Cheating or Aggressive Base Running?

[RiderJake]

I was always taught the "appeal play" is a remnant of the days when umpires were true arbiters and only ruled in disputed calls the teams made themselves.

Could be an old myth.

I do not understand what is hard about this. The umpire CANNOT rule the runner out by rule. The defense MUST appeal. The umpire CAN eject the offenders BUT still CANNOT rule the runner out.

I am still on the fence with intent. I am still trying to find the case play or interpretation I mentioned before ... with that, I am OK with an ejection based on NFHS recognizing this is happening. Without that, the ground is a little less firm on intent. Unless you are the JUCO baseball team who pulled it six times in one season (Dawson Community College, Montana). Then your org/conference is calling you out.

So it turns out that a runner can be an offender without fear of being ejected? Or what did I misunderstand?

 

[_MIA_]

So it turns out that a runner can be an offender without fear of being ejected? Or what did I misunderstand?

The umpire CAN eject the offenders BUT still CANNOT rule the runner out.

I have no problem with ejection here (especially of the adult involved in all of this..)

 

[Westwind]

Of course umpires can tinker around with the game until it’s time to right a wrong. Then they can’t. “Not in the rule book” that 3/4 of them have never apparently cracked open. And aren’t sure if it was intentional? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I swear I’m not posting about this nonsense any more.

 

[jdint]

It seems the obvious move here is to run some sort of distraction operation on the opposing coaches whenever your team gets a hit. Then you can have your runner just take a quick sprint around the circle and head for home.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

Fan: The umps should have called her out.

Ump: The rule book says the defense must appeal

Fan: That’s ridiculous. Just call her out. She cheated.

Ump: There’s one interpretation that says we could eject, but we can’t call an out here.

Fan: Sure you can. She intended to cheat. So call her out.

Ump: The rules say we can’t.

Fan: Ridiculous. Find a rule that says you can.

Ump: We looked. Defense must appeal.

Fan: You guys don’t even know the rules. You don’t even read the book.

Ump: Kind of at an impasse here. I mean, change the rule if you want, but we can’t.

Fan: Yes you can. You don’t respect the game. Fix the injustice! Call the out!

Ump: But the rules?

Fan: Oh, you guys make up rules all the time.

Ump: Um. Ok?

Fan: Stop making up rules! Call her out.

Ump: What is happening?

Fan: Typical ump, no idea what’s happening.

Ump: Sigh.

 

[Agcy]

Of course umpires can tinker around with the game until it’s time to right a wrong. Then they can’t. “Not in the rule book” that 3/4 of them have never apparently cracked open. And aren’t sure if it was intentional? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I swear I’m not posting about this nonsense any more.

Have you ever seen an umpire call a runner out for not tagging up on a fly ball without appeal? No, because the rule book says the defense needs to appeal (and yes, I have read the book - maybe you should try it).

Now, after you read and understand the rules, then you should contact NFHS, USA, and others and have them change the rules for this situation.

 

[_MIA_]

Of course umpires can tinker around with the game until it’s time to right a wrong.

Two wrongs don't make a right (but three lefts do..)

 

[PapaBear]

I have no problem with ejection here (especially of the adult involved in all of this..)

Would have been a better resolution to eject both runner and coach. I'm sure hell would of broke loose in the stands too.

 

[_MIA_]

Would have been a better resolution to eject both runner and coach. I'm sure hell would of broke loose in the stands too.

I feel for the kid as she was put between a rock and the hard place but yeah I would have to agree. My DD would probably prefer being ejected and sent to another country rather than face my wrath after/during...

The summer between my freshmen and sophomore years in college I got arrested. I was in a car where the kids in the backseat were drinking and the Einstein driver (she wasn't drinking) decided she wanted to speed.. I spent the night in jail and in the morning I had the person giving me a ride home drop me off at the park where I used to play pickup..I didn't want to go home..

 

[radness]

Part of the boggle in this conversation is that we know we see umpires not applying some rules while other umpires stick to the book as religiously as they think they are.
Then there are umpires who Clue in coaches who may not otherwise know the exact way rules are. Like pitching rules.
' hey your pitcher is pitching illegally make this adjustment' they don't do it during the game they say it in between innings.

To Include things like letting coaches know when they are going to do a substitution that is incorrect and can't be done. They explain that.


( may have been @Westwind that commented to this earlier in the thread)
Very easily could have been another umpire who commented in a low-key manner to the opposing coach to let them know about the appeal would have been necessary.

Not that it is the umpire's job to explain everything to coaches however we know that there are times that they do.

In my opinion a different set of umpires this could have been handled completely differently.

As I commented previously generally missing a base trying to run by it is an appeal situation but because of the blatant running through the infield Factor see it as an unsportsmanlike conduct situation that umpires can rule on without appeal.
Two seperate issues.