Safety base

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I think you're over-scolding here, Mike. The treatment of the orange base as just another part of foul territory WAS the way the rule was called up until a few years ago.

Also, ASA does not do a particularly good job of stating that the safety (sic) base is just one big base for both the offense and the defense once the BR becomes a runner.

Even in the past when the orange bag was treated as dirt for "runner is ..." calls, the safety (sic) base was not directly mentioned beyond the BR rules.

The issue in the situation discussed is not whether the runner has to touch the orange bag, but whether the defense CAN use it for a live ball appeal. That is how the rule is interpreted (one big base), but please, in the ASA rule book, find a rule cite for that.

Tom - if I was over-scolding, I apologize. I just felt like we were all saying the same thing, while the poster kept saying he insisted on believing something else but wanted to learn. My bad if I was over the top. (Not the first time, won't be the last).

To "prove" the point in ASA, you have to look at the section regarding the field (where the rule simply called the base a double base). It's just a base - same as all the rest except for it's size ... in every respect EXCEPT where specifically noted (meaning rule 8-2).

IOW - don't make the assumption that there's a reason to treat the base halves differently except in the singular case where we are told to do so.

Interestingly I do remember getting in a rather heated discussion at a clinic, back when the orange base WAS dirt, where I and about 6 others insisted the clinician had no rules backing for his assertion that the orange base was dirt. The only resolution we ever got to that was along the lines of "Just do what you're told."