Balk with BOT - Question from Germany

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by greymule
... But to me, BR did advance, and that play ends and another (the appeal) begins ...

I'm sorry for the late reaction to the above statement, greymule. I've been mulling it over all day because it didn't sit quite right with me but I couldn't think why on the spur of the moment.

A "play" that includes an illegal advance or retreat - ie. a "missed" base - and the appeal play that draws the umpire's attention to the base running error and requests a determination are NOT separate plays. One event, the appeal, is a request for a ruling on the legality of the other, the "play".

For that reason I'd say your approach that the appeal is a second, separate "play" from the batter-runner's advance only begs the question. An appeal for a base running infraction is NOT, by rule, a "play or attempted play" for the purpose of the appeal rule. I would apply that same logic to the batting out of turn appeal - that appeal is not a "play or an attempted play" in its own right. It is instead a proper request for a ruling on the legitimacy of the play just completed.

Cheers