Rules question of the day

Here’s one maybe some of the umpires can opine on. This happened in a Little League game years ago. 

Two out, runners on 1 & 3. B1 hits a ground ball to second baseman. R1 gets into a rundown between 1st and 2nd. R3 crosses home plate, HC1 (me) is yelling to just tag 2nd base, which the fielder does.

The plate umpire says the run scores. I protest (all star game) and it goes to regionals who finally say the run doesn’t score. The opposing coach was livid and to this day says the run counts because then fielder engaged in a rundown before making the force out at second. 

You got it right. 3rd out on a force play - no run can score.  The fact that the runner danced around between bases does not change anything.

Here's a comment from the LL Rules Instruction Manual on Force Plays and when the Force is removed:

"A FORCE PLAY is a play in which a runner legally loses the right to occupy a base by reason of the batter becoming a runner. (NOTE: Confusion regarding
this play is removed by remembering that frequently the “force” situation is removed during the play. Example: Runner on first, one out, ground ball hit sharply to
first baseman, who touches the bag and the batter-runner is out. The force is removed at that moment and runner advancing to second must be tagged. If there had
been a runner at second or third, and either of these runners scored before the tag-out at second, the run(s) would count. Had the first baseman thrown to second and
the ball had been returned to first the play at second would have been a force-out, making two outs, and the return throw to first would have made the third out. In
that case, no run would score.)"

T Thomas was kind enough to send some links to other exams...  so will keep this going.

 With R1 on first breaking with a 3-2
pitch, F1’s pitch hits the front edge of the plate and bounds over the fence. R1 touches second before the ball hits the plate.

a. B1 is awarded second.

b. R1 remains at second.

c. R1 is awarded third.

d. R1 is awarded home

Kid musta got a heckuva jump. 

awarded home 

D

B

Same answer as before - why wait 5 pitches to steal second if he's that fast ;-)  In this case, no way it's an eephus pitch - that would have bounced back towards the pitcher.

Considering this from my google search - "How long does it take a 60 mph fastball to reach home plate?"... "Divide the distance from the pitching rubber to home plate by the speed of the fastball in feet per second. On a major league ball field this distance is 60 feet 6 inches, or 60.5 feet. For a pitch traveling 139.33 feet per second, you have 60.5/139.33 = 0.434 seconds."

So the runner went say 80 ft in the same time - running faster than 60 mph...  This is yet more proof the test writers never played the sport 

Still it'd take me at least 8.3.3d seconds to get that right ;-)

I have a few years of tests saved in text format - we could keep this going all summer if we needed to

Yesterday's answer... B.   The runner gets 1 base on a pitch that goes out of play.  His last base is determined at time of pitch … no matter how fast he is.

Today's question...

In the top of the first, the visiting coach wants to pinch hit for his starting pitcher (who has not yet faced a batter).
a. He may, provided the starting pitcher re-enters in the bottom of the first.

b. He may, provided the pitcher is also the DH.

c. He may not.

A

Friday's answer  A.

Today's question

 B1 lines a pitch right back at the pitcher’s feet. F1 eludes the ball, but it hits the front edge of the rubber and rebounds across the foul line in front of first base.

a. Fair ball.

b. Foul ball.

c. Depends on local ground rules

A. How does someone come up with this scenario? 

Yesterdays answer  B.   The rubber is in front of both 1st and 3rd base.  The ball never passes a base before being touched in foul territory.

Actually experienced this in my teen years … before the fields were maintained, the mound usually had a big hole in front of the rubber.  

 B1 homers over the left-field fence, but doesn’t touch second. As B1 touches third, the third-base coach sends him back to touch the missed base. B1 complies and continues around the bases, touching third and home.
a. Legal play.

b. B1 is out.

c. B1 is out on appeal.

I'll say A. But if he rounded third and didn't touch it on the way back to second I would say C. But the way it is written I believe it is A. Then again, I'm .500 or worse on these so it is probably B

And the average is dropping,  Yesterday's answer C.   When the ball is dead, a runner may not retreat to correct a base running error once they have reached the next base.

Today's question.

The bases are loaded when B1 hits a Texas Leaguer into short left field. F7 picks up the ball and throws wildly toward the plate into the stands. When F7 released the ball, all runners had advanced to the next base, but B1 had not yet reached first.

a. One run scores.

b. Two runs score.

c. Three runs score.

d. B1 is awarded first.

3 runs score and B1 is on 2nd I believe, I don't see that as an option...

C. 

if we agree the runners gets 2bags from the release of the throw. how does B1 not go to 2? 

old_school posted:

if we agree the runners gets 2bags from the release of the throw. how does B1 not go to 2? 

I think it is a trick question by not giving you the result for B1 and only giving you the result of the runners.

Yesterday's answer  … C   (Another shining example of a poorly worded question and incomplete options for answers).   I have learned to not read too much into the question - and to choose the answer that is MOST right.

Yes B1 would be awarded 2nd as well.

Today's question.

Which of the following do not result in an immediate dead ball?
a. Runner interference.

b. Batter interference.

c. Base umpire interference.

d. A fair batted ball touches a spectator.

e. A balk.

Happy Easter to all.  Next update will be Monday.  

D

happy Easter!