Merkles "Boner" still the rule?

Regarding "Merkle's Boner":

Merkle was runner on first base. Another runner on third. Two outs, bottom of ninth, score 1-1.

Base hit to right field supposedly scoring runner from third to win the game. Merkle's Boner occurred when, thinking the game was over, he failed to advance to and touch second base. The defense retrieved the ball (or a ball), threw it to the infield and tagged second base completing the force out on Merkle.

If the third out of an inning occurs by force out or by the batter before he reaches first base, no run can score. This left the score at 1-1 and the game ended in a tie. The rule is the same today. (except that today the game would just continue)

Merkle's New York Giants were involved in a pennant race with that day's opponent. (the Cubs) Since it had bearing on the pennant the game was replayed a couple of weeks later and the Cubs won 4-2.

That's as good a description of the play as I've heard.

I've read that the special 3rd out rule was adopted just months before that game, so that Merkle wasn't that familiar with the requirement to touch the next base. I therefore thought it may have been changed, in some way, after that nasty incident.

Question (probably a dumb one): Although the Cubs touched 2nd after recovering the ball (or a ball ) from their dugout where it conveniently ended up, wouldn't Merkle have been out simply because he left the base path?

micdsguy,

I'm not an expert on baseball rules history (or current baseball rules for that matter) so I don't know for sure if the "abandoned effort rule" existed in 1908.

Let's assume (yeah, I know) that it did.
If the ump called Merkle out (3rd out) for abandoned effort before the runner from third touched the plate the run would not have counted. If he called him out after the runner touched the plate then the run would count.

Now lets look at the facts from the perspective of the base umpire:
a) The game/pennant is on the line.
b) The winning run for the Home Team (Giants) is about to be scored.
c) If I call this runner out too soon the run will not score.
d) I am working in front of thousands of Giants fans.
e) I think I'll watch the runner touch the plate before I decide.

Yes, that was all tongue-in-cheek. If that did happen, the defense would have appealed that Merkle didn't touch second base. (an apparent 4th out) That appeal would have been upheld and the run would have been negated anyway.

The only twist on this historic play that I heard that might make the call a little more interesting [don't think it would change the result] was that the defensive player retrieved the baseball from the fan who had caught the ground ball almost to the fence [fans were actually on the field in those days; standing room only and all that] and then made the play. At least that is the way it was explained in Ken Burn's famous documentary on our wonderful game. The question is is there fan interference and, if so is it a dead ball ground rule ddouble or what? But, the runners still have to touch all the bases, right?

I think a similar situation happened not long ago when an outfielder caught a fly ball and, thinking it was the third out, threw it to a fan. When the tagging runner left second and streaked for home, the outfielder retrieved the ball from the fan and threw the ball in. So, things like that still happen.

TW344,

There isn't any specific base award for spectator interference. The umpire will award bases that, in his judgement, will nullify the interference. You are correct though that it's not likely that the fan inteference call would have changed anything. The runner is still obligated to touch the bases.

In the other case you mentioned; once the outfielder threw the ball to the fan the ball would have been dead and the base runner awarded two bases. Not fan interference in this case but a thrown ball going out of play.