Abel on 1B, 0 out. Baker hits a drive to right center, and Abel takes off. Abel rounds 2B and is on his way to 3B when F8 makes a diving catch. F8 gets up and fires a long throw to 1B to get Abel . . .
(a) after Abel has initiated a return toward 2B in an attempt to return to 1B, and the throw enters DBT
(b) after Abel has retouched 2B on his way back to 1B, and the throw enters DBT
(c) as Abel stands on 3B watching the throw go into DBT, and Abel remains on 3B
(d) as Abel stands on 3B watching the throw go into DBT, and Abel remains on 3B, but, after the award, returns to 1B to tag up
(e) as Abel is returning to 2B to retouch on his way back to 1B, and when Abel sees the ball go into DBT, he reverses direction and runs to 3B and stands there.
There has been much controversy over what to award in at least two of these cases.
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I'll give it a try.
In a nutshell, a runner cannot legally attempt to return to a base if he is on (or passed) a subsequent base when the ball became dead. So in any of these cases if the runner occupies 2nd or is beyond 2nd when the ball became dead, he cannot legally return; he can be called out on proper appeal. In all cases, I would award the runner 3rd base since that is the base the runner could have legally obtained. In A,C,D & E, I would call Abel out on proper appeal. In B, I would call Abel out if he does not retouch 1B.
What I'm not sure about, is do we, as umpires, permit the runner to retouch the bases back to 1B if they are on (or past) a subsequent base when the ball became dead? Since its not legal, I tend to believe you don't permit it. But if you stop the runner from returning, you clue in the "clueless defense" to the runner's error.