I disagree. Absent any hint that the defense knows the runner left too soon the relaxed tag you mention could not be interpreted as an appeal. How many times have we seen tags applied for no reason, ie batter standing on a base and a relaxed tag is applied? All F5 has to do is say "he left early" when he tags him and all doubt is removed.

C'mon now DG, let's be sensible. R2 starts out on 2nd base and he apparently thinks there are two outs when a fly ball is hit. R2 goes all the way to third without ever looking back. The fly ball is caught.

Everybody in the ballpark knows the runner left too soon. My grandma, bless her soul, in the advanced stages of her macular degeneration would've known the runner left too soon. It's not a question of a hint, it's a big fat two-by-four upside the head.

:D

As I read your response again, DG, I realized that you might've been talking in general and not referring specifically to the original play. If that's the case, my apologies, and this is how I would answer it:

My response was intended to be about the original play and relaxed/unrelaxed actions.

But also according to J/R, an appeal must be an act that is, "unmistakably indicated by voice, manner, or both." Even though it was written for professional umpires who work where meaningless tags on runners standing on their bases during relaxed action simply don't occur (never mind having the extreme rarity of occurring right at the moment a runner also happens to be in jeopardy from a viable appeal). . .

. . .I think we all can tell the difference between an honest-to-goodness tag, and simply a ninny slapping his glove around on the opposition for no apparent reason.

Me thinks the DG was speaking in the general of things perhaps. DG?