Rundown question
 

runners on 1st R1 and 2nd R2. Runner on 2nd is picked off and now in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd. Runner on 1st occupies 2nd during the rundown. As R2 is heading back to 2nd base coach yells "run him back and tag both" As he says this R1 takes off back to 1st and the defense makes an errant throw causing runners now at 2nd and 3rd. Is this lega? One R1 touches 2nd can he run back to 1st? What do ya got?

Sure, he can run back to 1B if R2 is not yet out b/c second base belongs to R2.

R2's status is irrelevant. R1 may return to 1B any time during the play.

Tagging both on the base gets just 1 out, tho they might well do something dumb.

It is quite relevant, b/c if R2 is tagged out, then R1 has now obtained 2B and he becomes the new R2 and can't be tagged out if he's standing on 2b

johnny,

mbyron said it was irrelevant to the question of whether R1 could return to 1B or not, because your previous post erroneously implied that R1's right to return to 1B was in someway dependent on whether R2 had been retired or not.

And it's not.

JM

Thanks, JM.

johnnyg08, I was answering the OP's question, not your (different) question, which seems to be why R1 would want to return. We often see runners do goofy things and need to rule on their legality, not their advisability!

I think the better question here is why do your think this might not be legal?

Oh no... here comes the T word... :)

Let's hope you're wrong about that. ;)

How about a list of times a runner may NOT return to the previous base?

1. when he has touched his advance base and the ball then becomes dead.
2. in order to confuse the defense....

Any others?

On 1) it's not prohibited --- it's just not recognized that he has returned. He's not out for trying to return --- he's just still out if it's appealled (and was a missed base, of course).

Only in 2 (avoiding the T word) is it expressly against the rules to return.

(If you mean return safely... I'd add in 3) when forced to leave the base to make room for subsequent runners due to B becoming BR)

I get that...and I agree with you. As I've said many times before. IANAPW

I Am Not A Professional Writer.