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Online now: 1 member: EMJ; 12 anonymousDiscussion: rule clarification
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June 2 amr-4-lc 47 posts | guys, would like some feedback on this issue, have not been able to find an answer as of yet. in our senior league last tuesday night we had a situation with runners on 1st and 2nd nobody out. batter hits a ground ball to 2nd base side of first baseman, backhanded play is made by first baseman. he hustles to make the out at 1st (very close play, by the way) in doing so he runs directly across the white base and the orange base impeding the progress of our runner's attempt to run thru the orange base. obviously our runner slows down to avoid a collision, although one happened anyway. the question we've been tossing around is: we believe the runner has the right to run directly thru the orange base in an attempt to be safe. does the first baseman have the right to run thru both bases and impede the progress of the baserunner. it was always our understanding that the orange base was put in to avoid these types of situations and the first baseman could/should have just touched the white base for the out. looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. |
June 3 MaverickAH 58 posts | From an umpire's perspective, all I can tell you is this: A defensive player has as much right to get to a base on a force play as the offensive player. Now while the defensive player must tag the white bag, there is such a thing as "incidental contact". If his momentum takes him into the path of the runner in the course of making a play and he tagged the white bag, there'd be no other call to be made other than safe or out. |
June 3 Gary19 Men's 50 2596 posts | Ray, I didn't see the play but if there is the potential for a forceout at 2nd (which is a better play for the defense than a forceout at 1st), and the first baseman's momentum is taking him that way anyway, why didn't he just continue toward 2nd, throw the ball to the shortstop, and force the runner from 1st there? |
June 3 VINNY LV Men's 50 178 posts | UMP MADE THE RIGHT CALL AS LONG AS 1ST BASEMAN BEAT RUNNER TO THE BAG AAND HE TOUCHED WHITE BASE.. UNFORTUNATE THAT RUNNER SLOWED DOWN BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS.. |
June 3 stick8 1997 posts | In the scenario you describe the first basemnan did not impede the batter-runners progress. Impeding the progress would be if he stood in front of the bag preventing the batter-runner from touching the bag. Sometimes contact will occur on a play like you described and MaverickAH is correct calling it "incidental contact" |