Question on Awards with Tagging up

[Justme]

Originally Posted by midtnblu

Case Book 8.2.5

Ruling: A runner may not return to a base left too soon on a caught fly ball if he was on or beyond a succeeding base when the ball became dead. Upon proper appeal, R1 shall be called out. If no appeal is made, R1 will be awarded 3B.


If R1 was headed back and was between 1B and 2B, the return is allowed and the award is 3B.

If you're going to use the case book you should include the situation:

8.2.5 Situation A

With R1 on first and no outs, B2 hits a long fly ball over the head of F8. R1 thinks the ball will fall in for a hit and attempts to advance to third. However, F8 makes the catch. F8 throws to first base, but the ball goes into dead-ball territory. R1, who is attempting to return to first base, is between second and third base when the ball becomes dead.

Ruling (in part): A runner may not return to a base left too soon on a caught fly ball if he was on or beyond a succeeding base when the ball became dead. Upon proper appeal, R1 shall be called out. If no appeal is made, R1 will be awarded 3B.

Now assuming, as you did, that the throw to 1B (that went into dead-ball territory) was an appeal attempt:

What becomes of the defenses right to appeal?
Is the defense allowed to appeal again even though the first appeal attempt went into dead-ball territory?

How would you know for sure that the throw that went between 1B & 2B wasn’t an attempt to throw to 2B for a tag on the runner or to prevent him from advancing? If that were true and the runner was standing on 2B at the TOT (and no apparent appeal had been made at that time) would you still only award the runner 3B? And if the appeal isn't made?

Who says that if the throw was an attempt to appeal it wasn't properly made and the runner gets 3B?

So aren’t these discussions fun?