Runner on second, 2 outs...batter hits ball to third, third baseman throws wide to first and first baseman comes up line to catch the ball to tag runner.....runner turns back towards plate to avoid tag.....first baseman chases runner back towards home to tag him out....meanwhile runner on second touches 3rd base and runs for home....while batter is 4 feet from home, first baseman throws to catcher who misses tag at plate of diving runner from second base....batter then runs back to first base where no one is covering and the catcher throws wild to the infielder covering first base...throw goes into right field and batter/runner now advances to second.....throw comes in wide to second and everyone is safe.....what was the easiest way to avoid all the nonsense in a professional baseball game...please send all replies to the Pittsburgh Pirates.....that was some Bad News Bears stuff right there

bkb.. so you watched the pirates-cubs fiasco...lol

this play couldn't happen in SSUSA because the B/R out of the box is only able to stop his advancement toward 1st base... once he steps back he is to be called out immediately

8.3 • BATTER-RUNNER IS OUT

H. When he moves back toward home plate to avoid or delay a tag by a fielder. The ball is dead, the batter-runner is out and all runners return to the base
occupied at the time of the pitch.

I knew it was a rule in softball that a batter-runner cannot do that, so I looked in the Major League rule book and was surprised they can do that. There is always something new in this wonderful game of ours.

bkb555, BJ is correct. Batter-runner going from home to first cannot retreat backwards toward home for any reason. He’s out and it’s a dead ball. Runners go back to the base they occupied at the time of the pitch.

A variation: man on 3rd; batter hits a short ball toward 1st base; 1st basement eyes the runner on third and wants to throw home for the easy out instead of tagging the B/R, but before the ball leaves his hand, the B/R retreats toward home; the ball reaches home in time for an out; but since the B/R retreated it is a dead ball out and the runner returns to 3rd. What's the call?

Sisavic, per rule, yes. Its a dead ball, batter-runner is out and the runner(s) return to the base they occupied at the time of the pitch. In your scenario the runner goes back to third.

Please quit making fun of my Purates!

My goodness I misspelled Pirates.

First baseman should have either went back to first for the force out or throw to the second baseman potentially covering first for the force.