Home run and 1st base

[donj]

B1 hits a home run and when rounding 1st base, touches the orange base instead of the the white base. Is this grounds for appeal by the defense and if so, is B1 out? If there is a reference to this in the rules/case book, please site.
Thanks.

[tibear]

Real baseball doesn't have an orange base(Safety base), so in my opinion it doesn't exist.

If there are local rules that permit a safety bag at first then consult the local rules, however, without local rules I would assume that if it is legal to touch the safety bag for any other hit it would be OK for a HR.

[njdevs00cup]

Originally Posted by tibear

Real baseball doesn't have an orange base(Safety base), so in my opinion it doesn't exist.

If there are local rules that permit a safety bag at first then consult the local rules, however, without local rules I would assume that if it is legal to touch the safety bag for any other hit it would be OK for a HR.

I did a tournament two years ago with a safety bag at first. The tournament director said that the runner can touch either the white or orange bag, but the fielder may touch only the white bag (to record an out). I don't know if this is by the book or rules unique to this tournament.

[greymule]

The only place I have ever seen a safety base is in softball. ASA and NSA have it; NCAA does not. I heard that Fed is going to it, at least in NJ.

On a home run (or on any other advance that does not involve a play to get the BR at 1B), the BR can touch either the orange or the white base.

[Delaware Blue]

Originally Posted by greymule

The only place I have ever seen a safety base is in softball.

Little League baseball added a double first base rule to their rulebook for 2007. (I have the feeling they will mandate safety bases at first base within a few years.)

While the rule is not the best written rule I've ever seen, it clearly states that a runner may touch either the white or colored section of the base the first time by the base on a extra-base hit or other ball hit to the outfield. Touching the colored portion of the base on a home run is not grounds for appeal under Little League baseball rules. It's Rule 7.15(c).

[greymule]

Little League baseball added a double first base rule to their rulebook for 2007. (I have the feeling they will mandate safety bases at first base within a few years.)

I suspect Fed softball and maybe even baseball won't be far behind. If the NJ legislature hears that a runner bumped into a first baseman where there was no safety base, they'll undoubtedly mandate the safety base everywhere.

Various codes differ in their treatment of the safety base. Last I looked, in NSA a runner who uses the white base on a play at 1B is out (beats the throw or not). ASA has tweaked its rule several times, and now, once the runner reaches 1B, both fielder and runner can use the entire slab.

Senior softball uses a safety plate!