missing 1B

[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by insatty
I'm missing something here too. If BR fails to touch 1B before F3 cleanly catches throw, holding it firmly within his glove, then BR is out. Why is an appeal necessary?

But following Jim Porter's brown-versus-burnt-sienna and Carl Childress's if-he's-gonna-be-out-he's-gonna-be-out doctrine, if BR beating throw is obvious to everyone in the park and BR's touching failure to apparent only to the umpire, then the umpire should call BR safe. This doctrine has worked wonders for my umpiring avocation and my umpiring enjoyment, so I suscribe to it religiously.

It has absolutely nothing to do with my brown-versus-burnt-sienna or Carl Childress's if-he's-gonna-be-out-he's-gonna-be-out doctrine. Those are basic philosophies that aid us in our decision-making on the field.

Instead, this has to do with proper mechanics. An appeal is necessary because, according to 7.10, that's how a runner who misses a base is put out. We make no signal at home plate as the exception.

For the purpose of 6.05(j), the batter-runner has, "touched," first base when he has reached it. If he misses it, an appeal is required. He has reached first base, by professional interpretation, when his trailing foot crosses the base.