best way to handle a check swing
 

Sit: runner in 1st, 3-0 count, the pitch is out of the zone and called a ball. the runner advances and the catcher asks if she swung. HOw do you handle this ? And if your base umpire judges a swing, do you bring the runner back from second?

"Her" who? Batter or base runner?

The question refers to the base runner.

A runner can advance on either a ball or a strike. :rolleyes:

If the only reason the runner advanced was because of the ball 4 that was reversed on the check swing appeal, then yes, you return the runner. Its called umpire jeopardy.

And if the runner was stealing on the pitch, but the catcher didn't throw because of the ball 4 call?

If the delay of call or reversal of an umpires call allowed the runner to advance or affected the play, then fix it.

What is your criteria, beyond the runner standing on a base until a coach says ball four, go?

Didn't I just answer that question? If the umpire called ball 4 and it resulted in the catcher not throwing down or the runner simply advancing to 2nd on the apparent walk, fix it.

And if the catcher thought it was a swing, she should have followed through with the play.

You do not move the runner back.

If the catcher throws the runner out, are you going to negate the out and put the runner back?

If my ball 4 call resulted in the runner pulling up and getting tagged out, yes I would put them back at first.

Not really, about criteria.
Say runner off 1st, running, at the moment of the dead ball call.
Reaches 2nd, even if slowed up, how should we determine if a steal or umpire jeopardy?

Ignoring any poor coaching suggestion, the runner was going regardless of the pitch call; putting herself in jeopardy.

If there is a play in progress, the umpire shouldn't be going for help until it is over. After all, shouldn't the BU be moving with and watching the advancing runner and prepare for a possible play?

How quickly do you call the pitch? There should be about one second between the ball hitting the glove and your call. If you delay sufficiently, the catcher should have already released the ball (or be most of the way through her throwing motion) to have any possibility of retiring a runner attempting to steal. In that case, there should be no doubt that if the catcher did not throw, it was because she was not going to throw whatever your call was.

There was actually two scenarios this weekend that I was curious about and I think they got it wrong both times?

* where with bases loaded, what appeared to be ball 4 - catcher then tagged runner jogging home and then asked for appeal at 1B - umpire at 1B called the strike and they awarded the out. With rationale that they never said "ball 4 take your base" but it was ball 4 because home plate ump called it a ball.

* The other was on like a 1-2 count, ball in dirt, she kind of check swings ball hits off catcher and goes away umpire at home did not call ball, catcher goes and gets the ball, then tags runner then asks for appeal. Home ump didnt grant appeal saying needed to do it right away.

If the umpire called a ball, return the runner to third after the appeal if called a strike.

This umpire is confusing a baseball rule AND misapplying it. The baseball rules state that certain appeals need to be made before a play is made. If the catcher tags the batter before the strike is called, there is no play; the catcher is simply touching a batter with a 2-2 count. The "play" only matters once the strike has been called. As for softball rules, the appeal must be made before the next pitch, before the defense leaves fair ball territory or before the umpires leave the field.

In this situation, has the umpire put the batter-runner in jeopardy by calling a ball, causing the batter-runner not to run to first and to be tagged out?

Coincidentally, if a runner attempts a steal, is tagged out, and then the batter is called out on an appealed strike 3, the batter becomes the third out instead of the runner.

Umpires don't say that, or at least should not. Just "ball".

Changing the call does relate to umpire jeopardy, R1 back to 3rd, batter out if strike 3.

I'm confused by this.
Did the PU call anything? :confused:

"tags runner then asks for appeal" apparently appealing the check swing, or maybe the BR not reaching 1st; but like I said, confusing. :rolleyes:

"needed to do it right away" :eek: :eek:
An appeal can be until the next pitch, or all leaving field.

Which runner? I think the Parrot's post meant the Batter-Runner.

Ah, for some reason I created a runner between 3rd and home. Editing my original post.

I bet a lot of coaches would like you to do that. ;) :D :D