Double Play or Not?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Sometimes you have to use common sense in the absence of a written rule.

I absolutely agree with this point. Alas for your ruling, there is a written rule. See 7.08(c).

If I'm on 2B watching you, and you're watching a fly ball, I absolutely guarantee I could keep a toe or finger on the base and you couldn't touch me.

Again, this is NOT the case where a fielder playing on a runner deliberately or accidentally pushes the runner off the base. The ruling on that play does not apply here, since in that play the fielder is not protected.

[umpjong]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Again, this is NOT the case where a fielder playing on a runner deliberately or accidentally pushes the runner off the base.

So it is OK to push a runner off of the base if no play is being made on him, but not OK if a play is being made on him?

I just dont buy this and nothing in the rule book will support it...

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

IIf I'm on 2B watching you, and you're watching a fly ball, I absolutely guarantee I could keep a toe or finger on the base and you couldn't touch me.

I think in this case, both fielder and runner were watching the pop up. R2 more than likely didn't see it coming. Bam.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

I absolutely agree with this point. Alas for your ruling, there is a written rule. See 7.08(c).

No, for my ruling, 7.08(c) does not apply:

(c) He is tagged, when the ball is alive, while off his base. EXCEPTION: A batter-runner cannot be tagged out after overrunning or oversliding first base if he returns immediately to the base;

APPROVED RULING: (1) If the impact of a runner breaks a base loose from its position, no play can be made on that runner at that base if he had reached the base safely.

APPROVED RULING: (2) If a base is dislodged from its position during a play, any following runner on the same play shall be considered as touching or occupying the base if, in the umpire’s judgment, he touches or occupies the point marked by the dislodged bag.

Where does it mention the situation where the runner is just standing there minding his own business and gets shoved off the base and tagged? That exception is not addressed, which is why common sense is applied in absence of a clear ruling. This is an ommission in the rules, most likely one of the 235 mistakes in the rules that Jimbo preaches about but never makes MLB fix. Color me confused there. I guess if he had MLB fix all the broken parts of the book, nobody could make money on interpretation manuals.

Sure, this rule says that if the runner is tagged while off the base, he's out. Again, let's just use common sense and figure that that doesn't mean when he is bullied off the base by an over-zealous fielder.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Where does it mention the situation where the runner is just standing there minding his own business and gets shoved off the base and tagged? That exception is not addressed, which is why common sense is applied in absence of a clear ruling. This is an ommission in the rules, most likely one of the 235 mistakes in the rules that Jimbo preaches about but never makes MLB fix. Color me confused there. I guess if he had MLB fix all the broken parts of the book, nobody could make money on interpretation manuals.

No error, no omission.

There is no rule that protects a runner who is bumped off the base by incidental contact. At lower levels you might do that, but not HS or above.

[umpjong]

Originally Posted by mbyron

No error, no omission.

There is no rule that protects a runner who is bumped off the base by incidental contact. At lower levels you might do that, but not HS or above.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you will lose a protest (especially at the upper levels). The runner has a right to that base and when he is knocked off of it, he cannot be called out. (our opinion of course,) And you never answered this:
"So it is OK to push a runner off of the base if no play is being made on him, but not OK if a play is being made on him?" Where is your rule reference for this? The interpretation in the Hrbek play states that the runner is out only if his (offensive players) momentum caused him to leave the base. Clearly this did not happen in the OP..

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

No error, no omission.

There is no rule that protects a runner who is bumped off the base by incidental contact. At lower levels you might do that, but not HS or above.

Incidental contact? Where did you read that? I don't believe "incidental contact" would be forceful enough to knock the runner off the base. It seemed rather intentional to me, from the way the OP was written. He didn't say "bumped off the base," he said "runs into the runner knocking him off the base." Sound like F6 was out of control running amok and carelessly collided with a runner on his legally obtained base. The runner was not interfering with a play, so the fielder doesn't have the right to push him out of the way to get to where the ball was going to land.

I'm not penalizing the runner, no matter what level of ball they're playing. And, I would wager that I would get less grief calling it my way, than if I called the runner out for the wrong actions of F6. I call the runner out and watch all hell break loose. No thanks.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Incidental contact? Where did you read that? I don't believe "incidental contact" would be forceful enough to knock the runner off the base. It seemed rather intentional to me, from the way the OP was written. He didn't say "bumped off the base," he said "runs into the runner knocking him off the base." Sound like F6 was out of control running amok and carelessly collided with a runner on his legally obtained base. The runner was not interfering with a play, so the fielder doesn't have the right to push him out of the way to get to where the ball was going to land.

I'm not penalizing the runner, no matter what level of ball they're playing. And, I would wager that I would get less grief calling it my way, than if I called the runner out for the wrong actions of F6. I call the runner out and watch all hell break loose. No thanks.

1. I don't think you know what 'incidental contact' means. Contact is incidental when it is not illegal. Did we have OBS by F6? No, since he's fielding a batted ball. Did we have INT by R2? No, since he's entitled to remain on the base. Did we have any other illegal act by either player? No, they were doing what they were supposed to do. But we did have a collision, and no matter how forceful it was, if it was not illegal, it was incidental.

After incidental contact, we play on. And you have yet to come up with a shred of rules backing for your wacky notion that a runner is protected back to his base after incidental contact.

2. I can't fathom how you can envision F6 chasing a fly ball and intentionally running into R2. He's watching the ball! My internal video of this case has F6 running across the field, slowing down near the base, and bumping R2 (who was not paying attention) just before the catch. If the ball were farther right, F4 would have taken it, so he's not running full tilt across the base. But the point is irrelevant: the force of the contact doesn't matter, as long as it's incidental.

I certainly agree that if I judged that F6 intentionally pushed R2 off the base, that would not result in an out. But then again, that would be an illegal act by F6, and not incidental contact. To my mind, there's a significant difference here: in the OP, F6 is doing what he's supposed to -- fielding the ball. In your case, he's not -- he's pushing the runner off base. That's a difference that makes a difference to the ruling.

3. Finally, and again, I think either of our calls will yield equal grief from coaches. I maintain that the rules are on my side, as 7.08(c) clearly applies to this situation.

If you're talking mainly about a case where F6 intentionally pushes the runner off the base, then we're not disagreeing, because I'd rule the same as you. But in the OP, I've got two outs. And barring something new and pertinent in this thread, I think we've covered it pretty thoroughly and won't be posting further.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Whatever

[umpjong]

Originally Posted by mbyron

And barring something new and pertinent in this thread, I think we've covered it pretty thoroughly and won't be posting further.

Yet you still ignore the interpretation of the Hrbek play. It was clearly ruled that the runners initiative, not the defensive players initiative was the key to whether the runner was to be declared out or safe. And if you contend that the plays are different, how? The defensive player either knocked him off of the base or he didnt. The runner is either protected because of the act by the fielder or he is not because he came off by his own initiative. Seems simple to me. (And Oh yeah, fair also.)

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by mbyron

If you're talking mainly about a case where F6 intentionally pushes the runner off the base, then we're not disagreeing, because I'd rule the same as you. But in the OP, I've got two outs.

Exactly, except I read the OP as intentionally, as was stated, "running into the runner," not just "bumping into him incidentally." BTW, your definition of incidental is not correct. Incidental does not equal "not illegal." It means casual, or secondary, or minor. Nothing to do with legality whatsoever.

[UmpJM]

Well, I'm a little late to this party, but I've got to agree with mbyron and jicecone - as long as the fielder was making a legitimate attempt to field the batted ball and the runner did not intentionally interfere, this is nothing but a "train wreck" - live ball, play the bounce.

The rules grant equal opportunity to the protected fielder and the runner in contact with his base to occupy the same space at the same time in this situation. When contact/a collision occurs in these circumstances, whatever happens happens. It is, as J/R says (and mbyron in this thread), "incidental contact".

If the runner happens to lose contact with his base as a result of the collision, he is liable to be tagged out while off his base. If the fielder happens to be unable to catch the ball as a result of the collision, too bad - live ball, play the bounce.

JM