Hesitation

sprivitor · #1 (**permalink**) Mon May 16, 2005, 10:28pm

Saturday Night Sitch.

R1 at 2nd base. Batter hits grounder to F6. F6 fumbles ball and returns ball to pitcher in circle.

BR rounds first base, stops and looks at pitcher for a second, then continues to 2nd while Pitcher has ball in circle (My guess was that coach was willing to give out to move runner to 3rd in a tied game late with no outs). Pitcher has ball in circle so R1 isn't moving off the bag. BR continues to 2nd base and stands on 2nd base with R1 (she did not pass R1). Pitcher was told to hold R1 no matter what. R1 isn't coming off the bag because she'll be out.

Can the BR legally go back to 1st without being called out? She went back to first and I rang her up. The coach's argument was that she advanced to the next base and "met the conditions of the LBR".

Thoughts?

Dakota · #2 (**permalink**) Mon May 16, 2005, 11:22pm

Correct call. The LBR says if the runner stops on a base... Doesn't matter that the runner is not entitled to the base. That just puts the runner in jeopardy of being tagged out, but the LBR still requires that the stay on the base where she stopped.

Obviously, the offense hadn't thought through all the possiblities for this play, and when the defense didn't take the bait, they ended up giving them the out.

rwest · #3 (**permalink**) Tue May 17, 2005, 09:54am

(FP Only) R1 on 3B, R2 on 2B, R3 on 1B, R3 advanced to 2B on a passed ball, but R2 does not advance. The pitcher receives the ball in the 8-foot circle from the catcher and the defense makes no play on any runner.

Ruling: R3 is not entitled to 2B and does not make an attempt to get back to 1B. After the pitcher has the ball in the 8-foot circle, time should be called and R3 returned to 1B.

Questions:

1. If the defense makes a play on the runner they would have to tag R3 for her to be put out, correct? They could not throw to 1B.

2. How much time should the umpire give the defense to make a play on the runner?

mcrowder · #4 (**permalink**) Tue May 17, 2005, 10:03am

Init Post - correct call.

Rwest - 1) correct (what would they be appealing by throwing to first? --- Nothing.) 2) Long enough until it's obvious no play is going to be made.