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Originally Posted by SAump
Your 'discussion on appeals' got under my skin. It concerns the mechanic for a missed base when the runner beats the ball to the bag at first base.
A) The UIC said to do nothing and as soon as F3 steps on the bag, bang out the BR. He insisted it was our duty to call him out as soon as F3 received the ball while touching the bag.
When the runner stops at 1B, the margin for CORRECTION also shortens exponentially. Pitcher and catcher may not likely question an umpire {incorrectly} selling SAFE insurance. The defensive coach, who is restricted to the dugout, has very limited opportunity to restore timely order. Any umpire who then reverses his original SAFE call also has to deal with another issue, INTEGRITY. I think this UIC is standing on solid GROUND, not trying to impress us with knowledge.
B) The proper mechanic is to signal safe as soon as the trail foot passes the bag and then wait for the appeal.
Isn't it the responsibility of an umpire to make the right call? I cannot understand option B when the runner continues safely to 2B or 3B or home. Then the defense also has a 90-foot (plus) advantage to get in their timely appeal. I was also told at a clinic held by REAL umps not to signal safe or point toward home if the runner missed home plate. To choose his words, "It would look pretty foolish if you reverse your call 15 seconds later."
But again, I am not holding the bag of CHIPS on this one either. I am willing to consider another opinion from anyone willing to help me understand what I may have missed at my CLINIQUE.
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Let me help you with what you missed at your "CLINIQUE."
"Professional umpires are trained to render the "safe" signal and voice declaration at first base even though the batter-runner missed the base but is considered past the base when the tag of first base is made. This becomes an appeal play and the batter-runner would subsequently be called out for failure to properly touch the base. This is the proper mechanical procedure at all bases involving force plays. On plays which require a tag, professional umpires are instructed to make no call until the runner legally touches the base or the runner is tagged before legally touching the base. "
The reasoning behind this would be that a runner is considered to have legally obtained a missed base as soon as he passes it until properly appealed. All missed bases are appeal plays. As all plays deserve a call, if the umpire signals nothing, then he becomes the 10th man on defense and alerts the defense that they have an appeal available to them. Also, appeals must be unmistakeable, so F3 just touching the bag when he receives the ball can not be considered to be an appeal.
This is the AR for an appeal.
"An appeal should be clearly intended as an appeal, either by a verbal request by the player or an act that unmistakably indicates an appeal to the umpire. A player, inadvertently stepping on the base with a ball in his hand, would not constitute an appeal. Time is not out when an appeal is being made.
Cross References: Appendices 15, 16, 17, 18 "
Tim.