Here's the question to the WUA:
With R1 only and no out, batter hits a double but fails to touch 1B en route. R1 goes to 3B. Time is called when the BR is injured sliding into 2B. Play resumes and the pitcher, from the rubber, throws errantly in an appeal at 1B causing the ball to roll down the RF line.
Knowing his goose is pretty well cooked at this time, can R2 return to correct his previous baserunning error, or is he prohibited from return per rule 7.01 comment.
If he cannot, what is the mechanic if R2 attempts to do so? Do you kill the ball thereby prohibiting R3 from scoring, or would you wait until the play is complete thus allowing R3 to score?
And here's the response:
When R1 touched second after his double and the ball became dead, he no longer had a chance to correct his miss of first (using 7.10b2, not 7.01). However, he is allowed to do what he wants on the wild appeal throw (7.01 is for someone who made second legally--didn't miss a base-- R2 has an apparent reason to want to return). The ball remains live, R3 can score and R2 can do whatever he wants. The defense can bring the ball back in, appeal, and the appeal is upheld (if it is executed before they make any play on R2).
Thanks for your inquiry!
World Umpires Association
I can live with that.........
I'm still not sure if I fully understand the technicalities of 7.10b other than the original play, including any return or awards, was complete on BR and the ball became dead. Therefore, no legal return allowed thereafter. Still, it somewhat surprised me that he'd allow the return of R2 (previously BR) to continue when a new play started. I thought the play would have been killed for attempting illegal return (as JEA stipulated in 7.01). Apparently Roder applies that only to meaningless returns.......
I suppose the next question would be what if R2 returned to touch 1B and the defense never appealed, but R2 was unable to advance back to 2B............
My guess would be to then declare him out for illegal return......
I'm gonna get that 7.01 comment in here somewhere.....LOL
Even more interesting if the double occurred with 2 outs.
A defensive appeal could negate R3's run, but with no appeal, I'd end up with a run scored but then a non-force 3rd out. The $hit will hit the fan then with the defense wanting the out on the illegal return before the run scored. So, do you just leave R2 at 1B if the defense doesn't appeal????
Freix
[Edited by Bfair on Mar 1st, 2003 at 09:50 PM]