"Selling" Safe Call on Missed Bag during DP

[CT1]

I'm gonna stir the pot on this one.

On such a play, where the middle infielder "catches ball with right foot 12" short of 2B, strides over the base, lands on other foot about 18" past base", I'm going to have an out. F6 hasn't gained any advantage, although his technique leaves something to be desired. And, as the OP points out, in a 2-man crew it's unlikely that U1 would even see this.

If he catches the ball *after* stepping over the base, I have no problem with the "safe" call.

[nopachunts]

Originally Posted by CT1

I'm gonna stir the pot on this one.

On such a play, where the middle infielder "catches ball with right foot 12" short of 2B, strides over the base, lands on other foot about 18" past base", I'm going to have an out. F6 hasn't gained any advantage, although his technique leaves something to be desired. And, as the OP points out, in a 2-man crew it's unlikely that U1 would even see this.

If he catches the ball *after* stepping over the base, I have no problem with the "safe" call.

CT1, Suppose a BR hits a home run and misses 2B by 12". The defense sees him miss the base and properly appeals. Are you going to call the BR safe or out? Same distance involved.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by CT1

And, as the OP points out, in a 2-man crew it's unlikely that U1 would even see this.

I disagree on that point. U1 (2-person) shouldn't turn until the throw is released and that's plenty of time to see that the base wasn't touched by this much.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by CT1

On such a play, where the middle infielder "catches ball with right foot 12" short of 2B, strides over the base, lands on other foot about 18" past base", I'm going to have an out.

That's really too bad. Feel free to call it that way when you make the show. Until then, your superiors at the highest levels of both OBR and FED have clearly told us not to call the out on a neighborhood play like this one.

[CT1]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

That's really too bad. Feel free to call it that way when you make the show. Until then, your superiors at the highest levels of both OBR and FED have clearly told us not to call the out on a neighborhood play like this one.

In the typical old-school "neighborhood" play, F6 glides *behind* the bag (not touching it) to avoid the sliding R1. And I agree that *that* play is what has gone by the wayside.

That's not what I envision happening here: F6 stepped directly *over* the bag, and as such was still exposed to R1.

Again, if F6 receives the throw *after* stepping over the base, I've got a "safe".

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by CT1

In the typical old-school "neighborhood" play, F6 glides *behind* the bag (not touching it) to avoid the sliding R1. And I agree that *that* play is what has gone by the wayside.

That's not what I envision happening here: F6 stepped directly *over* the bag, and as such was still exposed to R1.

Again, if F6 receives the throw *after* stepping over the base, I've got a "safe".

Exposure to a runner has nothing to do with anything. Both organizations have been quite clear that you need to touch a base to get a force out, even on the turn of a double play.

[REFANDUMP]

I have a couple of questions regarding this type of play.

1) Why do we need to allow a "neighborhood" type double play under any rulesets that have slide rules ?? The middle infielders have plenty of options to avoid incoming baserunners. I allow some leeway under OBR, if a fielder is protecting himself.


2) If this fielder missed the base by as much as claimed here, how do you sell your call to the head coach, who is probably standing in the 3rd base coaching box 100 feet away with a clear view of the play ?? Especially when you're probably 10 to 15 feet away from it. Why be there if you're not going to call something so obvious to everyone in the stadium ??

In my opinion, you handled this play correctly. I probably would have called "Safe, no bag" and signaled multiple times like you did.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by REFANDUMP

Why do we need to allow a "neighborhood" type double play under any rulesets that have slide rules ??

We don't.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by REFANDUMP

2) If this fielder missed the base by as much as claimed here, how do you sell your call to the head coach, who is probably standing in the 3rd base coaching box 100 feet away with a clear view of the play ??

Ummm, why would you need to sell a Safe call on a runner to the third base coach?

[REFANDUMP]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Ummm, why would you need to sell a Safe call on a runner to the third base coach?

Did you miss the part about it potentially being the HEAD COACH !!!

[CT1]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Exposure to a runner has nothing to do with anything.

Absolutely it does. It's the reason the pros started allowing the "neighborhood play" in the first place.

[johnnyg08]

It sounds like you did everything you needed to do to sell your safe call. Missing the base by the distances you've described is not the neighborhood play.