out of baseline at home plate
 

Watching the Cubs vs. Mets yesterday evening Hill the Cubs catcher has the ball well before the Mets runner reaches the plate and is bracing for the collision. The runner runs around Hill who lunges for him and misses and Hill loses the race to the plate. Any other base and the runner probably is called out for being out of the baseline. I had no problem with the call but I was just wondering how far in the vicinity of the plate must the runner go before he would be called out for being out of the baseline? I know more leeway is given around the plate but how much?

3.27 feet.

Give or take .27 feet.

1) 3.000001 ft.
2) .000001 ft.

In my amateurish opinion, not being anywhere near good enough to make calls like this at the major league level, I would say that if the catcher had to lunge more than 3 feet away from a direct line between the runner and the plate, that he should have been called out for being out of the baseline.

The catcher was on the baseline - a kneeling straddle.

The runner was already 4-5 feet on the foul side of the line before the catcher had the ball.

Upon receiving the throw, the catcher lunged at the runner who took one step away from him and "arched" away from the tag.

There were no objections from the defense.

Step and reach. If he does both and still can't touch the runner, call the out.

Our boy is growing up....

Good call Canada...

Thanks for filling in the missing information. I was picturing the runner coming straight into the waiting catcher and then veering away. That makes a big difference.

Repeat after me, "BASEPATH, BASEPATH, BASEPATH."

Bob

This magic mantra of yours will make it no easier to explain the rule to a coach, and ignores the terminology of the actual rule. :rolleyes:

Read the rule:

7.08 Any runner is out when—
(a) (1) He runs more than three feet away from his baseline to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s baseline is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach safely;

I think the key w/ this rule is "his baseline" versus "the baseline"

In all the associations I belonged to in Southern California, it was referred to as “basepath”.

From: BASEBALL RULES by Major League Baseball and have been reproduced - without any alteration - by Baseball Almanac:

"7.08 Any runner is out when-

(a) (1) He runs more than three feet away from a direct line between bases to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball; or..."

Where did YOUR 7.08 come from?

Bob

You might want to get your rules updated. The version Rich is quoting is the new 7.08 incorporated in the latest changes to OBR.

BASEPATH..BASEPATH..BASEPATH...

Nope.. still safe :D