missed 1st base mechanic

[mroyal]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Following the FED manual can be very dangerous. All the interps I've ever heard says that the runner is considered safe unless an appeal is made. Don't you agree that not making any call whatsoever would be tipping off the defense that the runner missed the base? If I were the F3 (which was my position in my playing days), I would have known immediately that the runner missed the base when the umpire didn't make any call at all. So the "signal" in this case is the lack of a signal, which tips off the fielder, which in turn creates an unfair advantage and gives away the appeal. It's up to the defense to be alert to the runner missing a base. A runner acquires the base when he touches or passes the base. If he misses the base, he is subject to being called out ON APPEAL. No appeal, no out.

Let me be the devil's advocate here, but why would following the FED be a bad thing? Isn't that what we're suppose to be doing? It's more of a dangerous thing to pick and choose what we will follow (OBR, MLB) or mix and match. That's not fair to the kids and coaches. We expect them to know the rules.

As far as tipping off the defense, they're they ones playing by the rules. They didnt' miss the tag/base, the BR did. Again, why give the advantage to the rulebreaker? But, I would imagine that not everyone will catch a no-call like this. The bright ones will. And as far as interps go, I'll raise you my interps emphasising the "no call." BTW - giving a "safe" is a "non-verbal" signal - going against the FED manual in this situation.

This might not be fair, but this getting-the-base-even-though-he-hasn't-touched-it would be a failing argument if we applied the logic to the defense. Even if the ball beats the runner, by rule we require the defense to touch the base/runner to earn the out unless the BR/R deserts the base. There is an argument about the fantom tag in situations where safty is an issue, but why would we expect the defense to earn the out but then remove the expectation from the offense to earn the base?

I know not everyone is giddy about the FED. So noted. But unfortunately the FED is what governs the rules for the scholastic games we call. Until the FED actuall says to give a "safe" on a BR missing 1B, I've got nothing until the BR touches or the defense touches. I'm not looking for a loosing arguement from a coach for looking like I don't know what I'm doing (safe one moment, out the next??)