I screwed up ... how to fix it?

[MD Longhorn]

I concur. Forget your instructions to the player - it doesn't sound like she did anything wrong - even if you both DID see the ball in the circle. After listening to coach and thinking through the situation slowly, I would have asked him what part of the LBR he thought she violated.

Question - exactly where was she when you reiterated your call to her? What was the sequence of events (i.e. in what order did the following items occur: You speaking to player, out at first, ball returned to pitcher, player touches 2nd, coach comes out)

Also - the other consideration here is that you gave instructions to the player. Technically it's not a dead ball when you do so - but I think you can rationalize it that way.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Also - the other consideration here is that you gave instructions to the player. Technically it's not a dead ball when you do so - but I think you can rationalize it that way.

No, but it is a dead ball when the DC enters the field of play.

Once you realize the ball is in the circle, the LBR is in effect and unless the runner stopped or reversed field more than once in returning to 2B, the runner is okay.

[Linknblue]

Just to clear it up a bit. BR slides into 2nd. I looked at throw to 1st, called the out and turned back looking inside and she passed me by. That's when I told her....plays over for me. Next thing I see is DC talking to my partner and me thinking "What's up?". Then he comes out to me. Ball is of course in pitcher's hand in circle for I don't know how long. We have our discussion and I simply say to his comment about the LBR, I didn't see that part of play so I can't call that even though if that's what happened he's technically correct. In think'n back, I remember her simply hearing me, turning around and going back to 2nd...no play ever made. We (I) ruled she stays at 2nd and we play on. No penalty, no foul......didn't stop the muttering as he walked away albeit it was at least only so he and I could hear it.

[MD Longhorn]

The way you describe it, I find it incredibly unlikely you have a LBR violation here, even if you WERE watching the ball get to the pitcher. First, it sounds like she only reversed once, which is legal no matter when the pitcher got the ball during the described sequence (to the nitpickers, I'm making what I think is a safe assumption that she was not still standing on 2nd when the ball got to pitcher).

Besides ... if defensive coach was out talking to your partner immediately after the play at first, he killed the play before LBR had a chance to become involved anyway. Sounds (to me) like he was out on the field before or right as pitcher got the ball in the first place.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Besides ... if defensive coach was out talking to your partner immediately after the play at first, he killed the play before LBR had a chance to become involved anyway. Sounds (to me) like he was out on the field before or right as pitcher got the ball in the first place.

To both Mike's: Am I missing something? If the DC comes out to talk to me while the runners are still off base I'm not granting time. I'm telling him to stay off the field until the play is over. Should I be?

This question runs into an area I'm not sure how to handle. What is the correct mechanic for a runner who is called safe thinking she's out and starts running off the field. Do nothing?

If she gets to first or third in the OP and then we have time, it seems pretty obvious she's staying there.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by youngump

To both Mike's: Am I missing something? If the DC comes out to talk to me while the runners are still off base I'm not granting time. I'm telling him to stay off the field until the play is over. Should I be?

No, you should give him the hand... but it sounds like this was pretty much relaxed action and even though the umpires SHOULD have known there was still play going on, they did not. Once he engaged in a conversation with the coach, I think he'd defacto rung the time-out bell, so to speak.

This question runs into an area I'm not sure how to handle. What is the correct mechanic for a runner who is called safe thinking she's out and starts running off the field. Do nothing?

Depends... if you weren't clear (say, in retrospect, you know you rushed off to the next base after calling safe, knowing there was another play - and you might not have been clear in your call), fix it. However, in most cases, it's not our job to coach them. You said safe. She decided to walk back toward first for whatever reason. Honestly, as long as she's not doing it intentionally to make a travesty of the game (I HATE that rule), she is not (yet) illegal. Let the play play out. Wait until you have a reason to call an out before calling one.

If she gets to first or third in the OP and then we have time, it seems pretty obvious she's staying there.

Still, don't call time. (Unless, obviously, you have a coach wanting time and everything has finally stopped). Say she goes there (1st or 3rd --- 1st in the OP) and stops. Pitcher has the (live!) ball, and THEN a coach realizes she's screwed up and tells her to go back to 2nd... you do, then, have an LBR violation.

[Linknblue]

In the situation I described the coach didn't run out onto the field. He went to the PU, had some sort of discussion, then came out to me. This was all after the play was over. The coach did nothing wrong, he was by the book as far as I was concerned.

Once again, "in my mind" at the time I felt the play was over as soon as I called the out at 1st. I then turned and saw runner going off the field toward 1st base dugout (play in actuality was still live but my mindset was it was over). I told her as she passed "No, you weren't out, go back." She did and it was then when I'm sure the coach came out and went to PU. Did he request time, don't know, but a discussion started with PU.