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Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
No, the ruling does not favor that team. The team earned that as if was their play which placed the runner were they were at the time of the player's indiscretion.
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I figured as much, but still wanted to see what people would say.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
I, as the umpire, do not want such liberty as there isn't even a remote chance any such rulings would be consistant across the state, let alone the nation.
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Oh, agreed! Consistency among umpires definitely goes right out the window, but the fact remains the rule is still there, and can be used for good or bad. I would reserve the right to use it only under the most bizarre circumstances, only after exhausting every possibility of using the rules down to the letter.
However, the possibility of a runner committing a flagrant act like this on a fielder that's nowhere near making a play on him is highly likely. For example, R1 on 2nd and B2 hits a deep gap shot to the outfield. While approaching 3rd base, R1 takes a cheap shot at F5 while the ball is still being recovered by the outfielders. I'm sure something like this has happened at least 100 times already, but there's no actual rule that spells it out.
Perhaps ASA could consider spelling this out a little clearer? Put it in 8-8? Maybe 4-8? Seeing the variety of answers here (and by the umps I've asked in the field), I think it would be worth it to see their intentions in black and white.