Strange Play in Cleveland

[ctblu40]

Originally Posted by wish7694

That makes sense that it was not a balk. It is VERY ingrained in players that throwing to an unoccupied base is a balk, thus my initial confusion. It looks like at least U1, if not others also had the same initial reaction before recognizing the mistake. Clearly a mistake was made made in pointing and declaring a balk, but wasn't it another mistake to call time out and kill the ball before R1 reached second base even if they thought it was a balk at the time. It seems amazing that a pitcher could throw to first, hit a runner, have the ball bounce to the 1B dugout and the end result is placing R1 at first.

First of all, an unoccupied base is a base without a runner, not a base without a fielder.

Second, the mistakes were pointed out by mbyron.
(1) There was no balk infraction.
(2) The umpires declared "Time" before a fielder held the ball in the infield.

Third, although they made a mistake, R1 was left at first because that's the base he legally occupied at the time the umpire declared "Time." Likiewise, he was not entitled to advance to second due to action that occured during the live ball play.

Eddie Rap made a mistake, certainly not his first, probably not his last. Life goes on.

[wish7694]

ctblu -
I am speaking from the point of view of a fan and of the team that had to keep their player at second. I did mention in my parenthetical (which you left out) that it was the correct call based on when the timeout was inappropriately given.

I was just trying to confirm, which I guess you did, that a dead ball should not have been called even if it was a balk.

[wish7694]

He was at 2B and sent back to 1B by the umpires, resulting in Wedge coming out to argue.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by wish7694

He was at 2B and sent back to 1B by the umpires, resulting in Wedge coming out to argue.

Did the ball enter DBT or just roll into foul territory?

[wish7694]

Just foul territory

[mbyron]

As usual, the announcer (Rick Manning) couldn't figure out what had happened, and kept talking about an "unoccupied base" on the grounds that the fielder was not there.

Next inning, they were actually reading from the rulebook on air, though alas they couldn't find the relevant rule. (Rick read the rule about throwing to an unoccupied base, which made it seem as if the umpires screwed up by reversing the balk call.)