[Manny A]

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst

In no way would I NOT call an out at first in the situation that Rita described.
Except for her "buddy", I don't know anyone else who would either, but it goes back to the fact that no where does it describe a BR's advance to first as a force..

2-24 ART. 1 . . . A force play is a play in which a runner (or two or three runners) loses the right to the base occupied and is forced to advance because the batter becomes a batter-runner.

THEN you have

2-38 ART. 2 . . . Force Out. A force out is a putout during which an offensive player who is being forced to advance is tagged out, or is put out by a fielder who holds the ball while touching the base toward which the forced runner is advancing.

THEN you have

SECTION 2 BATTER-RUNNER IS OUT
The batter-runner shall be called out when:
(snip)
ART. 2 . . . After hitting a fair ball the batter-runner is legally put out prior to reaching first base.

OK, where does it tell me how to legally put out a batter-runner?


You do have 8-6-3, but that deals with a runner... not a batter-runner.

SECTION 6 THE RUNNER IS OUT
A runner is out when:
ART. 3 . . . On a force play, a fielder contacts the base while holding the ball,
touches the ball to the base or tags the runner before the runner reaches the base.


Despite what I just wrote, I'll repeat, if I am the umpire.... SHE'S OUT.

Yeah, there's always the issue that a BR going to first is technically not a force situation. But for all intents and purposes, it's treated the same way. A BR is put out at first the same way a forced runner is put out on the other bases. A run cannot score if the third out is a force out or an out on the BR before safely achieving first base. Etc. etc. etc.

So your breakdown of all the rules is nothing more than an academic exercise that, at the end of the day, doesn't really disprove that a forced runner and a BR going to first are to be treated any differently. Those few areas in the rules that only talk of force plays (like 2-38-2 and 8-6-3) equally apply to the BR at first even though they don't specifically say so.