Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Reed
ETA: Actually, 8-4-2(i) is cited as the basis for the ruling; 8.2.3 is simply related. Childress claims that accidental appeals have been abolished, but not accidental outs.
Any runner is out if he:
"i. does not retouch his base before a fielder tags him out or holds the ball while touching such base after any situation (8-2-1, 2-3 and 4). Umpire may also call him out at end of playing action upon proper and successful appeal."
8-2-1 "An advancing runner shall touch first, second, third and then home plate in order, including awarded bases."
Personally, I am not convinced that CC is correct.
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Nor am I convinced, much as I hate to be on the other side of Carl. For one thing, 8-4-2(i) addresses "retouch" of a base, which seems to address retouch appeals and not missed-base appeals.
For another thing, 8-4-2(i) does not support the ruling in the case. The issue is whether the runner who is forced to 2B and passes 2B without touching it and is subsequently tagged is a force out. Nothing in this rule says so.
For yet a third thing, the idea of an accidental out is not relevant to the OP, since the fielder intentionally made a play on the runner and tagged him off the base. Indeed, to rule that this is automatically a force (without the necessary explicit appeal) seems precisely to re-institute an accidental appeal, since by merely tagging a runner off base the ruling grants an appeal and reverts the play to a force out. The ruling thus seems to be internally inconsistent.
Finally, since NCAA and OBR are both on the same page here, and there seems to be confusion only for FED, until I see explicit guidance from FED on this play, it seems to make sense to go with a ruling consistent with other FED principles and baseball practice.
So for FED case book writers who are looking into the thread, here's my proposed new case (replete with the deplorable FED "R1 on third" usage).
PLAY: R1 on third, R2 on first, two outs. R2 is stealing on the pitch, and B5 grounds to F6 in the hole. F6 fields the ball but comes up with it too late to get R2 at second base. As he sets to throw to 1B, he notices that R2 has rounded second base and throws to F4 behind him. After R1 crosses the plate, (a) F4 tags R2 off the base. (b) F4 tags R2 off the base and states "he missed the base!"
RULING: In (a), R2 has acquired second base by passing it, so this is a time play. R1's run counts, since the force was removed on R2 when he passed the base. In (b), this is an appeal play: if the umpire rules that R2 touched second base, then the ruling in (a) applies and R1's run counts; if the umpire rules that R2 missed second base, then his out is a force play and no run can score since it was the third out of the half inning.