BOO Situation
 

This came up in our FED game a couple of days ago. B6 makes the final out of the third inning for the home team. I the fourth inning B8 leads off instead of B7. The defense completes a 1-2-3 inning on B8, B9, B1. B2 leads off the fifth inning and draws a walk. Could the visiting coach appeal at this point for B2 to be called out for batting out of order or has that opportunity already passed at this point.

Once a pitch was thrown on B9, B8's at bat was "legitimized." B9 is the proper batter and it's too late now for the defense to (properly) appeal. B7 is just skipped.

Thanks for the quick reply. If the appeal had been made before the first pitch to B9 would B7 have been called out as well as the out on B8 standing?

Similar thing happened yesterday, Reds vs Mets.

B1 strikes out. B3 strikes out. Once the next pitch is made, B3's AB is legitimized. B2 should be skipped and B4 should be at the plate. Instead, B2 doubles. BOO appealed. B4 is out. Second inning starts with B5 correctly at the plate.

No. B7 (the proper batter) would be out and B8 would return to bat.

Precisely.

Just for clarity to a softball umpire.

B4 is due to bat. B6 bats and is out. B7 bats and is out.

B8 appears at plate and DC appeals BOO on B4.
There is no out for BOO in that situation, I assume.

Is it any different in Little League, specifically Juniors?
Thanks.

Well, the defensive coach is way too late to appeal BOO against B4. The pitch to B7 legalized B6, and since no one noticed B4's absence until a pitch was issued to the batter following B4's "replacement", the defense can do nothing. This is just a no can do.

It's the "Goldilocks Principle" of BOO (one of two principles that allow even a raw umpire to get the rulings right).

The defense can appeal:

• Too Early (While B6 is still at bat) -- the correct batter (B4) takes the place of the incorrect batter and assumes the count.
• Too Late (After a pitch to B7) -- B6 now becomes the correct previous batter and whoever is next in the lineup bats
• Just Right (After B6 ends his at bat and before a subsequent pitch) -- B4 is out and B5 bats.

As I thought, same as softball (for me, I know you don't have that)

No. Not in any LL division.

I know it is dangerous to make "always" statements, but there are a few that that actually help with BOO.

• The proper batter is always the player that follows the last batter to properly complete his turn at bat (with the caveat that the initial batter for each team doesn't have anyone to follow).

• The previous batter is always considered to have properly completed his time at bat when a pitch is thrown to the following batter. Once such a "legitimizing" pitch is thrown, the current batter is subject to the previous bullet point.

• The player that should have been the proper batter is always the player that is called out when BOO is discovered.

• When BOO is discovered and the player that should have been at bat is called out, the next batter is always the player that follows the player that was just called out.

From there, there are a number of oddities that can occur. A player's turn in the order can be skipped without penalty or a player can come to the plate twice in a row.