Batter doesn't reach first
 

This happend to a friend last week NFHS varsity.

Pitcher for the visiting team is at bat. he receives ball 4. The team sends out their coutesy runner while the batter runner is on his way up the baseline. The BR stops 6 feet short of the base and turns and heads for the dugout.

What rule covers this case? 8-4-2-p covers a runner abandoning the base after touching first.

10-2-3g, I think.

Sounds like desertion. I have never seen this happen. HS players around here always go to 1b when walked and then stand there while the courtesy runner gets out there, even after time is called to make the change.

A mechanically sound umpire would never allow this to occur. The CR cannot come out until time has been granted. We do not grant time after a BB until the BR touches 1B.

Agreed. Even if you need to tell F2 to go to first.

An exception could be made if F2 is injured before going to first (hit by pitch for example), but we're into 10-2-3g territory now.

Technically, we don't. In reality, I'll call time as soon as I think it's practical to do so.

That said, the kid needs to go to first before we allow a courtesy runner.

How would you prevent this from happening. F1 trotted down the baseline till he was 5ft from the bag, saw the CR comming out and turned and went to the dugout. I guess if the umpire was really quick in determining what was happening he could have ejected the CR for comming onto the field during a live ball. But since the point of the CR ruile is to speed up the game, ejecting the CR seems quite a bit extreme.

How else would a sound umpire prevent this besides coacing the kids "Hey get back here and touch first!".

To me this is just an appealable thing. Im not banging a kid oit for abandoning the bases but I'm also not going to "run" the CR (not on your life! Talk about the $#*! end of the stick).

At the varsity level these kids should know what to do and what not to do. Telling the kid to touch first could lead to more problems then allowing the appeal.

I've never had this happen, but a quick "Hold up until he touches" to the incoming CR would seem reasonable.

The appeal for what?

I agree, and there is a lot of "rule making" going on in this thread!

So, you allow the BR to veer off and head to the dugout while the CR comes in to occupy first base. The defense appeals that the BR never went all the way to first.

What rule will you use to call the BR out at that point (I assume by your statement that it's an "appealable thing" that you would rule the BR out)? And does that rule require an appeal in order to make the out determination?

Honestly, it was a quick reaction post. San the rulebook and what not.

More then likely it would involve me telling the CR to wait until he touches first. However, the HS book does require players to touch each base in order or be at risk of being put out. So I do have some support (I believe) for my previous statement.

what if there was a runner on third, the walked batter must reach first before time is given. the CR can come on the field then, your asking for trouble if you don't prevent this from happening.

What do you do when the coach wants to visit the pitcher after a base on balls and wants the time out while the BR is going to first? You say, 'wait till he gets to first', right? Whats different about this?