Home Run Hug

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

No, no, a thousand times no. I had that partner just a week ago that insisted the coach high-fiving a girl that just hit a single and was almost back to the base as the ball was being thrown back to the pitcher should be called out. NO NO NO NO NO.

Okay, okay, perhaps I generalized too much. I shouldn't have said ANY touch of a runner, period.

I meant any touch of a runner that is designed to help her run the bases. That includes pushes, pulls, grabs, trips, pats on the back (to signal when to take off on a tag-up following a caught fly ball), etc. Whether or not the runner would have made a base minus that touch is immaterial.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Okay, okay, perhaps I generalized too much. I shouldn't have said ANY touch of a runner, period.

I meant any touch of a runner that is designed to help her run the bases. That includes pushes, pulls, grabs, trips, pats on the back (to signal when to take off on a tag-up following a caught fly ball), etc. Whether or not the runner would have made a base minus that touch is immaterial.

I agree with that... but I don't think the hug was "designed to help her".

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by md longhorn

i agree with that... But i don't think the hug was "designed to help her".

+1

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

I agree with that... but I don't think the hug was "designed to help her".

On this statement alone: An assist need not be intentional, nor "designed" to aid a runner. Something as simple as a coach pushing a player off or away from him/her can be an assist even though some may consider it just a matter of protecting oneself or untangling from each other.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Whether or not the runner would have made a base minus that touch is immaterial.

Generally agreed until this statement. This one too general for me.

How do you judge if she was "assisted" if you won't consider that the touch may or may not have been a factor in her baserunning?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Generally agreed until this statement. This one too general for me.

How do you judge if she was "assisted" if you won't consider that the touch may or may not have been a factor in her baserunning?

Steve, I was talking of "that touch" that helps the runner, per my previous sentence. I honestly cannot envision a scenario where a coach touches a runner to help her, and we still have to judge if the runner would have achieved the base without that touch. The rule isn't like the obstruction rule where we can essentially ignore the infraction if it ends up having zero impact on the play. Any touch to help the runner should be called assistance.