The Lofton Out at Second

[jimpiano]

RE: Continuous action

In baseball "moves" are predicated on what the umpire calls.

Example:

Game tied bottom 9 runners at the corners.

Ground ball to F4 who attempts a tag on R1.

Let's freeze. The call by the umpire is now crucial because it will determine F4's next move.

Let's say U2 calls R1 Out on the tag and then F4 fires to F3 to complete the inning ending DP and we head for extra innings.

Now the play goes to the replay booth. There is indistibutable evidence that shows that F4 DID NOT TAG R1.

Now what?

Score the run - Game over
Put R2 on second return R3 to third - 2 outs

Suppose in the original play R3 was a slow runner and had the umpire not ruled R1 out on the tag, F4 would have fired to F2 and R3 would have been a dead duck

There are to many "what ifs" in baseball when there is continuous action.

That's why I say that baseball will most likely adopt IR but ONLY on a HR vs. Book rule double, Fair / Foul on a HR or Fan interference.

Why!

Because on those type plays the ball is Dead and can be fixable.

Pete Booth[/QUOTE]

Excellent point.