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Originally Posted by mbyron
This is not a useful question. The rules do not address this situation or any like it, so following "the letter of the law" is not an option.
Remember that the problems all arose because the OFFENSE made a mistake, namely BR missing 1B.
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Agreed but according to the rules the runner has deemed to have Touched the base unless properly appealed.
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Now the defense wants to appeal the missed base. As an umpire, I have no definite knowledge whether they would have appealed without the information from the PA announcer.
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You have plenty of knowledge. F1 was on the mound ready to pitch. If the defense was going to appeal they had plenty of time. IMO, from most of our experiences when the defense wants to appeal they do so immediately without hesitation. You hear a player or coach say "he missed first"
I think it's safe to say by the STRICT wording of the OP that the defense had no intention of appealing UNTIL they heard the announcement
Also, it was the way the announcement was made. In other words the PA announcer had "indisbutable evidence" that the runner failed to touch first base.
Pete Booth