Your view on this play

[Forest Ump]

Originally Posted by Eastshire

Depends on the ruleset. OBR: Cannot. Fed: Do not have to.

This is good timing. I had game on Sunday. Traveling teams. Bronco Level. I'm working the dish. R2, 1 out. Fly ball to F7. R2 takes off but pulls up short of 3rd on the catch. He hustles back to 2nd before the throw to 2nd. Play has relaxed and the coach asks for time. I assume he going to take care of some pitching business and I grant him time but instead he says he wants to appeal that the runner rounded third but didn’t touch 3rd on the way back.

I motioned for him to come over and I told him that he could only appeal that on a live ball and that he can never call time to ask for an appeal. It occurred to me that maybe he has lost the ability to appeal but I was not sure about that so I didn't go there. Once I put the ball back in play, the defense properly appealed and I denied it.

Two questions: Did he lose the ability to appeal the play when he called time?

Do you say anything with your mechanic when upholding or denying appeals?

[Eastshire]

Originally Posted by Forest Ump

Two questions: Did he lose the ability to appeal the play when he called time?

Do you say anything with your mechanic when upholding or denying appeals?

1. No, but the ball must be put back into play before the appeal may be made. I personally will not coach the coach on this during the game but will explain the procedure after the game.

2. I usually do not.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by Forest Ump

Two questions: Did he lose the ability to appeal the play when he called time?

Do you say anything with your mechanic when upholding or denying appeals?

A coach can never call time. He can ask for it, and you can grant/deny it. You should not grant it until playing action has ceased. But no, his 'time' call does not invalidate an appeal.

for mechanic, if you uphold the appeal, you can signal out. If you deny the appeal, you can signal safe. Since its a live ball, the runner will want to know his status right away.

[SanDiegoSteve]

It always amuses me when the defense wants to appeal when the ball is still alive, and they tell the pitcher to get on the rubber, then step off, and then appeal, instead of just throwing the ball to the base. And then when the ball is dead, they can't get the concept of putting it back in play before they can appeal. It must be baseball dyslexia.

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

It always amuses me when the defense wants to appeal when the ball is still alive, and they tell the pitcher to get on the rubber, then step off, and then appeal, instead of just throwing the ball to the base. And then when the ball is dead, they can't get the concept of putting it back in play before they can appeal. It must be baseball dyslexia.

It's one of those myths that have been perpetuated for so long it becomes "reality". I heard it 40 years ago, and I still hear it today.