Skunk in the outfield play

[soonerfan1966]

.

Even though it is baseball, thought it was interesting.

 

[SoulFY]

Hard to tell who has the ball looking at it on the phone but definitely at the very end looks like the defense is trying to tag the runner before throwing the ball home and the runner keeps running into the outfield and not directly to one of the bases. Probably should be called out for being more than 3 feet from the base path at that point as the runner takes a couple of steps toward the outfield and not directly to one of the bases.

 

[MoJo]

Runner going to second is out very early in the clip. Ump should have called it right away but let the BS continue into a run and a stolen base.

 

[YOCOACH]

Runner going to second is out very early in the clip. Ump should have called it right away but let the BS continue into a run and a stolen base.

Why do you think so? The runner was never tagged. Although it is worded slightly different for baseball and sanction to sanction they all essentially say the same thing. Those who think this is a base path violation might want to take a minute and read this thread. https://discussfastpitch.com/threads/base-path-question-for-rundown-1b-to-2b.33626/#post-468406 Comp explains it very well and Comp happens to be one of the most accomplished and well-respected umpires on here.

 

[soonerfan1966]

I've read different actions required- one is attempt to tag and the other was make a play. Not sure which one is correct or what defines make a play

 

[DonnyS]

I was reading the HS rule changes and came across a section where they changed the rule to make the "skunk in the outfildfield" play illegal. I had never heard of it and, rather than working, decided to look it up. Came across this ESPN article on it that I enjoyed reading:

'Skunk in the outfield': How the most epic trick play in history broke baseball

For 2 minutes, 32 seconds of pure chaos, a high school state championship game in Rhode Island 14 years ago today entered a parallel universe -- and unleashed the longest hardball stalemate of all time.

www.espn.com

 

[The Man In Blue]

Runner going to second is out very early in the clip. Ump should have called it right away but let the BS continue into a run and a stolen base.

It is tough to say because of the video, but I am inclined to agree. Possibly as early as the point they disappear behind the pole.

While one would traditionally consider a tag attempt to occur when the fielder stretches their arm out, if the runner is running away from the fielder in a manner to prevent the tag attempt from being able to occur AND not in the direction of a base, I am quite comfortable saying the runner is avoiding a tag attempt.

Yes, thankfully some codes have changed this to "make a play" which allows the leeway needed to keep the spirit of the law and prevent calamities like that.

 

[CoachJD]

It is tough to say because of the video, but I am inclined to agree. Possibly as early as the point they disappear behind the pole.

While one would traditionally consider a tag attempt to occur when the fielder stretches their arm out, if the runner is running away from the fielder in a manner to prevent the tag attempt from being able to occur AND not in the direction of a base, I am quite comfortable saying the runner is avoiding a tag attempt.

Yes, thankfully some codes have changed this to "make a play" which allows the leeway needed to keep the spirit of the law and prevent calamities like that.

This was my thought, too. I think it's fair to define "tag attempt" as a fielder in possession of the ball approaching the runner to tag him. There's nothing I know of in the rules that says the fielder has to be close enough to actually touch the runner. After all, what else is the fielder doing when approaching the runner other than trying to tag him out? He's not running at him to give him a high five.

I also don't see this runner going in a straight line for a lot of the play.

Interesting to read that story on it to see that the runner had no idea what to do. They hadn't practiced what to do if the defense reacted this way. They had just counted on the pitcher doing something stupid right away.

 

[The Man In Blue]

I thought that was hysterical ... Step 2? There was no Step 2.

 

[The Man In Blue]

This was my thought, too. I think it's fair to define "tag attempt" as a fielder in possession of the ball approaching the runner to tag him. There's nothing I know of in the rules that says the fielder has to be close enough to actually touch the runner. After all, what else is the fielder doing when approaching the runner other than trying to tag him out? He's not running at him to give him a high five.

I'm leery of saying "approaching the runner to tag him/her" because that implies any approach ... such as a fielder chasing behind a runner in a rundown. The key (IMO) is the runner no longer making an attempt to reach a base (either the next one or the last one). That could lead to an abandonment call rather than an out of the base path call (depending on the wording for that ruleset -- NFHS says the runner must enter dead ball territory).

That is a trick to rewriting the rule ... you can't just say "to avoid a tag/play" because that is the runner's job. You almost have to add in a requirement to have an attempt to advance/retreat to a base.