Mark Taylor

Rule 8-9 i 3 Exception 3c, Note 1-2 (It’s on page 198 about 1/3 of the way down)

A runner who has left a base too soon on a caught fly ball, or who has missed a base, and who is in the act of returning to retouch the missed base or base left too soon, may continue to the base.
Note: 1. If the ball goes out of play, the dead ball appeal cannot be made until the umpire places a new ball into the game; and
2. All runners have finished their base-running obligations

So, the moment the BR touches home plate, AND the Umpire puts a new ball into play is the moment the defensive team can appeal the missed bag.

However, until the BR enters the dugout, they can still return to touch the missed 2nd base (they do need to touch home and 3rd base on their way back: however Rule 8-4 (a) refers only to live-ball play, not dead-ball play.)

As umpires, we should wait until there is no possibility of a play, or in this situation the runner returning to touch a missed bag, (so we wait for the BR to enter the dugout) before putting a ball back into play and accepting an appeal.

Is there a flaw in my reasoning here? Please confirm.

Thanks,

Mark

Thanks Geoff, this is starting to make more sense to me.

So, if there is the possibility of the trailing team scoring the maximum number of runs in an inning and after doing so the game still ends up in a mercy, the open inning should be called.

But if the trailing team can score the maximum number of runs in their half of the inning and they would avoid the potential mercy, the open inning should NOT be called?

So the Mercy Rule trumps the Open Inning rule then?

Let’s say the score is 20-5 after 4 innings; this would qualify as a “mercy.” If there is ample time going into the 5th inning, do we continue and declare it open, giving the away team the opportunity (however infrequent this may occur) to tie the game or even take the lead? Or, since the game is now a mercy, would the Away team not get the chance to take the lead in the game?

If Mercy Rule > Open Inning Rule, then I would say the game is called and the Home team wins by mercy.

But with time remaining for >2 innings, do we continue even though the game could be called at this point?

Thoughts?