Did I see that Right?
 

What's the ruling here - after a base hit with runner on first - we now have runners on first and second. Coach calls timeout and has runners switch bases putting the faster runner on second and the slower runner on first (he was the runner on second). Is this legal?

The ruling is: cheating.

Eject the coach and put the runners back. If they're older than HS age, eject the players too and put subs on the bases.

Call R1 out for passing preceding runner, let R2 go back to 1B, toss the coach during the sh!tstorm that ensues.

How about doing this. "Coach, I know you're joking because that is an illegal switch." Put runners back where they belong and play on. Why not at least attempt to handle it in a non-confrontational manner?

Why would you not penalize someone who is cheating?

-Josh

The passing did not take place during live-ball base-running. You don't get outs on this play, because the defense didn't put anyone out, and the offense didn't do anything that's penalized by declaring an out.

Penalize the infraction that occurred and the perpetrator(s) with the penalty specified in the rules.

If this is the only mamby-pamby action you are going to take here, what's to stop this cheatin' coach and his cheatin' players from trying to pull this the next game, and in every subsequent game until it's finally punished correctly? Some umpire somewhere in time is going to actually allow them to get away with it, and that is bad for all of us. This is blatant unsportsmanlike conduct, and warrants ejections.

Because this is such an obvious and odiferous attempt at cheating performed in front of the world, worse than drawing lines, worse than throwing his cap...that's why. Dump the Rat.

The original poster finished by asking "is this legal?" Meaning he was not sure, correct? Can it be possible that this was a very low level game and the HC/Manager actually did not know? That was the stance I was taking. I cannot imagine this type blatant rules infraction taking place at any level other than beginner baseball. That is why I felt it could be handled in a non-confrontational manner.

Klokard, I see your point. I sincerely doubt, however, that even t-ballers would not know which base they were on before time was called.

When I first started driving I once told a member of the OSP that I didn't realize the speed limit was reduced on a portion of the highway. Still got the ticket.

Enforcing the rules is one of the best ways to teach lessons.

Neither does passing a runner on a home run, which also is not a live ball situation, yet you'd call out a runner then.

Having said that, I would not call anyone out for runner passing; rather, I'd most likely eject the coach.

And flag him for unsportsmanlike conduct. :D

And if all else fails, nail him for making a "travesty of the game!":D

A sham-mockery, if you will.

Would that me a shmockery?

Nope! Gone, gone & gone! All 3 knew they were cheating so bye-bye, Buy Bonds!

Hawkdriver signed up over two years ago and this is his/her 1st post??

No, it's sham-mockery, a mockery of a sham of a mockery. If you're 40-plus, you should know the origin. :)

GOD, Ozzy, I would just love to see you do it! I think I would enjoy it more than if I did it myself. :D

Not legal, but if it is summer baseball then who cares. around here they do a lot of crazy stuff in summer ball and I don't even get a line-up card at the plate.

Last Summer, I had the plate on an 18U tournament semifinal. After a lengthy stop due to an injury on the BR at 1st base, it was apparent to me that R2 & R3 switched. The manager was talking to the runners while the trainer was tending to the injury of the BR. Anyway, I took the lineup card and called my partners behind the mound. We agreed that according to the lineup, R2 & R3 definatly switched. R2 (now on 3rd) was looking guilty as sin and R3 (on 2nd) would not make eye contact with me.

We broke the meeting, and we went back to our positions and I put the ball in play and then called TIME! I strolled to the "C" position, hooked R2 with my left hand and R3 with my right so that I made a full circle. The manager came charging out of the dugout and as soon as he was past the foul line, I pointed at him with my left and hooked him with my right! I turned and walked to the "B" position and U3 got the manager off the field.

I then called the new offensive manager out to the mound along with the defensive manager so we could get the substitutes straightened out. The defensive manager said "Damn, I thought that I was supposed to appeal that double switch but I didn't know how to approach it!" . He offensive manager just smiled and said that we "....won't see that again in this game.". Three innings later, the game ended with the cheaters down by 4.

My partners told me that my 3 way ejection was "beautifully executed"! I am just happy that I didn't fall on my arse when I did it! :rolleyes:

The only difference I can see in how I would have handled is that I would have gotten all 3 with a right hand toss. I never toss with the left.

a FED interpretation actually says to call R2 out for passing and call R3 out for running the bases in reverse order to make a travesty of the game.

I probably would do that and toss as well!

Cite this bulls*t interpretation please so we can all be FED learned. What does it say do about the HC?

Me neither. My mask is in that hand making it hard to point to the exit.:)

From my 2008 BRD section 427:

After a time out where all runners huddled, the umpire discovers that R1 switched places wit R2. Both runners are out - R2 for running the bases in reverse order; R1 for passing a preceding runner [Website, 2003, #3]

A 6 year old would definitely know which base they were on and be totally confused if told to go to a different base. I expect it would create quite a scene.