Whether the throw is from the outfield or the infield is immaterial, except for first play by an infielder in OBR.

OBR differs from Fed in terms of when the runner can no longer legally return to retouch a base left too soon (unless Fed changed its rule recently).

In Fed, if when the ball enters DBT the runner is on or beyond the base after the one he left too soon, he cannot legally retouch, even if he was already retreating when the ball entered DBT.

Was the coach Rip Van Winkle? He had to have been in a coma for the last 20 years.:confused:

One thing the MLBUM ruling doesn't mention, but is probably obvious to most people on this board. Doesn't the runner between second and third also have to touch second on his way back to first?

So, if the ball went into DBT while he's between second and third, he's initially awarded home. But, he needs to touch second, then first. At this point, his award is changed to third. He again needs to touch second on his way to third.

Yes.

Great reference.

Had the exact same play as in the OP a couple of weeks ago (FED game).This was in the late innings of a close game and this runner scored on a hit two batters latter, proving to be the winning run.

After awarding the runner third base, the defensive coach wants time to discuss it. He's adamant that the runner should only get second base because he "left early and has to tag up" and puts up a bit of a fuss. He did tag up, as the ball sailed out of play, and he gets two bases. Sorry, no dice.

Just his being out of the dugout and questioning the call gets the fans on his side aggitated and they're getting pretty animated.

So, the runner eventually scores, nobody scores in the seventh and that's the ballgame- a close loss for one side.

As my partner and I step off the field, two fans corner us about "that play" and want to know why the runner got third. "Because that's the rule", I tell tell them.

We get another few feet and another guy cuts us off to tell us we blew that call. He says he knows the rule "because he plays slow pitch softball"! The guy gets a little belligerant, so we just blow him off.

We get to our cars and some white-haired grandmotherly type comes up and just literally rips us both a new one! She goes off on a rant about how we "robbed the kids" and "it's not fair" and we "should never be allowed to umpire any games again". She's just totally blowing a gasket and laying into us! The sight of this old broad ripping into us was so comical I couldn't help myself and just looked at my partner and laughed.

This was, by far, the worst fan reaction to any call in any game I've been involved with so far this year. The ironic part of it is that we were getting chewed up for making the 100% absolutely correct call!

I was mentoring a brand new umpire last night and one of their questions was, "What's the hardest thing about being an umpire?"

My response was, dealing with coaches, players and fans that think they know the rulebook but in reality, don't have a clue.

In their minds they are 100% correct but if they ever took the chance to actually read the rulebook, they would be surprised about their level of ignorance.

JM, thanks for the reference!

Also, in this situation, wouldn't the general principle of "last time by" be applicable if he went directly back to first and then touched second on his way to third?

Yes.

I must have missed this. Is the principle "last time by" spelled out somewhere. Is it true for all codes? Thanks

-Josh

Yes, true for all codes.

The principle is implicit in the base running rules (acquire by passing, definition of 'touch', retouch, appeals, etc.).

No rule says "each time by."

A brief search gave me this FED reference, but seeing as I no long work HS ball I have no idea what is says. But you can check it out if you want.

Courtesy of Mbyron:

The principle you need is called "last time by." When runners are passing a base, they are liable for not touching the base unless they touch it on their last time by. FED implicitly recognizes this principle in, for example 8.2.1C.

In OBR, "last time by" does not correct a "gross miss" (i.e., more than a body length). So if the runner between 2B and 3B ran straight across the diamond to 1B, his subsequent touch of 2B would not correct the gross error.

[A spectator knows the rule ]"because he plays slow pitch softball"!

ASA softball awards 2 bases (not 1+1) TOT, even first play by an infielder. (However, the award is from the runner's position on the basepaths TOT, so a runner who has left 1B too soon but is between 2B and 3B when the throw is made is awarded home, but he still has to retouch 1B.)

I believe that one softball code (USSSA) does award "the base you're returning to plus one."

You are correct, sir. In fact, I even said to this "expert", "Then you must play USSSA softball". That elicited a deer in the headlights blank stare.

(At least, that's their slow pitch rule. Their fastpitch rule is just like ASA.)