Another Tag Up Question

[ArmWhip]

There are always new rules questions that pop up, this is one for me. Runner on second with a fly ball into left center. Fielder makes a sliding catch. runner leaves early (according to the umpire) she slides into 3rd beating the throw and is then tagged while on the base. Umpire calls her out for leaving early and being tagged. Since she was safe on the slide is this now an appeal play or is she out because she was tagged and not legally entitled to advance to 3rd base?

 

[shaker1]

My "guess" is the umpire cannot call her out for leaving early, unless the other team makes an appeal

 

[eddieq]

That is an appeal play. All the defense needs to do is tag her or the base with the ball if it is live and announce that they are appealing that she left early or really make it obvious that they are appealing that (everyone saying "tag her she left early!" Is enough for me). If the ball is dead, they just need to announce that they are appealing she left early. Different codes have different requirements on who can make the dead ball appeal but the mechanics are the same.

So to answer the question, it's not automatic, but think about it. They are tagging a runner who is already on a base they advanced to. Everyone knew she left early as apparently did the umpire. Sounds like a valid appeal.

 

[Comp]

Question I have is how long after siding into 3rd did the throw come in and the tag made? From description of play it sounds like the throw could be considered nothing more than a play on an advancing runner. If that is the case the call is safe and now the defense has to make clear they are making and appeal of the runner leaving before the catch.

 

[Umpire]

Invalid live ball appeal. The overall situation does not dictate that the defense was making a live ball appeal on the runner. There was an intervening play. Regardless of how safe she was at 3rd, it's always good practice to slap a tag on her. The defense needs to communicate something else or do something else overtly for the live ball appeal to be honored here. If they really just wanted an out on the appeal, dontcha think they would have thrown to 2nd base instead???

 

[Rockjerry]

Are you sure that the defense didn't appeal while the ball was still live?

 

[ArmWhip]

The umpire made an immediate out call when she was tagged, even though she obviously beat the throw/tag. When we questioned the call he said it was because she left early. The other team hadn't said anything about her leaving early, possibly because the catch/out call in left field was questionable, the ball was bobbled. Thanks for the replies.

 

[SamRam]

This is an appeal play. In my opinion, the umpire should not have made the out call based on her leaving early, and announcing it as he did. The call should have been safe at third, and the onus is then on the defense to appeal the fact that she left second base early.

 

[PA SB Dad]

The umpire made an immediate out call when she was tagged, even though she obviously beat the throw/tag. When we questioned the call he said it was because she left early. The other team hadn't said anything about her leaving early, possibly because the catch/out call in left field was questionable, the ball was bobbled. Thanks for the replies.

Did she leave the base as soon as the fielder made contact with the ball or before that? The fielder does not have to have control of the ball in order for the runner to tag up. Once the fielder makes contact, the runner can go, otherwise you can have outfielders juggling balls out there to induce a base runner to "leave early".

 

[dbronstein]

Obviously I'm not an umpire, but I'm not seeing how she isn't out. If a runner leaves early, she's out if you tag her or the base she left from before she gets back. I don't see why the fact that she is standing on the next base changes that. She left early and was tagged before she returned to the base. If the defense immediately threw the ball to the base that she left, she'd be out for leaving early even if she was standing on the next base, so why isn't she out if she's tagged?

Suppose she realizes her mistake - can she then run back to the previous base after being tagged while the ball is still in play? That's the logical extension of this - a runner can leave early, be tagged, and return to her base and be safe.