2 players on one base, 2 versions - Not your usual situation

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NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
I've not seen this happen, but have thought of doing it should the situation arise if the rules allow it.

Home team at bat bottom of 7th, score is tied with runners on 2b and 3b and 2 outs. Batter is walked -not intentionally. Batter turned baserunner without stopping at 1B proceeds all the way to 2B. So now we have 2 runners on 2B. If they make a play to tag one of them out at 2B we get in a pickle either between 1B and 2B or 2B and 3B, and send the runner from 3B to home to try and score before a runner is tagged out.

Is this a legal play? If not can anyone cite the rule applied?

Version 2 - same situation only the batter swings and misses. The ball is a dropped 3rd strike and the batter/runner safely proceeds all the way to 2B. So now we have 2 runners on 2B. If they make a play to tag one of them out at 2B we get in a pickle either between 1B and 2B or 2B and 3B, and send the runner from 3B to home to try and score before a runner is tagged out.

Is this a legal play? If not can anyone cite the rule applied?
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
What you are asking about is really bush league, but to answer your question it's going to depend on ruleset.

Usssa follows pretty much nfhs and nfhs has a case play that if 2 runners are occupying the same base and the pitcher does not attempt a play, the umpire should declare the ball dead and rule the runner out that is not entitled to the base.

USA as I recall has a case play that time is to be called and the runner not entitled to the base returned to their base if no play is attempted.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
Easy way to combat that play. Have the pitcher step on the rubber and the catcher get ready to receive the next pitch. The R3 must return to 1st base before the next pitch is delivered. If the next pitch is thrown the runner should be called out for not being in contact with the base at the time of delivery. It keeps R1 nailed to 3rd with the ball in the circle due to the look back rule seeing as how R3 has touched 1st base. If R1 or R2 dances they should be called out.
 
Jun 7, 2019
170
43
Easy way to combat that play. Have the pitcher step on the rubber and the catcher get ready to receive the next pitch. The R3 must return to 1st base before the next pitch is delivered. If the next pitch is thrown the runner should be called out for not being in contact with the base at the time of delivery. It keeps R1 nailed to 3rd with the ball in the circle due to the look back rule seeing as how R3 has touched 1st base. If R1 or R2 dances they should be called out.

Never heard of such a thing, but Sparky mentioning the look back rule got me to thinking. I don't think we'd have to wait until the next pitch to call the batter runner out. Runner on 3rd is the first part of the look back rule. She's got to stay put once the BR has touched 1st and the pitcher has the ball in the circle. But the BR, after rounding first, can stop once, but then must immediately either continue on to the next base or head back to first. While it's not specifically stated, what's understood in the wording is that it means the next AVAILABLE base. The moment she stops at 2nd and doesn't immediately return to 1st, she's out anyway. Second base belongs to the other runner standing on it.

So, no, that play wouldn't work.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
Huh.

I’m going to operate under the thought that the chance of the defense making NO play is somewhere around the chance of me ever liking cottage cheese ... (pretty slim)

No rule against trying it. (You have the citations above on things that can go wrong.) But you do have a timing play. Better make sure that pickle gets started and that your runner makes it home before the tag out.

And I agree with Comp. One man’s “clever” is another man’s bush league.
 
Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
Easy way to combat that play. Have the pitcher step on the rubber and the catcher get ready to receive the next pitch. The R3 must return to 1st base before the next pitch is delivered. If the next pitch is thrown the runner should be called out for not being in contact with the base at the time of delivery. It keeps R1 nailed to 3rd with the ball in the circle due to the look back rule seeing as how R3 has touched 1st base. If R1 or R2 dances they should be called out.

Umpire cannot allow a pitch to be thrown until base runners are all on base. How it is handled is going to depend on what ruleset.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
My initial thought was pitcher goes to the circle with the ball and look back rule on. Since the trail runner has to continue one way or another and isn't able to take second because a runner is there on that base, umpire just calls it dead, and gives a Look Back Rule out.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
My initial thought was pitcher goes to the circle with the ball and look back rule on. Since the trail runner has to continue one way or another and isn't able to take second because a runner is there on that base, umpire just calls it dead, and gives a Look Back Rule out.

That would only apply if the trail runner wasn't in contact with the base.
 

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