Quote:
Originally Posted by Rizon
By rule, he was clearly safe. I'm not sure why they couldn't figure that out.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boomcoach
Not sure where you get that. The rule says the runner is to stay on the foul side of the first base line for the last 30 feet. The only exception is to get out of the way of a fielder who is fielding a batted ball. He was clearly on the fair territory side of the line. I could see an umpire deciding not to apply that part of the rule, since the throw was coming from farther into the infield, but by the letter of the rule, he is out.
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Well...
I don't think it's clear either way. He was probably correctly out, but...
Here's the rule
Quote:
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Originally Posted by 5.09(a)(11)
In running the last half of the distance from home base to
first base, while the ball is being fielded to first base, he
runs outside (to the right of ) the three-foot line, or inside
(to the left of ) the foul line, and in the umpire’s judgment
in so doing interferes with the fielder taking the throw at
first base, in which case the ball is dead; except that he
may run outside (to the right of ) the three-foot line or
inside (to the left of ) the foul line to avoid a fielder
attempting to field a batted ball;
Comment: The lines marking the three-foot
lane are a part of that lane and a batter-runner is required to
have both feet within the three-foot lane or on the lines marking the lane. The batter-runner is permitted to exit the threefoot lane by means of a step, stride, reach or slide in the immediate vicinity of first base for the sole purpose of touching first
base.
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*http://mlb.mlb.com/documents/0/8/0/2...ball_Rules.pdf
The only exception is not to avoid a fielder fielding a ball in the running lane. He's also allowed to step out of the running lane (in the immediate vicinity of first base) to touch the base. Since he was close enough to first base to contact the first baseman, I think we can say he was in the immediate vicinity.
He was probably allowed to be there, but, since he didn't *exit* the running lane then perhaps the rule doesn't apply.
Anyway,
this video is interesting - and informative.
The running lane was put in foul territory when the first base bag was, partially, *in foul territory*. The bag was moved into fair territory, but the rule never changed which leads to an awkward situation at first base.
The obvious solution is to make a safety base where the runner steps on the base in foul ground and the fielder touches the part in fair ground.