"Force" redux

[cbfoulds]

Originally posted by greymule
I thought of a play that might be a test of whether the BR reinstates the "force" at 1B if he retreats in the direction of home after touching 1B.

BR hits a fly to F9, runs to 1B, sees F9 about to catch the ball, and starts trotting back down the 1B line. F9 drops the ball, and the 1B coach yells, "Run!" BR, on the 1B line 30 feet from the plate, then runs across the infield directly to 2B.

When the ball is put into play, the defense appeals that the BR failed to retrace and touch 1B on his way to 2B.

Would you uphold the appeal?

Holy hard heads, batump!

Yes, I would uphold the appeal, but it has nothing to do with a "force" at 1st base. THERE IS NO "FORCE" @ 1st!! It thus follows that the "force" cannot be "reinstated".

By rule, advancing or retreating, the runner must touch each base in order; for failure to do which [on the "last time by"], R is out ON APPEAL when he or [by rule] the base is tagged by a defensive player in possession of the ball. The fact that it is not necessary to tag R's person in this situation has nothing to do with the play being a "force": it is because the rule on appealing a missed base explicitly provides for this proceedure. Trying to use this situation as a "precedent" to draw conclusions about other fact situations where BR touches 1st, but the "retreats' toward Home is seriously bad logic.