Quote:
Originally posted by Del-Blue
Mike,
I think the definition of reached the next base would be the base beyond the one he/she is standing on. Lets say the runner was heading to third, ball goes out of play, umpire calls dead ball. Now the runer is on third. the award would be home. as long as he/she doesn't touch home first, he/she may return to touch the bases missed. If he/she has touched home and then someone tells him/her they missed second, too bad they can't return.
Same as if the batter hit one to the gap, misses first, heads to second, ball comes in, passes second, and heads to third. No one can stop it and it goes into the dougout. The award would be third, but since the runner already passed second, they can not return to touch first. Remember the award is from the time of the throw, not when it goes out of play. In the second senerio, the throw was made as the runner was between first and second, so the award would be second and third, and since the runner is past the first base of the award,(second) they cannot return to touch first.
I think I have confussed myself.
Bob
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Bob,
I'm glad to see you are still alive. I won't be at the meeting Monday, but I'm going to take the ride to Smyrna on the 3rd.
Remember, I qualify my answers as ASA. The only time a runner cannot return to touch a base missed or one left too soon on a caught fly ball is when that runner has entered DBT or a following runner has scored.
For example, a runner may score from 2B on a single by the batter, but missed 3B. Theoretically, this runner could be one step from entering DBT and realize what they did and return, retouch home, retouch 3B and home again. And this is all legal. Now, if this had happened on a HR where touching the bases are required, the moment the batter scores, the preceding runner is done and can no longer return.
Also, awarded bases and appeals are not to be applied during a dead ball period until all runners have been given the opportunity to complete their running assignments.
Pending additional info given in OKC, I would suspect umpires will be instructed to not announce awards until they believe the runner has completed their running assignment. However, once the umpire announces the award, or it is obvious the runner knows the award and advances on their own, now they may not return once the pass any of the awarded bases.
Instances where I would accept an indicator that a runner is accepting awarded bases and has completed the initial running assignments would be a runner being instructed to advance two bases on a dead ball, or a runner seeing the play and advancing when it is obvious they are doing so on a presumed award (i.e. BR advancing to 1B sees the ball go over F3 and into DBT and leisurely advances to 2B. Remember, in this case, 1B would be the first base of the award and the moment that runner commits to 2B, they have passed the "next awarded base" and cannot return to retouch 1B if they missed it the first time by.
Here is where the kicker is in all of this. As the "neutral" official, it really isn't up to us to stop the runner from returning whether permitted or not (unless they actually ask if they can return before doing so). It will still be up to the defense to make a proper appeal.
All of this is presumption based on the additional wording to the EFFECT of rule 8.5.G. I will be more than happy to report on anything I learn at the UIC clinic next month.