Quote:
Originally posted by Tim C
I am not being thickheaded I just am confused:
For a player to run 18 feet in three seconds is pretty easy. Mickey Mantle ran the 90'to first in 3.2 seconds. I am asking a batter to cover approximately 1/4 that distance in basically the same time.
Sooooo,
I took a break and drove over to one of my local PIL (High School Fields) and used a highly accurate measuring system (I place one foot in from of the other, counted the steps and then came back here and measured my shoe):
The dugout is 17'9" from home plate.
Now back to my situation:
By reading this entire thread again,it appears that some of the people posting feel that if the batter-runner ran directly to the dugout that the force out would be eliminated and a tag would have to be made.
1) Have I nterpreted this part of the thread correctly?
2) Did the bases being occupied, as in my original situation, at the time of the pitch make a difference?
3) If it did (see #2) then we appear, at first glance, to have two conflicting views.
Help me, Mr Wizard!!!!
I am lost and confused.
T
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Tim,
Oftentimes the discussions amongst umpires are completely academic. Those academic discussions/debates force us to research and address points that are frequently applicable to less academic, and more practical situations. In other words, we glean bits of information from the hypothetical situation and apply them to real situations.
This is why discussing hypothetical plays have value and to dismiss them as Third World Plays that could never happen completely misses the point.
Saying how something doesn't seem possible (or likely) doesn't help with the salient issues very much.
In fact, this thread started with a situation that involved these issues. It really happened!
The batter thought he was out on a flyball so he just gave up and went headed toward the dugout. I've seen that before.
The runners held up, thinking it would it would be caught. I've seen that before.
The ball was dropped in such a way that it was not immediately apparent to the runners. I've seen that before.
The outfielder recovered the ball and attempted to "force out" the runners. I've seen that before.
But the BR is *already* in the dugout which, by the way, would not necessarily take great speed, nothwithstanding your "study" of how long it took you to reach the dugout.
THIS, I've never seen before. But I can certainly see how it could happen.
The questions are ...
1. Is the BR automatically out for entering the dugout?
2. If so, does this out become effective the very instant the BR enters the dugout - thus eliminating all force plays?
3. If not, can the BR *ever* come out of the dugout and proceed to 1st?
David Emerling
Memphis, TN