FED 2002 Baseball Casebook

[Bfair]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Carl Childress

FED 8-3-5b: "When a runner, who is returning to touch a base after a batted ball has been caught, is prevented from doing so because a thrown live ball has become dead, his award shall be from the base he occupied at the time of the pitch."

Now, here's a play:

R1 leaves early, touches second, nears third, and stops when he realizes the ball was caught and he has no chance to return safely to first. But the outfielder overthrows first, and the ball goes dead.

Are you telling the world that FED rules require the umpire to award R1 HOME PLATE?

The rule says "when a runner, who is returning"..........
Does your example have a runner returning.....NO.
Does this apply..............NO.
Your example shows a runner "who is required to return" and not a runner "who is returning".
Have you supplied any rule, ruling, or caseplay to the contrary.......NO

Childress, you stated 12/29/01 at eTeamz

Of course, it's necessary to infer intent on the part of batters, runners, and fielders, else we couldn't do our jobs. It's dangerous, as you show, to add that to our reading of the rules.
[my emphasis]

Now, we know what you believe is not written in the rules.
To accept what you say, one must read into the rules the Fed's intent.

So my question is..............
Which Childress do we listen to:

1. The one that says at eTeamz not to read things into the rules that aren't there, or
   
2. The one at eUmpire that reads into the rules the Fed means "a runner required to return" when, in fact, their words say a runner "who is returning"

Inquiring people want to know.................Lah, me.
You seem to be a victim of your own writings.......

Just my opinion,

Freix





[Edited by Bfair on Jan 21st, 2002 at 12:03 PM]