Can forced runner retreat along baseline?

[UmpTTS43]

Somewhat related. Don't have books on me but could someone give me the reference for OBR saying it is legal for BR to retreat towards 1st. I know where it is in NCAA, but not in OBR.

Thanks

[UmpJM]

UmpTT,

I presume you meant to say a "BR to retreat towards Home Plate", rather than 1B?

If so, it's in the MLBUM (nothing is said on the subject in the text of the rules themselves).

NOTE: In situations where the batter-runner gets in a rundown between first and home, if the batter-runner retreats and reaches home plate, he shall be declared out.

JM

[DG]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

UmpTT,

I presume you meant to say a "BR to retreat towards Home Plate", rather than 1B?

If so, it's in the MLBUM (nothing is said on the subject in the text of the rules themselves).



JM

Would not be a lot of point to doing it unless defense has completely forgotten about other runners and they are advancing like crazy while BR backs up toward HP. But it has to end somewhere, so thus the ruling.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by UmpTTS43

Somewhat related. Don't have books on me but could someone give me the reference for OBR saying it is legal for BR to retreat towards 1st. I know where it is in NCAA, but not in OBR.

Thanks

If it were illegal, it would be stated as such in the rules. As no rule prohibits it, the MLBUM interpretation is used to determine at what point to declare the runner out.

[johnnyg08]

Yep, remember, if it's not in there, it's probably not illegal.

[UmpTTS43]

Thanks JM. I knew I read it somewhere.

[bniu]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

There is nothing wrong with a runner retreating in the manner you described and there is no rule in baseball to prevent this. The assumption of the runner being out is a myth (in baseball).

Also, there is no "baseline". The runner establishes his baseline when the defense makes a play on him. So as long as there is no play being made on the runner, he can run just about anywhere he wants. The belief that there is an imaginary line between bases that the runner must follow is again, another myth.

what ur thinking of is the batter runner retreating back towards the plate in softball, which is an out. It's perfectly legal in baseball. Retreating elsewhere on the basepaths when forced is perfectly legal in both softball and baseball.

[celebur]

Originally Posted by bniu

what ur thinking of is the batter runner retreating back towards the plate in softball, which is an out.

Only if it's done to avoid or delay a tag.

BTW, did you bother reading the entire thread? Or is all that proper sentence structure with capitalization and spelled-out words too onerous for you?

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by bniu

what ur thinking of is the batter runner retreating back towards the plate in softball, which is an out.

I can safely say with an enormous amount of certainty that Ozzy was NOT thinking about softieball.................


Tim.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by celebur

Or is all that proper sentence structure with capitalization and spelled-out words too onerous for you?

It prolly is.