Quote:
Originally Posted by SAump
And if I am still WRONG, then it is only because the 2 plays are so close in nature, I thought it was worth my time to bring it back up AGAIN to try to find a clue why I still don't get it.
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I assume the play to which you refer in the MLBUM is this:
Runner on first, one out. The batter doubles. Runner on first rounds the bases and tries for
home. On the play at the plate, the catcher misses the tag and runner misses the plate in
sliding by. As the catcher begins to chase the runner to apply a tag, the batter-runner tries
for third base. Seeing this, the catcher throws to the third baseman, who retires the batterrunner.
May the defensive team still appeal at home on the runner originally on first?
Ruling: Yes. The catcher's play on the batter-runner at third base was still part of the
continuous action created by and following the batted ball. Therefore, the defensive team
would not lose its rights to make an appeal by playing on the runner at home or the batterrunner
at third and may still appeal at home.
Note that in the MLBUM play, the runenr never attempted to return to the plate. He slid by and continued to the dugout.
In the play in the now closed thread, there was no play at third. All the action happened near the plate. Also, in part A of the OP, the runner attempted to come back to touch the plate.
So, while the plays start out the same (runner misses home while F2 misses tag), the later action, and the question they are attempting to address are different.
What you want to read to answer the OP is MLBUM section 5.3 -- note that the first part of 5.3 is part (b) of the op; the second part of 5.3 is part (a) of the OP. I've bolded the relevant ruling.
5.3 RUNNER MISSES HOME PLATE
Should a runner, in scoring, fail to touch home plate and continue on his way to the bench
(making no effort to return), he may be put out by the fielder touching home plate and appealing
to the umpire for a decision. However, this rule applies only where a runner is on his way to the
bench and the catcher would be required to chase the runner. It does not apply to the ordinary
play where the runner misses the plate and then immediately makes an effort to touch the plate
before being tagged.
In that case, the runner must be tagged. In such cases, base path rules still
apply to the runner (i.e., he may not run more than three feet from the "baseline" between him
and home plate).