Retouch on Lead-off?

[rwou812]

I'm managing my son's 13 year old Babe Ruth team. During a scrimmage game yesterday, the other coaches specifically stated that the runners must re-touch the base they are leading off from when the ball is returned to the pitcher from the catcher.

Maybe I missed it, but in reading a 2003 rule book (it's the only one I have) I didn't see where the runners were required to return to the base, nor do I remember this from my playing days.

Any help?

[thumpferee]

Originally posted by rwou812
I'm managing my son's 13 year old Babe Ruth team. During a scrimmage game yesterday, the other coaches specifically stated that the runners must re-touch the base they are leading off from when the ball is returned to the pitcher from the catcher.

Maybe I missed it, but in reading a 2003 rule book (it's the only one I have) I didn't see where the runners were required to return to the base, nor do I remember this from my playing days.

Any help?

And you care what the other coach says because?

[JRutledge]

I do not work Babe Ruth ball, but I do not know of any rule requiring such a thing. It sounds like you are allowing a youth coach (which you should always be careful listening to about rules applications) to tell you something that is not applied.

Peace

[rwou812]

I didn't think there was a rule on this as I've umpired 12 & under Little League for a few years, but thought maybe I'd missed something in the book.

I've run into coaches in the past that didn't read their rule books. Looks like that's the case here again.

Thanks for the info!

[David B]

Originally posted by rwou812
I'm managing my son's 13 year old Babe Ruth team. During a scrimmage game yesterday, the other coaches specifically stated that the runners must re-touch the base they are leading off from when the ball is returned to the pitcher from the catcher.

Maybe I missed it, but in reading a 2003 rule book (it's the only one I have) I didn't see where the runners were required to return to the base, nor do I remember this from my playing days.

Any help?

Maybe the coach is thinking about a foul ball. Following a runner must return to the vicinity of the bag etc,

Thanks
David

[DG]

Originally posted by rwou812
I'm managing my son's 13 year old Babe Ruth team. During a scrimmage game yesterday, the other coaches specifically stated that the runners must re-touch the base they are leading off from when the ball is returned to the pitcher from the catcher.

Maybe I missed it, but in reading a 2003 rule book (it's the only one I have) I didn't see where the runners were required to return to the base, nor do I remember this from my playing days.

Any help?

What was the other coach's interest in this particular non-rule? Was the runner dancing around perhaps? Babe Ruth does not mention in their set of modifications to OBR, so this is straight OBR.

[rwou812]

I think what we have is a couple of coaches that are coming out of Little League where you can't leave the base until the pitch passes the batter. Obviously, this would constitute a return to the bag, but not in OBR. I asked a couple of the 14-15 managers at a meeting tonight about this and none of them had heard of this before either.

The other thought I had on this is that these guys have seen baseball on TV and notice that the runner at 1st base always goes back to the bag. Usually the runner at 2B will hang off the bag, but it's not as widely televised as the runner at 1B....leading to the perception that it's illegal to be off the bag. I even heard one of the coaches (it was a scrimmage with no umps, so we were umpiring our own pitchers to allow two adult base coaches..and coaches are thin in our league) telling my other coach that since he didn't retouch after the pitch he could call my runner at 2B out. Not knowing for sure, I didn't argue with him. And it was a scrimmage.

Granted this is a risky proposition by not having the runner go back to the bag, but I didn't think it was illegal. You guys are great and have helped me immensely going into the season. Nobody likes an uninformed and uneducated coach!

Thanks again!

rw

[bigwes68]

It's usually in the runner's best interest to get back to the bag if he's not stealing on the pitch and the ball doesn't get by the catcher, but it's most definitely not required.