Thoughts on a Look-Back Rule case

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by youngump

If leave means to lose contact with (as most everyone here thinks it does) then there is no way to avoid calling this out. I just don't see how that's a natural reading and the consequences of it don't make the game better.

Personal feelings aside, I don't see how you can interpret losing contact with the base as not leaving. If she gets tagged while her foot hovers over the bag, you will have an out, no question. If she leans over to watch a fielder catch a fly ball, and her foot comes off but is still over the bag at the time of the catch, and then she takes off for her next base without retouching the bag, there is no doubt she is subject to an appeal for failing to tag up properly.

So I don't see any rationale in arguing for a different result under one rule versus all the others when it comes to a runner not being in contact with the base, just because it doesn't make the game better. The runner knows her responsibilities.