Appeals - Missed Base vs Home

[UmpTTS43]

Originally Posted by SAump

Relaxed action has a clear and valid definition.
Unrelaxed action does not have a clear and valid definition.
It allows the offense to circumvent the "spirit" within the rules.
The MLB rules committe has been asked to "strengthen" this section.
Evans remains quiet and other umpires do not confirm his "most recent" position.
Perhaps Mr Evans is waiting, sifting through the extensive pile of "support" material.
Perhaps, he refuses to adapt past interpretations or acknowledge naughty problems even exist.
The 90 foot past a missed base versus pased some imaginary "immediate" vicinity is an item of contention between PBUC and Pro Rules.
I believe NCAA 8-6-4 was introduced between 2000 and 2004 (oldest one I could google).
Others are moving ahead of Mr Evans in this "small" area of the rulebook.
J/R and others have tried to address this issue and make allowances.

I'm trying to follow you SA, but sometimes it's hard. Maybe I should have had two threads, one for the base and one for home.

On missing a base, Wenelstedt and the silence of Evans says the base can be touched any time during a live ball appeal. J/R is the only one that has the relaxed/unrelaxed interp. I have found no official NCAA interp.

On missing home, OBR has "immediately" try to return and also "vicinity" meaning a runner that starts for the dugout cannot invalidate the catcher's appeal of just tagging the plate. The NCAA ruling is a bit more vague.

NCAA 8-6-4 When runners are out on appeals: The runner does not touch home plate and does not make an attempt to touch it.

By that language, whenever the runner makes an attempt to touch home, he must be tagged. "Immediately" and "vicinity" are not parts of their rule.

I am curious to know what Evans' "most recent" position was.