No second base - sort of

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

It wasn't the base itself, it was the peg and base that holds the base in place. The actual base was sitting in the general area of where second base would be, so nobody thought anything of the situation. It wasn't the base itself, put the peg and base (that the base actually sits on) that were missing.

Also, please note the part about I did check the field I was supposed to be on. I got switched at the last minute before the game so I did not have time to go out and kick the bases like I normally do to make sure they are secured in place.

I see what you are saying now. With that said, I've never kicked bases to make sure they were in place. Seems like an odd practice. I've also never tried to lift up home plate to see whether it moved.

Regarding the check itself though, switching fields doesn't mean we can neglect a responsibility. I've seen umpires walk onto a field and check equipment only to realize they are on the wrong field. That doesn't mean they don't check the equipment when they walk onto the correct field. You just can't have that.