Restricted to dugout?

[Robert E. Harrison]

How would you rule on the runner coming to home and his cleats dig into the hard dirt around the plate area as him starts his slide and he bowls over the catcher. The catcher of course has the ball and is waiting to apply the tag.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by Robert E. Harrison

How would you rule on the runner coming to home and his cleats dig into the hard dirt around the plate area as him starts his slide and he bowls over the catcher. The catcher of course has the ball and is waiting to apply the tag.

Not quite sure what your saying here. If he is sliding then it must be a legal slide. Are you saying that his cleats dig in so hard that his body pops up and bowls over the catcher? Like stuck in the mud? I have never ever seen ANYTHING like that. But for discussion lets just say it happened.

Did the runner use and/or extend his arms when contact was made? Was it just a clumsy collision between two players? The umpire has to make those decisions and rule accordingly. Just because two players collide, it does not mean that the contact was malicious or intentional. When two people try occupy a less than 2-SF area anywhere, at the same time, let alone on a playing field, contact almost always happens.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by jicecone

Not quite sure what your saying here. If he is sliding then it must be a legal slide. Are you saying that his cleats dig in so hard that his body pops up and bowls over the catcher? Like stuck in the mud? I have never ever seen ANYTHING like that. But for discussion lets just say it happened.

.

You've never seen a spike catch and the runner fall forward? Must be a young guy. (Stuff like that doesn't happen much with molded cleats).

[Robert E. Harrison]

There is no intent on this play. The ground around home plate is hard as concrete due to tarps and no soaking water. The runner's metal spikes dug in and he was catapulted through the catcher. The catcher is put on his butt due to the collision. I have had it maybe 5 times in my career.
In no way can this be construed as a legal slide.

[dash_riprock]

I'm confused.

[Robert E. Harrison]

The catcher has the ball waiting to apply a tag out in front of home plate. The runner is coming in and starts a slide, but his cleats catch in the hard ground and sends him head first into the catcher putting the catcher on his butt. The play looks a little like Pete Rose July 14, 1970: Rose crashes into American League catcher Ray Fosse but there is no intent due to the cleats catching. It is not a legal slide. What you end up with is the defensive coach wanting an out and ejection and the offensive coach saying no intent so no MC.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by Robert E. Harrison

In no way can this be construed as a legal slide.

I'm also confused.

If you have decided that it's not a legal slide, then call the runner out.

It doesn't seem to be malicious, so no ejection.

If the actions prevented further play, then kill it (don't allow the offense to benefit).