call at the plate?

[Bchbum54]

So DD was invited to watch a TB team this past Sunday. DD is playing rec ball and we have been entertaining the idea of TB. So during the game batter up bunted and Firstbasmen ran up on it. She grabbed the ball with her bare hand and stretched out and made the tag with her mitt (No ball in mitt). Blued called runner safe insisting even though a tag was made while firstbasemen had clear possession of the ball, the tag needed to be made with ball in mitt. No one had a problem with that call and I as far as I remember that is true. This is not the call in question but if it is wrong please let me know.

Well 2 plays later with runners on 1st and 3rd 1 out coach signals to bunt. Bunt goes down 3rd base line, runner on 3rd goes home. 3rd basemen fields the ball and makes a slightly wild throw to Catcher. The throw is high, catcher is positioned in front of the runners lane, maybe half a foot or less in front of the plate. Catcher reaches high but never leaves the ground and while she is stretched up high she makes the catch. Almost simultaneously runner slides into her feet. The momentum of the runner takes her clear across the plate. Catcher losses her balance, falls away from runner but never dropped the ball. Blue calls runner out.

Now the offensive coach is making the case that the catcher never made a tag or even attempted a tag since catcher braced herself for the fall after losing her balance. The defense is cheering calling it the right call (right or wrong call I don't blame him). I have no horse in the race so I was neutral in the call but based on the previously mentioned call felt confused.

Help me out guys. What is the right call

 

[canyonjoe]

1st call is correct have to have ball in mitt.

2nd, if the catcher never tagged the runner she is safe. Are you sure bases weren't loaded?

 

[Bchbum54]

1st call is correct have to have ball in mitt.

2nd, if the catcher never tagged the runner she is safe. Are you sure bases weren't loaded?

Yup, bases where NOT loaded. Runners on 1st and 3rd only with 1 out. Runner on 1st made it all the way to 3rd so now there were runners on 2nd and 3rd. Funny cause on the next batter catcher made a bad throw to the pitcher. 3rd base coach sent his runner home. Shortstop was aware of the bad throw and seemlessly made the play at home. This time the catcher stuffed the runner a foot shy of the plate and the blue turned around and asked if anyone wanted to question that call.

 

[chinamigarden]

The ump stories from this game get worse and worse

 

[Umpire]

A legal tag is the act of a defensive player:
1. Touching a base with any part of the body while holding the ball securely and firmly in the hand or glove; or
2. Touching the runner or batter-runner with the ball while securely held in the hand or glove.

 

[Bchbum54]

A legal tag is the act of a defensive player:
1. Touching a base with any part of the body while holding the ball securely and firmly in the hand or glove; or
2. Touching the runner or batter-runner with the ball while securely held in the hand or glove.

So with this definition would this make both calls out?

 

[MTR]

So with this definition would this make both calls out?

Not on the play at the plate. If there is no force, there must be a tag.

 

[canyonjoe]

According to the definition the runner is still safe at first., It says you have to touch the runner with the ball while securely held in the hand or glove. If the ball is in the glove, the glove becomes an extension of the ball. If it's in your hand not in the glove you need to tag the runner with the ball.

 

[MTR]

According to the definition the runner is still safe at first., It says you have to touch the runner with the ball while securely held in the hand or glove. If the ball is in the glove, the glove becomes an extension of the ball. If it's in your hand not in the glove you need to tag the runner with the ball.

Yeah, I've never understood where that thought originated. It isn't like this hasn't been the way of all stick, base & ball games for over a century.

 

[Umpire]

So, if you are wondering why there are two different requirements between tagging the runner and tagging the base:

Any part of the fielder's body, ball or glove is sufficient contact with the base for an out on a force. Why? Because it makes sense for the player to have their foot on the base and not be required to bend over and touch the base with the ball/glove. Think about it...players would get killed out there. So they only need to touch the base with some part of their body, glove or hand.

Now, why doesn't this work on tagging the runner out? Because that would mean that anytime there was any contact between a runner and a fielder in possession of the ball, the runner would be called out (assuming she's off the base). That would result in a runner getting called out at home plate if she slid into a catcher in possession of the ball. Think about what that would do to the game.