Ok, Carl and Jim, NOW I think I've got it!
For the benefit of the other posters, I'd like to re-iterate the clarified position to see if I have both Jim Porter's and Carl Childress' agreement with my understanding of missed base appeals vs tag plays when using the Relaxed / Unrelaxed Action concept of Jaksa/Roder for clarity.
1. Missed base 1st base (rounded in direction of 2nd base), 2nd base and 3rd base - Runner has left the immediate vicinity of the base and makes no effort to return:
Relaxed action - Defense may appeal the missed base by tagging the base only.
2. Missed base 1st base (rounded), 2nd base and 3rd base - Runner has NOT left the immediate vicinity of the base and is scrambling to return:
Unrelaxed action - Defense must tag the runner for the out!
3. Missed base 1st base (rounded), 2nd base and 3rd base - Runner HAS left the vicinity of the base but IS attempting to return:
(a) IF the runner HAS made it back to the immediate vicinity of the base (eg the cutout), then
Unrelaxed action - Defense must tag the runner for the Out!
(b) IF the runner HAS NOT made it back to the immediate vicinity of the base (eg the cutout), then
Relaxed action - Defense may appeal the missed base by tagging the base only.
4. Missed 1st base (overrun only - no attempt to advance) or home plate - runner HAS left the immediate vicinity of the base and makes no effort to return:
Relaxed action - Defense may appeal for the out by simply tagging the base/plate.
5. Missed 1st base (overrun) or home plate - runner HAS NOT left the immediate vicinity of the base and is scrambling to return:
Unrelaxed action - Defense must tag the runner to gain the Out!
6. Missed 1st base (overrun) or home plate -
runner HAS left the immediate vicinity of the base but is attempting to return:
(a) Home Plate: Relaxed action regardless of the proximity of the runner to home plate - the Defense may still simply tag the plate to gain the Out! Runner could not return "immediately" having already left the immediate vicinity of the base. [cf OBR 7.10(d) Note and Evans' Official Baseball Rules Annotated Rule 7.10(d)]
(b)1st Base: May apparently be either Relaxed or Unrelaxed action, depending upon exact location and actions of the runner - BUT EITHER WAY the Defense should STILL be permitted simply to tag the base and make an obvious attempt to appeal, because there can be no other reason for tagging the base and making the obvious appeal attempt. This is especially true following the UDP's obligatory "Safe!" call mechanic when the runner first beat the ball to the base, even though the runner failed to touch the base in passing. If the runner did NOT beat the ball, then the "Out!" would already have been awarded under OBR 6.05(j) without the requirement to appeal.
Cases 3. and 6. above give the more contentious interpretations we have been dealing with in this thread. I hope I have clarified them accurately and we now have complete agreement on the end result as stated here.
Cheers,
Warren Willson
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Member and Co-Moderator, UT
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