Tagging Up

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

If this is true (and I'm not convinced yet), then in baseball, this player's tactic would have worked the way he wanted it to. I can't imagine, were this the actual case, that NO ONE in 100+ years of ball has thought of trying this on a sky-fly-ball, especially a high and short one that they aren't likely to score on anyway.

HUH?

If the ball is caught the runner has to retouch or be out on appeal. Why would it be an advantage to run to the next base and back? Or did you not understand what I said in the post (So if the fly is caught and you need to tag the run was not legally scored so you can retreat).

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

HUH?

If the ball is caught the runner has to retouch or be out on appeal. Why would it be an advantage to run to the next base and back? Or did you not understand what I said in the post (So if the fly is caught and you need to tag the run was not legally scored so you can retreat).

Not sure what you don't understand. If the ball is caught, the runner is safely standing on 3rd. If the ball is not caught, he's scored. So his tactic worked (assuming this is the proper interp of the rule... of which, I'm still not convinced.)

[greymule]

(assuming this is the proper interp of the rule... of which, I'm still not convinced.)

I'm not convinced, either, but I can think of two plays on which I'd want to rule differently, though the same principle is involved.

Play 1. Runner on 3B breaks for home on a suicide squeeze. The batter missed the signal and swings, hitting a high pop in the infield. The runner's momentum takes him to the plate, but after he touches he scrambles back toward 3B and is most of the way there when the ball drops untouched and fair. The runner slides back into 3B.

Play 2. Same but the batter hits a soft liner that F9 charges and has a chance to catch. The runner, after touching home, retreats toward 3B for a few steps and then F9 traps the ball. The runner, not sure whether the ball was caught, continues back to 3B and then learns the ball was trapped.

I'm confident that the run should score in Play 2, and since Play 1 is the same in principle, the run should score there, too. However, I admit that if Play 1 happened to me, I'd probably keep the runner at 3B (and find out later that I had erred).