[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by greymule

My difficulty is in understanding the precise meaning of "because of the improper batter's advance to 1B." Obviously, this covers runners who were forced to advance because the improper batter, for example, received a base on balls. Send those runners back.

But in the play I posted, you could argue it either way (I guess).

You do not "let the defense off the hook" when they make a bad play.

When F1 throws a wild pitch, that had nothing to do with whom was up at bat, therefore, the result of runners advancing stays. Now if B1 hit one out of the park, then all the runners advanced because of the improper batter at bat and if appealed propely, the runners go back to their TOP bases.

In BOO, the question that you ask is:

1. Did runners advance because of B1's action meaning the ball being hit. or

2. Did the runners advance due to "another factor" namely a wild pitch.

Here's the difference.

R2, Improper at bat, grounds to F4 who throws to F3 for the out but R2 advances to third. Defense properly appeals.

Result: B1 is out and R2 returned to second because R2 advanced to third as part of the improper's batter hitting the ball.

Same as above except R2 was stealing on the pitch. R2 is allowed to remain at third.

Do not complicate life on BOO. If the improper batter "did something" that caused the advance then return the runners. If the batter has nothing to do with the advance, runners stay where they are.

Pete Booth