Does the Angel's protest have a leg to stand on?

[DG]

Originally Posted by tmagan

Second worst rule in baseball to the step balk. A play like that happened in San Francisco this week to the Mets, and Terry Collins is right, asking the batter-runner to stay in the baseline, with the bag in fair territory is a problem waiting to happen. A call like that helped the Angels in game five of the 2005 ALDS against the Yankees and probably cost the Yankees the series. Either have it like softball, with a separate bag in foul territory, or extend the bag into foul territory with replay available to help the umpires if the batted ball hit the first base bag.

Evans says, and it is generally understood, that the BR must step outside the runners lane to step on the bag. There is a difference between running a significant distance in fair territory, vs. just the last few feet to step on the bag. Nothing wrong with this rule.