Bretman, A base-runner question

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While doing some tractor-time this weekend cutting the grass in my yard, I got to thinking about a base-running situation.

Batter-hits a pitch into the outfield. As the batter-runner rounds first base, she misses the bag. The opposing team doesn't notice but the ever-alert field umpire notices the miscue. The batter runner continues on to 2nd base, slides into the base and then stands up on the base. The ball arrives a second later at the bag, is catch by the SS who puts a complimentary tag on the batter-baserunner (standing on the base).

So, does the umpire call the batter-runner out for missing 1st base even-though the opposing team was clueless about the miscue or is the batter-runner safe and the miscue must be appealed by the opposing team?

 

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I'm sure bretman will give a more complete answer, but the answer is the runner is safe and the defense must appeal the miss of first base. Same thing on, say, an infield ground ball where the b/r beats the throw but misses first base. The defense then must do a live-ball appeal before the b/r returns.

 

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Agreed, base runner is safe and an appeal has to be made by the defensive team or else play continues.

 

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And, since we have all seen this type of situation mis-handled by the defensive team's manager, could someone more official than me state the proper way to appeal a call?

 

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For any missed base, or on a base left too soon on a catch, the defense must execute a proper appeal before the umpire can call the runner out.

The defense can make either a live ball or dead ball appeal. While the ball is live, any fielder holding the ball may tag the base missed or left too soon or the runner for the appeal. Such an appeal must be, by it's nature, "unmistakable". That is, it must be made obvious exactly which runner is being appealed and why.

This is usually obvious on plays where the runner is scrambling back to a base and the defense is frantically trying to throw the ball there. Not always so obvious are plays like the one in the first post. With first base being missed, and a casual routine tag at second base, it would not be "unmistakable" that the defense even saw the miss or was actually trying to appeal it. So the tag itself here would not constitute an appeal. However, if the fielder were to tag the runner AND state to the umpire something along the lines of, "She missed first base", now you have a valid appeal.

A dead ball appeal can be executed when the ball is dead (after all play has ended and time has been called, after the ball goes out of play, after the defense requests time, etc). For a dead ball appeal, all you need is for any infielder, with or without the ball, to verbally state to the umpire which runner is being appealed and why. There's no need to tag anyone, or throw to a base, or get the ball to the pitcher on the rubber first.

This explanation might seem kind of long, but it's really a condensed version of the appeals rule. The rule book actually takes up about an entire page to cover different appeal play situations in greater detail. There can be exceptions depending on which base was missed (such as home or first) or the timing of the appeal (such as at the end of an inning or on the last play of the game).

Some associations have different quirks to their appeal rules. For instance, in ASA any base running appeal must be made by a player. In high school ball, such an appeal may be made by either a player or a coach.

There you have it- just the "basics" of the appeal rules!

 

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Thanks all. Just one of those things that got me wondering.