Quote:
Originally posted by Dakota
I agree, Mike. If the runner tries to retreat, he has placed himself in jeopardy. But if the runner is just getting up & dusting off or milling about waiting for someone to call time, or scrambling to try to get to the dislodged base, he is protected.
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I had one of these a couple of years ago. R1 comes into 3B standing up and trying to use the bag as a brake. The bag kicked out and landed about 8 feet away as the runner ended up flat on his back.
He jumped up, looked for the ball and took about three steps towards home and then thought better of it when an infielder received the ball from the outfield, checked him then the runner rounding first. However, instead of returning to the base, he stood about 15 feet from 3B, dusting himself off while talking to the on-deck batter. The infielder threw it to F2 who walked up and tagged R1.
As far as I'm concerned, the moment he decided to voluntarily leave the area of the base and it's original spot, he placed himself in jeopardy. The defense's action with the ball was continuous, so the play was never killed. I ruled the runner out.
A dislodged base is not a "get out of jail free" card which allows an active runner to do anything they want during a live ball without liability to be put out.