Running out of the baseline

[Publius]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I got nothing on this play. 3 feet is a LOT farther than most people think it is.

At our clinics, when we place a yardstick on the field nearly all the umpires are surprised at how LITTLE it takes to cover that distance. From a stopped position, it's only one step for adult players. Barely half a stride on the run.

[JJ]

From Publius - "Usually the first "go-around" step (if the runner is going to the back side of the plate) is with the right leg, and covers three feet. That's what this runner did. The second step is a recovery step. If that step crosses the go-around step, I have a violation. That runner's did not, so nothing--yet.

The third step should take the runner back toward his original path. This runner's third step appeared from that angle to be farther from his original path than the go-around step. I'd say he's out of his baseline."

My first thought here is "You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about."

JJ

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Publius

At our clinics, when we place a yardstick on the field nearly all the umpires are surprised at how LITTLE it takes to cover that distance. From a stopped position, it's only one step for adult players. Barely half a stride on the run.

It's half a stride if for some reason you're suddenly striding perpendicular to your initial basepath... but people don't run that way. It's VERY uncommon for a runner to divert that much when running full speed, even after two strides - and when they do, it's obvious. Far more obvious than this runner.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

It's half a stride if for some reason you're suddenly striding perpendicular to your initial basepath...but people don't run that way. It's VERY uncommon for a runner to divert that much when running full speed, even after two strides - and when they do, it's obvious. Far more obvious than this runner.

If a runner at full speed has a mere six-foot stride--certainly the minimum length for any adult-size player--and he diverts from his direct line at anything more than a 35-degree angle--VERY common--he's already more than three feet out of his baseline after one step. Pythagoras told me so.

That's fly-specking it, which nobody wants to do. What our clinic drills demonstrated, though, was that on plays at the plate runners avoiding a tag moved off their line by at least four feet--the result of a six-foot stride and a 45-degree angle--more than half the time.

The lesson wasn't to seize the dirty end of the stick. It was just to show that this play is a lot like batter interference and fielder obstruction were ten years ago. Players were committing both without penalty all the time, but education and emphasis have greatly reduced that.

While far from certain, when I look at where the runner was relative to that patch where the turf is missing just outside the dirt circle at the plate when the tag was first attempted, and where he ended up relative to that patch after one step, it looks to me like he violated the three-feet limit. Even if so, I agree it's close enough to justify a pass on the out call.

[MD Longhorn]

Fair enough. All I would add is that if they are diverting 45 degrees at full speed, they fall into the "it's obvious" part of my previous email. MOST of the "He ran out of the baseline!" cries from coaches (and fans) come from deviations far less than 45 (or even 35) degrees.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

MOST of the "He ran out of the baseline!" cries from coaches (and fans) come from deviations far less than 45 (or even 35) degrees.

+3 (saves me from posting +1 thrice)

You mean all those pleas for an out because the runner gave F2 a hip fake and left him diving at air?