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Old Sat Aug 23, 2008, 08:43pm
SanDiegoSteve SanDiegoSteve is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lakeside, California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UMP25


As asinine as you saying that he has to immediately return and that you'd call him out for turning, stopping, then continuing on? Your own posts above said this, and now you're flip-flopping.
I never said this. I believe you have misread what I said. If he merely stops, turns to his left, and stops again to do whatever, like catch his breath (he must be really out of shape if 90 feet takes his breath away), or some similar act, he is just fine by me. Only if he takes a hard turn or false step toward second do I consider what he does an attempt. If he stands there like a track star putting his feet in the blocks as if he would go to second, then that's what I call an attempt. In other words, he is giving an indication that he was going to go to second, but changed his mind. Once you appear that you are going to go for second, you are in jeopardy of being tagged out.

Most runners look over their shoulder at the wild throw and decide then whether or not to go to second. They don't usually wait until they stop, turn around, then stand there and decide if they want to go. I agree, if a runner merely overruns the base, turns and then gives no indication whatsoever that he is contemplating making an attempt to second base, he is perfectly within his rights to do so.

I'm still going to take Darling's, West's and Meals' word on the ruling over your vast MLB experience. I'll go out on a limb and say that their interpretation of 7.08 (c) is the more popular among MLB umpires.