Why can't the runner correct his mistake? The only problem is that he must correct his mistake before being called out by appeal. If he is out by appeal then he was put out before he acquired first base.

MTD, Sr.

Mark,
He's a retired runner at this point - I don't see how he can correct anything, even something that happened prior to his being retired.

Are we on the 5th out?

No, he is out. Defense could appeal him missing 1B for advantageous 4th out though.

The defense cannot appeal BR. You can't appeal a runner at a base he never reached. The out is automatically called by the umpire.

If you say that the defense can appeal BR in this, then the flip side is that they would also have the choice not to. if that was the case, how exactly do you account for BR absent an appeal? He never reached first, yet was never put out. It is this contradiction that shows why this is not an appealable offense, but an automatic out.

To take it a step further, let's say that we have the same situation in the OP, but with no one out. The play happens the same way (touch of home, tag of R2, BR gives up.) Now there is one out, and BR is sitting in the dugout. If we use your logic, and the defense appeals the out, then we have two out. What happens if a pitch is thrown instead? BR was never put out, but he's not on base. Do you go and get BR out of the dugout and put him on first?

In short, desertion is an automatic out, not an appeal.

If the throw was before the BR went to the dugout, it would be recognized as an advantageous fourth out. It's idiotic, but analogous to the play posted by Carl a few years ago where those in charge were presented with a scenario where the batter blows out an ankle and a non-forced runner is put out for a third out when the runner scores. The powers that be (I don't remember who, exactly, perhaps Fitzpatrick) said that you could, indeed throw to first and have that be an advantageous fourth out.

I'd be hard pressed to call the BR out for desertion, though, for failing to run to first AFTER a third out was recorded elsewhere, authoritative opinion be damned.

I agree, but in the situation you bring up, the throw precedes the desertion.

This is where I'm torn. On the one hand, the run precedes the third out. On the other, the BR never acquires first.

Sounds like that's the case in the OP, too. He's heading for the dugout when the throw is made. He doesn't desert on a batted ball until reaching the dugout (assuming nothing has changed), unlike the new rule where leaving the dirt circle on the uncaught third strike is evidence of desertion.

I agree, and I agree with the general mind that the defense can record an advantageous 4th out. The BR missed a base, so the appeal would negate any run scored on the play.

It's less clear to me in the OP that the defense is entitled to an advantageous 4th out. My concern is that the so-called 4th out may be granted on appeal, but throwing BR out at first is not an appeal play. And I don't see why BR is obligated to run to 1B after 3 are out. So how could he abandon/desert?

PLAY: R2, R3, 2 outs. Batter grounds to F5, who tags R2 (not forced) after R3 has scored. F5, thinking that there was only 1 out, fires over to F3 to complete a double play. F3 was set up to receive the throw anyway, and he catches the throw from F5 with his foot on 1B, prior to BR reaching the base (he was running all the way, no desertion, abandonment, etc.).

Score the run? If so, how is this different from the OP?

Steve:

You are correct. I forgot about him being tagged out at second. I was more concerned about getting the advantageous fourth (4th) out.

MTD, Sr.

Matt, you are wrong.

2008 BRD Section 3

You can appeal for the advantageous fourth out.

FED per Hopkins
OBR per Fitzpatrick

Thanks Rich, I am at a different work location and I do not have any of my files with me.

This is referred to as desertion if a runner fails to go to 1st base, as required!

Umpire would automatically call BR out, when he reaches dead ball territory in NFHS, when he leaves the established baseline in NCAA or PRO. If he does either of these things before the 3rd out, then no run would score. If he does so after the 3rd out, the ball is already dead and you have nothing!