Dead ball appeal

[Andy]

My opinion.....

In the scenario posted, the batter is awarded first base due to the HBP, the runner on third is forced to home as the bases are loaded.

Once a runner passes a base, s/he is considered to have touched that base for purposes of an appeal. My thought would be that if s/he did not show any inclination to turn around and touch the plate that was missed, s/he has (in his/her mind) completed the base running duties and is subject to appeal.

If it is clear to me that the runner did not react until the coach yelled at the catcher, then I would definitely consider the runner to have completed the base running duties. In NFHS play, the statement from the coach would be a valid dead ball appeal. In ASA play, it would not be a valid appeal, but once the catcher made a move to tag the runner, I would consider that a valid appeal as I would know what the catcher's intent was because of the instructions from the coach.

[AtlUmpSteve]

I'm going to utilize the most equivalent rule in the book to determine how to gauge when the baserunning is complete; the "abandonment" rule. In both NFHS and ASA, that means the runner has entered dead ball territory (and includes the batter-runner on a hit-by-pitch); prior to that, the runner may still return to complete baserunning.

As to the alternate play added in, it could be me, but I'm just not ever granting time for a runner to dust off. I see no legitimate reason why the runner cannot do that while maintaining contact with the base with the ball remaining live. I'm surely not killing it so a runner can safely return after missing a base without violating the lookback rule or be subject to appeal for missing; I believe that gives an unintended advantage to the offense.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

I'm going to utilize the most equivalent rule in the book to determine how to gauge when the baserunning is complete; the "abandonment" rule. In both NFHS and ASA, that means the runner has entered dead ball territory (and includes the batter-runner on a hit-by-pitch); prior to that, the runner may still return to complete baserunning.

Unless it is very obvious the runner is done, I agree entering DBT would be the definitive line of making that determination.

As to the alternate play added in, it could be me, but I'm just not ever granting time for a runner to dust off. I see no legitimate reason why the runner cannot do that while maintaining contact with the base with the ball remaining live. I'm surely not killing it so a runner can safely return after missing a base without violating the lookback rule or be subject to appeal for missing; I believe that gives an unintended advantage to the offense.

Remember, the discussion is based upon the ball becoming dead, so there is no reason to grant time.

[josephrt1]

There's a couple of cases being discussed simultaneously here. I want to add my 2 cents on some of the issues:

1. Yes, the first case was a dead ball because it was a HBP, not a ball 4. My mistake.

2. On the case about a runner asking for time then going back to touch 1st and return to 2nd base under the dead ball situation. How would you let that happen? If a coach came out fo the dugout and asked for time while a situation was still developing, (like a runner off base, or me as ump waiting to see if a batter-runner continues on to 2nd, etc) I would not grant the coach time out until i was sure play was done. Same with your runner on 2nd.

In your case with a runner on 2nd base calling time, I would not grant it immediately (provided i knew he had missed 1st). If he/she makes no attempt to return to tag the base missed, I would then allow time. If during the time out he goes back to 1st and then returns to 2nd, that would not count as tagging a missed base. Time was out. If i get an appeal I would call the out even if they claimed they went back and tagged the base.
a. I allowed play to finish before calling time and up to that point there was no effort to return to the missed base.
b. this is not a situation where time was a result of the ball going out of play before the player had the opportunity to correct the missed base.

Even if the base runner asked for time and i granted it, I would not count leaving the base and tagging 1st as correcting the missed base.

One wrinkle could be that if ump calls time for some other reason and runner was still in motion and i missed it, i'd probably have to allow it. But I'd be hard pressed to allow it if the runner or the coach calls time and then say go back and touch 1st. I think i still allow the appeal because they should have done that under the live ball. Ball was still in play. They asked for time, it wasn't caused by the situation.