Quote:
Originally posted by PWL
I think people are reading a little too much into this. There is a live ball in play. As BU, I would be watching the ball and see where it is going first. I am not aware of any rule that says a player has to run to first to begin with.
Just record the out at 3B and 2B. The defense realizing no one is on 1B should just throw the ball over and record the out. I understand the issue is here is timing. However, this would be the last call I would make in the sequence since the ball is in play. If so, I don't think the force would be off until (A) the ball is thrown to 1B behind an advancing runner and actually touched with the ball in possession (B) the runner is tagged before reaching the base.
I would haggle with the rule part of it later.
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I think I would handle it in the identical manner.
I guess, where I was initially wrong, in addition, I would have allowed the BR to emerge from the dugout and attempt to correct his misunderstanding as long as the play was still in progress. I would have only called him out (for desertion) if he
remained in the dugout when all playing action has ended. But, like you said, that would probably be rendered moot by the defense throwing him out at 1st. THAT'S the out I would recognize as the final out in the sequence.
Apparently, the correct call is that the BR is out, no matter what, simply by virtue that he entered the dugout. Yet, that interpretation apparently doesn't say that the runner is out IMMEDIATELY in the context of the play we are discussing.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN