Balk then missed base

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Rita C

But with the appeal, BR no longer reached first safely.

The issue of whether the BR "reached first safely" must be answered by asking: was the BR put out before reaching 1B?

If the answer is no, then for the purpose of the balk rule the BR reached 1B safely.

To think of it otherwise: any runner advancing past a base is considered to have legally acquired the base, pending a legally constituted appeal.

This ruling is also consistent with the spirit of the live-ball balk. That rule allows the offense to play a pitch after a balk, and we disregard the balk if the batter hits it well enough so that everybody can move up a base. These provisions of the balk rule do not excuse the runners for baserunning errors, interference, or other infractions.

The umpires got it right. Did it take all 4 of them to do so?