Is he out?

[Gre144]

B1 on First with one out. Long Fly ball to the outfield. B1 advances to second base, rounds it but misses the base. F7 catches the ball. B1 seeing this runs in a straight line back to first base without retouching second base(remember he never touched second base to begin with even though he rounded second base). He makes it back to first base in plenty of time.

We called him out on the appeal for not retouching second base. Coach comes yelling out at us saying that he doesn't have to retouch second base since he never touched it to begin with.

1) Does B1 have to retouch second base, on his way back to first base, on a caught ball even though he never touched second base as he was advancing towards it(He went beyond it but did not touch it)?

2) If not, could have I called B1 out anyway for running out of the baseline?(I don't think that I could because according to 8-4-2N a runner establishes his baseline as directly between his position and the base he is running towards. With this in mind it seems that B1, can run from his position beyond second base back to first in a direct line)

Thanks,

Greg

[Edited by Gre144 on Jul 19th, 2003 at 02:27 PM]

[Gee]

A runner that has rounded and failed to touch the base in passing is assumed to have touched that base and can only be called out on appeal, which he was. Don't listen to the coach.

I don't do FED ball but I think you are misinterpreting 8-4-2N. That rule is only used when the runner leaves the baseline to AVOID A TAG, which this runner didn't. The rule explains to you what his baseline actually is and the avoidence is measured from that line. G.