[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Its not a live ball game in the sense that baseball is. When the pitcher has the ball in the circle runners gotta get on a bag.. one there, i call time and take my spot behind the catcher (presuming I've moved to some position outside the plate as is usually the case)..

Its not a live ball game then.. cuz this guy wearing blue, namely me, has called time, in accordance with the power invested in me.

At any rate.. to NOT call time because conceivably leaving the ball "live" could allow a pitcher to attempt to pick off a runner who is standing on a bag.. is kind of laughable.. I'm not waiting around game after game inning after inning for something thats not going to happen in any intelligent ball.. theres a game to be played.

You might be confusing softball with baseball though, dunno.

Why is it wrong to give the runner the responsibility to stay put?
It is a live ball game in the sense that the runners are locked to a base with the liability to be put out if they fail to maintain contact with the base while F1 has the ball in the circle. Why is that a problem? If the D messes up and doesn't get the ball in the circle or F1 makes a play on a runner, another runner can advance. If the O messes up on the LBR they have earned an out. Why is that a problem?
There is nothing cheap about it. The batter is out if she contacts the ball ouside the batter's box. The runner is out if she leaves the base. You just have to stay in the rules defined perameters of your responsibility. Why is that a problem?