Who Entitled to the base?
 

I'm having a debate on another website with regards to the following situation: R1 & R2. Batter hits ground ball to F6. F6 waits to tag R2 but R2 returns to second base which now has R1 standing on it. So both R1 & R2 are standing on 2nd base. Upon tagging both runners, which is out?

Others have quoted 7.03 saying that the preceeding runner always has priority but in this situation I'm quoting 7.01 which indicates that R2 loses his right to second base because of the force situation.

Which is right?

tibear,

In this case, the preceding runner is out when tagged - because, as you suggest, he has been "forced" to relinquish the base by virtue of the batter becoming a runner, per 7.01. Also, see 7.08(e) and the Rule 2.0 definition of "Force Play".

JM

Go tell those bone heads to read the rules again!

Explain to them that when you have R1 & R2, any hit becomes a Force Play!

Because of the Force Play, has to go to 3rd - there is no option to return to 2nd base in this situation! F6 can tag as many people as he wants, R2 is out and R1 remains at 2nd in this situation. R1 lost the right to 2nd base the moment that the batter registered a hit and that is all there is to that.

I also suggest that you cease operations at that no-nothing site - unless you want to become like these morons!

Most of the people on the other site don't actually know the rules and I'm trying my best to educate them.

When questions are asked, I give answers with rule references and try to explain but sometimes they get hard headed and refuse to believe me. That is when I turn to this website because I know I'll get the right answer and hopefully additional rule references to back it up.

Thanks

Umpires who won't belive the rule book - WOW!!

Now I just can NOT believe that would ever happen .... (big grin):p

Stay away from the Smittys, you can't educate them!!!

Thanks
DAvid

I sure hope they're wearing their helmets on that short bus:D What part of Force play do they not understand???? Oh wait.. obviously ALL OF IT

He didn't say he's dealing with UMPIRES on that other site. In fact, I kind of assumed it was predominantly fans/coaches/parents, and not umpires - and that he was the token umpire trying his best to educate the uneducated. If I'm wrong, Tiger, please correct me.

WTF? <comment>

Damn! you had it correct until you added that crazy line "After being tagged the force is removed until the next ball is put in play." Where the he]] did you get that from?

Damn! you had everything right until you added that BS line ---- "After being tagged the force is removed until the next ball is put in play."

Now you had everthing correct and then you aded that BS line "After being tagged the force is removed until the next ball is put in play.
Damn! you had everything right until you added that BS line ---- "After being tagged the force is removed until the next ball is put in play." Where did you get that mess from?

Some people are misled by the term "preceding runner," thinking it means "the runner who was on the bag first," rather than "the runner closer to home plate on the base paths." Therefore, they think that if R2 is standing on 3B and then R3 returns to 3B, R2—because he was on the bag first—is the preceding runner and has the right to the bag.

Theres no reason to re-answer the question when it has been beaten to death already by everybody else.

And yes....WTF?

LOL! ;) .......

Ozzy,

No need to sugarcoat it like that. Just tell 'em how it is. And how it makes you feel. (jes teasin')

JM